Treatments for Phobias Flashcards
What is the aim of treatments for Phobias ?
To reassociate the phobic stimulus with something pleasurable for example relaxation rather than unpleasant for example fear.
What is systematic Desensitisation ?
Is a treatment for phobias based on classical conditioning. it is derived from the principles of counterconditioning and reciprocal.
What is Inhibition ?
To unlearn the phobia
What is counterconditioning ?
Refers to when a particular response to a certain stimulus is replaced by a new response.
What is Reciprocal inhibition ?
Is the idea that it is not at the same time, so one emotion prevents the other.
What are the stages in systematic desensitisation ?
1 Anxiety hierarchy
2 Relaxation techniques
3 Exposure
What is Anxiety hierarchy ?
The patients and therapist put together an anxiety hierarchy collaboratively. This list is unique to the individual in order from least to most frightening.
What is Relaxation techniques ?
The therapist teaches the patients to relax as deeply as possible. (breathing exercise , mediation, imagery techniques).
What is Exposure ?
The patients is exposed to stages of the anxiety hierarchy and has to stay relaxed at each stage before moving onto the next. When the patient can stay relaxed in the lower stage then they move up the hierarchy.( You are cured when you are relaxed).
What is the real-world application to Phobias?
flooding or systematic desensitisation
Why is patients going under very traumatic events a weakness for flooding (PET)?
P Traumatic for patients, they will give consent, but they will experience extreme anxiety.
E Wolpe 1969 reported the case of a client whose anxiety intensified to such as degree that flooding therapy resulted in her being hospitalized.
T may lead to it having higher attrition rates than systematic desensitisation.
Why is flooding not being able to be used for every phobia a weakness ?
P Cannot be used for every phobia
E a fear of public speaking is caused by the thought that the person will say things wrong, a therapist cannot force a patient to start public speaking with the same ease they could force an arachnophobe to hold a spider
T not all phobias are treatable by flooding, weakening this treatments usefulness ( and decreases the credibility).
What is flooding?
A treatment for phobias that involves immediate exposure to the phobic stimuli. There is no gradual build up. For example,. a person with arachnophobia receiving flooding treatment may have a large spider crawl over their hand until they can relax.
Is flooding unethical ?
No but it is an unpleasant experience so it is important that the people being treated give informed consent.
Why might flooding have high attrition rates ?
because it is very traumatic.
