treatments for phobias: flooding Flashcards
what learning theory is flooding based on?
classical conditioning
what form of exposure does flooding use?
in vivo
describe the procedure of flooding
- no gradual exposure
- exposed to stimulus at top of hierarchy first
- extreme anxiety eventually subsides due to exhaustion
- relaxation techniques are paired with phobic stimulus
what is a weakness of flooding (PEE)?
- different treatment
an alternative treatment to flooding is systematic desensitisation. Willis and Edwards found that SD was more effective on females with phobias of mice and flooding showed no improvement. therefore, this suggests that SD is a more beneficial treatment of phobias.
what is a strength of flooding (PEE)?
- expense
a strength of flooding is that it can be done quickly which makes it a cheap treatment in comparison to SD. for example, it may only take one session or multiple sessions close together, whereas SD may require 10 sessions so the cost would be higher. therefore, this might be a more accessible treatment for some individuals.
what is a strength of flooding (PEE)?
- supporting studies
a strength of flooding is that it is supported by research from Wolitsky Taylor. a metanalysis of 33 studies found that exposure based treatments were more effective compared to controls and psychodynamic therapies. therefore, exposure based treatments were superior to alternative approaches in treating phobias.
what is a weakness of flooding (PEE)?
- side effects
a weakness of flooding is that there could be psychological damage or trauma from the exposure. whilst there are no physical side effects, disorders such as PTSD may occur. therefore, this could make the phobia worse than it was before.
what is a weakness of flooding (PEE)?
- ethics
a weakness of flooding is that there are ethical issues. for example, it causes distress to a patient through forced exposure to the phobic stimulus. therefore, this would make it worse that it previously was due to cause psychological harm, possibly in the form of PTSD.
what is a weakness of flooding (PEE)?
- masks
a weakness of flooding is that it masks symptoms rather than identifying the root cause. Markes et al found that effects lasted over 12 months before resurfacing through spontaneous recovery. therefore, flooding may be less effective than systematic desensitisation which creates a stronger disconnection between the phobia through the gradual exposure
what is a strength of flooding (PEE)?
- time
a strength of flooding is that the patient will not have to commit for as long as they would if SD was used. for example, due to the potential for less sessions being needed, exposure can be carried out more quickly. therefore, this minimises distractions that would affect the extinguishing of the phobia. additionally, it may fit people’s lifestyles better than SD as they can undergo treatment and resume to normal life quickly, especially if they are busy.
