Behavioural Approach To Phobias - Therapys

Question 1

Systematic desensitization

Answer 1

-Extinguish fear and replace it with calmness
Learn to unlearn what you’ve learnt

• gradual exposure to phobia to overcome it

Question 2

Hierarchy of fear

Answer 2

1- therapist teaches relaxation techniques
2.build hierarchy Least to most frightening situation
3.work way up the hierarchy with therapist and do relaxation techniques at each stage.
4. If unable to do a stage move back down to previous stage until calm.
5. Complete hierarchy

Question 3

Evaluation of systematic desensitization

Answer 3

✔️- effective for a range of anxiety disorders helps people function

✖️- may just suppress symptoms and struggle when not with therapist
-expensive
-time consuming

Question 4

Flooding

Answer 4

Immediate exposure to phobia without escape
- based on classical conditioning

Question 5

Two components of flooding

Answer 5

Unavoidable exposure- introduce to phibia in most immediate unavoidable way. Fight or flight will kick in and you will go into a state of panic after a while your parasympathetic pathway will kick in and you will start to feel calmer.
You then realise your fear is irrational and that your phobia is not a danger to you.

Extinction- learning to associate the thing you fear with something neutral

Question 6

What do they learn

Answer 6

expose them to phobia until they’re calm and realise their phobia is harmless

Question 7

2 Flooding studies

Answer 7

24 soldiers with PTSD half done 14 flooding sessions and has fewer flashbacks, ptsd and panic attacks.

Girl was scared of cars so they drove her around in one until she was calm and realised the car was harmless.

Question 8

Flooding evaluation

Answer 8

✔️- cost effective cause less sessions or even 1
- not as time consuming as systematic desensitization
- effective and works - supporting studies

✖️- ethical issues - traumatic psychological harm