The behavioural approach to treating phobias Flashcards
(12 cards)
What is systematic desensitisation?
Behaviour therapy
Designed to reduce an unwanted response
Through classical conditioning
If person can learn to relax in presence of the phobic stimulus they will be cured.
What is learning of a different response called?
Counterconditioning
What is the anxiety hierarchy?
Put together by client with phobia and therapist
List of situations related to phobic stimulus that provoke anxiety
Arranged in order from least to most frightening
What is relaxation?
Therapist teacher client to relax as deeply as possible
Impossible to be afraid and relaxed at the same time, one prevents the other
Reciprocal inhibition
Breathing techniques
Mental imagery techniques
Drugs
What is exposure?
Client is exposed to phobic stimulus in a relaxed state
Several sessions
Bottom of hierarchy
When client can remain relaxed in presence of lower levels of phobic stimulus they move up hierarchy
Treatment is successful when client can stay relaxed in situations high on the anxiety hierarchy
What is an evaluation of systematic desensitisation?
Evidence of effectiveness
Gilroy et al
42 people
Who has SD for spider phobia in three 45 minute sessions
3 and 33 months
SD group were less fearful than a control group treated by relaxation without exposure
SD is likely to be helpful for people with phobias
What is an evaluation of systematic desensitisation?
People with learning disabilities
Some people requiring treatments also have a learning disability
Main alternatives are not suitable
People with LD often struggle with cognitive therapies that require complex rational thought
Might feel confused and distressed by traumatic experience of flooding
SD is often most appropriate treatment for people with learning disabilities who have phobias
What is flooding?
No gradual build up
Immediate exposure to frightening situation
Last longer than systematic desensitisation
One session - 2-3 hours
Sometimes only one long session is needed to cure phobia
How does flooding work?
Without option of avoidance behaviour
Client quickly learns phobic stimulus is harmless
Extinction
A learned response is extinguished when conditioned stimulus is encountered with unconditioned stimulus.
Conditioned stimulus no longer produced conditioned response
Client may achieve relaxation in presence of stimulus simply because they become exhausted by their own fear response
Why are ethical safeguards important?
Flooding isn’t unethical
But unpleasant experience
Important clients give fully informed consent to traumatic procedure
Fully prepared before flooding session.
Client normally given choice of systematic desensitisation or flooding
What is an evaluation for flooding?
Cost effective
Therapy is cost effective if it is clinically effective and not expensive
Flood can work in as little as one session as opposed to say 10 sessions for SD to achieve same result
Meaning more people can be treated at the same cost with flooding than with SD or other therapies
What is an evaluation for flooding?
Traumatic
Highly unpleasant experience
Confronting phobic stimulus an extereme form provokes tremendous anxiety
Schumacher at al
Participants and therapists rated flood as significantly more stressful than SD
Raising ethical issues
Phycologist knowingly causing stress to their clients
Traumatic nature of flooding means the attrition (drop out) rates are high than for SD
Suggesting overall therapists may avoid using this treatment
