The Behaviourist Approach to Treating Phobias

Question 1

Briefly outline how the behaviourist treatment for phobias works

Answer 1

If all behaviour is learnt it can be unlearnt through counterconditioning.
Counterconditioning is re-training someone’s response to a phobic stimulus so that it becomes associated with a feeling of calm.
Behaviourist treatments work using the principles of classical conditioning.

Question 2

Outline the systematic desensitisation treatment to phobias

Answer 2

• Gradually teach the client to form new associations with their phobic stimulus and feeling calm
• Fear hierarchy starts with the least anxiety provoking scenario and gradually builds up to help them face their phobia
• The client is taught relaxation techniques to calm down before moving on to the next stage of the fear hierarchy

VERY IMPORTANT TO SAY!!!: Once they reach the top of the fear hierarchy new associations should be formed and the client should now associate feelings of calm with their phobic stimulus

Question 3

Outline the flooding treatment to phobias

Answer 3

• A more intense treatment which takes one lengthy session
• The client is immediately immersed in their phobic stimulus = extreme anxiety
• The body cannot maintain this high level of arousal for very long, so after a period of time they will begin to feel more calm/relaxed and associate this feeling with the phobia (VERY IMPORTANT TO SAY!!!)

Question 4

Outline two/three strengths of behaviourist treatments for phobias

Answer 4

Systematic desensitisation:
P: Research suggests SD is successful in treating a range of phobic disorders.
Ev: McGrath reported 75% of patients with phobias respond to SD most successfully through actual contact with the feared stimulus. This means in vivo (in real life i.e. in the room with it) techniques are more successful than ones just using pictures or imaging the feared stimulus (in vitro).
Ex: Suggests therapies which aim to counter condition a phobia using behaviourist principles of classical conditioning are highly effective.
L: Findings increase the usefulness of behaviourist treatments for helping phobic patients in the real world.

Flooding:
P: Effective treatment for people who stick with it.
Ev: Choy found that both SD and flooding were effective, but flooding was the more effective of the two at treating phobias.
Ex: Flooding is a much quicker treatment which allows patients to be relieved of their phobia sooner.
CA: However, flooding is not for every patient because it can be highly traumatic. Even though patients are made aware of this beforehand, they may quit during the treatment because they cannot cope with the intensity of the process, which ultimately reduces the effectiveness of the therapy for those who do not stick with it.
L: Whilst flooding offers a more time-effective treatment, it may not be suitable for everyone.

Behaviourist Treatments in general:
P: Fast and do not require a lot of effort from the patient.
Ev: Other therapies such as CBT require a lot of willpower from the patient in trying to understand their behaviour and apply these insights.
Ex: As such these therapies are also useful for people who lack insight into their motivations or emotions, such as children or patients with learning difficulties.
L: Behaviourist treatments are more suitable when treating phobias as they are more open to a larger variety of people as they require less effort than other therapies.

Question 5

Outline a limitation of behaviourist treatments for phobias

Answer 5

Behaviourist treatment in general
P: Systematic desensitisation may not be an appropriate treatment for all phobias.
Ev: Öhman suggests SD may not be as effective in treating phobias with underlying evolutionary survival components (e.g. fear of heights) compared to those which have been acquired through personal experience
Ex: Not all phobias can be treated due to our natural survival instinct to avoid something that we fear may endanger us, heavily based on the way that our ancestors survived.
L: Perhaps certain phobias such as the fear of heights are necessary for survival and not all phobias can (and potentially should) be treated.