Therapy

Question 1

What is the therapy used by the Behaviourist approach?

Answer 1

Systematic Desensitisation

Question 2

State the 7 main components of Systematic desensitisation (in order)

Answer 2

Patient learns relaxation techniques

This uses Recipricol inhibition

Creation of Desentisation hierarchy

Progression through the hierarchy (in vivo and in vitro)

Patient is cured

In vivo

In virto

Question 3

Explain the patient learning relaxation techniques

Answer 3

The patient learns techniques to relax as the aim of SD is to counter-condition the response of fear in the face on the conditioned stimulus with the response of relaxation

Question 4

Explain reciprocal inhibition

Answer 4

It is impossible to feel both anxiety and relaxation at the same time, meaning that patients must learn how to relax in the face of the conditioned stimulus

Question 5

Explain the creation of the desensitisation hierarchy

Answer 5

The patient and therapist will sit down and create a hierarchy to help cure the participant of their fear, each step causes an increasing level of anxiety in the patient

Question 6

Explain the progression of the desensitisation hierarchy

Answer 6

The patient will progress through hierarchy by either in vivo or in virtro methods , if the patient suffers any anxiety during any of the steps, they will go back , break down the step and continue to progress remaining relaxed

Question 7

Explain the patient being ‘cured’

Answer 7

The patient is cured when they have counter-conditioned a response of relaxation instead of fear in the presence of the originally feared stimuli

Question 8

What is meant by in vivo?

Answer 8

In vivo means that a patient has a direct experience with an anxiety-causing event (e.g. holding a spider)

Question 9

What is meant by in vitro?

Answer 9

It means that a patient encounters an anxiety-causing event via imagination rather than in real life , which may be appropriate in hard-to-come-by circumstances (e.g flying)

Question 10

What are two strengths of Systematic Desensitisation?

Answer 10

It is research supported - found to lower fear of flying in previously scared Ppts in a flight simulator

Provides answers to a problem

Question 11

What are two weaknesses of Systematic Desentisiation?

Answer 11

It can only be used to fight learned phobias

May cause symptoms to resuraface in another area as the cause remains (symptom substitution)

Question 12

What are the two ethical points for Systematic Desensitisation?

Answer 12

Psychological harm - however anxiety is controlled

Valid consent - as phobias are treated with SD, valid consent can be gained, as phobias do not cause a break from reality (e.g. Schizophrenia)