38472498
Description
Mind Map by Alicja Klak, updated more than 1 year ago
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Created by Alicja Klak
over 1 year ago
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5.4 Behavioural approach to treating phobias
- Systematic Desentitisation
- SD is a behavioural therapy designed to gradually
reduce phobic anxiety through classical conditioning.
Essentially, a new response to the phobic stimulus is
formed. This is called counter conditioning. There are three processes.
- 1. Anxiety Hierarchy
- The hierarchy is put together by client and
therapist. This is a list of situations that provoke
anxiety, related to the phobic stimulus.
- The hierarchy is put together by client and
therapist. This is a list of situations that provoke
anxiety, related to the phobic stimulus.
- 2. Relaxation
- Therapist teaches the client to relax as deeply
as possible; It is impossible to be scared and
relaxed at the same time, so one emotion
prevents the other. This is better known as
reciprocal inhibition. Alternative relaxation can
be achieved with drugs like Valium.
- Therapist teaches the client to relax as deeply
as possible; It is impossible to be scared and
relaxed at the same time, so one emotion
prevents the other. This is better known as
reciprocal inhibition. Alternative relaxation can
be achieved with drugs like Valium.
- 3. Exposure
- Client is finally exposed to phobic stimulus during relaxed
state, taking place across several sessions moving up the
anxiety hierarchy. Treatment is successful once the client
can stay relaxed in high anxiety situations.
- Client is finally exposed to phobic stimulus during relaxed
state, taking place across several sessions moving up the
anxiety hierarchy. Treatment is successful once the client
can stay relaxed in high anxiety situations.
- Evaluation
- Strengths:
- Evidence to it's effectiveness. Gilroy et al (2003) followed up 42
people who had SD for arachnophobia in 3 45 minute sessions. At
both 3 and 33 months, the SD group were much less fearful.
- Can be used to treat people with learning disabilities. People with LD
often struggle with cognitive therapies therefore SD is the most
appropriate form of treatment.
- Evidence to it's effectiveness. Gilroy et al (2003) followed up 42
people who had SD for arachnophobia in 3 45 minute sessions. At
both 3 and 33 months, the SD group were much less fearful.
- Strengths:
- SD is a behavioural therapy designed to gradually
reduce phobic anxiety through classical conditioning.
Essentially, a new response to the phobic stimulus is
formed. This is called counter conditioning. There are three processes.
- Flooding
- Flooding also involves exposure to the phobic
stimulus. Unlike SD flooding is immediate
exposure to a frightening situations. These
sessions are typically longer than SD sessions.
- Flooding stops phobic responses very quickly, due to there
not being the option of avoidance. In CC terms this is called
extinction. A learned response is extinguished when the
conditioned stimulus is encountered with the
unconditioned stimulus, resulting the conditioned stimulus
no longer producing the conditioned response.
- Unethical.
- Evaluation
- Strengths:
- Cost effective. Flooding can work in as
little as one session so is both clinically
and cost effective. This means more
people can be treated at the same cost
with flooding than with SD.
- Cost effective. Flooding can work in as
little as one session so is both clinically
and cost effective. This means more
people can be treated at the same cost
with flooding than with SD.
- Weaknesses:
- Traumatic. Confronting one's phobic
stimulus in an extreme form provokes
heightened levels of anxiety, raising
ethical issues.
- Traumatic. Confronting one's phobic
stimulus in an extreme form provokes
heightened levels of anxiety, raising
ethical issues.
- Strengths:
- Flooding also involves exposure to the phobic
stimulus. Unlike SD flooding is immediate
exposure to a frightening situations. These
sessions are typically longer than SD sessions.
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