Psychopathology Short Exam Questions
Outline one strength and one weakness of using systematic desensitisation to treat psychological
disorders (4 marks).
One strength is that it has proved effective in practice, as McGrath found that 75% of people in a
study overcame their fear and got to the top level. This means that systematic desensitisation has
high levels of success. However, a limitation is that it can suppress the anxiety but only move it
somewhere else. This means that the person may feel the anxiety but towards something else, such
as they were anxious of dogs but they are now anxious of going near parks.
This achieved 4 marks.
Outline one or more ways in which behaviourists treat phobias (6 marks).
One way that behaviourists treat phobias is through systematic desensitisation. Systematic
desensitisation involves the patient creating a hierarchy of feels. The patient is taught relaxation
techniques before they face their phobia. Then the patient slowly works there way from the bottom
of the hierarchy to the top only moving on when they are ready, but they can move back down the
hierarchy if they need to. Another treatment is flooding where the patient is immediately
bombarded with their phobia, due to there being no gradual build up but instead have an immediate
exposure. Expand a bit more about what flooding does.
This achieved 5 marks.
Outline one strength and one weakness of using systematic desensitisation to treat psychological
disorders (4 marks).
One strength is that it has proved effective in practice, as McGrath found that 75% of people in a
study overcame their fear and got to the top level. This means that systematic desensitisation has
high levels of success. However, a limitation is that it can suppress the anxiety but only move it
somewhere else. This means that the person may feel the anxiety but towards something else, such
as they were anxious of dogs but they are now anxious of going near parks.
This achieved 4 marks.
Outline one or more ways in which behaviourists treat phobias (6 marks).
One way that behaviourists treat phobias is through systematic desensitisation. Systematic
desensitisation involves the patient creating a hierarchy of feels. The patient is taught relaxation
techniques before they face their phobia. Then the patient slowly works there way from the bottom
of the hierarchy to the top only moving on when they are ready, but they can move back down the
hierarchy if they need to. Another treatment is flooding where the patient is immediately
bombarded with their phobia, due to there being no gradual build up but instead have an immediate
exposure. Expand a bit more about what flooding does.
This achieved 5 marks.
