Describe and evaluate the use of the behavioural approach to the treatment
of phobias. (16 marks.)
The two behaviourist therapies used to treat phobias are systematic desensitisation and
flooding. Both therapies use the principle of classical conditioning to replace someone’s
phobia with relaxation, a new response.
Systematic desensitisation (SD) uses counter conditioning to reduce phobic anxiety. This is
when the phobic stimulus is paired with relaxation and this become the new (CR).
Moreover, it’s impossible to be afraid and relaxed at the same time, so one component
prevents the other. (reciprocal inhibition). The processes involved in SD are, the anxiety
hierarchy where the patient and therapist work together to create a list of fearful stimuli
ranked least to most terrifying. Relaxation, when the patient is taught relaxation techniques
such as deep breathing. Then, exposure to the phobic stimulus while in a relaxed state. The
person starts at bottom of the hierarchy, and when the patient can remain relaxed in the
presence of the stimulus they gradually progress to the next level.
Flooding is when the patient is exposed to the phobic stimulus without gradual build up.
With flooding the individual is unable to avoid (negatively reinforce) their phobia and
quickly learns the phobic object is harmless and this is called extinction or they may achieve
relaxation due to exhaustion of their own response.
A strength of systematic desensitisation is that it’s been proven to be effective in treating
phobias. For example, Gilroy et al who examined 42 patients who had SD for spider phobia
in three 45-minute session. He found that when examining them 3months and 33 months
later, the SD group were less fearful than the control group treated by relaxation only. Thus,
this is a strength because it shows that SD is helpful in reducing anxiety in spider phobia and
the effects from SD are long lasting.
A strength of flooding is that it is cost effective treatment for phobias. This is as research has
suggested that flooding is comparable to other treatments such as systematic
desensitisation and other cognition therapies (Ougrin 2011) and have found it to be quicker
and more effective. Thus, this is a strength because patients are treated quicker and it is
more cost effective for health care providers.
A limitation of flooding is that it is less effective for some types of phobias. Although
flooding is highly effective for treating simple phobias, it is less effective for complex phobias
like social phobia. This may because social phobias have cognitive aspects, e.g the suffer
thinks irrationally, unpleasantly and is not caused by an unpleasant experience that cause
anxiety. Thus, this type of more complex phobias cannot be treated by behaviourist
treatments and benefit more from cognitive therapies.
A limitation of systematic desensitisation is that it is not effective in treating all phobias. For
example, patients with phobias which have not been developed through a personal
experience (classical conditioning) such as a fear of heights they are not effectively treated
using systematic desensitisation. Some psychologists believe that certain phobias like
heights have an evolutionary survival benefit and are not the result of personal experiences,
of phobias. (16 marks.)
The two behaviourist therapies used to treat phobias are systematic desensitisation and
flooding. Both therapies use the principle of classical conditioning to replace someone’s
phobia with relaxation, a new response.
Systematic desensitisation (SD) uses counter conditioning to reduce phobic anxiety. This is
when the phobic stimulus is paired with relaxation and this become the new (CR).
Moreover, it’s impossible to be afraid and relaxed at the same time, so one component
prevents the other. (reciprocal inhibition). The processes involved in SD are, the anxiety
hierarchy where the patient and therapist work together to create a list of fearful stimuli
ranked least to most terrifying. Relaxation, when the patient is taught relaxation techniques
such as deep breathing. Then, exposure to the phobic stimulus while in a relaxed state. The
person starts at bottom of the hierarchy, and when the patient can remain relaxed in the
presence of the stimulus they gradually progress to the next level.
Flooding is when the patient is exposed to the phobic stimulus without gradual build up.
With flooding the individual is unable to avoid (negatively reinforce) their phobia and
quickly learns the phobic object is harmless and this is called extinction or they may achieve
relaxation due to exhaustion of their own response.
A strength of systematic desensitisation is that it’s been proven to be effective in treating
phobias. For example, Gilroy et al who examined 42 patients who had SD for spider phobia
in three 45-minute session. He found that when examining them 3months and 33 months
later, the SD group were less fearful than the control group treated by relaxation only. Thus,
this is a strength because it shows that SD is helpful in reducing anxiety in spider phobia and
the effects from SD are long lasting.
A strength of flooding is that it is cost effective treatment for phobias. This is as research has
suggested that flooding is comparable to other treatments such as systematic
desensitisation and other cognition therapies (Ougrin 2011) and have found it to be quicker
and more effective. Thus, this is a strength because patients are treated quicker and it is
more cost effective for health care providers.
A limitation of flooding is that it is less effective for some types of phobias. Although
flooding is highly effective for treating simple phobias, it is less effective for complex phobias
like social phobia. This may because social phobias have cognitive aspects, e.g the suffer
thinks irrationally, unpleasantly and is not caused by an unpleasant experience that cause
anxiety. Thus, this type of more complex phobias cannot be treated by behaviourist
treatments and benefit more from cognitive therapies.
A limitation of systematic desensitisation is that it is not effective in treating all phobias. For
example, patients with phobias which have not been developed through a personal
experience (classical conditioning) such as a fear of heights they are not effectively treated
using systematic desensitisation. Some psychologists believe that certain phobias like
heights have an evolutionary survival benefit and are not the result of personal experiences,
