Exam Questions - Behaviourist Treatment of
Phobias
. Outline one behavioural method for treating phobias. (4)
One behavioural method for treating phobias is the use of flooding. This is
3 when you expose a phobic patient to their phobic stimulus, however there
is no gradual build-up through the use of an anxiety hierarchy. Flooding
involves the immediate exposure to a very frightening situation. These
sessions are typically longer than systematic desensitisation sessions, one
session often lasting two to three hours. Sometimes only one long session
is needed to cure a phobia in its entirety.
. Evaluate flooding as a way to treat phobias. (4)
Flooding has various positives and negatives to its approach. A strength of
flooding is that it is at least as effective as other treatments for specific
phobias. Studies comparing flooding to cognitive therapies - such as
Ougrin 2011 - have fund that flooding is highly effective and quicker than
its alternatives. This quick effect is a strength because it means that
patients are free of their symptoms as soon as possible and that makes
treatment cheaper.
A limitation of flooding is that it is less effective for some types of
phobias. Although it is highly effective for treating simplistic phobias, it
2 appears to be less so for the more complex phobias like social phobias.
This may be because social phobias have cognitive aspects. For example,
a sufferer of a social phobia does not simply experience an anxiety
response, but thinks unpleasant thoughts about the social situation. This
type of phobia may benefit more from cognitive therapies, because such
therapies tackle the irrational thinking.
. Explain one limitation of using systematic desensitisation to treat
phobias. (4)
One limitation of systematic desensitisation is that it works best for
1
phobias of objects or animals. It’s not so effective for phobias of situations
of concepts, like the fear of the crowds, foreigners, the number 13, flying
or germs. This is because it’s hard to re-create these things in the therapy
Phobias
. Outline one behavioural method for treating phobias. (4)
One behavioural method for treating phobias is the use of flooding. This is
3 when you expose a phobic patient to their phobic stimulus, however there
is no gradual build-up through the use of an anxiety hierarchy. Flooding
involves the immediate exposure to a very frightening situation. These
sessions are typically longer than systematic desensitisation sessions, one
session often lasting two to three hours. Sometimes only one long session
is needed to cure a phobia in its entirety.
. Evaluate flooding as a way to treat phobias. (4)
Flooding has various positives and negatives to its approach. A strength of
flooding is that it is at least as effective as other treatments for specific
phobias. Studies comparing flooding to cognitive therapies - such as
Ougrin 2011 - have fund that flooding is highly effective and quicker than
its alternatives. This quick effect is a strength because it means that
patients are free of their symptoms as soon as possible and that makes
treatment cheaper.
A limitation of flooding is that it is less effective for some types of
phobias. Although it is highly effective for treating simplistic phobias, it
2 appears to be less so for the more complex phobias like social phobias.
This may be because social phobias have cognitive aspects. For example,
a sufferer of a social phobia does not simply experience an anxiety
response, but thinks unpleasant thoughts about the social situation. This
type of phobia may benefit more from cognitive therapies, because such
therapies tackle the irrational thinking.
. Explain one limitation of using systematic desensitisation to treat
phobias. (4)
One limitation of systematic desensitisation is that it works best for
1
phobias of objects or animals. It’s not so effective for phobias of situations
of concepts, like the fear of the crowds, foreigners, the number 13, flying
or germs. This is because it’s hard to re-create these things in the therapy
