Behaviourist treatments of dysfunctional behaviour
- Created on: 31-05-16 18:40
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- Behaviourist treatments of DB
- Systematic desensitisation
- Involves pairing phobic stimulus with something pleasant or relaxing
- Uses classical conditioning
- Replaces irrational fears and anxieties associated with phobic objects
- It does this by using the incompatible response of relaxation - patients can't feel two opposite emotions at the same time
- Replaces irrational fears and anxieties associated with phobic objects
- Wolpe
- Successfully treated a patient with a severe hand washing compulsion
- Aversion therapy
- Associates a stimulus which is undesirable but attractive to the patient with a negative stimulus
- For example, alcoholics enjoy consuming alcohol - but therapist would associate it with illness for the patient
- Drink alcohol while under an illness inducing drug
- Patient then associates alcohol with illness = lessened DB
- Drink alcohol while under an illness inducing drug
- For example, alcoholics enjoy consuming alcohol - but therapist would associate it with illness for the patient
- Based on classical conditioning
- Used in the past to 'cure' homosexuals by electrocuting them if they were aroused by a certain stimuli
- Associates a stimulus which is undesirable but attractive to the patient with a negative stimulus
- Flooding
- Exposes patient to their fear directly
- They will experience extreme anxiety at first but exhaustion sets in and the anxiety decreases
- They have no choice but to confront their fears, and find they have come to no harm when panic subsides = reduced DB
- For example, locking a claustrophobic person in a small space but then they realise they have come to no harm
- They have no choice but to confront their fears, and find they have come to no harm when panic subsides = reduced DB
- They will experience extreme anxiety at first but exhaustion sets in and the anxiety decreases
- Exposes patient to their fear directly
- McGrath
- Aim: treating a girl named Lucy for noise phobia using SD
- Design: single subject case study
- Participant: Lucy, who had a lower than average IQ and no evidence of depression/anxiety
- Procedure: taught breathing and imagery techniques in order to relax and paired this with her fear
- Findings: associated the noise with being calm, and after 8 sessions went from being unable to be around party poppers to popping one herself
- Conclusion: noise phobias can be alleviated through SD
- Findings: associated the noise with being calm, and after 8 sessions went from being unable to be around party poppers to popping one herself
- Procedure: taught breathing and imagery techniques in order to relax and paired this with her fear
- Participant: Lucy, who had a lower than average IQ and no evidence of depression/anxiety
- Design: single subject case study
- Aim: treating a girl named Lucy for noise phobia using SD
- Systematic desensitisation
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