The behavioural approach to treating phobias - Flooding
- Created by: Rosiem2102
- Created on: 21-03-18 22:16
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- Flooding
- How does flooding work
- Referred to extinction in terms of classical conditioning
- Conditioned stimulus no longer produces conditioned response
- Stops phobic responses very quickly
- Patient quickly learns stimulus is harmless
- Learned response is extinguished when the conditioned stimulus is encountered without unconditioned stimulus
- Some patients may achieve relaxation in the presence of the phobic stimulus because they are exhausted by their own fear response
- Ethical safeguards
- Not unethical but is an unpleasant experience so patients must give informed consent so they are fully prepared
- Patient would normally be given the choice between SD and flooding
- Arachnophobic might have a spider crawl over them for an extended period
- Involves exposing patients to phobic stimulus without a gradual buildup
- Immediate exposure to a very frightening experience
- Typically longer than SD sessions (2-3 hours)
- Sometimes only one session needed
- Evaluation
- It is cost effective
- At least as effective as other treatments for specific phobias
- Studies comparing flooding to CT have found that flooding is highly effective and quicker than alternatives
- Patients are free of their symptoms as soon as possible
- It is less effective for some types of phobia
- Appears to be less effective for more complex phobias like social phobias
- Social phobias have cognitive aspects
- E.g: sufferers of social phobias does not simply experience an anxiety response but thinks unpleasant thoughts about the social situation
- This type of phobia may benefit from more cognitive therapies as they tackle the irrational thoughts
- The treatment is traumatic for patients
- Patients are often unwilling to see it through to the end
- Time and money sometimes wasted preparing patients only for them to refuse to resume or start treatment
- It is cost effective
- How does flooding work
- Evaluation extra
- Symptom substitution
- When one phobia disappears, another may appear in its place
- E.g: phobia of snakes might be replace with phobia of trains
- However, evidence is mixed and behavioural therapists tend not to believe it happens at all
- Symptom substitution
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