Behavioural treatment of phobias

Wolpe (1958) countered avoidance as it limits the oppertuintuy for grardual reinroduction

Counterconditioning

clients are taught to form,m new asociatio0ions with the phobic stimulus (relaxation instead of fear)

• this is "reciprichaol inhaibiion" as relaxation inhbits anxiety
• the client becommes desenstised

Relaxation

the therepist will teach the client relaxation techiques:

• deep slow breathing + being midnful of "here and now"
• focusing on a peacful scene + progressive muscle relaxation

Desensitisation hierarhcy

the client is then exposed to fearful stimuli, at each stage they have to relax to the point of desensitisation before they move to the next most frearful stimulus in the hierarchy.

Effectiveness of SD

McGarth (1990) FOUND 75% of clients respond to SD

Choy et al (2007) in vivo (physical contact) techniques are more effective than in vitro (images or imagination) techniques

Comer (2002) a number of different exposure techniques are used

Not appropriate for all phobias

Ohman et al (1975) - SD may not be the most effective way of treating phobias that have an underlying survival cause (fear of the dark, heights, dangerous animals)

strengths of behavioural therepy 

Behvioal are superior to other treament in these ways

• reltivly fast
• less effort from clients

CBT requires willpower from the client trying to understand their own behvaiour

the lack of thinnking means behvioral therepy can treat

• children
• people with learning disabilities

Humphery (1973) It can also be self adminstered, making it cheaper

Flooding Technique

one long session were the client is overloaded with the phobic stimulus until they are completely relaxed. can be conducted in vivo or in virtual reality.

Evaluation - individual diffrences

flooding can be a highly traumatic proceedure, quitting during treatment opr before hand reduces the u;ltimate effecrtivness of the treatment

Effectivness

Choy reported flooding is more effective than SD.

Craske et al (2008) reported booth SD and 

Relaxation may not be necessary

The active agent in SD may be that the expectation of being able to cope with the phobic stimulus is more effective than the relaxation techniques.

Klein et al (1983) compared SD to psychotherapy for social and specific phobias and found no difference in effectiveness suggesting that relaxation is not the active element.

Symptom substitution

Phobic responses may just be symptoms of a non-phobic cause.

Freud (1909) and the case of Little Hans showed his fear of horses was not a phobia, but the projection of anxiety onto the horse. the real cause was the envy of his father, if he was treated for the horse phobia the cause would have remained.