Used a 10-week programmes to help 16 technophobic students on an IT course and compared to a control group, their anxiety levels were significantly lower.
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Systematic Desensitisation STRENGTH- McGrath et al (1990)
Found that 75% of patients with specific phobias shows significant improvement.
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Systematic Desensitisation STRENGTH- Capafons et al (1998)
Showed success in overcoming a fear of flying. Programmes had 3 phases + focus was on relaxation by stopping negative thoughts about flying. Self-report data, interviews indicated it worked with 20 patients compared to 21 controls.
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Systematic Desensitisation WEAKNESS- Levin and Gross (1985)
Carried out a relevant literature review, finding that, in 10 studies, SD without relaxation was as effective as SD with relaxation, but there were a further 15 studies showing relaxation contributing to the success of SD
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Systematic Desensitisation WEAKNESS- Marks (1987)
Argues you don't need the hierarchy/relaxation as the systematic exposure is enough to be successful, with research showing that presenting the hierarchy in reverse order doesn't influence its effectiveness.
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Systematic Desensitisation WEAKNESS of alternate theories
Also works with Operant Conditioning, where the treatment could work because the object is no longer unpleasant (no negative reinforcement). However, doesn't explain how the phobic object became unpleasant in the first place.
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Systematic Desensitisation WEAKNESS of other disorders
Treatment isn't useful for other mental health disorders such as psychoses. Patient must be relaxed thru the entire process... some people may not be relaxed due to their mental health disorder.
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Flooding STRENGTH- Wolpe (1973)
Demonstrated successfulness of flooding on a girl who was scared of cars by driving her around. She was very upset but later calmed down.
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Flooding STRENGTH- Boulougouris, Mark and Marset (1971)
Found implosion therapy (subset of flooding) to be more successful than SD in 16 participants and found that the effect of flooding lasted over 12 months.
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Flooding STRENGTH- Mott et al (2013)
Studied 20 veterans to see effective of flooding on PTSD. 85% found a reduction in symptoms and committed... only 5% dropped out. Veterans thought that hearing others relive the experience made their feelings seem normal.
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Flooding STRENGTH of the explanations.
Based on Classical Conditioning and biological processes to explain how and why treatment works: car may be associated with something that gave fear at some stage. Immersing in car ride should replace anxiety with calm.
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Flooding WEAKNESS- Barrett (1969)
Used implosions therapy for the treatment of snake phobias. One student made association between closing her eyes and snakes, meaning she couldn't sleep or attend lectures and she pictured snaked when she shut her eyes.
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Flooding WEAKNESS- Willis and Edwards (1969)
Found SD to be more successful than implosion therapy when reducing a fear of mice in 50 female participants. Implosion therapy = no more effective than no therapy + effects of SD shown after 7 weeks.
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Flooding WEAKNESS of ethics
Not ethical as it involves placing someone in a position of great stress and fear. Also issue of social control... is it okay for a therapist to place someone in a situation they can't get out of in order to control their behaviour?
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Flooding WEAKNESS of recovery
Spontaneous recovery may occur as the extinction response occurs quickly meaning dissociation between phobic object + fear may be weak. Not the case with SD, as it's over a longer period of time and thus a stronger dissociation is made.
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Other cards in this set
Card 2
Front
Used a 10-week programmes to help 16 technophobic students on an IT course and compared to a control group, their anxiety levels were significantly lower.
Found that 75% of patients with specific phobias shows significant improvement.
Back
Card 4
Front
Showed success in overcoming a fear of flying. Programmes had 3 phases + focus was on relaxation by stopping negative thoughts about flying. Self-report data, interviews indicated it worked with 20 patients compared to 21 controls.
Back
Card 5
Front
Carried out a relevant literature review, finding that, in 10 studies, SD without relaxation was as effective as SD with relaxation, but there were a further 15 studies showing relaxation contributing to the success of SD
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