4.1.5 ➡️ Systematic desensitization

Systematic desensitization

• Based on classical condition ➡ two components

• Counter-conditioning ➡ learning to associate the thing you fear ➡ with something relaxing/pleasant

• Graduated exposure ➡ introducing you to the thing you fear in stages ➡ starting with brief/remote encounters ➡ building up to longer, closer and more immediate encounters

Counter-conditioning

• Involves pairing object/activity/creature that produces fear response ➡ with something else that produces incompatible response ➡ e.g. pleasure/relaxation/humor

• Wolpe ➡ taught patients relaxation techniques ➡ such as breathing exercises

• Ventis et al. (2001) ➡ used humor therapy

• Idea is that instead of old conditioned response (CR) ➡ patient learns a new conditioned response (CR) ➡ e.g. laughing or relaxing

Graduated exposure

• Therapist + patient work out fear hierarchy ➡ list of encounters with the feared thing ➡ going from least intense to most intense

• Less intense encounters ➡ pictures, far away rather than close up, brief rather than long lasting

• Important that patient can stop at any point ➡ no need to go into next level if they don’t feel ready

Importance of fear hierarchies being made by the patient, not the therapist

• Patient knows best ➡ what makes them anxious ➡ having control over therapy process is itself relaxing

• Unethical to expose patients to distressing situations ➡ if they hadn’t given informed consent ➡ to every step of the process

Evaluation: Credibility in research

• Based on classical conditioning ➡ well-established psychological theory ➡ supported by research ➡ e.g. Pavlov’s dogs, Baby Albert)

• Research suggests ➡ phobias are learned in the first place through association ➡ can be un-learned by forming different association

• Research conducted in controlled laboratory conditions ➡ provides strict scientific basis ➡ makes it possible to measure effectiveness of the therapy

Gilroy et al. (2003)

• Studied 42 ppts. ➡ treated for fear of spiders (arachnophobia) ➡ three 45-min sessions of systematic desensitization

• Phobia’s strength measured by questionnaire + observing patient when they encountered a spider

• Control group ➡ taught relaxation techniques without gradual exposure to spider

• After 3 months + again after 33 months ➡ treatment group were less fearful than control group

• Shows that systematic desensitization reduces power of a phobia ➡ effects are long-lasting

Evaluation: Objections

• Unethical to expose patient to something they find distressing ➡ could backfire, make patient more frightened

• If done correctly ➡ patient decides on fear hierarchy + moves on if they feel ready ➡ respects patient’s autonomy + helps them feel less anxious

• Sufferers do not get to choose when/how they will encounter fear object ➡ no control over a real life situation ➡ benefits of therapy may not generalize to real life situations

• Works best for phobias of objects/animals ➡ not effective for phobias of situations/concepts ➡ e.g. fear of crowds, the number 13, flying, germs

Evaluation: Differences

• Involves gradual exposure to fear object ➡ with flooding, you are completely exposed to it, all at once

• Systematic desensitization much more ethical than flooding ➡ ppts. are only exposed gradually to fear object + only move on to greater exposure when they feel ready

• With flooding, patient is exposed to fear object all at once ➡ in a very intense way ➡ can be distressing