psychlotron.org.uk Behaviourists believe that anxiety disorders are learned. How might it be possible to unlearn them?

psychlotron.org.uk We are learning about...We are learning how to... Behaviourist treatments for anxiety disorders Apply psychological ideas Evaluate psychological therapies

psychlotron.org.uk Behavioural treatments for anxiety Treatment aims to extinguish the association between the anxiety provoking situation and the patient’s responses to it – Phobia – flooding & systematic desensitisation – OCD – exposure with response prevention (ERP)

psychlotron.org.uk Flooding What does the patient have a phobia of? How does the therapist treat the phobia? How long does it take? How does it work

psychlotron.org.uk Flooding Video of flooding on YouTube: uXY

psychlotron.org.uk Flooding Prolonged, high-level exposure to phobic stimulus Anxiety level Time Exposure starts Association is broken

Systematic desensitisation Graduated exposure to phobic stimulus Construct a hierarchy of fearful situations Teach the client how to relax

psychlotron.org.uk Systematic desensitisation In pairs… – Pick a particular phobia to treat – Identify six phobic situations – Arrange them in order of severity

psychlotron.org.uk Treatment for OCD Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) – The patient is exposed to the situation that triggers obsessive anxiety – They are prevented from carrying out their compulsion Can be gradual (like SD) or sudden/intense (like flooding)

psychlotron.org.uk How would you rather have your anxiety treated – systematic desensitisation or flooding? Why?

psychlotron.org.uk Evaluating a treatment Remember TEARS! – T ime – how long to complete? – E ffectiveness – how likely to work? – A cceptability – is it OK with the patient? – R elapse – will the problem come back? – S ide effects – any unwanted consequences?

psychlotron.org.uk Selling behaviourism Design an advert for the behavioural therapy of your choice: – Systematic desensitization – Flooding – ERP Your advert should explain, in everyday language, how the treatment works. It should also convince the reader of the merits of the treatment (TEARS). Use your textbook for more information.