Systematic Desensitization Research Paper

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Behavior Management: The Effectiveness of Systematic Desensitization on Various Phobias
Human behavior is complex and difficult to predict and control. Many theories of behavior modification exist today with an abundance of research to support claims, but which one is most effective? Past research provides support for the effectiveness of systematic desensitization as well as flooding and fading when used to treat phobias. (Ost, 1978, p. 379, Rudestam & Bedrosian, 1977, p. 23). Systematic desensitization is in essence Guthrie’s threshold technique. Guthrie theorized that repeatedly exposing a stimulus that elicits an unwanted response, fist at a low intensity as to not elicit the unwanted response, with gradual increases in intensity, would …show more content…

As it relates to phobias, the goal of systematic desensitization is to eventually replace an unwanted response of fear with a relaxed response (Lefrancois, p. 55, 115). In order to begin phobia treatment using systematic destination, an anxiety hierarchy must be created. This contextualizes an individual’s phobia to provide a better understanding to the stimuli and situations that trigger the unwanted fear response (Lefrancois, p. 115, Rudestam & Bedrosian, p. 25). Systematic desensitization typically involves relaxing the body and mind to a calm state and then slowly introducing the stimulus that causes the unwanted behavior (Lefrancois, p. 45, 115, Rudestam & Bedrosian, p. 23). Flooding, otherwise known as Guthrie’s fatigue technique, involves continued persistence of a stimulus in order to eventually diminish the unwanted response (Lefrancois, p. 52). Fading on the other hand involves generalization and discrimination to eventually change the associated response of a specific stimuli (Lefrancois, p. 106-107, Ost, p. 379). To answer the question if systematic desensitization works better that than other behavior …show more content…

The fading in this study used images of both the phobic stimulus and pleasant, relaxing images that were superimposed on one another which the participant had control over viewing (p. 379). The goal of this study was to establish a comparison of specific phobia treatment between systematic desensitization, fading, and a control no treatment group (p. 379). Ost hypothesized that both forms of treatment would work equally well and the control group receiving no treatment would improve the least (p. 379). Overall the results from this study did support the hypothesis that both forms of treatment work better than no treatment with very few significant differences between the results of fading and systematic desensitization treatments (p. 387). The author notes the need for further research of fading and its application to social phobias and agoraphobia (p.

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