Question

A boy is afraid of spiders of all sizes. His therapist asks him to develop a list of situations in which spiders create anxiety for him of least to most threatening. Next, he is taught how to relax and let go of his tension. Finally, while relaxed, he is asked to imagine the least threatening situation on the list. Procedure used by the boy's therapist is called _____?

1) Systematic desensitization
2) Cognitive restructuring
3) Exposure therapy
4) Relaxation therapy

Answer 1

The therapeutic technique used by the boy's therapist, involving a hierarchy of fearful situations, relaxation, and gradual exposure, is called Systematic Desensitization, a method for reducing anxiety and phobias.

The procedure used by the boy's therapist is called Systematic Desensitization. This technique is a type of behavioral therapy known to be effective for treating phobias and anxiety disorders. Systematic desensitization involves three key components: the development of an anxiety hierarchy listing situations from least to most anxiety-provoking, training in relaxation techniques, and gradual exposure to the anxiety-provoking stimuli while in a state of relaxation. Through this process, the boy is encouraged to associate feelings of calmness instead of fear with the thought of spiders. The technique is based on the principles of classical conditioning and is designed to reduce anxiety and fear responses.

So, systematic desensitization is highly effective for fears like arachnophobia, and it contrasts with the conditioning experiments conducted by Watson on Little Albert, which demonstrated the learning of fear.