Josie is afraid of glasses. How would a psychologist treat Josie's phobia of glasses using systematic desensitization? Reference classical conditioning in your response. (6 marks)
ANSWER
Systematic desensitisation involves first teaching Josie a relaxation technique, such as breathing retraining, which involves breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth at a constant, slow rate. This produces a relaxation response. Josie then creates a fear hierarchy, which involves ordering situations involving the phobic stimulus from least to most fearful. Then, Josie would work through each situation in the fear hierarchy until Josie is able to relax in that situation using the breathing technique. She would continue to progress to each step until she reaches the most fear-producing situation in the fear hierarchy.
Before conditioning
Conditioned stimulus (CS) ---> Conditioned response (CR)
Glasses ---> fear and pain due to Josie seeing the glasses
Unconditioned stimulus (UCS) ---> unconditioned response (UCR)
Breathing retraining ---> relaxation response in Josie due to breathing retraining
During conditioning
CS + UCS ---> UCR
Glasses + breathing retraining ---> relaxation response in Josie due to breathing retraining
Repeated associations of successive approximations of the phobic stimulus, glasses, and breathing retraining occur.
After conditioning
Conditioned stimulus (CS) ---> Conditioned response (CR)
Glasses ---> relaxation response due to Josie seeing the glasses
After successful repeated associations, the glasses should produce a relaxation response rather than a fear response. After the fear response has been successfully extinguished, Josie can move on to the next situation in her fear hierarchy.