Janice has a phobia of dogs and decides to consult with a behaviour therapist in order to get some help.The therapist first teaches her a muscle relaxation technique.After she has learned this,they create a list of increasingly fearful situations involving dogs.Starting with the least feared situation,the therapist has Janice imagine it and then use her relaxation training to eliminate any anxiety that arises.This therapist is using the general technique called ______________,and the list that they have created is an example of _____________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The therapist is using the specific technique of systematic desensitization, which involves creating a hierarchy of feared situations and gradually exposing the individual to each situation while using relaxation techniques to reduce anxiety. Therefore, the list they created is an example of a stimulus hierarchy. A is incorrect because aversive conditioning involves pairing an unpleasant stimulus with an undesired behavior in order to decrease that behavior. C is incorrect because flooding involves exposing an individual to a highly feared situation all at once, rather than gradually. D is incorrect because behavior modification involves using positive or negative reinforcement to increase or decrease a behavior, but this is not what is happening in this scenario.

Janice Has a Phobia of Dogs and Decides to Consult