A South African behavioral psychologist, Joseph Wolpe assisted his clients in getting rid of their phobia(s) in a process that would be much quicker than a psychodynamic form of research because the belief of behaviorism is that every behavior is learned, and thus can be unlearned. He wanted to know how to treat phobic anxiety disorders using a form of counterconditioning. The reason Wolpe performed this study was because he wanted to perfect and apply systematic desensitization in order to reduce and get rid of someone’s phobic disorder. His hypothesis was that in order to get rid of a phobia, the fear must be paired with something that is relaxing, and through this process the fear response to a stimulus would eventually disappear after enough therapeutic sessions. Furthermore, the method of research used in this study was descriptive. Results were found through observation, as well as self-declaration from the clients. There were 39 cases, and 35 total clients that were desensitized in this study.
In the first step of systematic desensitization, Wolpe taught his clients a deep relaxation technique by tensing up and then completely relaxing the muscles (Hock, 2013, p. 264). They weren’t allowed to move onto the next step until they were able to reach this state on their own. In the next step, the client would have to make an anxiety hierarchy. For this step the client ranks situations that produce a mild amount of anxiety, all the way up to a situation that causes them the most anxiety (Hock, 2013, p. 265). Afterward, during the third and last step, Wolpe was able to help his a client picture himself/herself as being in a situation that would make him/her anxious, but while still in their relaxed state (Hock, 2013, p. 265). Each time the person would make it through a portion of the hierarchy without becoming anxious, they would be able to move onto the next level in the hierarchy. Wolpe did this with his clients until they got through the most anxiety producing situation without losing their state of relaxation. This process of systematic desensitization is usually done until the phobia is no longer present. According to Hock, “The average number of sessions was around 12” (Hock, 2013, p. 266). However, some clients take much longer; this depends on how many phobias exist within them, as well as the degree of anxiety. Moreover, the reason systematic desensitization seems to work so well is due to reciprocal inhibition: “When two responses inhibit each other, only one may exist at any given moment” (Hock, 2013, p. 264). In other words, if you pair a fear with something pleasant that won’t cause that fear, then the anxiety shouldn’t be produced. Wolpe found that his study deemed to be quite successful.
The results of this study show that Wolpe’s hypothesis was true. This is exemplified by the fact that 91% of Wolpe’s 35 clients were successfully treated; Wolpe observed some of these results himself, while others were simply reported to him by the client (Hock, 2013, p. 266). In fact, when he followed up with the 25 who claimed to be freed of their phobia(s), four years later, they were still symptom free (Hock, 2013, p. 267). Due to Wolpe’s success in perfecting systematic desensitization, there has been subsequent research done.
Further research has showed how well Wolpe’s method works. In one example, there was an experiment done using people with a phobia of public speaking, in which subjects were broken into groups—one of those groups went through systematic desensitization as their form of therapy (Hock, 2013, 267). This experiment’s results showed that those who went through this process were much more likely to have reduced anxiety compared to the other two forms of therapy (Hock, 2013, 268). This is only one of many applications since Wolpe’s original research. It is clear from the findings of subsequent research that this study has been quite influential and important.
One reason that these findings are so important is because it can show people just how serious anxiety is. It interferes with peoples’ daily lives, which means this disorder can be more debilitating than some may realize. In fact, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, “Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older (18% of the U.S. population)” (ADAA). Therefore, providing people with a successful way to treat such a disorder without using what can at times be dangerous medications, is very important, especially in this day and age. It’s also important to understand that someone’s phobia isn’t meant to inconvenience others, it is a serious problem. So an example of how one can use this new-found knowledge to better understand human behavior is by comforting someone who is having an anxiety attack, perhaps by helping them to think of something that brings pleasant thoughts, rather than them focusing on how much fear that stimulus produces. With the importance of Wolpe’s research findings laid out, one should understand something that plaid a large part in his therapy sessions, which is the relaxation technique.
Hock made note that the way in which Wolpe got his patient’s to relax was rooted in Edmund Jacobson’s technique. Jacobson found this form of relaxation while studying how to control a situation that may cause someone to become tense; his method came to be known as progressive relaxation (Jacobson, 1987, p. 522). In the American Journal of Psychology, it is pointed out that “Jacobson’s progressive relaxation techniques are of significance because they lay the foundation for much of the biofeedback techniques that have become such an important part of therapy for hypertensives” (Jacobson, 1987, p. 522). Wolpe used this technique in the first step of his method of therapy.
Wolpe’s study relates back to the psychology textbook because systematic desensitization is a technique used in behavioral therapy. As mentioned before, behavior therapists believe that all behavior is learned. Therefore, from this viewpoint they draw conclusions that someone’s psychological issue is simply a product of learning. Taking this into consideration, it makes sense that a behavior therapist would then want to use a learning technique, or conditioning in order to treat these disorders. This is where methods, such as applied behavior analysis, aversion therapy, exposure therapy, and systematic desensitization come in. All of these methods use classical conditioning to help a person “unlearn” their irrational fear(s), as well as treat addictive behaviors when talking about aversion therapy. Moreover, the chapter on psychological therapies defines systematic desensitization: “By pairing the old conditioned stimulus (the fear object) with a new relaxation response that is incompatible with the emotions and physical arousal associated with fear, the person’s fear is reduced and relieved” (Ciccarelli, 2013, p. 582). This connects to the reciprocal inhibition discussed in Hock’s summary of Wolpe’s study. As one can see, systematic desensitization is only one of several forms of therapy used when taking the behavioristic approach.
Now that I know more about one of the ways in which phobias can be treated, I can look at how to use this knowledge in my own life. I have personally dealt with anxiety before, but I was also lucky enough that it never got out of hand, and I eventually got over it. After reading about Wolpe’s findings, I now understand how my anxiety seemed to develop. I know that there wasn’t anything from my past that brought it about, it really was just a product of learning. Moreover, I also taught myself not to get anxious during said situations by learning to relax and breathe deep. However, I won’t just apply this knowledge to myself, but also to those around me. Not only do I understand how serious anxiety disorders are, but I also understand that they aren’t impossible to get rid of. Wolpe’s study, “Relaxing Your Fears Away” will be one of those studies that sticks with me forever because it can apply to something that is very prevalent in our world today.
In the first step of systematic desensitization, Wolpe taught his clients a deep relaxation technique by tensing up and then completely relaxing the muscles (Hock, 2013, p. 264). They weren’t allowed to move onto the next step until they were able to reach this state on their own. In the next step, the client would have to make an anxiety hierarchy. For this step the client ranks situations that produce a mild amount of anxiety, all the way up to a situation that causes them the most anxiety (Hock, 2013, p. 265). Afterward, during the third and last step, Wolpe was able to help his a client picture himself/herself as being in a situation that would make him/her anxious, but while still in their relaxed state (Hock, 2013, p. 265). Each time the person would make it through a portion of the hierarchy without becoming anxious, they would be able to move onto the next level in the hierarchy. Wolpe did this with his clients until they got through the most anxiety producing situation without losing their state of relaxation. This process of systematic desensitization is usually done until the phobia is no longer present. According to Hock, “The average number of sessions was around 12” (Hock, 2013, p. 266). However, some clients take much longer; this depends on how many phobias exist within them, as well as the degree of anxiety. Moreover, the reason systematic desensitization seems to work so well is due to reciprocal inhibition: “When two responses inhibit each other, only one may exist at any given moment” (Hock, 2013, p. 264). In other words, if you pair a fear with something pleasant that won’t cause that fear, then the anxiety shouldn’t be produced. Wolpe found that his study deemed to be quite successful.
The results of this study show that Wolpe’s hypothesis was true. This is exemplified by the fact that 91% of Wolpe’s 35 clients were successfully treated; Wolpe observed some of these results himself, while others were simply reported to him by the client (Hock, 2013, p. 266). In fact, when he followed up with the 25 who claimed to be freed of their phobia(s), four years later, they were still symptom free (Hock, 2013, p. 267). Due to Wolpe’s success in perfecting systematic desensitization, there has been subsequent research done.
Further research has showed how well Wolpe’s method works. In one example, there was an experiment done using people with a phobia of public speaking, in which subjects were broken into groups—one of those groups went through systematic desensitization as their form of therapy (Hock, 2013, 267). This experiment’s results showed that those who went through this process were much more likely to have reduced anxiety compared to the other two forms of therapy (Hock, 2013, 268). This is only one of many applications since Wolpe’s original research. It is clear from the findings of subsequent research that this study has been quite influential and important.
One reason that these findings are so important is because it can show people just how serious anxiety is. It interferes with peoples’ daily lives, which means this disorder can be more debilitating than some may realize. In fact, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, “Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older (18% of the U.S. population)” (ADAA). Therefore, providing people with a successful way to treat such a disorder without using what can at times be dangerous medications, is very important, especially in this day and age. It’s also important to understand that someone’s phobia isn’t meant to inconvenience others, it is a serious problem. So an example of how one can use this new-found knowledge to better understand human behavior is by comforting someone who is having an anxiety attack, perhaps by helping them to think of something that brings pleasant thoughts, rather than them focusing on how much fear that stimulus produces. With the importance of Wolpe’s research findings laid out, one should understand something that plaid a large part in his therapy sessions, which is the relaxation technique.
Hock made note that the way in which Wolpe got his patient’s to relax was rooted in Edmund Jacobson’s technique. Jacobson found this form of relaxation while studying how to control a situation that may cause someone to become tense; his method came to be known as progressive relaxation (Jacobson, 1987, p. 522). In the American Journal of Psychology, it is pointed out that “Jacobson’s progressive relaxation techniques are of significance because they lay the foundation for much of the biofeedback techniques that have become such an important part of therapy for hypertensives” (Jacobson, 1987, p. 522). Wolpe used this technique in the first step of his method of therapy.
Wolpe’s study relates back to the psychology textbook because systematic desensitization is a technique used in behavioral therapy. As mentioned before, behavior therapists believe that all behavior is learned. Therefore, from this viewpoint they draw conclusions that someone’s psychological issue is simply a product of learning. Taking this into consideration, it makes sense that a behavior therapist would then want to use a learning technique, or conditioning in order to treat these disorders. This is where methods, such as applied behavior analysis, aversion therapy, exposure therapy, and systematic desensitization come in. All of these methods use classical conditioning to help a person “unlearn” their irrational fear(s), as well as treat addictive behaviors when talking about aversion therapy. Moreover, the chapter on psychological therapies defines systematic desensitization: “By pairing the old conditioned stimulus (the fear object) with a new relaxation response that is incompatible with the emotions and physical arousal associated with fear, the person’s fear is reduced and relieved” (Ciccarelli, 2013, p. 582). This connects to the reciprocal inhibition discussed in Hock’s summary of Wolpe’s study. As one can see, systematic desensitization is only one of several forms of therapy used when taking the behavioristic approach.
Now that I know more about one of the ways in which phobias can be treated, I can look at how to use this knowledge in my own life. I have personally dealt with anxiety before, but I was also lucky enough that it never got out of hand, and I eventually got over it. After reading about Wolpe’s findings, I now understand how my anxiety seemed to develop. I know that there wasn’t anything from my past that brought it about, it really was just a product of learning. Moreover, I also taught myself not to get anxious during said situations by learning to relax and breathe deep. However, I won’t just apply this knowledge to myself, but also to those around me. Not only do I understand how serious anxiety disorders are, but I also understand that they aren’t impossible to get rid of. Wolpe’s study, “Relaxing Your Fears Away” will be one of those studies that sticks with me forever because it can apply to something that is very prevalent in our world today.