Desensitization is a therapeutic procedure that is often used to reduce or eliminate undesirable cognitive or emotional responses such as irrational thoughts or fears that impede daily functioning. Common examples of desensitization include irrational fears of flying, public speaking, insects, or snakes. Irrational thoughts and fears may be automatic responses to particular stimuli. The goal of desensitization is to reduce or eliminate the association between the stimulus and a person's maladaptive automatic response. Approaches to desensitization include systematic desensitization, graded real-life practice, confrontive exposure, and modeling.
Respondent Conditioning
The association between a stimulus and maladaptive automatic response is often established by respondent conditioning. Respondent conditioning is a mechanism whereby a previously neutral stimulus is conditioned to elicit an automatic response. Pavlov's dog serves as one well-known example. Here the neutral stimulus of a...
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Suggested Reading
Deffenbacher, J. L., & Suinn, R. M. (1988). Systematic desensitization and the reduction of anxiety. The Counseling Psychologist, 16(1), 9–30.
Thorpe, G. L., & Olson S. L. (1997). Behavior therapy: Concepts, procedures, and applications (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
Wolpe, J. (1992). The practice of behavior therapy (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
Suggested Resources
Desensitization—http://www.csulb.edu/-tstevens/Desensit.htm: This website focuses on various aspects of desensitization such as anxiety hierarchies and deep muscle relaxation.
Relaxation and Desensitization Scripts—http://clcpages.clcillinois.edu/home/cou052/relaxscript.html: The scripts available on this website can be used to take practitioners through the desensitization process word.
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Davie, J., Christ, T.J. (2010). Desensitization. In: Clauss-Ehlers, C.S. (eds) Encyclopedia of Cross-Cultural School Psychology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-71799-9_132
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