Flooding describes exposure therapy where clients are exposed repeatedly and intensively to a feared object and made to see that it is actually harmless.

Flooding describes exposure therapy where clients are exposed repeatedly and intensively to a feared object and made to see that it is actually harmless.

• A. Flooding
• B. Systematic desensitization
• C. Respondent conditioning
• D. Acculturation

Answer: (A)

Exposure therapy for phobias emphasizes confronting the feared object or situation directly to reduce avoidance and anxiety. The approach described here—facing the feared stimulus repeatedly and intensely until the individual learns it is harmless—is flooding. By enduring prolonged exposure in a single session or in brief, intense sessions, the fear response gradually diminishes through habituation and disconfirmation of catastrophic beliefs; the person learns through experience that no real harm occurs. This differs from systematic desensitization, which uses a fear hierarchy and relaxation tricks to gradually build tolerance rather than diving straight into the most fearsome exposure. It’s also distinct from respondent conditioning, which focuses on how reflexive responses are learned, not the therapeutic approach of exposure used to extinguish fear. Acculturation, meanwhile, involves adapting to a culture and has no relevance to exposure therapies.

Exposure therapy for phobias emphasizes confronting the feared object or situation directly to reduce avoidance and anxiety. The approach described here—facing the feared stimulus repeatedly and intensely until the individual learns it is harmless—is flooding. By enduring prolonged exposure in a single session or in brief, intense sessions, the fear response gradually diminishes through habituation and disconfirmation of catastrophic beliefs; the person learns through experience that no real harm occurs.

This differs from systematic desensitization, which uses a fear hierarchy and relaxation tricks to gradually build tolerance rather than diving straight into the most fearsome exposure. It’s also distinct from respondent conditioning, which focuses on how reflexive responses are learned, not the therapeutic approach of exposure used to extinguish fear. Acculturation, meanwhile, involves adapting to a culture and has no relevance to exposure therapies.