Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-j824f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-05T23:24:49.139Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Active muscular relaxation in desensitization of phobic patients

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

S. Benjamin
Affiliation:
From the Institute of Psychiatry and the Maudsley Hospital, London
I. M. Marks
Affiliation:
From the Institute of Psychiatry and the Maudsley Hospital, London
J. Huson
Affiliation:
From the Institute of Psychiatry and the Maudsley Hospital, London

Synopsis

Eight phobic outpatients were treated by six sessions of desensitization followed by exposure or vice versa. Treatment was by visualization of phobic images up a hierarchy for 20 minutes at a time. During desensitization patients were relaxed before and after each image, while during exposure they looked at a neutral slide instead. Skin conductance activity was significantly lower during relaxation than during observation of the neutral slide. The patients, therapist, and a ‘blind’ assessor rated the main phobia as significantly improved for both treatments together. Each of the two treatments contributed similarly to improvement during and after treatment sessions, on measures of main phobia, subjective anxiety, and heart rate. Relaxation training appears to be redundant to the desensitization procedure.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1972

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Baum, M., and Leclerc, R. (1972). Irrelevant stress experience vs. response prevention (flooding) interpolated between avoidance acquisition and extinction in rats. Psychonomic Science. (In press.)Google Scholar
Bandura, A. (1968). Modelling approaches to the modification of phobic disorders. In The Role of Learning in Psychotherapy, pp. 200223. A Ciba Foundation Symposium. Edited by Porter, R.. Churchill: London.Google Scholar
Calef, R. A., and MacLean, G. D. (1970). A comparison of reciprocal inhibition and reactive inhibition therapies in the treatment of speech anxiety. Behavior Therapy. 1, 5158.Google Scholar
Cooke, G. (1966). The efficacy of 2 desensitization procedures. An analogue study. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 4, 1724.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Craighead, W. E. (1971). The role of muscular relaxation in systematic desensitization. Paper read at Congress organized by the Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy, Washington, D.C., September 1971.Google Scholar
Crowder, J. E., and Thornton, D. W. (1970). Effects of systematic desensitization, programmed fantasy and bibliotherapy on a specific fear. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 8, 3541.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Davison, G. C. (1966). Anxiety under total curarization: implications for the role of muscular relaxation in the desensitization of neurotic fears. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 143, 443448.Google Scholar
Davison, G. C. (1968). Systematic desensitization as a counter-conditioning process. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 73, 9199.Google Scholar
Eysenck, H. J., ed. (1960). Behaviour Therapy and the Neuroses. Pergamon Press: London.Google Scholar
Folkins, C. H., Lawson, K. D., Opton, E. M. Jr., and Lazarus, R. S. (1968). Desensitization and the experimental reduction of threat. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 73, 100113.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gelder, M. G., and Marks, I. M. (1966). Severe agoraphobia: a controlled prospective trial of behaviour therapy. British Journal of Psychiatry, 112, 309319.Google Scholar
Gelder, M. G., Marks, I. M. and Wolff, H. H. (1967). Desensitization and psychotherapy in the treatment of phobic states: A controlled inquiry. British Journal of Psychiatry, 113, 5373.Google Scholar
Guilani, B. (1972). The role of competing response and manner of presentation of the aversive stimulus in modification of avoidance behaviour. (In press.)Google Scholar
Jacobsen, E. (1938). Progressive Relaxation, 2nd ed.University of Chicago Press: Chicago.Google Scholar
Kondaš, O. (1967). Reduction of examination anxiety and stage-fright by group desensitization and relaxation. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 5, 275281.Google Scholar
Lader, M. H., Gelder, M. G., and Marks, I. M. (1967). Palmar skin-conductance measures as predictors of response to desensitization. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 11, 283290.Google Scholar
Lader, M. H., and Mathews, A. M. (1968). A physiological model of phobic anxiety and desensitization. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 6, 411421.Google Scholar
Lader, M. H., and Wing, L. (1966). Physiological Measures, Sedative Drugs and Morbid Anxiety. Maudsley Monograph No. 14. Oxford University Press: London.Google Scholar
Lomont, J. F., and Edwards, J. E. (1967). The role of relaxation in systematic desensitization. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 5, 1125.Google Scholar
Marks, I. M. (1972). Flooding (implosion) and allied treatments. In Behavior Modification. Principles and Clinical Applications, ch. 6. Little, Brown: Boston.Google Scholar
Marks, I. M., Boulougouris, J., and Marset, P. (1971a). Flooding versus desensitization in the treatment of phobic patients: a crossover study. British Journal of Psychiatry, 119, 353375.Google Scholar
Marks, I. M., Gelder, M. G., and Edwards, G. (1968). Hypnosis and desensitization for phobias: a controlled prospective trial. British Journal of Psychiatry, 114, 12631274.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marks, I. M., Marset, P., Boulougouris, J., and Husen, J. (1971b). Physiological accompaniments of mental and phobic imagery. Psychological Medicine, 1, 299307.Google Scholar
Mathews, A. M. and Gelder, M. G. (1969). Psycho-physiological investigations of brief relaxation training. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 13, 112.Google Scholar
Mathews, A. M. (1969). In Proceedings of 1st Conference on Behavioural Engineering, Dublin. Papers in Psychology Publications, 1971.Google Scholar
Miles, H., Barrabee, E., and Finesinger, J. (1951). Evaluation of psychotherapy with a follow-up study of 62 cases of anxiety neurosis. Psychosomatic Medicine, 13, 82.Google Scholar
Paul, G. L. (1969). Physiological effects of relaxation training and hypnotic suggestion. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 74, 425437.Google Scholar
Perloff, B. F. (1970). Influence of muscular relaxation, positive imagery, and neutral imagery on extinction of avoidance behavior through systematic desensitization. Ph.D. thesis. Stanford University, California.Google Scholar
Rachman, S. (1959). The treatment of anxiety and phobic reactions by systematic desensitization psychotherapy. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 58, 259263.Google Scholar
Rachman, S. (1965). Studies in desensitization—I. The separate effects of relaxation and desensitization. Behaviour Research Therapy, 3, 245251.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rachman, S., and Hodgson, R. J. (1967). Studies in desensitization—IV. Optimum degree of anxiety-reduction. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 5, 249250.Google Scholar
Rimm, D. C., and Medeiros, D. C. (1970). The role of muscle relaxation in participant modeling. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 8, 127132.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schubot, E. D. (1966). The influence of hypnotic and muscular relaxation in systematic desensitization of phobias. Unpublished Ph.D. Standford University.Google Scholar
Schultz, J. H., and Luthe, W. (1959). Autogenic Training. Grune and Stratton: New York.Google Scholar
Solomon, R. L., and Turner, L. H. (1962). Discriminative classical conditioning in dogs paralyzed by curare can later control discriminative avoidance responses in the normal state. Psychological Review, 69, 202219.Google Scholar
Stern, R., and Marks, I. M. (1971). Brief and long flooding: Paper to 3rd Conference on Behavioural Engineering, Wexford, 1971. (Unpublished.)Google Scholar
Suinn, R. M., and Richardson, R. (1972). Anxiety management training: A non-specific behaviour therapy program for anxiety control. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 10, (In press.)Google Scholar
Watson, J. P., and Marks, I. M. (1971). Relevant and irrelevant fear in flooding—a crossover study of phobic patients. Behaviour Therapy, 2, 275293.Google Scholar
Welch, H. J., and Krapfi, J. E. (1970), Order of stimulus presentation in desensitization. Paper to Annual Convention of Midwest Psychological Association., Cincinnati. May.Google Scholar
Wolpe, J. (1958). Psychotherapy by Reciprocal Inhibition. Stanford University Press: Stanford, Calif.Google Scholar
Wolpin, M., and Raines, J. (1966). Visual imagery, expected roles and extinction as possible factors in reducing fear and avoidance Behavior. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 4, 2537.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed