Arrange the following stages of systematic desensitisation technique in correct order.
(A) Interviewing the client to elicit fear provoking situations
(B) Asking the client to think about the least anxiety provoking situations
(C) Preparing a hierarchy of anxiety provoking stimuli
(D) Progressing to more severe fear provoking situations while maintaining the relaxation of the client
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → (A), (C), (B), (D)
Systematic desensitisation, introduced by Wolpe, treats phobias by building up relaxation against fears that grow step by step.
(A) Interviewing the client to elicit fear provoking situations — the therapist first interviews the client to find the situations that provoke fear.
(C) Preparing a hierarchy of anxiety provoking stimuli — together with the client, the therapist arranges these situations in a hierarchy, with the least anxiety-provoking at the bottom. The hierarchy has to exist before the therapy can start from its lowest step.
(B) Asking the client to think about the least anxiety provoking situations — the therapist relaxes the client and asks her/him to think about the least anxiety-provoking situation, stopping if the slightest tension is felt.
(D) Progressing to more severe fear provoking situations while maintaining the relaxation of the client — over sessions the client imagines more severe situations while staying relaxed, and gets systematically desensitised to the fear.
NCERT (2025-26): “Behavioural Techniques … Systematic desensitisation is a technique introduced by Wolpe for treating phobias or irrational fears. The client is interviewed to elicit fear provoking situations and together with the client, the therapist prepares a hierarchy of anxiety-provoking stimuli with the least anxiety-provoking stimuli at the bottom of the hierarchy. The therapist relaxes the client and asks the client to think about the least anxiety-provoking situation. Box 5.2 gives details of relaxation procedures. The client is asked to stop thinking of the fearful situation if the slightest tension is felt. Over sessions, the client is able to imagine more severe fear-provoking situations while maintaining the relaxation. The client gets systematically desensitised to the fear.…” |