Comparison of flooding procedures in animals and man

Avoidance behavior in animals and man is contrasted in the context of “flooding” or “response prevention”. Some experimentally established parameters affecting fear reduction in rats are examined with a view to their relevance in modifying phobic behavior in man. Two case reports of patients treated by flooding are cited to illustrate the absence of avoidance or escape responses when these patients were exposed to situations they considered highly anxiety arousing before treatment.