A comparison of systematic desensitization and reinforced practice procedures in fear reduction

At least two strategies of behavior modification seem possible in the treatment of neurotic disorders. In the first, systematic desensitization is used to reduce the anxiety associated with the avoidance behavior, thus reducing avoidance of the feared stimulus. In the second, anxiety is ignored and approach behavior is shaped by direct reinforcement according to operant conditioning principles. Each procedure enjoys a literature of successful application in both laboratory and clinical settings. Systematic desensitization has been effective in treating fears of small animals (Lang and Lazovik, 1963) interpersonal anxieties (Paul, 1966), and classic phobias (Lazarus, 1961). Operant approaches involving reinforced practice have proved successful in treating agoraphobia (Agras et al., 1968), anorexia nervosa (Bachrach et al., 1965), and various types of behavior of psychotic patients (Risley and Wolf, 1967; Ayllon and Azrin, 1968).The present study was designed to examine the relative therapeutic effectiveness of systematic desenzitization and reinforced practice in the treatment of snake phobia. Although Barlow et al. (1970) have suggested that “shaping” is more effective than systematic desensitization in the reduction of avoidance behavior, Ss in their “shaping” condition were given more experience with the aversive stimulus than desensitization Ss. The present study avoids such confounding.