AP PSYCHOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Systematic desensitization, or graduated exposure therapy, is a behavior therapy developed by the psychiatrist Joseph Wolpe. It is used when a phobia or anxiety disorder is maintained by classical conditioning. It shares the same elements of both cognitive-behavioral therapy and applied behavior analysis.

Detailed explanation-2: -Joseph Wolpe, a pioneer of behavioral therapy, developed a technique called systematic desensitization for the treatment of anxiety-related disorders and phobias. This technique is based on the principles of classical conditioning and the premise that what has been learned (conditioned) can be unlearned.

Detailed explanation-3: -Learning muscle relaxation techniques is important because of a principle called ‘reciprocal inhibition. ‘ The idea behind reciprocal inhibition is that you can’t be relaxed and fearful at the same time. When you’re feeling relaxed, it’s hard to feel tense. Tension is what you feel when you’re experiencing a phobia.