First section: systematic desensitization: A client practices relaxation techniques while engaging in situations listed on her anxiety hierarchy, beginning with the least anxiety-provoking situation. After repeated pairings, the client learns to associate the anxiety-provoking situation with the desirable, conditioned response (calm), which is incompatible with fear or anxiety. The process is repeated for every step on the hierarchy.
An illustration shows a syringe with a scale on the left ranging from least anxiety provoking to most anxiety provoking. Text beside the syringe reads, anxiety hierarchy for fear of needles which are as follows: 8-Getting a flu shot, 7- allowing someone to prep your arm for a shot, 6- visiting a health clinic to discuss getting a shot, 5- watching someone get a shot, 4- holding a hypodermic needle, 3- touching a hypodermic needle in its packaging, 2- looking at an actual hypodermic needle, and 1- looking at a photo of a hypodermic needle.
A small infographic beside depicts the following: a photo of a syringe plus the word relaxation leads to the words: anxiety and calm. The word anxiety is crossed out. Text above reads, during conditioning, two stimuli that produce incompatible responses are repeatedly paired. Text below the infographic reads, because the responses are incompatible, one response will eventually be extinguished. Starting at the bottom of the hierarchy with the best anxiety-provoking situation enables the desired response (calm) to prevail.
Second section: An illustration shows process of conditioning which are as follows:
Before conditioning: The illustration depicts a pill bottle labeled unconditioned stimulus (U S) leading to a silhouette of a man on a swirl labeled unconditioned response (U R).
During conditioning: The illustration depicts a nausea drug bottle labeled unconditioned stimulus (U S) and a glass cup filled with alcohol labeled neutral stimulus (N S) leading to a silhouette of a man on a swirl labeled unconditioned response (U R).
After conditioning: The illustration depicts a glass cup filled with alcohol labeled conditioned stimulus (C S) leading to a silhouette of a man on a swirl labeled conditioned response (C R).
Text below reads, aversion therapy. Aversion therapy seeks to diminish a behavior by linking it with an unpleasant reaction. To reduce alcohol consumption, alcohol is consumed with a drug that causes feelings of nausea. Eventually, alcohol becomes a conditioned stimulus, prompting the unpleasant physical reaction all on its own.