ISOLATION OF A CONDITIONING PROCEDURE AS THE CRUCIAL PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC FACTOR

Abstract

The treatment by systematic desensitization is described of a severe case of phobia for laterally approaching automobiles. The initiation of desensitization required the introduction of imaginary situations in a fictitious setting in order to procure anxiety responses weak enough to be inhibited by the patient''s relaxation. Recovery was gradual and at every stage directly correlated with the specific content of the desensitization procedures. Certain operations that are usually performed in most systems of therapy were excluded or modified in order to remove any basis for arguing that the successful outcome was "really" due to insight, suggestion, de-repression, or transference.