The Power of Extrapolating Basic Laboratory Principles: The Behavioural-Cognitive Approach of Implosive Therapy

The purpose of this article is to emphasise the importance of basic research in the advancement of theory and clinical technique. To illustrate the power of such a strategy the theory and imagery technique of Implosive (Flooding) Therapy will be briefly described along with a recent modification that has resulted in the development of a new technique which is capable of reactivating all past traumatic memories responsible for the development and maintenance of psychopathology. This new approach has resulted in a number of important discoveries that challenge many currently held beliefs.

Contributions of Animal Studies of Response Prevention (Flooding) to Human Exposure Therapy

The behavioral technique of response prevention (flooding, exposure therapy, implosive therapy) is reviewed. Contributions of animal studies of avoidance-extinction to therapy of human phobic disorders are discussed. These include the delineation of the importance of treatment duration and the facilitative effects of distraction during treatment. Animal studies showing certain pharmaceutical and hormonal agents increase treatment efficiency are reviewed, suggesting improvements in human therapy.