Which sequence lists the steps of systematic desensitization in correct order?

Which sequence lists the steps of systematic desensitization in correct order?

• A. Relaxation training, construction of anxiety hierarchy, desensitization in imagination, in vivo desensitization
• B. Relaxation training, desensitization in imagination, construction of anxiety hierarchy, in vivo desensitization
• C. Desensitization in imagination, relaxation training, construction of anxiety hierarchy, in vivo desensitization
• D. Construction of anxiety hierarchy, relaxation training, desensitization in imagination, in vivo desensitization

Answer: (A)

Systematic desensitization starts with teaching a relaxation response so the person has a calm skill to use while facing feared stimuli. Next, you create an anxiety hierarchy that lists situations from mildly to most anxiety-provoking, giving a clear, gradual path for exposure. Once relaxation and the hierarchy are in place, you begin desensitization in imagination, merging the calm state with exposure to each item in the hierarchy. Only after tolerating imagined exposure do you move to in vivo desensitization, confronting real-life situations while maintaining relaxation. That order—relaxation training first, then the anxiety hierarchy, then imagined desensitization, then real-life exposure—best follows how the technique builds coping skills and gradually extends tolerance. Other sequences skip or reorder these foundational steps (for example, attempting imagined exposure before the hierarchy is set, or doing real-life exposure before securing a reliable relaxation response), which undermines the gradual, calming approach.

Systematic desensitization starts with teaching a relaxation response so the person has a calm skill to use while facing feared stimuli. Next, you create an anxiety hierarchy that lists situations from mildly to most anxiety-provoking, giving a clear, gradual path for exposure. Once relaxation and the hierarchy are in place, you begin desensitization in imagination, merging the calm state with exposure to each item in the hierarchy. Only after tolerating imagined exposure do you move to in vivo desensitization, confronting real-life situations while maintaining relaxation.

That order—relaxation training first, then the anxiety hierarchy, then imagined desensitization, then real-life exposure—best follows how the technique builds coping skills and gradually extends tolerance. Other sequences skip or reorder these foundational steps (for example, attempting imagined exposure before the hierarchy is set, or doing real-life exposure before securing a reliable relaxation response), which undermines the gradual, calming approach.