Abstract
Systematic desensitization in the treatment of fear of flying. In this work we present the preliminary results for the validation of a systematic desensitization program applied to the fear of flying. The programme is made up of three phases: the first consists of four sessions in relaxation and imagination training; the second phase has three sessions focussing on the elaboration of the phobic stimulus hierarchy (travelling by plane); and the third, with a minimum of five and maximum of eight sessions, is focussed on the application of the systematic desensitization, together with stop thinking. The programme has been applied to 20 patients (treatment group) and 21 patients made up the waiting control group. The therapeutic success has been evaluated by means of self-report scales, clinical interview and by recording psychophysiological variables in an analogous situation. The results obtained seem to support the validity of the programme.
