4.2.3 (9A) - specific phobia

Question 1

The biopsychosocial approach

Answer 1

Holistic, interdisciplinary framework for understanding the human experience in terms of the influence of biological, psychological, + social factors.

Question 2

Biological contributing factors

Answer 2

• GABA dysfunction
• LTP

Question 3

GABA dysfunction

Answer 3

Insufficient neural transmission or reception of GABA in the body.
- Can cause someone’s FFF or anxiety response to be activated more easily, meaning it can be more easily triggered by certain stimuli for some people.

Question 4

LTP (SP)

Answer 4

The long-lasting + experience-dependent strengthening of synaptic connections that are regularly activated.
- Strengthening the association between neural signals involved in perceiving a stimulus + those involved in activating the fear response.

Question 5

Psychological contributing factors

Answer 5

• Classical conditioning (precipitation)
• Operant conditioning (perpetuation)
• Cognitive biases

Question 6

Precipitation by classical conditioning

Answer 6

As phobias can be learned, and therefore developed - contribute to the development of phobias by increasing susceptibility to + contributing to their occurrence.

Question 7

Precipitating factors

Answer 7

Factors that increase the susceptibility to + contribute to the occurrence of developing specific phobia (trigger)

Question 8

Perpetuation by operant conditioning

Answer 8

Antecedent (phobic stimulus), behaviour (individual avoids phobic stimulus), and consequences (individual avoids fear response) which is negative reinforcement.

Question 9

Perpetuating factors

Answer 9

• Factors that inhibit a person’s ability to recover from a specific phobia (stops recovery + maintains the phobia).

Question 10

Cognitive biases

Answer 10

A predisposition to think about + process information in a certain way.
- Memory bias
- Catastrophic thinking

Question 11

Memory bias

Answer 11

A type of cognitive bias caused by inaccurate or exaggerated memory.

Question 12

Catastrophic thinking

Question 13

Catastrophic thinking

Answer 13

A type of cognitive bias in which a stimulus or event is predicted to be far worse than it actually is.

Question 14

Social contributing factors

Answer 14

• Specific environmental triggers
• Stigma around seeking treatment

Question 15

Specific environmental triggers

Answer 15

Stimuli or experiences in a person’s environment that evoke an extreme stress response, leading to the development of a phobia.
- Direct confrontation
- Observation
- Learning/indirect confrontation

Question 16

Stigma around seeking treatments

Answer 16

Some people will not seek help due to embarrassment, worry, or fear/the same that a person might feel about getting professional help for their phobia.