Behavioural approach to explaining phobias

Question 1

Phobia

Answer 1

An expressive fear and anxiety triggered by an object, place or situation

Question 2

Specific phobia

Answer 2

Object/situation

Question 3

Social phobia

Answer 3

Social situations

Question 4

Agoraphobia

Answer 4

Outside/public place

Question 5

Behavioural characteristics of phobias

Answer 5

Panic, avoidance, endurance

Question 6

Behavioural: panic

Answer 6

Crying, screaming, running away

Question 7

Behavioural: avoidance

Answer 7

Go to a lot of effort to prevent coming in to contact with phobic stimulus

Question 8

Behavioural: endurance

Answer 8

Person chooses to remain in presence of phobic stimulus

Question 9

Emotional characteristics of phobias

Answer 9

Anxiety
Fear

Question 10

Emotional: Anxiety

Answer 10

Involve emotional response of anxiety
Makes it difficult to relax/experience positive emotion

Question 11

Emotional: fear

Answer 11

Immediate + strangely unpleasant response we experience when we encounter or think about phobic stimulus
Usually more intense than anxiety but experienced in shorter periods

Question 12

Emotional response is unreasonable

Answer 12

Anxiety/fear is much greater than is ‘normal’ and disaproportionate to any threat posed

Question 13

Cognitive characteristics of phobias

Answer 13

Selective attention to phobic stimulus, irrational beliefs and cognitive distortions

Question 14

Cognitive distortions

Answer 14

Perception of person with a phobia may be inaccurate + realistic