Contributing Factors: Phobia

Question 1

Cognitive Bias

Answer 1

Cognitive bias/distortion is a tendency to think in a way that involves errors of judgement and faulty decision-making.

Question 2

Catastrophic thinking

Answer 2

A process in which an individual obsessively thinks about a perceived threat, overestimating the threat in a way that is irrational bringing about thoughts of the worst case scenario leading to an increased state of anxiety.

Question 3

Long-term potentiation

Answer 3

A process in which repeated stimulation of a synaptic connection results in the long-lasting strengthening of that synapse. The amygdala stores an emotional memory and LTP has long term effects

Question 4

GABA dysfunction

Answer 4

A condition in which an individual has low levels of GABA (Gamma Amino Butyric Acid) in their bloodstream, causing an increase in the presence of glutamate which increases anxiety. This can contribute to the development of a phobia.

Question 5

Perpetuation by operant conditioning

Answer 5

A situation in which an individual has acquired a phobia though negative reinforcement, which causes them to avoid the phobic stimulus to reduce unpleasant feelings of fear and anxiety. In the case of the dentist phobia, the avoidance of an unpleasant injection acts as
a negative reinforcer that strengthens the likelihood of that behaviour being repeated. It is a perpetuating risk factor.

Question 6

Memory bias

Answer 6

A cognitive bias in which a memory is encoded inaccurately and is in influenced by distorted thinking. A better recollection of phobic events and information than other information or of negative over positive information. Eg, Remember the frogs squishing noise but not times when frogs were sweet.

Question 7

Specific environmental triggers

Answer 7

Direct events that can lead to the development of a phobia.

Question 8

Precipitation by classical conditioning

Answer 8

A neutral stimulus repeatedly paired with an unconditioned stimulus which elicits an unconditioned response can result in the neutral stimulus eliciting a conditioned response. We can develop a phobia of a neutral stimulus because we have been conditioned to associate it with fear. Through this process people can develop phobias of such things as clowns or birds. A precipitating risk factor.

Question 9

Stigma

Answer 9

A negative label associated with social disapproval or rejection by others who are not labelled in that way. A stigma that mental disorders are abnormal or dangerous may be a social risk factor as it can act as a barrier to individuals seeking and/or accessing treatment.

Question 10

GABA

Answer 10

Gamma Amino Butyric Acid (GABA) has an inhibitory role - makes postsynaptic neuron less likely to fire. It regulates anxiety, arousal and sleep. GABA acts as a sedative. Low levels of GABA can mean higher levels of anxiety (not enough GABA to regulate
anxiety or phobic response)

Question 11

Biological contributing factors

Answer 11

GABA and glutamate

Role of stress and fight-flight-freeze response

Long term potentiation

Genetic predisposition

Question 12

Role of stress response

Answer 12

Stress can supress neurogenesis. Sympathetic nervous system activation.

Question 13

Psychological contributing factors

Answer 13

Precipitation through CC

Perpetuation through OC

Cognitive bias

Catastrophic thinking

Question 14

3 different types of cognitive bias

Answer 14

Attentional bias

Memory bias

Interpretive bias

Question 15

Attentional bias

Answer 15

Tendency to selectively attend to phobia related stimuli rather than other stimuli. Eg, noticing frogs when no one else does

Question 16

Interpretive bias

Answer 16

Tendency to interpret non threatening stimuli as threatening Eg, Frog may jump and poison me

Question 17

Social contributing factors

Answer 17

Specific environmental triggers

Stigma

Question 18

The fight-flight-freeze response

Answer 18

The response provides us with resources to deal with danger in our environment and is controlled by the SNS. Once activated, stress hormones such as adrenalin and noradrenalin are released into the bloodstream to increase our heart and respiration rate, circulate more glucose through our body, improve focus and temporarily boost stamina to either fight the impending danger or flee to a safe place.

Question 19

Role of the amygdala

Answer 19

Vital in initiating and processing emotional responses such as fear and in forming emotional memories. When a person experiences a frightening event, sensory info is processed by the amygdala to become an emotional memory. The amygdala is responsible for classically conditioned fear. When the person is exposed to a similar stimulus, the amygdala triggers the ‘emotion’ of fear and the fight- flight-freeze response is initiated.

Question 20

Role of the hippocampus

Answer 20

The hippocampus is involved in the formation of declarative memories. The memory of the frightening episode itself is consolidated by the hippocampus, to form a conscious recollection – the more frightening the event, the stronger the memory.

Question 21

GABA and glutamate

Answer 21

GABA and glutamate play an important role in maintaining the right balance in our nervous system so that our levels of anxiety (physiological arousal) remain at an optimal level. GABA has an inhibitory role and glutamate has an excitatory role, and the two transmitters work together. When a person has low levels of GABA, the increased presence of glutamate increases agitation and anxiety and can contribute to their developing a specific phobia.

Question 22

Genetic predisposition and inherited vulnerabilities

Answer 22

A person’s biological make up that can lead to a genetic vulnerability such as being born with low levels of GABA. This vulnerability is also expressed in personality: individuals who are apprehensive about environmental objects and events are more likely to develop anxiety disorders and specific phobias. A genetic predisposition does not guarantee occurrence. Certain psychological, social and environmental influences will increase this likelihood.

Question 23

contributing psychological factors

Answer 23

The psychological factors involved in developing a specific phobia refer to ‘our thoughts, beliefs and perception about ourselves, our experiences and our environment’

Question 24

Behavioural model of psychological contributing factors

Answer 24

The behavioural approach examines how an organism’s behaviours are in uenced by environmental factors and downplays the importance of thinking processes (cognition). According to the behavioural model, specific phobias are learnt through classical conditioning and maintained through operant conditioning.

Question 25

Limitations of the behavioural model

Answer 25

While classical and operant conditioning provide convincing behavioural explanations for the acquisition of a specific phobia, they do not fully explain situations where people are phobic about objects or events that they have never experienced.

Question 26

Why are the phobia avoidance strategies considered maladaptive

Answer 26

They alleviate the immediate feelings of anxiety in the short term. However, they do not help the person to change their persistent unrealistic beliefs.

Question 27

4 contributing social factors

Answer 27

Environmental triggers

Parental Modelling

Transmission of threat information

Stigma

Question 28

Environmental triggers

Answer 28

In many instances, specifc environmental triggers can lead to the development of a specific phobia. There are three possible environmental paths:

1 direct exposure to a distressing or traumatic event, such as being attacked by a dog

2 witnessing other people experiencing a traumatic event, such as seeing another person
being attacked by a dog

3 reading or hearing about dangerous situations or events, for example, developing a fear of dogs after hearing stories about children, adults or family pets being attacked by a dog.

Question 29

Parental modelling

Answer 29

According to the social learning theory, specific phobias can be learnt by observing other people’s phobic reactions.Parental modelling can lead to the transmission of threat information, which is incorporated into the child’s long-term memory.

Question 30

Transmission of threat information

Answer 30

The transmission of information that a person perceives as threatening such as in parental modelling. Information can be received from a range of different sources such as internet. A person might develop a fear of flying if each time they Google ‘flying’ they get plane crash websites. If their fear prevents them from being able to board a plane, then threat information delivered by the internet has led to a specific phobia.

Question 31

Parental modelling example

Answer 31

A child is raised in a household where a parent has fear of moths. Each time the parent sees one, they exhibit their fear by screaming. This increases the child’s anxiety and leads them to believe that moths are dangerous and should be avoided at all costs. Thus, children whose parents show phobic responses are more likely to develop comparable fears of similar stimuli.