Influences on the Development of Specific Phobia

Question 1

The Biopsychosocial Approach

Answer 1

The biopsychosocial approach is a holistic, interdisciplinary framework for understanding the human experience in terms of the influence of biological, psychological, and social factors.
● Biological factors are internal, genetic, and/or physiologically based factors.
● Psychological factors are internal factors relating to an indi dual’s mental
processes, including their cognition, affect, thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes.
● Social factors are external factors relating to an indi dual’s interactions with
others and their external en ronment, including their relationships and community involvement.

Question 2

The Four P Factor Model

Answer 2

1. PREDISPOSING RISK FACTOR: increases susceptibility to a specific mental
   disorder
   ○ Not a causal factor
   ○ EG: Family history of schizophrenia
2. PRECIPITATING RISK FACTOR: increases susceptibility to and contributes to
   the occurrence of a specific mental disorder
   ○ EG: major stressor, acculturative stress, catastrophic event
   ○ They are the thing that has caused the symptoms ‘now’
3. PERPETUATING RISK FACTOR: maintains the occurrence of a specific mental
   disorder and inhibits recovery
   ○ Causes a person’s symptoms to persist or worsen
   ○ EG: continuing to use a drug, unresolved predisposing or precipitating
   factors, ongoing bullying, abuse, illness, low resilience etc.
4. PROTECTIVE FACTOR: reduces or prevents the occurrence or reoccurrence of a mental disorder
   ○ EG: social support, personal characteristics (ie: resilience), high self-esteem etc

Question 3

Biological Contributing Factors

Answer 3

• Gamma-aminobutyric Acid Dysfunction
• LTP

Question 4

Gamma-aminobutyric Acid Dysfunction

Answer 4

GABA dysfunction refers to the insufficient neural transmission or reception of GABA in the body.
● GABA is an inhibitory transmitter Without the inhibitory effect, activation of ➡
postsynaptic neurons may get out of control.
● Not enough GABA neurons are more likely to receive an anxious message and pass it on
Genetics, CNS damage, exposure to stress, nutritional deficiencies and high caffeine intake may all affect GABA levels
Effects Could Lead to:
● Inhibit GABA release
● Inhibit its ability to bind to receptor site on post synaptic neuron
● Stimulate overproduction of glutamate (excitatory neurotransmitter)

Question 5

LTP

Answer 5

long lasting strengthening of synaptic connections, resulting in enhanced synaptic transmission within that pathway
Meaning there is a neurological strengthening of the association between the phobic stimulus and fear/anxiety
● This strengthening occurs with each encounter of the phobic stimulus and increases the efficiency of transferring fear information (decreasing likelihood of forgetting)

Question 6

Psychological Contributing Factor:

Answer 6

Behavi oural Models:
Phobias are developed, maintained and modified by en vironmental consequences

Cognitive Models:
How an indi dual processes information about the phobic stimulus; memories; beliefs; attitudes; biases, etc

Question 7

Behavi oural Models

Answer 7

• Classical Conditioning
  Acquisition: Developing to a CR to a CS
• Operant Conditioning:
  Strengthening: Avoidance of phobic stimulus through negative reinforcement
  Acquisition: Positive reinforcement from parents for avoiding (potential) phobic stimulus

Question 8

Cognitive Models

Answer 8

• People have one or more cognitive biases

Cognitive bias: tendency to think in a way that involves errors of judgement and faulty decision making

Memory Bias:
Memory bias: the distorting in influences of present knowledge, beliefs and feelings on the recollection of pre ous experiences

Consistency Bias: Memories of past experiences are distorted through reconstruction to fit in with what is presently known or believed
● E.g: Past memories of encounters with spiders reconstructed in an (incorrectly) fearful way

Change Bias: Whenever we recall a past experience we exaggerate the difference between what we knew or felt then and what we currently know or feel
● E.g: Past memories of spiders recounted far more fearfully to match current thinking

Question 9

Catastrophic Thinking

Answer 9

Catastrophic thinking is a thinking style invol ving overestimating, exaggerating or magnifying an object or situation and predicting the worst possible outcome
● People grossly underestimate their ability to cope

Question 10

Social Contributing Factors

Answer 10

• Specific En vironmental Triggers
• Stigma Around Seeking Treatment

Question 11

Stigma Around Seeking Treatment

Answer 11

● People may ridicule; suggest overreaction or exaggeration
● Difficulty in understanding may arise from people’s ability to function ‘normally’ aside from when confronting their phobic stimulus

Question 12

Specific Environmental Triggers

Answer 12

Negative, traumatic past experience E.g, Dog attack; spider bite
● The more severe the trauma the more likely a phobia ➡
● Not all people experiencing a negative event will develop a phobia
● Timely re-exposure to phobic stimuli may reduce long lasting effects