LEARNING: Saavedra and Silverman Flashcards
what was the aim?
to examine the role of classical conditioning in relation to fear and avoidance of a phobia
to examine the role of positive reinforcement and exposure therapy in the treatment of a phobia
what was the research method and design?
case study
one person studied in depth
data collected through self reports
results of treatment were measured using a 9-point scale of disgust know as a ‘feelings thermometer’
what was the sample?
9 year old Hispanic American boy
along with his mother
developed phobia at 5 years old
been experiencing symptoms for 4 years prior to study
supported by Child Anxiety and Phobia program
what was positive reinforcement therapy?
a form of operant conditioning involving rewarding for desirable behavior
what was the procedure?
the boy and his mother gave informed consent
they were interviewed about the boy’s phobia
the fear started 4 years prior to the study
a bowl of buttons fell on the boy in front of the class and teacher and this caused him distress
he was unable to dress himself and hug his mother
he became preoccupied with avoiding buttons
they treated him with positive reinforcement therapy
he was rewarded by his mother for showing less fear and handling the buttons
treatment sessions lasted 20-30 minutes
he was also treated with imagery exposure therapy where he revealed that he found buttons disgusting and smelt bad
they used visualization techniques and he was asked to imagine buttons falling on him and how they looked,felt and smelt
they then talked about how the imagery exposure made him feel
they went from imagining large to small buttons
he used self-control techniques
what is self-control?
a form of cognitive behavioral therapy using self talk
what is a phobia?
an irrational fear of something that posses little danger but creates anxiety to a person
describe the feelings thermometer
rating from 0-8
describe the feelings thermometer
rating from 0-8
large denim jean buttons: 2
small plastic buttons: 8
what were the positive reinforcement results?
successful completion of all exposure tasks
approached buttons more positively but rating of distress was increasing
by 4th session, hugging his mom whilst wearing buttons had increased in dislike
evaluative reactions remained the same or increased
what were the imagery exposure results?
distress rating decreased
100 buttons falling on him (visualization) was rated 8 before, 5 during and 3 after exposure therapy
what were the results from the 6 and 12 month follow ups?
minimal distress about buttons
was able to wear small plastic buttons
the phobia no longer affected his normal functions
what were the conclusions?
emotions and cognition linked to disgust are important when learning about treating phobias
imagery exposure can have a long term effect on reducing the stress towards a phobia as it tackles negative evaluations
