Lecture 4 - Specific & Social Phobia (Anxiety Disorders)

Question 1

(lecture):

Describe the differences between fear and anxiety. (Include the cognitive, physiological, and behavioural differences)

Answer 1

(lecture):

See page 1 in G doc notes.

Question 2

(lecture):

Describe the adaptive value of anxiety.

Answer 2

(lecture):

In mild or moderate degrees, anxiety is adaptive. Anxiety has been selectively favoured in an evolutionary sense: organisms able to respond quickly and efficiently to life-threatening situations survived.

Anxiety also allows us learn to anticipate upcoming frightening events by mobilising resources & prepare for fight-or flight response

Question 3

(lecture):

Give a brief overview definition of anxiety disorders.

Answer 3

(lecture):

Chronic and/or severe anxiety that is not in response to environmental changes is pathological/maladaptive. Anxiety disorders are characterised by unrealistic, irrational fears or anxieties of disabling intensity.

Question 4

(lecture):

According to the DSM-5 what is the criteria for Specific Phobia?

Answer 4

(lecture):

See page 2 in G doc notes.

Question 5

(lecture):

Describe the Psychoanalytic perspective of Specific Phobia.

Answer 5

(lecture):

See page 2 in G doc notes.

Question 6

(lecture):

Describe a study that provides evidence that many anxiety behaviours are learned.

Answer 6

(lecture):

Watson & Rayner (1920)

See page 2/3 in G doc notes.

Question 7

(lecture):

Describe Mowrer’s two factor theory (Mowrer, 1947).

Answer 7

(lecture):

See page 3 in G doc notes.

Question 8

(lecture):

Read “Vulnerability to fear conditioning:” on page 3-4 in G doc notes

Answer 8

(lecture):

Question 9

(lecture):

Describe Exposure Therapy - Systematic Desensitisation.

Answer 9

(lecture):

See page 4 in G doc notes.

Question 10

(lecture):

According to the DSM-5 what is the criteria for Social Phobia?

Answer 10

(lecture):

See page 4-5 in G doc notes.

Question 11

(lecture):

Describe the evolutionary perspective of Social Phobia.

Answer 11

(lecture):

See page 5 in G doc notes.

Question 12

(lecture):

Describe the behavioural perspective of Social Phobia.

Answer 12

(lecture):

See page 5-6 in G doc notes.

Question 13

(lecture):

Describe the cognitive perspective of Social Phobia.

Answer 13

(lecture):

See page 6-7 in G doc notes.

Question 14

(lecture):

Describe CBT (cognitive-behavioural therapy) for Social Phobia.

Answer 14

(lecture):

See page 7-8 in G doc notes.

Question 15

(lecture):

Lecture summary:

• Anxiety allows to anticipate & mobilise resources to cope with threatening events.
• Anxiety disorders are characterised by unrealistic, irrational fears or anxieties of disabling intensity.
• Specific anxiety is explained in term of conditioning and treated with exposure.
• Social phobia is explained by conditioning & cognitive distortions (self as social object) and treated with CBT.

Answer 15

(lecture):