Overview of dental anxiety Flashcards

1
Q

Name the 3 theories of learning

A
  1. Behaviourism
  2. Cognitivism
  3. Social Learning theory
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2
Q

Give a brief definition of what behaviourism is?

A

Is is learning through association

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3
Q

What does behaviourism focus on?

A

It focuses on observable behaviour

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4
Q

What is the key form of leaning according to the behaviourism theory?

A

Conditioning

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5
Q

Name the 2 types of conditioning

A
  1. Classical

2. Operant

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6
Q

What did pavlov discover?

A

Pavlov found that dogs would also salivate to a related stimuli – a pitch fork of a higher or lower tone would elicit some degree of salivation

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7
Q

What does classical conditioning say?

A

A response similar or identical to one originally elicited by unconditioned stimulus is made into a response to a conditioned stimulus based on pairing the two stimuli

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8
Q

Give an example of classical conditioning in a dental situation?

A

A pairing of pain during a dental procedure with environmental stimuli leads to development of the fear response to the environmental cues alone

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9
Q

What is stimulus generalisation?

A

Conditioned response evoked by stimuli that are similar to the original conditioned stimulus

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10
Q

Give an example of stimulus generalisation in a dental situation?

A

Patient shows fear when visiting a new dental practice

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11
Q

What is stimulus discrimination?

A

Conditioned response not evoked by stimuli similar to but not identical to conditioned stimulus

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12
Q

Give an example of stimulus discrimination in a dental situation?

A

Patient shows fear response to sight of the drill but not to equipment used to clean the teeth

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13
Q

What is extinction?

A

Weakening of conditioned response when conditioned stimulus is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus

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14
Q

Give an example of extinction in a dental situation?

A

Use of anaesthetics and painless procedures leads to gradual reduction and elimination of fear of the dentist

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15
Q

What is spontaneous recovery?

A

Spontaneous return of the conditioned response some time after extinction occurs

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16
Q

Give an example of spontaneous recovery in a dental situation?

A

Fear of dentist returns spontaneously a few months or years after extinction

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17
Q

What is High order conditioning?

A

Conditioned response evoked by new stimulus that is paired with a conditioned stimulus that already elicits the response

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18
Q

Give an example of High order conditioning in a dental situation?

A

Patient cringes when hearing the dentist’s name

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19
Q

When is the conditioned response more reliable?

A

The more often the conditioned stimulus is paired with the unconditioned stimulus the more reliable the

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20
Q

What can happen to a patient who has had a very traumatic experience?

A

A patient who has a very traumatic experience may be left with an enduring fear of the DCP.

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21
Q

Define acquisition

A

when conditioning is occurring; depends on the nature of the stimulus, its strength and its timing.

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22
Q

Define higher order conditioning?

A

another stimulus is coupled to the CS

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23
Q

Define Habituation

A

we may stop responding to a frequently presented stimulus

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24
Q

Give an example of Habituation in a dental situation?

A

you are accustomed to the drill’s sound, patients are not

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25
Q

What are responses learned because of in Operant and instrumental conditioning ?

A

Responses are learned because of their consequences

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26
Q

What is behaviour shaped and maintained by in Operant and instrumental conditioning ?

A

Behaviour is shaped and maintained by consequences

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27
Q

What is the focus of the behaviourism theory?

A

Observation

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28
Q

How do habits form?

A

By Building connections between stimuli and response (conditioning) forms habits

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29
Q

What does reinforcement shape?

A

Reinforcement shapes learning and therefore behaviour

30
Q

Give some Critique of behaviourism ?

A
  1. Advocates a passive patient learning in a DCP-led environment
  2. Knowledge is given and is absolute
  3. It does not account for processing that cannot be observed
31
Q

What is the difference between the between behaviourist theory and cognitivist theory?

A

Behaviourism - change of behaviour as a result of experience that can be measured
Cognitivism – change in mental representations and associations brought about by experiences

32
Q

What does the cognitivism theory say about the mind?

A

That it works like a computer

Information comes in, is being processed, and leads to certain outcomes

33
Q

How does the cognitivism theory justify why humans are rational beings??

A

People are rational beings that require active participation in order to learn, and whose actions are a consequence of thinking.

34
Q

What are changes in behaviour seen as in the cognitivism theory ?

A

Changes in behaviour are observed, but only as an indication of what is occurring in the learner’s head

35
Q

What are the 3 stages of memory?

A
  1. Registration
  2. Storage
  3. Retrieval
36
Q

What is retrieval ?

A

It is the conscious accessing of stored information

37
Q

What are the 2 types of retrieval?

A

Context-dependent memory

State-dependent memory

38
Q

What is State-dependent memory?

A

Recalling something that angered you making you angry again

39
Q

What is Context-dependent memory?

A

Returning to the scene of the crime to prompt memories

40
Q

How long does the sensory memory stage last?

A

Last up to 4 seconds

41
Q

What does the sensory memory stage use?

A

Uses both visual and echoic cues

echoic last 2-3 seconds longer than visual

42
Q

What is the capacity of our short term memory?

A

7 ‘bits’ of unrelated information.

43
Q

How can the capacity our short term memory be improved?

A

By chunking

44
Q

How long does our short term memory last?

A

15-30 seconds

45
Q

How can the duration our short term memory be improved?

A

Can be increased by rehearsal

46
Q

How is our short term memory coded?

A

Mainly acoustic, some semantic, visual is also possible

47
Q

What is the capacity of our long term memory?

A

Unlimited

48
Q

How long does our long term memory last?

A

From a few seconds to several years (potentially

permanently)

49
Q

How is our long term memory coded?

A

Semantic, visual, acoustic, olfactory and gustatory

50
Q

What is consolidation?

A

Convert unstable short term memory to lasting stable memories

51
Q

What are the 2 types of long term memory?

A
  1. Declarative (revealed through knowledge)

2. Non-declarative (revealed through behaviour)

52
Q

What are the 2 groups of Declarative long term memory?

A
  1. Semantic (knowledge)

2. Episodic (experiences)

53
Q

What are the 2 groups of non- Declarative long term memory?

A
  1. Procedural (skills)

2. Conditioning (reactions)

54
Q

What is episodic memory?

A

Autobiographical memory of:

  1. Events
  2. People
  3. Objects personally encountered
  4. Time and space
55
Q

What is Semantic memory>?

A

General factual knowledge
Concepts
Rules
Languages

56
Q

What are some critiques of the cognitivism theory

A
  1. knowledge itself is given and absolute
  2. Input-process-output model is mechanistic and deterministic
  3. It does not account enough for individuality
  4. It has little emphasis on affective characteristics
57
Q

Where did the social leaning theory grow out of?

A

Grew out of cognitivism

58
Q

What is observed in the social learning theory?

A

Observation of behaviour and sensorial experiences and Consequences of that behaviour

59
Q

What are some factors models can be influenced by in the social learning theory?

A

How much power the model seems to have
How capable the model seems to be
How nurturing/caring the model seems to be
How similar the learner perceives self and model
How many models the learner observes

60
Q

What are some critiques of the social leaning theory ?

A
  1. Does not take into account individuality, context and experience as mediating factors
  2. Suggests students/patients learn best as passive receivers of sensory stimuli, as opposed to being active learners
  3. Emotions and motivation are not considered important or connected to learning
61
Q

When is the emotional reaction of anxiety or fear triggered?

A

triggered when the size of the threat is larger than the individual’s perception of their ability to cope

62
Q

What are some common emotional components of anxiety?

A

Fright
Nervousness
Irritability

63
Q

What are some common Cognitive components of anxiety?

A

Hypervigilance
Poor concentration
Rumination

64
Q

What are some common Behavioural

components of anxiety?

A

Freezing up
Defensive aggressive
Avoidant behaviour

65
Q

What are some common Physical components of anxiety?

A

Dry mouth
Muscle tension
Pounding heart

66
Q

What might a person with anxiety suffer from?

A

Selective attention

Memory alteration

67
Q

What is selective attention

A

When someone tends to focus on Threatening words (written, spoken), Faces, Pictures and objects, Internal experiences, Novel neutral stimuli

68
Q

Talk through the pain and anxiety cycle

A

Pain causes anxiety
Fear of pain causes anxiety
Anxiety about potential pain causes pain

69
Q

What may increased anxiety make it more difficult to do?

A

Increased anxiety may make it difficult to discriminate between sensation and pain

70
Q

What are some factors that can cause dental anxiety?

A
  1. Painful and traumatic dental visits
  2. Personality variables
  3. Psychological co-morbidity
  4. Familial dental attitudes
  5. Attachment style
  6. Evolutionary factors
  7. Fear of the unknown
71
Q

What does dental phobia share characteristics with?

A

Shares characteristics of anxiety, fear and panic

72
Q

What can dental phobia lead to?

A

Highly developed avoidance
Unable to explain logically
Embarrassment/shame
Sense they are viewed as ridiculous