Phobias

Question 1

Emotional characteristics of phobias

Answer 1

Persistent, excessive and unreasonable fear

Question 2

Behavioural characteristics of phobias

Answer 2

Panic attacks, actively avoiding feared stimulus

Question 3

Cognitive characteristics of phobias

Answer 3

Conscious awareness of exaggerated anxiety

Question 4

Outline classical conditioning as an explanation of phobias

Answer 4

Suggests phobias are a conditioned response that forms via association of a neutral stimulus with the unconditioned stimulus that causes an unconditioned response until the neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus that causes a conditioned response (fear).
ie. UCS is dog bite, UCR is fear
NS is dogs
the NS becomes associated with UCR (fear)
eventually the NS becomes the CS (dogs) and the fear of dogs is developed

Question 5

Outline operant conditioning as an explanation of phobias

Answer 5

Suggests phobias develop and are maintained via avoidance (negative reinforcement) ie. fear of dogs so avoids dog parks so now fear dog parks…

Question 6

Evaluate explanations of phobias - 2 positives 2 negatives

Answer 6

Positives : Evidence from Watson and Raynor’s
“little Albert” study where they associated a white rat with a loud noise until the child became afraid of the white rat without the sound
Practical applications as if it is learnt it can be unlearnt.

Negatives : Not all trauma’s result in a phobia so the explanation is limited
Environmentally reductionist as it suggests that they are formed purely due to environmental factors

Question 7

Outline systematic desensitisation as a treatment for phobias

Answer 7

The aim of systematic desensitisation is to use the principles of classical conditioning to replace the anxiety with a relaxing response
Create a fear hierarchy that progressively exposes the fear with each step
Client is taught relaxation techniques and then exposed to each step on the hierarchy until the fear response is no longer present.

Question 8

Evaluate systematic desensitisation as a treatment for phobias (2 positives, 2 negatives)

Answer 8

Positives : evidence from McGrath who found 75% of clients with specific phobias showed ‘clinically significant’ improvements
It is more ethical than other treatments as the client is allowed to control the rate of exposure to the fear.

Negatives : not a full cure as it doesn’t deal with the cause of the phobia only the symptoms