Phobias

Question 1

What is the definition of a phobia?

Answer 1

An anxiety disorder which interferes with everyday life

Question 2

What are the cognitive characteristics when an individual has a phobia?

Answer 2

Irrational beliefs
Selective attention to the phobic stimulus
Cognitive distortions

Question 3

What are the behavioural characteristics when an individual has a phobia?

Answer 3

Panic
Avoidance
Endurance

Question 4

What are the emotional characteristics when an individual has a phobia?

Answer 4

Anxiety

Emotional responses are unreasonable

Question 5

What is the behavioural explanation of phobias?

Answer 5

The behavioural approaches two-process model states that phobias are acquired through classical conditioning and maintained through operant conditioning

Classical conditioning’s role: involves learning to associate something of which we initially have no fear of (neutral stimulus) with something that already triggers a feared response (unconditioned response)

Operant conditioning’s role: takes place when our behaviour is reinforced (rewarded) or punished. Reinforcement tends to increase the frequency of a behaviour

Question 6

What are the behavioural treatments for a phobia? (SD)

Answer 6

Systematic desensitisation: aims to teach the patient to learn a more appropriate association, attempting to reduce the phobic anxiety through the principle of classical conditioning.

How it works: an anxiety hierarchy is made by the patient where they list situations related to their phobic stimulus that provoke anxiety, arranged in the least to most frightening. They gradually expose the patient to these situations, going up the anxiety hierarchy, teaching them to be relaxed in the presses of these phobic stimulus’s until they are cured.

Question 7

What are the behavioural treatments for a phobia? (Fl)

Answer 7

Flooding also involves exposing the patient to their phobic stimulus but without gradual exposure using an anxiety hierarchy.

How it works: Involves immediate exposure to a very frightening situation. It stops phobic responses very quickly as there is no option for avoidance and the patient is then forced to realise the phobic stimulus is harmless.