Phobias Flashcards
What are the behavioural characteristics of phobias?
Avoidance of the phobic stimulus - going out of your way to not be in contact with the stimulus
Panic e.g. crying / running away
Endurance - remain in presence of phobic stimulus but still experience high levels of anxiety
What are the emotional characteristics of phobias?
Excessive + unreasonable fear - sufferer’s response is disproportionate to any danger posed by the stimulus
Anxiety - prevents sufferer from relaxing
What are the cognitive characteristics of phobias?
Irrational beliefs e.g. social phobias: “to always sound intelligent” - increases pressure on sufferer
Selective attention to phobic stimulus - find hard to concentrate on anything else
Cognitive distortions of the phobic stimulus - perception may not reflect what the stimulus actually is
Outline the behavioural approach to explaining phobias
Mowrer - two process model
Acquisition through classical conditioning
Little Albert:
UCS (loud noise) –> UCR (fear)
NS (white rat) + UCS –> UCR
CS (white rat) –> CR (fear)
Conditioning generalised to other furry things too
Maintenance through operant conditioning cause phobias to be long lasting
Reinforcement
Negative reinforcement - avoidance of phobic stimulus - don’t feel anxiety / fear which is good - continue to avoid - phobia is maintained
Evaluate the behavioural approach to explaining phobias (1+)
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Good explanation which has led to therapy
Flooding therapy
Requires patient to be in area where they can’t avoid phobic stimulus - phobia goes away as negative reinforcement of avoiding fear and anxiety that come with phobia can’t maintain it
Explanation is right as therapy works and therapy is based on explanation
Evaluate the behavioural approach to explaining phobias (2-)
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Ignores evolutionary factors that cause common phobias
Seligman - biological preparedness - innate predisposition to acquire certain fears
Easily acquire fears of things that were source of danger in evolutionary past e.g. snakes / dark but quite rare to develop fear of cars / guns - more dangerous
May be because they’ve existed only recently - not biologically prepared to learn fear responses to them
Serious limitation of two process model - shows there’s more to acquiring phobias than simple conditioning
Evaluate the behavioural approach to explaining phobias (3-)
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Not all avoidance behaviour associated with phobias is result of anxiety reduction
Agoraphobia
Motivating factor for not leaving house is not so much to avoid phobic stimulus but to stick with safety factor - explains why some can leave house with trusted person with little anxiety but not alone
Limits two process model which suggests avoidance is
mainly motivated by anxiety reduction
Outline the behavioural approach to treating phobias (SD)
Gradually reduce anxiety to phobic stimulus
New response of relaxation rather than anxiety is learned - counter conditioning
Can’t feel anxious + relaxed at same time - one emotion prevents other - reciprocal inhibition
1.Sufferer taught relaxation techniques e.g. meditating
2.Anxiety hierarchy created from least anxiety causing (in vitro/mental) - most (in vivo/physical) anxiety causing versions of the stimuli
3.Exposed to + masters each level of hierarchy
Evaluate the behavioural approach to treating phobias (SD 1+)
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Effective treatment
Gilroy study - arachnophobia
SD group less fearful of spiders than control relaxation technique group 3 + 33 months later
Effective at both short and long term rates.
Evaluate the behavioural approach to treating phobias (SD 2+)
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Preferable over flooding
Suitable for range of patients e.g. learning difficulties
These patients may struggle to understand what is happening during flooding / find hard to engage with CBT
Suitable for a diverse range of patients
Outline the behavioural approach to treating phobias (F)
Immediate exposure to phobic stimulus stops phobic responses fast as without avoidance option patient learns that phobic stimulus is harmless - in classical conditioning this is extinction: when UCS no longer presented with the CS, decrease in the CR is observed.
Evaluate the behavioural approach to treating phobias (F 1+)
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Cost effective / quicker than SD
Cheaper as only one or two sessions needed for effects to take place
Less strain on NHS for funding as well as economy
Encourages to be used - approval / support behind it
Evaluate the behavioural approach to treating phobias (F 2-)
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Traumatic experience
Sudden exposure - patients may be unwilling to finish treatment till the end
Wasted time and money
Limits it to be used - unsure if patient will fully complete treatment + if its made any impact during time its used
