Phobias Flashcards
What are the behavioural characteristics of PHOBIAS ?
(PEA)
- panic - endurance - avoidance
What are the cognitive characteristics of PHOBIAS ?
- cognitive distortions - irrational beliefs - selective attention
What are the key points about the BEHAVIOURAL APPROACH for PHOBIAS ?
- phobias are learnt - classical conditioning - operant conditioning
What is CLASSICAL CONDITIONING ?
- associating something we don’t have a fear of (NS) with something we already have a fear of (UD)
What is OPERANT CONDITIONING ? phobia
- how phobias are maintained - consequences lead to reinforcement
What are 2 WEAKNESSES of the behavioural approach of phobias ?
- EVOLUTIONARY FACTORS - scared of things that were threats to ancestors - suggests there is more to phobias than conditioning - SIMPLISTIC EXPLANATION - ignores cognitive factors - phobias are complex
What are 2 STRENGTHS of the behavioural approach of phobias ?
- RESEARCH EVIDENCE - Watson and rayner - baby Albert - loud noise + rats - RESEARCH EVIDENCE - DiNardo et al - relate fears to a particular frightening experience
What is SYSTEMATIC DESENSITISATION ?
- treatment for phobias - phobias being ‘unlearnt’
What are the three stages to SD ?
- ANXIETY HIERARCHY - most feared to least fear situation - RELAXATION - taught by a therapist - deep breathing - EXPOSURE - vivo or vitro
What are two STRENGTHS of SD ?
EFFECTIVENESS: - research shows SD group were less fearful APPROPRIATENESS: - individuals are taking an active role - suits wide range of people
What are two WEAKNESSES of SD ?
EFFECTIVENESS: - anxiety is still present - may move to another phobia - - not a long term solution APPROPRIATENESS: - not suitable for all phobias - e.g. fear of the dar
flooding
espouse to phobic stimulus without gradual build up in anxiety hierarchy
how long does flooding last
2 - 3 hours (done in one Lough session)
What are two STRENGTHS of FLOODING ?
EFFECTIVENESS: - works on wide range of phobias - has long lasting effects APPROPRIATENESS; - quick - only takes one session - cost effective
What are two WEAKNESSES of FLOODING ?
EFFECTIVENESS: - only likely to work for specific phobias - social phobias are harder to ‘flood’ APPROPRIATENESS: - can be traumatic - you have wasted time and money
What are the behavioural characteristics of DEPRESSION ?
- sleep and eating behaviour - aggression and self harm - activity level
What are the emotional characteristics of DEPRESSION ?
(LLA)
- lowered self-esteem - lowered mood - anger
What are the cognitive characteristics of DEPRESSION ?
(PAA)
- poor concentration - absolutist thinking - attending to and dwelling on the negative
What are the key points surrounding the cognitive approach of DEPRESSION ?
our thoughts influence our emotions which influence our behaviour
Explain the process of acquiring a phobia
1) UCS (being bitten) –> UCR (anxiety) 2) NS (dog) –> No response 3) UCS (being bitten) + NS (dog) –> UCR (anxiety) 4) CS (dog) –> CR (anxiety)
What does genetic explanations means?
Genes make up chromosomes and consist of DNA which codes the physical features of an organism (eye colour, height) and psychological features (mental disorder, intelligence). Genes are transmitted from parents to offspring (inherited)
What does neural explanations mean?
The view that physical and psychological characteristics are determined by the behaviour of the nervous system in particular the brain as well as the neurons.
Polygenic
s means that OCD is not caused by one single gene but that several genes are involved
what is the diathesis stress model?
According to the diathesis stress model, certain genes leave people more likely to suffer from a mental health disorder but it is not certain – some environmental stress is necessary to trigger the condition
Co morbidity
more than 1 disease condition in 1 person at the same time
Serotonin
nerve cells produced mood stabiliser
Neurotransmitter
chemical messenger in the body
Neuron
electrically excitable cell that communitircates with other cells through synapse
What are the behavioural characteristics of DEPRESSION ?
(SAA)
- sleep and eating behaviour - aggression and self harm - activity level
What are the emotional characteristics of DEPRESSION ?
(LLA)
- lowered self
-esteem - lowered mood
- anger
What are the cognitive characteristics of DEPRESSION ?
(PAA)
- poor concentration
- absolutist thinking
- attending to and dwelling on the negative
What are the key points surrounding the cognitive approach of DEPRESSION ?
- our thoughts influence our emotions which influence our behaviour
How do NEGATIVE SCHEMAS affect depression ?
- dominate thinking - developed in childhood through bad experience - provide negative framework
What is the NEGATIVE TRIAD (Beck) ?
- view of self - view of the world - view of the future
What are the 5 COGNITIVE ERRORS ?
(CAOSG)
- catastrophizing - all or nothing - over generalisation - selective abstraction - global judgement
What are the may points surrounding Ellis’s ABC MODEL ?
- blame external events for unhappiness
- irrational thinking prevents happiness
What are the three parts to the ABC MODEL ?
ACTIVATING EVENT - an everyday obstacle
BELIEFS - your belief about the situation
CONSEQUENCES - emotional response to the belief - often unhealthy
What is MUSTABATORY THINKING ?
- I must be approved by people i find important - I must do very well or I am worthless - the world must give me happiness or I will die
What are two STRENGTHS of the cognitive approach to depression ?
- PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS - cbt is effective - suggests that cognitions are involved in the development of depression - RESEARCH EVIDENCE - Lloyd and Lishman - supports idea that depressed people have automatic negative thinking
What is a WEAKNESS of the cognitive approach to depression ?
- patient is seen as RESPONSIBLE
- we have control over our thoughts
- over looks social factors
What is CBT ?
- challenge irrational thoughts
- identifying irrational thoughts
- behavioural element
What is the behavioural element of CBT ?
alter dysfunctional behaviours
- encourage patients to identify activities they used to enjoy doing
What is REBT ?
- change irrational beliefs through challenging them
What are the behavioural characteristics of OCD ?
(PIE)
- prevent social relationships
- interfere with normal daily behaviour
- everyday tasks are hindered
What are the emotional characteristics of OCD ?
(AT)
- anxiety is emotionally distressing
- temporary relief
What are the cognitive characteristics of OCD ?
(CU)
- constant obsessive thoughts
- uncontrollable
What is the biological approach to OCD ?
- our thoughts are a result of psychological internal process
What are the genetic explanations of OCD ?
- onset of OCD is a result of our genetic make-up that we are born with
What is the COMP gene ?
- production of the neurotransmitter dopamine
- one form is more common in OCD patients
What is the SERT gene ?
- affects transmission of serotonin
- OCD have 2 copies of 5-HTT
What did MIGUEL ET AL find in his twin studies ?
- we would expect a higher concordance rate in MZ twins in DZ twins (if there was a genetic component to OCD)
- 53-87% chance of MZ twins developing OCD if one already had it
- 22-47% chance of DZ twins developing OCD if one already had it
- suggests there is a genetic component
What impact does NEUROTRANSMITTERS have on OCD ?
- genetic make-up affects the levels of neurotransmitters in the brain - two key neurotransmitters involved with OCD = serotonin and dopamine
How does SEROTONIN affect OCD ?
- OCD patients have low serotonin
- associated with the anxiety
How does DOPAMINE affect OCD ?
- linked with experiencing motivation / reward / compulsions
- pleasurable experience = dopamine increase
- doing compulsion = dopamine release
Which area of the brain is linked with OCD ?
orbitofrontal cortex (OFC)
- sends signals to the thalamus about things that are worrying
basal ganglia
- should stop minor worrying signals
What are the STRENGTHS for the biological approach of OCD ?
RESEARCH EVIDENCE - twin studies
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
- neural explanations = low levels of serotonin = SSRIs
- genetic explanations = can scan babies deemed at risk
What are the WEAKNESSES for the biological approach of OCD ?
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BIOLOGY AND OCD IS NOT 100% CLEAR
- genetic = not 100% concordance rate - cannot rule out environmental factors
- neural - not basal ganglia damage in all OCD patients
CORRELATIONAL - levels of neural transmitters change due to OCD rather than causing OCD
REDUCTIONIST - doesn’t consider two process model (classical / operant conditioning
What is the most common SSRI
fluoxetine - increases levels of serotonin in the synapse
How do SSRIs work ?
- SSRI stops the re-uptake of serotnin meaning it stays in the synapse gap longer
- leads to repeated stimulation of the receptors on the post synaptic clef
What are the STRENGTHS of the biological approach for treating OCD ?
RESEARCH - symptoms decreased by 70% for SSRI takers
QUICK AND EASY - requires little cognitive effort - more desirable that psychological therapy
combing ssri with other treatments
drugs combined with cognitive behaviour therapy for OCD
drugs reduce emotional symptoms
some respond best to CBT alone while others benefit more from drugs
drugs can be prescribed with SSRIs
alternative to ssris
tricyclics for example clomipramine
same effect as ssri
more severe side effects
alternative noradrenaline
Serotonin- noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors
different class of antidepressant drugs
SNRis increase serotonin levels and noradrenaline
evaluation: evidence of effectiveness
clear evidence: ssris reduce symptom severity and improve quality of life for patients
soomro et al (2009) reviewed 17 students showed better outcomes for SSRi patients
emulation counterpoint to effectiveness
are drugs the most effective treatments available
skapinakis et all reviewed outcome studies and concluded that cognitive and behavioural therapies more effective than SSRis
are drugs the optimum treatments
cost effective and no disruptive counterpoint CBT
strength: drugs are cost effective and non disruptive to life
drug treatments are cheap compared to pscyologuical treatments
serious effects of tricyclic
small minority of people revceie no benefit
side effect: indigestion blurred vision loss of sex drive
ex tricyclic clomipramine. 1 in 10 erection problems and weight gain, 1 in 100 become aggressive and have heart problems
biased evidence drugs
goldacre 2013: researchers Arte sponsored by drug companies and may selectively publish positive outcomes for the sponsored drug
lack of independent studies of drug effiectiveness and research on psychological therapies may be biased
the best evidence aviabvle is supporting usefulness of drugs for COD
behavioural activation
work with depressed people to gradually decrease avoidance and isolation, increase engamanet in activities that improve mood
CBT weakness
limitation lack ion effectiveness for severe cases and clients with learning disabilities
depression may be so serve client isn’t motivated to engage with CBT
CBT only apporapiate for specific range of depressed people
emotional phobia
fear
anxiety
unreasonable emotional response - tiny spider
