Phobias Flashcards
What is a phobia?
An anxiety disorder, which interferes with daily living
An instance of irrational fear that produces a conscious avoidance of the feared object/situation
What does the DSM-V count as symptoms of a phobia?
-Marked and persistent fear of specific object/situation
-Exposure to phobic stimulus nearly always produces rapid anxiety response
-Fear of phobic object/situation is excessive
-Phobic stimulus is either avoided or responded to with great anxiety
-Phobic reactions interfere significantly with the individual’s working or social life, or he/she is very distressed about the phobia
What is a specific phobia
Phobia of object, such as animal or body part or
Phobia of situation such as having injection or flying
What is social phobia/anxiety
Phobia of social situation such as public speaking
What is agoraphobia
Phobia of being outside or in a public place
What are the emotional aspects of a phobia
-Anxiety from fear of phobic stimulus
-Negative
-Unreasonable emotional response, disproportionate to danger imposed
What are the behavioural aspects of a phobia
-Panic (crying, screaming, running away)
-Avoidance (take a lot of effort to avoid stimulus which affects day to day life)
-Endurance (if you remain in presence of stimulus experiencing high anxiety)
What are the cognitive aspects of a phobia
-Selective attention (hard to look away from stimulus)
-Irrational beliefs (social phobia = “If I blush I am weak”, increases pressure on person to perform in social situations)
-Cognitive distortions (perceptions of stimulus are distorted)
Describe the Two Process Model
Emphasised by behavioural approach on the role of learning in acquisition of behaviour
Mowrer (1960) = proposed this model on behavioural approach to phobias
States phobias are acquired through classical conditioning and maintained through operant conditioning
Who is Little Albert
the luv of avanis life
nah
He was in a study by Watson and Rayner (1920)
9 month old baby that they created phobia in
Why are phobias maintained by operant conditioning
Classical conditioning responses tend to fade over time
But phobias tend to be long lasting
Mowrer explained this as a result of operant conditioning
How are phobias maintained by operant conditioning
Takes place when our behaviour is either reinforced/punished
Reinforcement tends to increase behaviour whether this is through -ve or +ve reinforcement
-ve reinforcement is avoiding a situation which is unpleasant
Results in a desirable consequence which means behaviour will be repeated
When we avoid phobic stimulus we avoid fear and anxiety w it, reinforcing avoidance behaviour and phobias is maintained
WHAT A HEALTHY COPING METHOD
What is reinforcement
Process of encouraging or establishing belief or pattern of behaviour
Increases the behaviour
What is a punishment
A pleasurable experience
JK
OR MAYBE IDK
An unpleasant consequence of behaviour
What is a +ve evaluation of application of behavioural approach
Good explanatory power
2 process model was step forward in 1960s
Explains how phobias can be maintained over time and has important implications for therapies
Once patient is prevented from practicing avoidance behaviour, behaviour ceases to be reinforced and declines
What is a -ve evaluation for behavioural approach application
Alternative explanations for avoidance behaviour
Not all avoidance w phobias is result of anxiety reduction
-Evidence suggests that at least some avoidance appears to be motivated more by feelings of safety
Buck 2010 = e.g. agoraphobia - choosing not to leave house is not to avoid phobia stimulus but to stick with safety factor
What is another -ve evaluation for behavioural approach application to explain phobias
Bounton 2007 = suggests evolutionary factors probably have important role in phobias
-Like scared of dark could be acquired by source of danger in past
-Adaptive to acquire such fears
Seligman (1971) = called this biological preparedness - innate predisposition to acquire certain factors
What is a further -nve evaluation of behaviour to do with trauma?
Some phobias do not follow a trauma
Where does the fear come from?
For some people, they don’t know why they fear something
Can be a result of conditioning but not always
What is a -ve evaluation to do with cognitive aspects
Behaviourist approach doesn’t take them into account
2 process model explains maintenance of phobias in terms of avoidance
What about how we process emotions?
Cognitive distortions?
Irrational beliefs?
Selective attention?
What is systematic desensitisation?
Behavioural therapy designed to gradually reduce phobic anxiety through principle of classical conditioning
If sufferer can learn to relax in presence of phobic stimulus they will be cured
New response is learnt, called counterconditioning
Replaced undesirable behaviour with more desirable one
BUT WHAT IF IM AFRAID OF MYSELF?!
What is reciprocal inhibition?
We cannot feel fear and relaxed at the same time
Describe the process of systematic desensitisation
Step-by-step approach
-Client learns relaxation techniques
-Client works out hierarchy of fear from least frightening to most frightening (functional analysis)
-Client is exposed to phobic stimulus in relaxed state, starting at bottom of hierarchy and work through to highest
What is a +ve evaluation of systematic desensitisation
Effective in reducing phobic behaviour
-Gilroy et al. (2003) = 42 patients treated for spider phobia in 3 45 minute sessions, compared to control group who were treated by relaxation without exposure
-At 3 months and 33 months the treatment group were less fearful than the relaxation group
What is another +ve evaluation to do with phobias
Suitable for a diverse range of phobias
-Some ppl with anxiety disorders (aka eli and ava), also have learning disabilities
-Can be difficult for people to understand other therapies such as flooding or CBT that require ability to reflect on what you are thinking
-Systematic desensitisation is most appropriate therapy
What is another +ve evaluation to do with acceptance
Acceptable to patients
-Patients prefer this therapy as is not as traumatic as flooding
-Also includes some elements which are pleasant = relaxation
-Reflected in low refusal rates and low attrition rates
What is flooding
DA MOOSE IN DA VATER
nahh
Involves immediate exposure to frightening experience
Stops phobic responses very quickly
Sometimes patient may achieve relaxation in presence of phobic stimulus because they become exhausted by own fear response
What is extinction in association with flooding
There is no option of avoidance and patient quickly learns that phobic stimulus is harmless
What are the ethical safeguards of flooding
Is an unpleasant experience so is important patients give fully informed consent
Should be fully prepared before session
What is a +ve evaluation of flooding about effectiveness
Is cost effective
Is at least as effective as other treatments for specific phobias
Ougrin (2011) = found flooding is highly effective and quicker than alternatives
Quicker = cheaper
What is a -ve evaluation of flooding
Social phobias and agoraphobia do not seem to show much improvement
Complex cognitive aspects
Anxiety + unpleasant thoughts
CBT would b more useful
What is another -ve evaluation of flooding about trauma
Treatment is traumatic for patients
They are often unwilling to see it through until the end
Time and money are therefore wasted
What is a -ve evaluation for flooding and systematic desensitisation
Symptom substitution
One phobia disappears and another replaces it
DAMN WE DID NOT SEE DIS COMING
BUT evidence is mixed…
Freud suggests it is said to occur if unconscious impulses and conflicts responsible for original symptom are not dealt with effectively
