Phobias Flashcards
What are phobias?
A type of anxiety disorder
What are the sub types of phobias?
Specific phobias - Fire, spiders, blood etc.
Social phobias - Being over anxious in social situations, crowds, public speaking
Agoraphobia - Fear of leaving home or safe place. Can be a response to avoidance behaviours
What are the characteristics of phobias?
Behavioural:
Panic
Avoidance
Emotional:
Fear
Anxiety
Cognitive:
Selective attention to the phobia stimulus
Irrational beliefs
What did Mowrer come up with to explain phobias?
The two-process model which suggests phobias are acquired through classical conditioning and maintained through operant conditioning
What is classical conditioning?
Phobias are acquired by forming an association between a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus which creates a fear response
The once neutral stimulus now becomes a conditioned stimulus which creates a conditioned fear response
What is the case of little albert step by step?
Before conditioning:
White rat - NS
During conditioning:
White rat - NS
Albert crying - UCR
After conditioning:
White rat - CS
Albert crying - CR
How are phobias maintained?
Through operant conditioning,
Avoidance of the fear reduces the unpleasant feelings of fear/anxiety caused by the conditioned stimulus, this acts as negative reinforcement which strengthens the avoidance behaviour so the phobia is maintained
What is the two-process model?
Suggests that phobias are acquired through classical conditioning and maintained through operant conditioning
What did sue et al say about phobias?
Found that people with phobias often recall a specific incident where their phobia appeared e.g. being bitten by a dog
What is systematic desensitisation?
Behavioural therapy designed to gradually reduce phobic anxiety through the principles of classical conditioning
What are the two main processes involved in SD?
- Relaxation
- Hierarchy (doing bit by bit like starting off thinking about the spider until eventually they have the spider on their hand)
Why does SD work?
It uses the principle of classical conditioning in order to create a relaxation response to the phobic stimulus instead of fear. It works on the assumption that two emotional states cannot exist at the same time, a theory known as reciprocal inhibition.
What did Gilroy et al find out about SD?
Both 3 and 33 months after treatment a group of SD for arachnophobia were less fearful than a group who were treated with just relaxation, this shows the gradual process is necessary
What is flooding?
A behavioural therapy which involves immediate and direct exposure to the phobic stimulus
What is the effectiveness of flooding according to Kaplan and Tolin?
Kaplan and Tolin found that 65% of people with specific phobia who were given a single session of flooding showed no symptoms of specific phobias 4 years later. This shows that flooding is an effective long-term treatment for specific phobias however, not all sufferers were completely cured of their phobias so its not for everyone.
