Phobias

Question 1

phobia

Answer 1

irrational fear of an object or situation

Question 2

types of phobias

Answer 2

• specific, to an object
• social anxiety phobia, of social situations
• agoraphobia, of being outside

Question 3

behavioural characteristics

Answer 3

• panic, panic attacks, freezing up, crying, shaking, etc
• avoiding the phobia
• endurance, feeling worse in the presence of the phobia

Question 4

emotional characteristics

Answer 4

• obvious persistent fear that causes a physiological response
• anxiety
• responses are disproportionate to the feared object
• anticipation of the stimulus triggers an emotional response

Question 5

cognitive characteristics

Answer 5

• irrational beliefs, believing your in danger when there’s no real threat
• selective attention, only being able to focus on the feared object
• cognitive distortions, distorts perception of the stimulus

Question 6

two process model - Mourner 1947

Answer 6

explains how phobias are learned through 2 steps:
- association created between stimulus and fear response (CC)
- the phobias is maintained through reinforcement (OC)

Question 7

little Albert generalisation

Answer 7

Albert developed phobias of objects with similar characteristics as the white rat e.g beard, dog, etc

Question 8

operant conditioning

Answer 8

States phobias are maintained through reinforcement. avoidance and panic are increased as a result of being reinforced

Question 9

negative reinforcement

Answer 9

avoiding the feared stimulus removes anxiety/fear therefore increasing the likeliness of avoidance

Question 10

positive reinforcement

Answer 10

feared response can bring positive consequences e.g. care and attention from others so these positive consequences increase the likelihood of panic

Question 11

behavioural explanation strengths

Answer 11

• research evidence to support e.g Watson and Rayner creating a fear in little albert
• practical applications e.g. systematic desensitisation

Question 12

systematic desensitisation

Answer 12

based on the idea that phobias are learnt via CC so can be unlearn by changing the CR to a learned response of relaxation

Question 13

stages of SD

Answer 13

• anxiety hierarchy, relaxation, and exposure (in vitro: imaging and in vivo)

Question 14

reciprocal inhibition

Answer 14

we cannot feel fear and relaxation at the same time as they’re opposite biological processes

Question 15

SD in operant conditioning

Answer 15

• receiving pride and praise each time a step is successfully completed (positive reinforcement)
• each step removes more anxiety (negatively reinforced)

Question 16

SD limitations

Answer 16

• symptom substitution e.g fear becomes represented by something else
• cognitive factors may be more important than relaxation e.g. psychotherapies
• not appropriate to treat all phobias e.g. can’t treat evolutionary phobias as they aren’t learnt