Phobias Flashcards
What are cognitive characteristics of phobias?
Selective attention to the phobic stimulus-when presented with the stimulus the individual finds it hard to divert there attention away from it.
Irrational belief-sufferer may hold irrational beliefs about the stimulus in terms of the phobia.
What are the emotional characteristics of phobias?
Anxiety-feelings of dread are produced by the worries surrounding the presence or anticipation of the phobic object
Emotional responses are unreasonable-An instant fear response is produced as a result of the phobic situation or object. Disproportionate to the danger posed by the stimulus.
What are the behavioral characteristics of phobias?
Avoidance-individual goes to a lot of effort to avoid facing their fear or places where they might encounter their phobia.
Panic-Individual displays panicked behaviour infront of the stimulus (flight or fight)
What is the behavioral approach to phobias in psychology?
-Phobias are learned
-Emphasizes the role of the environment and classical and operant conditioning in phobias.
What is the two process model?
-Model proposed by Hobart Mowrer(1947)
-Phobias initiated via classical conditioning and maintained by operant conditioning
-results in the developing of the two process model to explain how phobias are learnt
What is classical conditioning in relation to phobias?
Phobia occurs due to an association between a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus which is a traumatic event which creates an unconditioned response.
NS and UCS become associated and become a controlled stimulus and will produce a conditioned response which in the case of phobias will be fear
process is passive and does not require effort.
What is operant conditioning in terms of phobias?
Maintaining this fear-avoidance of stimulus=reduction in anxiety
Therefore a negative reinforcement
Individual continues to avoid phobic stimulus and never overcome their phobia.
What are the pros of the behavioural approach?
-supported by research evidence
-Watson and Raynor(1920)-Demonstrated process of classical through Little Albert conditioned to fear white rats
-validates idea that classical conditioning is involved in the initiation of phobias through experience rather than our fears being something innate.
-practical application to therapy
-systematic desensitization and flooding
-prevent avoidance of phobia to help them realize that there worst fear wont happen in the presence of their feared stimulus.
-Have been successful indicating that phobias are learned as it can be unlearned.
What is a limitation of the behaviorist approach?
Too environmentally reductionist
Only considers role of learning processes so ignores role of cognition and biology in the formation of phobias.
cognitive psychologists may develop as a result of irrational thinking
Biological psychologist’s claim that we have have an innate predisposition to developing certain phobias
Behavioral approach cannot provide complete explanation for devolpment of phobias
