Phobias

Question 1

Define phobias

Answer 1

experience extreme fear or anxiety activated by an object , place or situation

Fear of phobic stimulus is irrational and often out of proportion to any real danger

Question 2

Behavioural

Answer 2

Ways in which people act

Question 3

Emotional

Answer 3

Ways in which people feel

Question 4

Cognitive

Answer 4

The process of thinking

Question 5

2 behavioural acts

Answer 5

Avoidance - of the feared object , avoid coming in contact

Panic- crying , screaming or running away , alternatively freezing / fainting

Question 6

2 cognitive acts

Answer 6

Persistent irrational beliefs that the phobic stimulus will harm you

Selective attention - keeping attention on phobic stimulus , finding it difficult to look away in case of danger

Question 7

2 emotional acts

Answer 7

Anxiety-worry or distress of phobic stimulus ( feelings of anxiety may be excessive and unreasonable)

Fear- exposure to phobic stimulus causes terror

Question 8

Define the two- process model

Answer 8

Suggest phobias are a learned behaviour

Initially learnt through a classical conditioning then maintained through operant conditioning - this is called the two process model

Question 9

Classical conditioning - Acquisition of phobias

Answer 9

Classical conditioning involves learning to associate something we have no fear of (neutral stimulus ) with something that already triggers fear response (unconditioned stimulus)

Question 10

Ao1 Research on “little Albert”

Answer 10

-was not afraid of rats

-rat was presented ,Alberts researcher made a loud frightening noise by banging an iron bar

-noise is unconditional stimulus , causing unconditioned response of fear

-Rat (nuetral stimulus ) was presented with loud bang Albert learned to associate them together

-fear then generalised to similar objects such as a fur coat and beard on Santa Claus mask

Question 11

Operant conditioning - maintenance of phobias

Answer 11

Phobias are maintained through operant conditioning

By continuing to avoid feared stimulus

They are negatively being reinforced by reducing the anxiety they feel

This is why phobias are long lasting

Question 12

Ao3 criticised for environmental reductionism

Answer 12

Reduces complex human behaviours of phobia down to simple basic units through associations between a nuetral stimulus and unconditioned stimulus and maintaining phobias through reinforcements

Neglects holistic approach which would take into account how a persons culture and social context would influence phobias

Thus , behavioural explanation of phobias is limited as it does not allow us to understand behaviour in context .

Question 13

Ao3 behavioural approach and practical applications

Answer 13

Suggests phoabias are learnt through classical conditioning and can be unlearnt using classical conditioning

Theory has been used to create the treatment systematic dissentation

By teaching patient relaxation techniques and gradually exposing them to the phobic stimulus so they can learn to associate their stimulus with relaxation , this extinguish the phobia

This helps treat people in the real world therefore behavioural approach of explaining phobias is an important part of psychology

Question 14

Ao3 RTS behavioural explanation of phobias

Answer 14

Ad de jongh et al found 73% of people with a fear of dental treatment had experienced a traumatic experience, mostly involving dentistry

Confirms that association between a stimulus in this case dentistry , with an unconditioned response in this case pain leads to development of a phobia

Thus this study supports the behavioural explanation of phobias developing through association , stimulus and responses