phobias

Question 1

what is a phobia?

Answer 1

-irrational fear of an object or situation characterized by excessive fear and anxiety

Question 2

what 2 sub categories does the DSM recognise of phobias?

Answer 2

-specfic phobia= phobia of an object e.g animal/situation
-social anxiety- phobia of speaking publically
agoraphobia= phobia of being out in public place

Question 3

what are the 3 behavioural characteristcs of phobia?

Answer 3

panic, avoidance,endurance

Question 4

what is panic?

Answer 4

-repsonse to phobia
-crying, screaming, running away
-children may freeze, cling

Question 5

what is avoidance?

Answer 5

-prevent/ avoid contact w phobia stimulus
-hard to go about daily life
-e/g fear of public toilets, spend less time outside so interfere w social life

Question 6

what is endurance?

Answer 6

-choose to remain in presence of phobia
-e.g aracnophobia might choose to stay in room with spider but keep eye on it rather than leaving

Question 7

what is emotional charactertics of phobias?

Answer 7

anxiety, emotional reponses are unreasonable, fear

Question 8

what is anxiety?

Answer 8

-emotional reponse to phobia
-unpleasant state of arousal
-prevents relaxation: hard to be happy

Question 9

what is emotional responses are unreasonable?

Answer 9

-anxiety + fear greater than whats normal
-e.g prsn may have strong emotional response to tiny spider
-others would be less anxious wposinous spider

Question 10

what is fear?

Answer 10

-immediate and unpleasant response when phobia is encountered
-more intense in short period

Question 11

what is cogntitve charactertics of phobias?

Answer 11

selective attention to phobic stimulus, irrational beliefs, cognitive distortions

Question 12

what is selective attention to phobic stimulus?

Answer 12

-hard to look away from it
-keep attention to it so they can react quick
-not useful when fear is irritational
-pognophobia = hard to concentrate if someone in the room has a big beard

Question 13

what is irrtiational beliefs?

Answer 13

-prsn may ahve unfounded thoughts e.g cant be explained or no basis in reality
-e,g if i blush people will think im weak
(increases pressure on prsn to act good in social situations)

Question 14

what is cognitive distortions?

Answer 14

-perception of prsn with a phobia may be in inaccurate/ unrealistsic
-e.g mycophobia= sees mushrooms as disgusting
-ophidiophobia= see snakes as alien or agressive looking