Phobias Flashcards
What is a phobia
An irrational fear of an object, place or situation
What 3 types of phobias did the DSM-5 recognise ?
. Specific = phobias of an object
. Social = phobia of a social situation
. Agoraphibic = being outside
What is the behavioural approach to explaining phobias ?
Mowler proposed 2 process model
^ learnt by classical conditioning and maintained through operant conditioning
(Little Albert)
What is the evaluation for the behav approach to explaining phobias ?
. Real life application
. Reductionist - doesn’t explain phobias that don’t follow a trauma
. Doesn’t account for evolutionary factors playing a part
What are the behavioural characteristics of phobias
panic
avoidance
endurance
What are the emotional characteristics of phobias
anxiety and fear
unreasonable emotional response
What are the cognitive characteristics of phobias
selective attention
irrational beliefs
cognitive distortion
What is flooding (behav treatments)
Immediate exposure to phobia
What is the evaluation for flooding ?
. quick and cheap
. less effective for some types of phobias
. traumatic
What is systematic desentitisation (behav treatments)
1.) Anxiety hierarchy
2.) relaxation
3.) exposure
What is the evaluation for systematic desentitisation ?
. its effective
. expensive/time consuming
. suitable for diverse range of patients