Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Psychology > Phobias > Flashcards

Phobias Flashcards

1
Q

How can a phobia be characterised

A

By excessive fear and anxiety, triggered by an object, place, or situation.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Why are phobias classified as ‘irrational’

A

The extent of the fear is out of proportion to any real danger presented by the phobic stimulus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What can phobia’s lead to

A

Disruptive, irrational behaviours, or avoidance behaviours which can be maladaptive and interruptive to everyday life

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What does the DSM-5 recognise as the 3 categories of phobias?

A
  • a specific phobia
  • social anxiety (social phobia)
  • agoraphobia
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What are the 3 behavioural characteristics of phobias? (pea)

A
  • panic
  • avoidance
  • endurance
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What are PANIC responses in response to a phobic stimulus

A

Panic may involve a range of behaviours including crying, screaming or running away. Children may react differently for example by freezing, clinging, or having a tantrum

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What are AVOIDANCE responses in response to a phobic stimulus

A

Unless they are trying to face their fear, people will try to prevent coming into contact with their stimulus.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Why do avoidance behaviours affect everyday life

A

It may limit the time people spend outside/with others which could interfere with work, education, and a social life

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What are ENDURANCE responses in response to a phobic stimulus

A

If a person chooses to remain in the presence of a phobic stimulus to ensure nothing happens

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What are the 3 emotion-related characteristics of phobias?

A
  • anxiety
  • fear
  • unreasonable emotional response
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Description of an anxiety characteristic

A

When the phobia causes an unpleasant state of high arousal (anxiety) and makes it difficult for a person to relax or feel positive emotions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Description of an fear characteristic

A

The immediate and extremely unpleasant response experienced when encountering or thinking about a phobia (more intense, but shorter lasting than anxiety)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Description of an unreasonable emotional response characteristic

A

When the anxiety or fear faced is disproportionate to any threat posed

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What are the cognitive characteristics of phobias (sic)

A
  • selective attention
  • irrational beliefs
  • cognitive disorders
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What happens when someone has selective attention to the phobic stimulus

A

They find it hard to look away since they feel as though that way, they can react quickly to a threat, however, this may lead to a lack of concentration with other things

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What happens when someone has irrational beliefs about the phobic stimulus

A

The person holds untruthful thoughts about the phobia which can’t be explained and puts increased pressure on the person to meet their irrational demands

17
Q

What happens when someone has cognitive distortions about their phobic stimulus

A

Their perceptions of the phobia may be inaccurate and unrealistic

18
Q

Who and when created the two-process model to understand phobias

A

Mowrer in 1947

19
Q

What is the 2-process model to understand phobias

A

Acquisition - focus on how the phobia was acquired (sometimes classical conditioning)

Maintenance - why does the person continue to have the phobia (operant conditioning - negative reinforcement)

20
Q

Positives of the 2-process model

A
  • supporting research such as the Little Albert study (phobias are acquired through classical conditioning)
  • good application for treating phobias
21
Q

Negatives of the 2-process model

A
  • ignores possible biological preparedness for phobias (evolved to have a fear of dangerous things)
  • deterministic (humans are viewed as passive responders to the environment with little conscious insight)
22
Q

Who developed systematic desensitisation?

A

Joseph Wolpe (1958)

23
Q

What is S.D.

A

An exposure treatment based on the principles of classical conditioning

24
Q

What is the aim of S.D.

A

To substitute the fear response for a response of relaxation

25
Q

What are the steps to systematic desensitisation?

A

1) Functional analysis (why and how the fear happened)

2) Relaxation training (learning breathing techniques)

3) Developing an anxiety hierarchy (increasingly difficult target aims)

4) Gradual exposure (phobic object is gradually introduced through the anxiety hierarchy

26
Q

What is the difference between ‘in vivo’ desensitisation or ‘in vitro’ desensitisation

A

‘In vivo’ is being exposed to the real object

‘In vitro’ is being exposed to the imaginary object

(most therapists use both)

27
Q

2 disadvantages of desensitisation

A
  • if certain phobias like heights have a survival component since they enabled our ancestors to survive, they are harder to remove (exposure therapy doesn’t always work)
  • for the treatment to work, the person has to have a clearly identifiable phobia, so the treatment can’t help general anxiety disorders
28
Q

who developed the flooding technique, and when

A

Thomas Stampfl in 1967

29
Q

how is flooding defined

A

the direct, prolonged exposure to a fearful situation or experience

30
Q

what does the patient go through in flooding treatment

A
  • a physical situation with their phobia
  • quick and continuous exposure to the fear
  • a prolonged period of exposure with no escape
31
Q

what principles is flooding based on

A

classical conditioning and reciprocal inhibition (the idea is to replace the fear with a different emotion)

32
Q

what is the psychological component of flooding

A

through continuous exposure, the client will see it as less fear-producing, once they realise that the worst didn’t happen, they realise their phobia is irrational

33
Q

what is the biological component of flooding

A

when fearful, your nervous system is activated, and a fear/anxiety is activated, which can only be experienced for a certain period of time, so as it subsides, the body is forced into calm due to exhaustion

34
Q

strengths of flooding

A
  • quick and cost effective
  • supporting evidence that proves it is more effective (Jospeh Wolpe removed a girl’s phobia of cars in 4 hours)
  • virtual reality flooding is now possible due to new technology, allowing patients to be treated in more dangerous fears
35
Q

weaknesses of flooding

A
  • ppts have individual differences so may not be effective for everyone
  • it may cause more distress than before (unethical) and has the potential to induce psychological harm, reducing its credibility
36
Q
A

Psychology (7 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions