Phobias Flashcards
What is association
The link between the neutral stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus that make the neutral stimulus cause the same response.
What do classical conditioning
A leaning process which builds up an association between the two stimuli through repeated pairing.
What is generalisation
When a conditioned response is produced to stimuli that are similar to the unconditioned stimulus
What is a phobia
An intense fear that prevents normal living in some way
What is extinction
The loss of a classically conditioned response when the conditioned stimulus is repeated many times without the unconditioned stimulus.
Describe pavlov’s experiment with the dog
He used a dog with a tube through his cheek to measure its salvia for the following conditions: when it was given food, when it heard a bell. He tried to condition the dog to salivate when he heard the bell.
What were the results for pavlov’s experiment
The dog learned to associate the bell with the food, it had been conditioned to salivate to the bell, this became known as classical conditioning.
For pavlov’s experiment, before conditioning what was the food and the dogs salvation
Food and as the unconditioned stimulus
The salvation was the unconditioned response
For pavlov’s experiment, before conditioning what was the bell and the no salvation
The bell was the neutral stimulus
The no salvation was the no conditioned response
For pavlov’s experiment, during conditioning what was the food, bell and the dogs salvation
Bell was the neutral stimulus
Food was the unconditioned stimulus
Salvation was the unconditioned response
For pavlov’s experiment, after conditioning what was the bell and the dogs salvation
Bell was a conditioned stimulus
Salvation was a conditioned response
In regards to classical conditioning, What can cause a phobia
When fear is triggered by something when a harmless stimulus is present, an association may be made between the two things.
What was the study of little Albert
Watson and ray or conditioned little Al wry to be phobic is a white rat. Each time a white rat was shown to Albert a loud noise was made with a steel bar behind him. The noise frightened him And he associated his fear with the rat.
What did alberts fear generalise to
Other white fluffy things, eg. Cotton wool
What is a one trial learning
Relates to The fact that phobias are generally learned from one event
What is social learning theory
The theory that you gain new behaviours by watching and imitating a role model, someone who is generally the Sam age and gender as you
What is vicarious reinforcement
Learning through positive conveyances if other people’s actions rather than first hand - we are more likely to copy them if they are rewarded.
What was Coombes experiment
He let two rats drink from the same spout. One rat had been given an injection to make it sick so late both rats avoided drinking from the spout. The rat that hadn’t been sick learnt not to drink from the spout because it had seen the other get sick.
Other than behaviours what else does social learning theory apply to
Emotions
What was mineka’s experiment
They found out that lab monkeys that had grown up in the wild were afraid of snakes and the monkeys that were brought up in the lab were not. When fake snakes were put in the wild monkeys were scared so The lab born monkeys learned to be afraid of snakes from watching the other monkeys reaction. Showing that fear of snakes can be learned through social learning theory.
Why do people say that phobias sometimes run in families
Children can observe and imitate their parents fears.
What is modelling
Imitating the behaviour of someone.
What is preparedness
The tendency to learn some associations more easily, quickly and permanently than others.
According to the theory of evolution if two animals were living in a forest and encountered a fire, what animal would be more Likely to survive
The animal who was scared of fire so who ran away from it. It shows behaviours are adaptive and being fearful can be useful.
Why can we learn links between some things more easily than others
Evolution will have prepared us to learn about things that are threatening
Are phobias random
Generally not because people ten to have phobias of things that might cause them harm. This explains why some phobias are more common than others, eg. We are more likely to be scared of snakes than clothes
Define nature
What we are born with
Define nurture
What we learn from the way we are raised.
What is the nature debate for Why parents with phobias may have children with phobias
Because they pass on genes which that make them more prepared to be afraid
What does SLT say about our behaviour
It changes because we observe models in our environment
What does classical conditioning say about or learning if phobias
We learn by associating two stimuli that are repeated together
Why might a tendency to learn phobias be genetic
As people evolve those who have inherited the ability to learn to avoid danger would be more likely to survive.
What would SLT say about the learning of phobias
If a parent has a phobia the child will see the parent behave as they are role models to their children. Children will observe and imitate the fear displayed by the parents.
What evidence is there for the nature argument of phobias
Preparedness- this is a genetic influence on the kinds of things we learn to fear. Bennet-levy and Marteau showed that more people are afraid of animals with certain characteristics
Slater and shield found that identical twins were more similar in their phobias than non - identical twins.
What evidence is there for the nurture debate about phobias.
Mineka’s found that monkeys learn fears through SLT. As monkeys and people are v similar it is likely we can learn fears too.
Watson and Raynor used classical conditioning to make little Albert frightened of a white rat. Showing that environment can produce phobias.
What are questionnaires
A research method using questions
What are open ended questions
Questions that ask for description and detail
What are closed questions
Simple questions with few possible answers
What are Likert style questions
Questions using statement s with five choices from ‘strongly agree’ to ‘strongly disagree’
What are rank style questions
Questions with points either in order that can be chosen or that can be put in order
What are standardised instructions
Guidance for participants that is the same for everyone
What is response bias
The patterns that participants fall into when answering a questionnaire.
What is social desirability bias
When participants give the answers they think will be acceptable to other people, to make themselves look better.
What four types of questions do questionnaires involve
Closed questions
Open questions
Rank-style questions
Likert style questions.
What are the weaknesses of questionnaires
Response bias
Social desirability bias
What some strengths for questionnaires
Can use standardised instructions
Allow for conformed consent
What are some ethical issues that need to be considered when conducting experiments with animals
Minimising the amount of pain and fear caused
Avoiding social isolation
Using species that will suffer the least
If ethical issues have to be broken when experimenting on animals how should they be handled
Causing only minimum pain and fear as possible
Making sure that if animals have to be kept isolated you limit the time they are kept alone to a min
Using as few animals as possible
As different animals will find different situations more distressing, animals should be carefully selected.
What are two strengths of animal experiments
Humans and animals are similar
Can use animals for experiments involving deprivation as humans are not likely to volunteer
What is a weakness of animal studies
Although humans and animals are similar there are important differences eg. Humans have bigger brains and are more complex.
What is the aim for Jones’ experiment
To investigate whether a phobia in a little boy could be deconditioned and whether this would generalise to other objects
What is the procedure for Jones’ experiment
Peter was 2 yrs 10months when Jones started the observations. She watched Peter playing with beads in his cot while the experimenter showed him a white rat. Peter screamed and moved away. When the rat touched peter’s beads he protested, but didn’t move when another child touched his beads. The next day peters reactions to different objects was observed which showed that his fear of the rat had generalise to other objects. Peter was shown a rabbit and was more afraid of that than the rat, so a rabbit was used for deconditioning.
What was the therapy that Peter underwent in Jones’ experiment.
Both classical conditioning and SLT was used to help cure the phobia. Cover developed a tolerance series whereby Peter would gradually get closer to the rabbit. Food gave Peter pleasure and he felt relaxed, so I was used a the unconditioned stimulus.
As he went along the tolerance series Peter was given food, cover wanted Peter to begin to associate pleasure with the rabbit. Peter also had daily play sessions with 3 children and the rabbit. he saw the children playing with the rabbit and being praised.
What were the results of Jones’ experiment
Peters behaviour improved and worsened, eg. When he was scratched by the rabbit. The tolerance series were created by 6 people’s descriptions of the improvement in peters behaviour. The other children acted as role models which helped Peter move closer to the rabbit. He also lost his fear of cotton, the and feathers. He also accepted new animals, frogs worms and a mouse.
What were two strengths of Jones’ experiment
Detailed observations over a long period. These showed peter’s progress.
Jones asked other people to order the tolerance series so avoided bias.
What were two weaknesses of Jones’ experiment
The gaps between sessions were variable so progress could be due to time rather than deconditioning.
Jones used two different techniques, as well as other people who made Peter feel confident. Which makes it difficult to tell which was most effective.
What is the aim of Bennett-levy and Marteau’s experiment
To se whether we are more afraid of, or avoid, animals that move quickly, move suddenly and look very different from people.
What is the procedure of Bennett-levy and Marteau’s experiment
Used two questionnaires- both asked questions about the same 29 animals. They were told that none of the animals were dangerous. Questionnaire 1 -fear scale- 1=not afraid 3= very afraid, and a nearness scale 1= enjoy picking it up, 5= move more than 2 m away. Questionnaire 2- how the participants felt about each animal rates in a 3-point scale for: ugliness, sliminess, speediness and how sudden they moved. 30 men and 34 answered the questionnaires, some where interviewed
What were the results for Bennett-levy and Marteau’s experiment
The most feared animals were: rat, cockroach, jellyfish, spider,slug. Some animals were more ugly and these were quite different in structure from humans. When interviewed they described ugly animals as slimed, hairy dirty ect. Men & women judged ugliness in similar ways. Women were less likely to approach ugly/slimy animals.
What was the conclusion for Bennett-levy and Marteau’s experiment
The feature of ugliness, sliminess, speediness and sudden movement all make animals more frightening. Ugliness is judged by how different an animal is from a human. Many animals which cause phobias are ugly, slimy, speedy or sudden movers, which supports the idea that preparedness relates to an animals features.
Name two strengths of Bennett-levy and Marteau’s experiment
They used men and women as their phobias are different, so the findings apply to both genders.
The participants didn’t see the animals so they weren’t frightened by them, thus avoiding thick problems.
Name two weaknesses of Bennett-levy and Marteau’s experiment
Participants were told the animals were not dangerous but still many thought the rats were harmful, so the instruction was not very successful.
The questionnaires only asked about 6 factors. In the interviews, the participants said others things about what makes an animal scary. Only a few people were interviewed, this should have been added to the questionnaire.
What is anxiety
A state of fear or worry
What is a hierarchy of fears
A list of fears that are arranged from most to least feared
What are two possible therapies fro treating phobias
Flooding
Systematic desensitisation
What is flooding
An extreme therapy based on classical conditioning, involves confronting your fear directly, as being near the thing you are scared of can help you overcome it.
What does flooding cause to begin with
Anxiety, but the participant eventually starts to calm down. Participants learn to to associate their fear or phobia with this feeling of relaxation.
Why has flooding been criticised
For not being very ethical, and is also not always effective.
What is systematic desensitisation
It’s similar to flooding but less stressful. Participants are exposed to their fear gradually based on their hierarchy of fears
What does distressing mean
When a person is suffering physically or psychologically. They may feel harm, embarrassment or pain.
What does the right to withdraw mean
The ability to remove him or herself from the situation
Why is flooding a traumatic therapy
Because patients are forcibly exposed to their fears. They are not allowed to withdraw from the situation because this could make the phobia worse in the long run.
Why is systematically desensitisation less extreme than flooding
The patient has more control over when they move onto the next level. They decide if they are relaxed enough to be confronted with a stressful situation.
What is a similarity between flooding and systematic desensitisation
They are therapies that both produce stress
What must be remembered about the therapies flooding, systematic desensitisation
That patients are aware of the therapy they are undertaking, the therapies are only used for the most serious of phobias and the patients have to be clearly distressed or unable to carry on with normal activities to access these therapies.
Why is systematic desensitisation a much more popular therapy than flooding
Because flooding has many ethical issues of distress and right to with draw. This is why it is rarely used today.
What are clinical psychologists
Psychologists who work with people who have mental health problems eg. Anxiety, depression or behavioural problems.
What other people do clinical psychologists help? Who do they work with?
Work with people who are distressed or stressed.
Help people with mood disorders, fears, phobias, problems in copying with a disability.
Often work in a team and focus on one client, may be community involvement and other agencies. Eg. Social services
What do clinical psychologists do?
Make an assessment of a clients needs, plan interventions, trains others and research. At the end they evaluate the intervention. They gather as much evidence as they can through such method as listening and discussing with clients, observations, psychiatric testing and standardised testing. Solutions involve council long, therapy or advice.
How do clinical psychologists help to maintain confidentiality
They keep records of assessments and interventions safe
How would you become a clinical psychologist
Need a degree in psychology recognised by the BPS.
Have to undertake relevant work experience.
Need a 3 year full time doctorate course in clinical psychology.
What skills do people need in order to become a clinical psychologist.
Need to be able to listen, understand and reflect on the situation of others and help with solutions.
Have an understanding of biodiversity.
Need to learn how to Saskatoon open questions.
Useful to be able to look at yourself and your own experiences and how these affect others.
Ability to search for solutions that are not obvious, good communication skills with both clients and their families.
Apart from systematic desensitisation and flooding what other methods do clinical psychologists use to treat phobias
Hypnotherapy
CBT - cognitive behavioural therapy
What is hypnotherapy
Involves helping the client get into a relaxed state, altered state of awareness. In which they are not concerned by everyday problems but can instead have a heightened sense of awareness where they can accept suggestions from the hypnotherapist about overcoming the phobia.
What is CBT
Involves identifying negative automatic thought and trying to replace them with less negative thoughts.
Exposure based CBT involves changing the clients thinking patterns as well as lowering the fear response to the situations that are feared.
What is the definition of a custom
A long standing practise of a particular group of people
What is a tradition
A practise that has been handed down through generations
What is a social norm
A behaviour or belief that is expected and accepted in a particular culture.
What is a collectivist
Describes a culture that encourages group dependence, co-operation and group identity
What is an individualistic
Describes a culture that encourages independence, personal achievement, competition and individuality.
What did Henreich think about collectivist countries
Thought that people might suffer greater social anxiety because if people were to break the social norm they would experience greater punishment which in turn would make them more anxious.
What was the aim of henreichs study
To see if being brought up in different cultures affected social anxiety and fear of blushing
For the procedure of henreichs study what were the participants like
909 university students volunteered to participate. They were from 8 different universities in 8 different counties. They were divided into 2 groups - collectivists, individualists, based on the cultures they were brought up in.
What was the procedure for henreichs study.
Participants were shown a short description of a social situation and asked how they would react. If the participants said that would speak up, it showed low social anxiety. If they said that would do nothing, it show high social anxiety. They also completed a social anxiety and blushing questionnaire which measured their individual fear of social situations and interaction with others and fear of blushing.
What were the results of henreichs study
Participants from collectivist cultures often responded to the descriptions in a way that showed high social anxiety - they gave answers that avoided public interaction. They were also more fearful of blushing.
What was the conclusion for henreichs study
Collectivist cultures show greater social anxiety and fear of blushing than individualistic cultures. People in collectivist cultures will hold back through fear of letting the group down if they are wrong. Social norms are important to them as the behaviour of an individual will affect the whole group
Which side of the nature - nurture debate for the explanation of phobias does henreichs study support
This study suggests a link between phobias and cultures. Culture determines how we think and act, family and friends teach us social norms. Cultures can make us confident or anxious - therefore this supports the nurture debate.
