Phobias + Depression Flashcards
Pyschopathology
3 types of phobias
specific
social
agoraphobia
cognitive characteristics (phobia)
selective attention (focus)
Irrational belief
Cognitive distortion
Behavioural characteristics (phobia)
Run away
Avoidance
Freeze
Emotional characteristics (phobia)
Emotional distress
crying
systematic desensitisation (SD)
behavioural therapy to reduce phobic anxiety through classical condititoning
3 processes involved in SD
Anxiety hierarchy - list of situations related to the phobic stimulus that produce anxiety from least - most frightening
Relaxation - therapist teaches patient to relax (breathe)
Flooding - immediate exposure to phobia
Haemophobia
fear of blood
Emetophobia
Sickness
Kakorrhaphiophobia
Fear of failure
Aerophobia
flying
Androphobia
Fear of men
Odontophobia
fear of dentist
Agoraphobia
Open spaces
classical conditioning
learning through association
unconditioned stimulus being paired with a neutral stimulus, therefore the unconditioned response slowly turns into a conditioned stimulus
operant conditioning
learning through positive/negative reinforcement
Maintains a phobia
Major depressive disorder
severe but short-term depression
persistent depressive disorder
long-term depression
Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder
childhood temper tantrums
premenstrual dysphoric disorder
disruption to mood during menstruation
Aaron Beck (depression)
Depression is caused by cognitive vulnerability - focus on the negative and ignore the positive
Aaron beck: negative schemas
information we have about ourselves developed through experience
Schemas are negative so trigger negative thoughts about the self
Aaron Beck: The negative triad
World
Future
Yourself
Albert Ellis (depression)
good mental health is the result of rational thinking –> depression is the result of irrational thinking
Albert Ellis: What is the A-B-C 3 stage model
explains how irrational thoughts could lead to depression
A
Activating event
(E.g, someone ignoring you)
B
Beliefs
Interpretation of the event
C
Consequences
ration belief - ill talk to my friend later
Irrational belief - ill ignore her
behavioural characteristics (Depression)
cant sleep ( appetite, insomnia)
agression/self harm (verbal/physicsl)
activity levels (Impacts work/social life, cant relax)
emotional characteristics (depression)
lowered mood
anger
lowered self-esteem (hate themselves)
Cognitive characteristics (depression)
Poor concentration (cant complete tasks)
absolutist thinking
dwelling on negative
behavioural explanation of phobias
- phobias are learnt through classical conditioning
- fear is acquired when a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a frightening event
- If a person with a phobia is presented with the object or situation they fear, their response is to avoid it.
limitation of the behavioural explanation of phobias
Not all phobias are triggered by a traumatic experience
two - process model
classical conditioning - association of fear with neutral stimulus to produce conditioned response - generalisation of fear to other similar objects
operant conditioning - maintains phobia by avoiding it
