phobias exam q/

Question 1

Briefly outline how flooding might be used to treat a phobia (2m)

Answer 1

flooding is immediate exposure to phobic stimuli
this prevents avoidance until they are calm and no longer have anxiety or fear when facing phobic stimuli.

Question 2

Outline a behavioural explanation of phobias. (2m)

Answer 2

phobias are learnt through classical conditioning
fear is acquired when a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a frightening event

Question 3

Briefly discuss one limitation of the behavioural explanation of phobias that you have outlined in your answer to part (a) (3m)

Answer 3

not all phobias are triggered by a traumatic experience
explanation cannot account for all phobias;
fails to account for evidence that phobias may have a biological basis; difficulty explaining why some phobias are more common than others; the idea that the explanation can better account for specific phobias.

Question 4

Explain one weakness of systematic de-sensitisation.

Answer 4

relies on the client’s ability to be able to imagine the fearful situation. Some people cannot create a vivid image and thus SD is not effective.

Question 5

Kirsty is in her twenties and has had a phobia of balloons since one burst near her face when she was a little girl. Loud noises such as ‘banging’ and ‘popping’ cause Kirsty extreme anxiety, and she avoids situations such as birthday parties and weddings, where there might be balloons
Suggest how the behavioural approach might be used to explain Kirsty’s phobia of balloons.

Answer 5

• Kirsty’s phobia has developed through classical conditioning – she has formed an association between the neutral stimulus (balloon) and the response of fear
• the conditioned response is triggered every time she sees a balloon (or hears similar noises)
• her phobia has generalised to situations where balloons might be present, such as parties and weddings, and to similar noises, ‘banging’ and ‘popping’
• her phobia is maintained through operant conditioning – the relief she feels when avoiding balloons becomes reinforcing.

Question 6

Hamish has a phobia of heights. This phobia has now become so bad that he has difficulty in going to his office on the third floor, and he cannot even sit on the top deck of a bus any more. He has decided to try systematic de–sensitisation to help him with his problem.
Explain how the therapist might use systematic de-sensitisation to help Hamish to overcome his phobia.

Answer 6

firstly, teach deep muscle or progressive relaxation.
Then the therapist and client construct an anxiety hierarchy, starting with situations that cause a small amount of fear – in Hamish’s case this might be standing on a small stepladder –
then listing situations that cause more fear, with the most frightening situation being at the top of the hierarchy, such as standing on top of a mountain.
Finally, they work through this list, with the client remaining relaxed at each stage. The two main features are relaxation and working through the anxiety hierarchy.