Psychopathology L5 - The Behavioural, Emotional And Congnitive Characteristics Of Phobias

Question 1

What are the four behavioural characteristics (action)

Answer 1

• Avoidance
• Endurance
• Disruption of functioning
• Panic

Question 2

Avoidance

Answer 2

• when faced with an object/situation that creates fear the response is to avoid the object/situation
• can interfere with daily life as social/occupational activities can cause distress
• people avoid places where they might see phobic object
  E.g. not going to park to avoid dogs

Question 3

Endurance (freeze/faint)

Answer 3

• when stressed response is usually fight/flight
• but when faced with phobic object/situation a person may freeze/faint instead
• Freezing occurs so the predator (e.g snake) might think that the person is ‘dead’ so they leave them alone

Question 4

Disruption of functioning

Answer 4

• Anxiety and avoidance created by the phobia may be so extreme
• Can interfere with persons ability to function socially/at work

Question 5

Panic (Behavioural)

Answer 5

• May panic in presence of stimulus
• they may shows behavioural characteristics like crying, screaming, vomiting, running away or freezing

Question 6

Emotional characteristics (feelings)

Answer 6

• Fear
• Panic & anxiety

Question 7

Fear

Answer 7

• May feel persistant, excessive & unreasonable fear in presence of stimulus, can be long lasting
• fear response maybe immediate
• may have feelings of terror and worry about death if come into contact with phobic object

Question 8

Panic and anxiety

Answer 8

• person will feeling highly anxious
• experience unpleasant negative feelings
• may worry a lot

Question 9

Cognitive characteristics (thinking)

Answer 9

• Irrational
• Insight
• Cognitive distortions
• Selective attention

Question 10

Irrational

Answer 10

• will think in irrational manner about phobia
• resist rational arguments that counter it
  E.g. if someone is scared of flying will resist rational argument ‘flying is the safest form of transport’

Question 11

Insight

Answer 11

• person will know fear is excessive/unreasonable but still find it difficult not to fear it
  E.g. ‘I know it’s silly to fear balloons but I still do’

Question 12

Cognitive distortions

Answer 12

• person will have a distorted perception of the stimulus
  E.g. see snakes as alien and agressive

Question 13

Selective attention

Answer 13

• when person encounters phobic stimulus they can’t look away
• focus all attention on it and ignore everything else