Psychopathology - Phobias Flashcards
What are phobias
All phobias are characterised by excessive fear and anxiety, triggered by an object, place or situation.
The extent of the fear is out of proportion to any real danger presented by the phobic stimulus
How does the latest version of the DSM recognise phobias
Specific phobia: phobia of an object, such as an animal or body part, or a situation such as flying or having an injection.
• Social anxiety(socialphobia):phobia of a social situation such as public speaking or using a public toilet.
• Agoraphobia: phobia of being outside or in a public place.
What are the behavioural categories of phobias
Panic (cry, scream, run away, freeze, cling, tantrums)
• Avoidance of stimulus
• Endurance (remain in presence but experience high anxiety
What are the emotional characteristics of phobias
Anxiety (unpleasantly high state of arousal)
• Fear (immediate and extremely unpleasant response)
• Unreasonable emotional response
What are the cognitive characteristics of phobias
• Selective attention to stimulus
• Irrational beliefs (e.g. I must always sound intelligent)
• Cognitive distortions (e.g. seeing the stimulus as alien, ugly,
disgusting or aggressive looking)
What do we use to explain phobias
The behavioural approach
What does the behavioural approach explain
The behavioural characteristics of of phobias
What is the two process model
A phobia is acquired (learnt in first place) by classical conditioning and maintained through operant conditioning
What is acquisition by classical conditioning
When we learn to associate something of which we initially have no fear of (neutral stimulus) with something that already triggers fear (unconditioned stimulus)
UCS produces a fear response, UCS is then associated with NS. NS becomes a CS that will produce a CR of fear when presented.
Explain the procedure for Watson and Rayners 1920 study ‘little albert’
Created phobia in 9 month baby
When rats presented
Loud frightening noise created
(UCS)
And created unconditioned response of fear
When rat the NS and noise UCS continuously together
Rat becomes associated with loud noise and also produces fear response
Albert frightened when he saw the rat
What were the results of the little albert study
Rat had become conditioned stimulus
Produced conditioned fear response
How does operant conditioning take place
Operant conditioning takes place when behaviour is reinforced
Reinforcement increases the likelihood of behaviour continuing
In negative reinforcement - unpleasant stimulus removed or avoided which results in desirable outcomes
How does operant conditioning maintain behaviour
When we avoid a phobic stimulus
Avoid the fear and anxiety suffered if we had remained
Reduction in anxiety and fear reinforces avoidance behaviour
Phobia is maintained
What is a strength of the two process model (implications for treatment)
The two process model suggests that phobias are maintained over time through avoidance of the phobic stimulus (negative reinforcement).
Has important implications for easier treatment
Explains why instead of avoidance , patients need to be exposed to feared stimulus
This prevents behaviour being reinforced so declines allowing unlearning of phobia
What is a limitation of the two process model
Incomplete explanation
Aspects of phobic behaviour that cant be explained by operant and classical conditioning
It has been said there may be evolutionary factors that have important role.
Eg due to biological preparedness we fear things that have been source of danger in evolutionary past like spiders.
However - rare to develop fear of car guns - much more dangerous
Only existed recently - not biologically prepared to learn fear response
More to acquiring phobia than conditioning
