Psychopathology- Phobias

Question 1

What is a behavioural characteristic?

Answer 1

the impact of a disorder upon how the person behaves/acts

Question 2

What is an emotional characteristic?

Answer 2

how a disorder impacts upon the way a person feels

Question 3

What is a cognitive characteristic?

Answer 3

the impact upon the way an individual thinks

Question 4

Definition of a phobia?

Answer 4

A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder where the sufferer experiences an extreme irrational fear of an object or situation that is disproportionate to the situation.

Question 5

Behavioural symptoms:

Answer 5

Avoidant/anxiety response
Disruption of functioning- anxiety and avoidance responses are so extreme that they severely interfere with the ability to carry out normal work and social activities.

Question 6

Emotional symptoms:

Answer 6

Immediate Fear from exposure to phobic stimulus

Persistent Anxiety

Question 7

Cognitive symptoms:

Answer 7

Recognition of exaggerated anxiety- generally phobics are consciously aware that they anxiety levels they experience are overstated and irrational.

Question 8

Describe the behavioural approach of acquiring phobias:

Answer 8

assumes that phobias are acquired through classical condition and maintained through operant conditioning: behavioural model

Question 9

what is the general pattern to explain the classical condition of phobias?

Answer 9

UCS——UCR (before conditioning)
UCS+NS———-UCR (during conditioning)
CS————-CR (after conditioning)

Question 10

Are phobias maintained by positive or negative reinforcement?

Answer 10

Negative reinforcement

Question 11

What is the watson and raynor (1920) experiment?

Answer 11

classical condition in the formation of phobias in Little Albert who was conditioned to have a fear of white rats

Question 12

What did the DiGallo (1996) experiment find?

Answer 12

study found that 20% of people experiencing traumatic car accidents developed a phobia of travelling through association and classical conditioning

Question 13

what is the cooke and mineka (1989) experiment?

Answer 13

lab-based research using lab-reared rhesus monkeys. shown clip of a real monkey with fear response to: snake flowers crocodile and rabbit

Question 14

cognitive explanation: what is diathesis stress?

Answer 14

the theory that mental and physical disorders develop from a genetic or biological predisposition for that illness (diathesis) combined with stressful conditions that play a precipitating or facilitating role

Question 15

2 behavioural approaches to treating phobias

Answer 15

1. systematic desensitisation

2. flooding

Question 16

what is systematic desensitisation?

Answer 16

a behavioural therapy designed to gradually reduce phobic anxiety through the principle of classical conditioning. aims to substitute the fear response with an alternative response whenever the phobic stimulus is present

Question 17

what does SD involve the construction of?

Answer 17

an anxiety hierarchy going from least to most feared types of contact with the phobia object/situation

Question 18

what is reciprocal inhibition?

Answer 18

it’s impossible to be afraid and relaxed at the same time so one emotion prevents the other

Question 19

at each stage patients are taught what?

Answer 19

relaxation strategies- including visualisation, taught how to control their breathing and progressive muscle relation techniques

Question 20

when is treatment successful in SD?

Answer 20

when the patient can stay relaxed in situations high on the anxiety hierarchy

Question 21

what does Barlow (2002) experiment show?

Answer 21

SD is among the most effective treatments for phobias, 60-90% of patients who undergo show measurable improvements

Question 22

why has SD been criticised?

Answer 22

failing to address the possible deeper psychological or emotional causes related to that disorder. the therapy concentrated on the symptoms

Question 23

Why is SD limited in treating all phobias?

Answer 23

ineffective in treating evolutionary phobias

Question 24

side effects of SD:

Answer 24

no negative side effects to SD:
Gives you tools to deal with a phobia long-term.

Drugs may only be effective whilst being taken and therefore may lead to side effects.

SD more effective ad more likely to complete treatment

Question 25

why is SD preferred over flooding?

Answer 25

Has long-term effects, research suggests 33 months. More effective as more likely to complete treatment. Empowering because patient is in control.
it is suitable for a diverse range of patients

Question 26

what is flooding?

Answer 26

involves exposing phobic patients to their phobic stimulus but without a gradual build-up in an anxiety hierarchy. it involves immediate exposure to a frightening situation

Question 27

how does flooding work?

Answer 27

the patient quickly learns that the phobic stimulus is harmless. In classical conditioning this is known as extinction, where a learnt response is extinguished when the conditioned stimulus (e.g a dog) is encountered without the unconditioned stimulus of being bitten

Question 28

how is calmness achieved during flooding?

Answer 28

exhaustion kicks in- the anxiety response is exhausted because you cannot physiologically maintain the fear response

Question 29

is flooding ethical?

Answer 29

its not exactly unethical but its an unpleasant experience which is why informed consent must be given to take part in the traumatic procedure

Question 30

how is flooding time and cost effective?

Answer 30

most of the time only one or two sessions of a few hours is needed. studies have found that flooding is highly effective and quicker than other alternatives. the quick effect means patients are free of their symptoms as soon as possible so makes it cheaper

Question 31

how is flooding less effective for some types of phobias?

Answer 31

complex phobias like social phobias are less effective because social phobias have cognitive aspects- may benefit more from cognitive therapies because it will tackle the irrational thinking

Question 32

how can flooding make the phobia worse in some cases?

Answer 32

if the patient does not finish the therapy then the experience has just been incredibly traumatic and they will probably leave still with the phobia.

Question 33

is flooding appropriate for all patients?

Answer 33

People with health conditions like a heart condition may suffer a cardiac arrest due to the anxiety levels being risen and also the extreme amounts of stress the patient is put under so no its not suitable.