Psychopathology- Phobias

Question 1

Define phobias

Answer 1

-A group of mental disorders characterised by high levels of anxiety in response to a particular stimulus or group of stimuli
-The anxiety interferes with normal living

Question 2

What are the 3 main types of phobias

Answer 2

-Specific phobias
-Social phobias (social anxiety)
Agoraphobia

Question 3

What is a specific phobia?

Answer 3

-Phobia of an object ( such as an animal or body part) or situation (such as flying or having a injection)

Question 4

What is a social phobia?

Answer 4

-Phobia of a social situation such a public speaking or using the toilet in public spaces

Question 5

What is agoraphobia?

Answer 5

-Phobia of being outside\a public space

Question 6

What are the 2 emotional characteristics of a phobia?

Answer 6

-Anxiety and fear
-Unreasonable responses

Question 7

What is meant by anxiety and fear and unreasonable responses?

Answer 7

Anxiety and fear:
-Immediate experience when the phobia is encountered which leads to anxiety
Unreasonable responses:
-Disproportionate then the threat posed by it

Question 8

Give 3 behavioural characteristics of phobias

Answer 8

-Panic
-Avoidance
-Endurance

Question 8

What is meant by Panic, Avoidance and Endurance?

Answer 8

-Panic -crying, screaming, running away from the phobic stimulus
-Avoidance- a considerable effort to avoid the stimulus, can make it difficult to go about everyday life
-endurance- the sufferer remains in the presence of the stimulus and suffers from high levels of anxiety

Question 9

What are the 3 cognitive charcateristics?

Answer 9

-Selective attention to the phobic stimulus
-Irrational beliefs
-Cognitive distortions

Question 10

Explain the 3 cognitive charcteristics

Answer 10

Selective attention to the phobic stimulus- phobic finds it hard to look away from the phobic stimulus, and cannot think straight if it is in the room
Irrational beliefs- fears
Cognitive distortions- perception of phobia is worse than it is

Question 11

What are the 3 steps of the behaviourist approach to explaining phobias

Answer 11

-Only the behaviour is important (external behaviour)
-Abnormal behaviours are learned through conditioning and social learning
-The environment can reinforce maladaptive behaviour

Question 12

What is classical conditioning in phobias?

Answer 12

-Acquired through association
-Example: Little Albert, Pavlos dogs
-Initiation

Question 13

What is operant conditioning in phobias?

Answer 13

-Maintenance
-Likelihood of behaviour is increased if it is rewarded
-The avoidance of the phobia/phobic stimulus reduces fear and reinforces it
-Negative reinforcement is escaping an unpleasant situation

Question 14

What is social learning theory in phobias?

Answer 14

-May be aqcuired through modelling of the behaviour

Question 15

What is the two-process model?

Answer 15

Orval Hobart Mowrear- explain how phobias are learnt
-Operant and classical conditioning
-Both are needed to explain why phobias begin in the 1st place

Question 16

Give some strengths of the behaviourist approach to explaining phobias

Answer 16

-High validity
-Research evidence

Question 17

Give some limitations of the behaviourist approach to explaining phobias

Answer 17

-Not all phobias can be explained using this theory (eg. agoraphobia or phobias which don’t follow trauma)
-Lacks reliability
-Other theories exist (biological/evolutionary)
-Cognitive aspects of phobias
-Lacks of validity

Question 18

What does behavioural treatment aim to do?

Answer 18

-Reduce phobic anxiety through the principal of classical conditioning whereby a new response to the phobic stimulus is paired with relaxation instead of anxiety- counterconditioning
-Reduce phobic anxiety through the principle of operant conditioning where there is no option for avoidance behaviour

Question 19

Wolpe (1958)

Answer 19

-Based on classical conditioning, counterconditioning +reciprical inhibition
-The therapy aims to gradually reduce anxiety through counter-conditioning
-Phobia is learned so that phobic stimulus produces a fear response

Question 20

Define reciprocal inhibition

Answer 20

It is not possible to be afraid and relaxed at the same time so one emotion prevents the other

Question 21

What are the 3 processes involved in SD?

Answer 21

1. The anxiety hierarchy- constructed by the paitent + therapist, a stepped approach to getting the person to face the object/situation from least to most frightening
   2.Paitent are trained in relaxation techniques so they can relax quickly
2. The paitent is gradually exposed to the phobic stimulus whilst practising the relaxation technique as feelings of tension and anxiety arise, when this has been achieved the paitent continues this process by moving up their hierarchy

Question 22

Define flooding

Answer 22

Involves overwhelming the individual senses with the item or situation that causes anxiety so that the person realises that no harm will occur

Question 23

What does flooding involve?

Answer 23

-No relaxation techniques or step-by-step build-up
-Individual is exposed repeatedly and in an intensive way with their phobia
-Individual has their senses flooded with thoughts, images and actual experiences of the object of their phobia

Question 24

Why does flooding work?

Answer 24

-Flooding stops phobic responses very quickly
-No option for avoidance behaviour, the paitent quickly learns that the phobic stimulus is harmless (extinction)
-A learned response is extinguished when the conditioned stimulus is encountered with the unconditioned stimulus
-The conditioned stimulus no longer produces the conditioned stimulus

Question 25

What ethical considerations need to be considered when dealing with flooding?

Answer 25

-Not unethical as patients do give informed consent
-Is an unpleasant experience, the paitent has to be properly prepared

Question 26

What are some similarities between SD and flooding?

Answer 26

-Both aim to treat phobias
-Use conditioning
-Exposure to the phobia
-Only suitable for specific phobias

Question 27

What are some differences between SD and flooding?

Answer 27

-One is gradual, one is very quick
-SD involves relaxation techniques
-Flooding= operant
-SD= classical
-SD is less traumatic

Question 28

Give a strength of systematic desensitisation (effective)

Answer 28

-Effective
-Gilroy et al (2003) followed up with 42 patients who had SD for a spider phobia in 3 45 minute sessions
-At both 3 and 33 months the SD groups were less fearful than a control group treated with relaxation but not exposure
-Shows that it works and results are long-lasting

Question 29

Give another strength of SD (suitable for a range of patients)

Answer 29

-Suitable for a diverse range of patients
-The alternatives to SD such as flooding and cognitive therapies are not well suited to some patients
-For example, having learning difficulties can make it very hard to understand what is going on during flooding or to engage in cognitive therapies which require reflection
-Most appropriate method for many people

Question 30

Give a further strength of SD (acceptable to patients)

Answer 30

-Preferred method
-Does not cause the same amount of trauma as flooding so includes elements of being present such as talking with the therapist
-Low refusal rates, low attention rates (patients not finishing treatment)

Question 31

Give 2 limitations of flooding

Answer 31

-Less effective for some types of phobias
-Traumatic experience