Psychopathology - Phobias Flashcards
What is a phobia, and DSM-5’s categories of phobias?
An irrational fear that leads to avoidance.
Specific = phobia of an object
Social anxiety = phobia of a social situation
Agoraphobia = phobia of being outside / in a public place
What are the behavioural characteristics of phobias?
Panic = panic in the presence of phobic stimulus e.g crying, screaming, running away
Avoidance = sufferer goes through immense effort to avoid contact with the phobic stimulus. Can be hard to go about daily life
What are the emotional characteristics of phobias?
Anxiety = phobias are classed as an anxiety disorder. Makes it difficult to the suffer to relax and experience positive emotion.
Emotional responses = triggered by the presence or anticipation of a specific object / situation.
What are the cognitive characteristics of phobias?
Cognitive distortions = The phobic’s perceptions may be distorted
Selective attention = If the phobic is presented with what they fear, they will find it difficult to direct their attention elsewhere, becoming fixated.
Irrational beliefs = A person with a phobia may hole unfounded thoughts is relation to phobic stimulus.
Explain the behavioural approach to explaining phobias
Mowrer states that phobias are a result of CC association and then maintained by OC. Avoiding the phobic stimulus removes the unpleasant feeling of anxiety, this is a desirable outcome which is rewarding. Associations may be so strong that it can be formed on the first pairing.
Evaluate the behavioural approach to explaining phobias
✅ Real life application - therapy used to develop effective treatments including systematic desensitisation (unlearn fears with CC) and flooding (prevents avoidance)
❌ Overly simplistic - ignores the role of cognition in the formation of phobias. Psychologists suggest phobias may develop as a result of irrational thinking e.g suffered of claustrophobia may think “i will be trapped in this lift and suffocate” T reductionist
Explain systematic desensitisation and the three steps.
Aims to remove the fear response of phobia and substitute a relaxation response (CC)
1) Patient is taught a deep muscle relaxation technique and breathing exercises
2) Patient creates anxiety hierarchy building up stages to the most fear provoking images
3) Patient works their way up the anxiety hierarchy practicing relaxation techniques as they go
Evaluate systematic desensitisation
✅ Supporting evidence that it is effect - research shows vivo techniques are more successful than in vitro however in vitro is cost effective
❌ Ethical issues - creates high levels of anxiety when clients are initially exposed to
Explain flooding
Exposing the patient directly to their worst fears for an extended period of time in a safe and controlled environment. Fear is a time limited response, as eventually exhaustion sets in and anxiety levels begin to go down. Prolonged exposure eventually creates a new association.
Evaluate flooding
✅ Cost effective, flooding is significantly quicker with lowest costs, also more accessible to people
❌ Ethical issues - rarely used as if not careful it can be dangerous as fear can increase. Unsuitable for children, elders and people with heart conditions. Wolpe 1969 reported a clients anxiety intensified severely causing hospitalisation.
