Psychopathology- Phobias Flashcards
What is a phobia?
Extreme irrational fear which disrupts someone’s daily life.
What is agoraphobia?
Phobia of being outside/in public
What are the behavioural characteristics of phobias?
Panic and avoidance
What are the emotional characteristics of phobias?
Anxiety. Classed as an anxiety disorder, irrational emotional response.
What are the cognitive characteristics of phobias?
Selective attention to phobic stimulus, irrational beliefs, cognitive distortions
What is mowrers 2 process model? (Behavioural approach to treating phobias)
Phobias are acquired through classical conditioning, and maintained through operant conditioning
How is operant conditioning linked with the behavioural characteristic of avoidance?
Emotional response to phobia- anxiety. Unpleasant.
Avoidance- removed anxiety- rewarding.
Example of negative reinforcement.
What is a strength of the behavioural approach to explaining phobias (mowrers 2 process model)?
Supporting evidence
Watson and rayner demonstrated classical conditioning through phobias with little Albert acquiring a phobia.
High internal validity
What is a weakness of the behavioural approach to explaining phobias (mowrers 2 process model)?
Over simplistic
Ignores role of cognition in formation of phobias, cognitive psychologists suggest phobias may form as a result of irrational thinking/ social learning theory- e.g. learning from a role model.
Reductionist
What are the three processes of systematic desensitisation?
Relaxation, anxiety hierarchy, exposure
What is a strength of systematic desensitisation?
Supporting techniques
Research found that in vivo techniques are more successful than in vitro, however practical reasons for in vitro e.g. more cost effective.
High internal validity
What is a weakness of systematic desensitisation?
Ethical implications
Places people in high anxiety situations- protection from harm.
What is flooding?
Works by exposing patient directly to their worst fears.
At first person in a state of extreme anxiety/panic, but after time passes exhaustion will set in and anxiety will subside.
What is a strength of flooding?
Just as effective as other treatments but more cost effective.
More economically accessible
High external validity
What is a weakness of flooding?
May not be effective for all phobias.
Some psychologists suggest social phobias are caused by irrational thinking and not classical conditioning. More complex phobias can’t be treated with behavioural methods
Low internal validity
