Psycopathology - Phobias

Question 1

Behavioural signs of phobias

Answer 1

Panic
Avoidance
Endurance

Question 2

What is the behavioural characteristics of panic

Answer 2

Person might panic in the presence of the phobic object
Might show crying, running, screaming, freezing

Question 3

What is avoidance

Answer 3

When faced with the phobic object the response is to evade the object or situation
Can interfere w daily life

Question 4

What is Endurance

Answer 4

May remain in the presence of the phobic object and be frozen and unable to move

Question 5

Emotional characteristics in the presence of a phobia

Answer 5

Fear
Anxiety

Question 6

What is fear

Answer 6

Persistent and unreasonable worry and distress in presence of the phobic object

Question 7

What is anxiety

Answer 7

A person will be apprehensive about what will happen when encountering their phobic object

Question 8

Cognitive characteristic signs of phobia

Answer 8

Irrational beliefs
Selective attention

Question 9

What is the characteristic of irrational beliefs

Answer 9

Persons thoughts about their phobia do not make logical sense
Distorted perception of the simulated

Question 10

What is Selective attention

Answer 10

When the person encounters the phobic object they will become fixated on it bc of irrational beliefs

Question 11

What is the two process model

Answer 11

The phobia is initiated through classical conditioning
The phobia is then maintained through operant conditioning

Question 12

What is the Little albert experiment

Answer 12

Researchers struck a metal bar behind Albert’s head every time he reached for the white rat
This made Albert cry
Eventually Albert cried every time he saw a white rat
Generalised to fluffy or white objects

Question 13

Metal bar and Albert Before conditioning

Answer 13

Sound - unconditioned stimulus
Albert reaction - unconditioned response

Question 14

White rat and Albert before conditioning

Answer 14

White rat - neutral stimulus
Albert response - neutral response

Question 15

White rat + sound and Albert during conditioning

Answer 15

White rat+sound - neutral and unconditioned
Albert response - unconditioned response

Question 16

White rat and Albert After conditioning

Answer 16

White rat - conditioned stimulus - now phobia
Albert response - conditioned reaction

Question 17

How does the experiment on Albert remove stigma of being mentally ill

Answer 17

It perceives phobias as incorrect responses that can be corrected

Question 18

What is systematic desensitisation

Answer 18

Behavioural therapy developed by Wolpe (1958) to reduce phobias by using classical conditioning

Question 19

Reciprocal inhibition

Answer 19

Central idea of SD is that it is impossible to experience two opposite emotions at the same time
They replace fear of a phobia with relaxed responses to the phobia

Question 20

Use of Counter conditioning in phobias

Answer 20

Using reciprocal inhibition to make the patient learn to remain relaxed in the presence of the phobic object

Question 21

How to introduce someone to their phobia

Answer 21

Slowly introduce - eg. Photos videos
Introduce irl from far
Close up

Question 22

Flooding

Answer 22

The patient is taught relaxation techniques and then immediate exposure to very frightening and extreme situation

Question 23

Why is flooding effective

Answer 23

Patient does not have option to avoid and quickly learn the phobic object is harmless - extinction occurs
Some patients might achieve relaxation bc they are so exhausted

Question 24

All factors of phobias

Answer 24

Endurance
Panic
Avoidance
Fear
anxiety
Irrational beliefs
Distorted perceptions
Selective attention