Saavedra and Silverman Flashcards
State the aim of the study by Saavedra and Silverman.
- To highlight the role of evaluative learning and disgust in the development and treatment of children phobias.
- The efficacy of imagery exposure as part of an exposure based cognitive behavioural treatment for a specific phobia of buttons.
- To treat the phobia by reducing disgust and fear response.
Explain what is meant by evaluative learning.
A form of classical conditioning where responses towards stimuli are considered the result of complex thought processes and emotions which led to the individual to evaluate a previously neutral stimulus as negative.
State the research method used.
Clinical case study.
Explain how data was collected.
- Structured interview and a psychometric scale to measure subjective distress.
- 9 point-scale feelings thermometer.
Describe the sample used.
- A 9 year old Hispanic American boy.
- Sought support from the child anxiety and phobia program at Florida international University, Miami.
- Met the criteria for having a specific phobia of buttons and did not meet the criteria for OCD.
How did he develop his phobia?
- At the age of five.
- He knocked over a bowl of buttons in front of his class and teacher and found it distressing.
How did the phobia affect his life?
Interfere significantly with normal functioning, could no longer address himself and had become preoccupied with avoiding touching buttons or clothing that may have touched buttons.
Describe the hierarchy of fear.
- Was made through discussion with the participant with each item on the list provoking increasing fear.
- The most fear provoking items were small clear/coloured plastic buttons.
The procedure the boy and his mother went through.
- They both provided and informed consent to participate in the study.
- They were interviewed using a semi structured schedule called the anxiety disorders interview schedule for DSM-IV-Child and parent versions.
- This interview allows the researchers to confirm that the boy met the criteria to be diagnosed with a specific phobia due to his marked and persistent avoidance of buttons.
Describe treatment 1 - behavioural exposure.
- A form of positive reinforcement therapy.
- This was a behaviour focused approach which meant the boy was rewarded for showing less fear and for handling the buttons.
- Positive reinforcement was given to the boy by his mother after completing graduate exposure tasks with buttons.
- Treatment sessions lasted between 20 to 30 minutes.
Describe treatment 2 - imagery exposure.
- Consisted of incorporating disgust related imagery, exposures and cognitions.
- Imagery exposure uses visualisation of physically handling or exposed to the buttons.
- Disgust-related imagery exposures were incorporated with cognitive self-control strategies.
- The boy was asked to imagine buttons fighting on him and consider how they looked, felt and smells like and was asked to talk about how these imagery exposures made him feel.
State the results for treatment 1.
- Successful completion of all exposure tasks listed in the hierarchy of fear.
- The boy was also observed approaching the buttons more positively.
- His subjective ratings of distress increased significantly between sessions.
State the results for treatment 2.
- This was successful introducing the boys rating of distress.
- For example, his rating of hundreds of buttons falling over his body was reduced from 8 to 5 to 3 following to the study.
State the follow-up results.
- The boy reported minimal feelings of distress about buttons.
- He no longer fit the diagnostic criteria for a specific button phobia.
- His feelings towards buttons no longer affected normal functioning.
State the conclusions of the study by Saavedra and Silverman
- That emotions and cognitions related to disgust are important when learning new responses to phobic stimuli.
- Imagery exposure can have long-term effects on reducing the distress associated with specific phobias as it tackles negative evaluations.
Explain the psychology investigated in the study by Saavedra and Silverman
- Phobias: intense fear/anxiety that’s occurs due to specific stimuli.
- Classical conditioning: when a neutral stimulus is now conditioned because it triggers the same level of fear as an unconditioned stimulus.
- Evaluative and operant conditioning: use the principles of operant conditioning in their treatment of the boys button phobia
