Saavedra and Silverman

Question 1

Phobia

Answer 1

a persistent and unreasonable fear of a particular object, or activity or situation

Question 2

Classical conditioning

Answer 2

a form of learning in which an unconditioned response becomes linked to a previously neutral stimulus to create a learned association

Question 3

Evaluative learning

Answer 3

when individual forms an association between neutral stimulus and a negative emotion outcome = disgust (no fear emotion)

Question 4

Expectancy learning

Answer 4

previously neutral/non-threatening stimulus becomes associated with a potentially threatening outcome = FEAR

Question 5

Background

Answer 5

1. one form of classical conditioning is expectancy learning, this is when…
2. phobias may be caused by evaluative learning, this is when…
3. If evaluative learning is true, disgust, as well as fear should be targeted in the treatment of phobias
4. This contrasts to a behaviourist approach which suggests that there is little to no role in thinking/feeling in the learning process

Question 6

Aim

Answer 6

1. To investigate the causes of button phobia in a child

2. To attempt to treat a child’s phobia of buttons via targeting both disgust and fear responses

Question 7

What is the research method?

Answer 7

case study

Question 8

Why case study?

Answer 8

This method is most fitting as it is particularly useful in researching unusual or rare phenomena

Question 9

What is the sample and sampling technique?

Answer 9

• volunteer sample
• 9 year old Hispanic American boy
• met for having a specific phobia measured by DSM-IV

Question 10

What is the procedure before the study? (how are the sure that the boy has phobia)

Answer 10

Mother and son both interviewed, to ensure the phobia hadn’t occur because of any trauma or abuse. → also ruled out of OCD as the boy had no recurrent, intrusive thoughts

• met DSM-IV criteria for specific phobia
• did not meet criteria for OCD

Question 11

When and why did the phobia begin?

Answer 11

Phobia began at aged 5

He accidently split a jar of buttons when to collect for more for an art project - this occured in front of his class and teacher

Question 12

How did his phobia affect his daily life?

Answer 12

it interfered with his normal functioning!

Couldn’t dress himself anymore and avoid clothing with buttons

Question 13

How is the boy’s feeling towards buttons established?

Answer 13

Through the creation of a hierarchy of feared / disgust provoking stimuli

Question 14

How did he rate the items in the hierarchy?

Answer 14

Rated each item on a 9-point scale (0-8, 8=most distress)
Rating of 2 = large denim jean buttons
Rating of 8 = small plastic buttons (clear and colored)

Question 15

What are the two types of intervention used?

Answer 15

Behavioural exposure therapy and imagery exposure

Question 16

For behavioural exposure therapy, how many sessions? How long each?

Answer 16

Gradual exposure of 4 treatment sessions with 20-30mins each

Question 17

Is behavioural exposure therapy in-vivo or in-vitro?

Answer 17

in-vivo

Question 18

What happens during the behavioural exposure therapy?

Answer 18

using positive reinforcement where boy rewarded by his mother each time he demonstrated less fear and for touching buttons.

Question 19

For imagery exposure, how many sessions?

Answer 19

7 sessions

Question 20

What beliefs are based on for imagery exposure?

Answer 20

• buttons touching his body disgusting

- buttons smell unpleasant

Question 21

What are the self-control strategies taught in imager exposure?

Answer 21

Imagined buttons falling on him and to consider how they looked, felt and smelled. He was asked to talk freely about how this imagery exposure made him feel

Question 22

How did imagery exposure progress?

Answer 22

Exposures progressed from images of smaller to larger buttons, according to his hierarchy

Question 23

3 findings for behavioural exposure

Answer 23

1. By session 4, boy had successfully completed all the tasks
2. His distress level increased dramatically from session 2 to 3 and 3 to 4
3. In session 4, his subjective ratings to specific items was even higher than the ratings he reported when the hierarchy was initially devised

Question 24

2 findings for imagery exposure

Answer 24

1. In a session where he had to imagine hundreds of buttons falling on him, before the cognitive restructuring, he rated this as 8 – decreased to 5 and then to 3 by the end of a session.
2. In a session where he had to imagine hugging his mother who was wearing a shirt with many buttons, distress ratings went from 7 to 4 and then 3.

Question 25

What did they find about the boy after the treatment? How long was he followed?

Answer 25

He was followed up 6 and 12 months after treatment and at both times, no longer met the DSM criteria for a specific phobia.

He was also able to wear clear plastic buttons on his school uniform shirt.

Question 26

State the conclusion (which is more effective?)

Answer 26

Disgust imagery exposure is more effective at treating specific phobia than behavioural exposure

Question 27

State the conclusion (does disgust play a role)

Answer 27

Emotions and cognitions relating to disgust do play a role in the development and maintenance of phobia

Question 28

State the conclusion (long term effect of imagery exposure)

Answer 28

Imagery exposure can have a long-term effect on reducing the distress associated with specific phobias as it addresses negative evaluations

Question 29

Does it have a useful application to real life?

Answer 29

• developed a better treatment for phobias.
• disgust imagery is more effective than behavioural exposure in treating specific phobia.
• disgust imagery should be used more often
• educational purposes,deeper understanding of the emotions associated with phobia

Not useful because case study, lacks generalisability

Question 30

Does it support the nature or nurture side of the debate?

Answer 30

Nurture
- shows that phobia is learnt, after he split a jar of buttons, after that situation he developed the fear of buttons
and can be unlearnt, the formation is not due to the evolution theory of preparedness

Question 31

Use of children

Answer 31

• distress is caused / violated protection of harm

- gave informed consent

Question 32

How is evaluative learning different from expectancy learning?

Answer 32

• one is forming association between a neutral stimulus and threatening outcome, feeling fear, the other one is feeling disgust
• evaluative learning does not depend on the individual’s expecting, or being aware, of the association between neutral stimulus and negative outcome, rather, they PERCEIVE it negatively