phobias Flashcards
1
Q
define ‘phobia’
A
an anxiety disorder which involves an extreme and irrational fear towards something that may cause panic attacks and affects everyday life
2
Q
state the 5 different categories for phobias
A
- animal
- natural environment
- blood/infection/injury
- situational
- other
3
Q
describe the diagnostic criteria for a phobia
A
- persistent fear triggered by anticipation
- exposure provokes anxiety response
- recognises that the fear is unreasonable
- situation is avoided
- affects daily routine
4
Q
describe the acquisition of a phobia through classical conditioning
A
- associating a negative experience with a previously neutral stimulus
- likely to happen through one trial learning
5
Q
describe the maintenance of a phobia through operant conditioning
A
- avoids phobia through negative reinforcement e.g. avoiding public speaking
- avoids phobia through positive reinforcement e.g. running away from a spider
6
Q
what is a weakness for operant conditioning explaining phobias
A
does not suggest how to extinguish them
7
Q
how does social learning explain the acquisition of phobias
A
- observing and imitating a role model who has a phobia
- vicarious learning; watching a parent run away from a spider and feel better
