Phobias

Question 1

Phobia

Answer 1

extreme, irrational fear leading to intense anxiety and avoidance of an object or situation. extent of fear out of proportion to any danged posed by phobic stimulus

Question 2

types of phobias (DSM)

Answer 2

specific phobia –> object (e.g. clowns) or situation (e.g. flying)
social phobia –> fear of a social situation (e.g. public speaking or eating in front of others)
agoraphobia –> environmental fear of being outside or in a public space

Question 3

emotional characteristics of phobias

Answer 3

fear –> marked, persistent, excessive and unreasonable
anxiety –> unpleasant state of high arousal

Question 4

behavioural characteristics of phobias

Answer 4

avoidanceof fear (unless trying to face fear), which then interferes with normal life
panic in response to phobic object/situation –> may lead to crying, freezing, or running away (F/F/F, mainly latter two)
endurance –> alternative to avoidance, where person chooses to stay in presence of phobic stimulus even while anxious as they are able to monitor it.

Question 5

cognitive characteristics of phobias

Answer 5

irrational beliefs
selective attention to phobic stimulus
Cognitive distortions

Question 6

2 process model explaining phobias (Mowrer)

Answer 6

states phobias are learned through classical conditioning and maintained through operant conditioning

Question 7

how are phobias learned through CC?

Answer 7

we learn to associate something we are not initially afraid of (NS) with something that causes a natural fear response (UCS=UCR) which results in a fear of the original NS (now a CR)

Question 8

how is a phobia maintained through +ve reinforcement

Answer 8

if given attention when showing fear of stimulus, fear response reinforced (rewarded) so is likely to be repeated and maintained

Question 9

how is a phobia maintained through -ve reinforcement?

Answer 9

when we avoid feared stimulus, we don’t feel anxious so avoidant behaviour is repeated (-ve feeling is removed)

Question 10

2 treatments of phobias

Answer 10

systematic desensitisation
flooding

Question 11

systematic desensitisation psychologist and definition

Answer 11

Joseph Wolpe (1950s)
reducing or eliminating fears/phobias by substituting a new, contradictory response or relaxation that prevents anxiety response

Question 12

reciprocal inhibition

Answer 12

idea that two opposing emotions cannot occur at the same time

Question 13

3 steps of SD

Answer 13

1.anxiety hierarchy of feared stimulus created
2.deep relaxation techniques taught to client
3.progressive exposure to each stimulus on hierarchy until no fear shown

Question 14

two means of exposure in SD

Answer 14

in vivo (in real life)
in vitro (through imagination and visualisation)

Question 15

flooding

Answer 15

immediate prolonged exposure to extreme phobic stimulus until anxiety has been extinguished (exhaustion)

Question 16

3 strengths of SD

Answer 16

evidence of its effectiveness –> Gilroy found that 3 and 33 months after treatment, those treated with SD showed less fear than those who’d just been treated with relaxation and no exposure –> quick and long-lasting
less ethical issues than flooding and often preferred by clients as less traumatic. relaxation procedures also pleasant
works well with other treatments –> many phobics also struggle with anxiety or depression. these can often be treated together as when anxiety treated, phobia easier to confront so results in less anxiety etc.

Question 17

3 weaknesses of SD

Answer 17

ignores deeper psychological/emotional issues that may cause it, treating symptoms not cause (Wolpe study with women with insect phobia where SD didn’t work)
evidence that flooding is more effective –> suggests SD not the best treatment for phobias
potentially time-consuming and requires commitment and motivation

Question 18

3 strengths of flooding

Answer 18

highly effective –> Kapli (2011) - 65% phobic patients showed no symptoms 4 years after receiving 1 flooding session –> suggesting good treatment
quick, cost-effective –> Ourgin, comparing flooding and cognitive therapies found flooding more effective and quicker
Marks –> people with specific phobias can lose fear after just three sessions –> very efficient

Question 19

2 strengths of behavioural explanation of phobias

Answer 19

supported by Watson and Raynor (Little Albert)
practical applications, important for therapies –> explains why people must be exposed to stimulus and prevented from avoiding it as this prevents reinforcement of fear

Question 20

3 weaknesses of behavioural explanation of phobias

Answer 20

may be incomplete (another theory is…) –> Bounton –> evolutionary factors likely part of phobias but aren’t in the model; innate predisposition for some fears but not others (genome lag)
may not be valid: research into phobia origins shows many phobias didn’t have traumatic event associated –> Menzies and Clarke found only 2% of children with water phobia had direct traumatic conditioning effect with water –> however may be indirect
can’t explain all symptoms of phobias, e.g. cognitive characteristics like irrational thoughts – may not be entirely valid

Question 21

evaluate SD (6 points)

Answer 21

1.evidence of effectiveness –> Gilroy (3 and 33 months) –> long-lasting
2.acceptable for clients, less ethical issues
3.can be used with other treatments –> upward spiral
4.ignores deeper psychological and emotional issues that may be causing phobia (treats symptoms not cause)–> Wolpe with insect phobic
5.evidence flooding more effective
6.potentially time-consuming and requires commitment and motivation

Question 22

Explanation of phobias evaluation

Answer 22

Rats and apps predispose origin of symptoms

Question 23

SD evaluation

Answer 23

Gilroy’s ethical causes of flooding time

Question 24

Flooding evaluation

Answer 24

Kaplin’s cheap and specific ethics are complex