4 Psychopathology- Phobias

Question 1

phobia

Answer 1

characterised by a persistent and extreme form of fear or anxiety, triggered by a particular object or situation

Question 2

specific phobia

Answer 2

unrealistic or extreme fear of a discreet situation

Question 3

social anxiety

Answer 3

from intense fear in social situations

Question 4

agoraphobia

Answer 4

fear of anywhere where escape is difficult

Question 5

three behavioural characteristics

Answer 5

-panic
-avoidance
-endurance

Question 6

panic
(behavioural characteristic)

Answer 6

panic in response to the presence of a phobic stimulus, may involve crying, screaming or shivering
-interferes with their ability to carry out everyday tasks

Question 7

avoidance
(behavioural characteristic)

Answer 7

undergoing effort to prevent coming into contact with the phobic stimulus, make it hard to go about everyday life

Question 8

endurance
(behavioural characteristic)

Answer 8

a person persists in the presence of their stimulus, they keep their eyes on it

Question 9

two emotional characteristics

Answer 9

-anxiety
-intense fear

Question 10

anxiety
(emotional characteristic)

Answer 10

an unpleasant state of high arousal, preventing a person relaxing, making it difficult to experience any positive emotion

Question 11

intense fear
(emotional characteristic)

Answer 11

the immediate and extremely unpleasant feeling of fright or terror that we experience when we encounter or think about the phobic stimulus
-excessive and unreasonable most of the time

Question 12

two cognitive characteristics

Answer 12

-selective attention
-cognitive distortions

Question 13

selective attention
(cognitive characteristic)

Answer 13

if your phobic stimulus is in your sight, you will not keep your eyes off of it
-feel safer having an eye on the danger incase anything happens

Question 14

cognitive distortions
(cognitive characteristic)

Answer 14

you view your phobic stimulus has much worse than it is, unrealistic perception

Question 15

behavioural approach to explaining phobias

Answer 15

phobias are acquired through classical conditioning and maintained through operant conditioning
-the two process model

acquisition
-a NS and UCS are associated with eachother
-fear is an involuntary response

maintenance
-maintained by negative reinforcement, reward or relief of the anxiety

Question 16

supporting study
evaluation of behavioural approach explaining phobias

Answer 16

-little albert study by watson and rayner
-he acquired phobias of white, fluffy animals through classical conditioning

Question 17

opposing ideas
evaluation of behavioural approach explaining phobias

Answer 17

research to refute this explanation from Dinardo
-he found that only half of the people that had a frightening experience of dogs went on to develop a phobia of dogs
-individual differences in susceptibility to acquiring phobias

ignores biological approach for phobias
-genetic mutations from past generations, evolution from survival

Question 18

determinism
evaluation of behavioural approach explaining phobias

Answer 18

this explanation suggests phobias are environmentally determined and when a NS and UCS are associated which causes a phobia to develop
-ignores influence of conscious decision-making

Question 19

application
evaluation of behavioural approach explaining phobias

Answer 19

has useful practical application in treating phobias
-SD aims to substitute fear for calm as they work through an anxiety hierarchy
-cannot be unlearnt

Question 20

what treatments for phobias are available

Answer 20

systematic desensitisation and flooding both use the principles of classical conditioning to replace a person’s phobia with relaxation

Question 21

systematic desensitisation

Answer 21

the use of classical conditioning. patients learn in stages to replace fear responses with calm responses when phobic stimulus is present
-reciprocal inhibition (anxiety and relaxation cannot be experienced at the same time)
-anxiety hierarchy is constructed
-at each stage, relaxation strategies are used (visualisation, breathing and muscle techniques)

Question 22

SD- supporting studies
AO3

Answer 22

Gilfroy et al 2005
-showed that computer aided exposure was effective with spider phobia treatment
-more effective than relaxation placebo treatment
-SD is effective and lasts the longest

Question 23

SD- empowerment
AO3

Answer 23

patients are in control and are actively involved in the pace of the treatment, move onto the next stage when relaxed and ready
-have free will over the process
-constructs anxiety hierarchy with therapists
low numbers of dropouts as this treatment is favoured by the patient

Question 24

SD- symptoms vs root cause
AO3

Answer 24

does not treat the root cause of the phobia
-substitutes fear for relaxation and focuses on the symptoms
-fails to consider the cause and trauma behind
-the phobia can reapper and reoccur

Question 25

SD- time AO3

Answer 25

SD is a time consuming treatment -it can last 6-8 sessions on average -can cause people to drop out as it takes a long time to complete

Question 26

SD- opposing treatments AO3

Answer 26

flooding is an alternative treatment which involved directly facing fears in a controlled setting with intense exposure SD is less traumatising and is preferred by patients drug treatments e.g. antidepressants cause no social interaction, cheaper, used to address underlying causes and behaviours associated with phobias -have to be committed to taking them and there are side effects

Question 27

flooding

Answer 27

involves the principles of classical conditioning and unavoidable exposure -the patient is unable to avoid their phobia through continuous exposure, anxiety levels start to decrease as they cannot be maintained at such high levels for a long time. -relaxation techniques are used during this time, such as muscle relaxation -or relaxation is achieved as they are exhausted of their own fear response

Question 28

flooding- supporting study AO3

Answer 28

Keare et al (1989) -veterans received 14-16 sessions of this therapy, suggesting that flooding can effectively extinguish phobias, they had fewer terrifying flashbacks, less anxiety and depression

Question 29

flooding- ethics AO3

Answer 29

it is an unethical approach to treating phobias -sessions are traumatic and can cause more mental problems such as depression, anxiety and PTSD -can lead to reactions and feelings of hopelessness and helplessness

Question 30

flooding- symptoms vs root cause AO3

Answer 30

does not treat the root cause of phobia -it focuses on acknowledging the fact that the stimulus will not hurt or harm you and you will end up fine -fails to consider that their phobia could come back with the trauma and root cause still present

Question 31

flooding- time AO3

Answer 31

less time consuming and therefore more cost-efficient -lasts 2-3 hours -directly solve feelings of fear, whereas SD can take 6-8 hours over 6-8 weeks

Question 32

flooding- opposing treatments AO3

Answer 32

SD or drugs SD involved gradually substituting feelings of fear with relaxation, patient has control over the pace and the anxiety hierarchy drug treatments e.g. antidepressants cause no social interaction, cheaper, used to address underlying causes and behaviours associated with phobias -have to be committed to taking them and there are side effects