EXPLANATION

Question 1

4 explanations of anxiety disorders and phobia

Answer 1

Behavioural, psychoanalytic, cognitive, genetics

Question 2

What is the behavioural explanation of phobias? (conditioning) - Watson + Rayner (Little Albert)

Answer 2

Classical conditioning: neutral stimulus is associated with unconditioned (fearful) stimuli = conditioned response

• rat (neutral) + loud noise (unconditioned) = fear response
• phobia due to external factors learnt within our environment

Question 3

Strengths of the behavioural explanation

Answer 3

• Nurture: fearful/abnormal behaviours can be replaced with new things learnt
• Usage of child participants: increases internal validity as they are not exposed to many extraneous variables that may interfere with the results

Question 4

Limitations of the behavioural explanation

Answer 4

• Snapshot study (Watson & Rayner)
• Low population validity: single-subject study - unique: difficult to generalise to older patients with phobias
• Reductionist: assumes that phobias are caused by only one fearful experience - does not regard other underlying factors (family history, genetics, etc)
• Deterministic: caused by external factors that we have no control over

Question 5

What is the psychoanalytic explanation of phobias? (Freud - ID/Superego/ego)

Answer 5

Due to the fear of expressing one’s unconscious desire (ID) - emotional problems within an individual’s mind

• Defense mechanism against their fears
  e. g problems with parents

Question 6

Freud’s study explanation - Little Hans (Psychoanalytic Exp.)

Answer 6

Little hans: Fear of horses were an unconscious projection of his castration anxiety (saw horse - mom threaten to cut his penis off)

Question 7

Strengths of the psychoanalytic explanation

Answer 7

• Holistic: considers other underlying factors leading up to the phobia (past experiences, family history, relationship with parents)
• Research method: Case study - provide in-depth data about the creation of the disorder

Question 8

Limitations of the psychoanalytic model

Answer 8

• Research method: Case study: unique to Hans, may not be generalisable to other people with phobias - reduce population validity
• Data collection type: self report - qualitative data - risks of researcher bias –> reduce internal validity of the explanation
• Focuses blame to parents: increases distress –> counterproductive to healing

Question 9

What is the cognitive explanation of phobias (input - output) - Di Nardo

Answer 9

Caused by abnormal thinking processes

• Assumes that our mind works like a computer (input –> output)
• Inaccurate mental representation of the world = abnormal thinking and behaviour

Question 10

Di Nardo study (dogs)

Answer 10

• Compared the prevalence/ similarities of individual’s conditioning experience between dog fearful and non-dog fearful

Question 11

Strengths of the cognitive explanation

Answer 11

• Free will: have control over their abnormal thinking - increase chance of being able to change their perception
• Highly controlled and standardised study: increases internal validity in explaining the cognitive cause of phobias
• Usefulness: ability to have control over one’s thoughts can ease the client with treatment in the future

Question 12

Limitations of the cognitive explanation

Answer 12

• Reductionist: does not consider other underlying factors that contribute to the creation of phobia
• Snapshot study: did not consider extraneous variables that may affect cause and effect relationship
• Individual: caused by one’s faulty in thinking/ abnormal thinking —> puts blame on themselves?

Question 13

What is the genetic explanation of phobia

Answer 13

Caused by biological dysfunctions
- Genetic vulnerabilities: person inherits large amounts of genes that make them more prone in obtaining certain disorders

Question 14

OST Study (Blood phobics - genetic)

Answer 14

→ Compared blood and injection phobics individuals (wide range of background)

• 140 participants (large sample size)
• Screening interview, self-report questionnaire, behavioural tests

Question 15

Strengths of the genetic explanation (link back to Ost Study)

Answer 15

• Practicality: Nature approach - individuals with genetic vulnerabilities may take precautionary measures to reduce risk
• Data collection method: DNA Sampling –> highly objective - increase internal validity
• Large sample size: increase generalisability - increase population validity

Question 16

Limitations of the genetic explanation

Answer 16

• Deterministic: main cause - genetic dysfunction —> individual have no control over - difficult for treatment
• Difficult to establish cause and effect relationship: whether due to shared environments (nurture) / genetics