Phobias

Question 1

What are the behavioural characteristics of phobias

Answer 1

Panic, Avoidance, Endurance

Question 2

What is panic

Answer 2

Behaviours such as screaming, crying and running away from the phobic stimulus

Question 3

What is avoidance

Answer 3

Effort to prevent contact with the phobic stimulus

Question 4

What is endurance

Answer 4

Remaining with the phobic stimulus and experiencing anxiety

Question 5

What are the emotional characteristics of phobias

Answer 5

Anxiety, Unreasonable emotional response, fEAR

Question 6

What is anxiety

Answer 6

An unpleasant state of high arousal

Question 7

What is an unreasonable emotional response

Answer 7

Disproportionate to the threat presented

Question 8

What is fear

Answer 8

Immediate response when first encountering the phobic stimulus

Question 9

What are the cognitive characteristics of phobias

Answer 9

Cognitive distortions, selective attention, irrational beliefs

Question 10

What are cognitive distortions

Answer 10

Seeing something as bigger than it is, perception of stimulus may be distortedW

Question 11

What is selective attention

Answer 11

Unable to look away from the phobic stimulus

Question 12

What are irrational beliefs

Answer 12

Beliefs that are untrue or have no evidence.

Question 13

What is classical conditioning

Answer 13

Learning through association

Question 14

What is operant conditioning

Answer 14

Learning through consequence

Question 15

What is positive reinforcement

Answer 15

Being rewarded, increasing likelihood of doing something again

Question 16

What is negative reinforcement

Answer 16

Avoiding a negative consequence, increasing likelihood of doing something again

Question 17

What is punishment

Answer 17

A negative consequence making them less likely to do something again

Question 18

How are phobias aquired

Answer 18

Through classical conditioning.

Question 19

What happens before conditioning

Answer 19

The unconditioned stimulus triggers a unconditioned response

Question 20

What happens during conditioning

Answer 20

The neutral stimulus becomes associated with the unconditioned stimulus, producing a conditioned response

Question 21

What happens after conditioning

Answer 21

The neutral stimulus has become a conditioned stimulus, producing a conditioned response

Question 22

How are phobias maintained

Answer 22

Through operant conditioning, the phobia is avoided and never ‘unlearned’, negatively reinforcing the behaviour

Question 23

What is the research support for phobias

Answer 23

De Jongh found 73% of dental phobic had experienced traumas in dentistry.

Question 24

Phobias cannot account for cognitions

Answer 24

It only accounts for behavioural aspects, not cognitive distortions or irrational beliefs etc.

Question 25

What is systematic desensitisation

Answer 25

Treats phobias based on classical conditioning to 'unlearn the phobia', based on the principles of counterconditioning and reciprocal inhibition.

Question 26

What is counterconditioning

Answer 26

A response to a stimulus can be replaced with a new one

Question 27

What is reciprocal inhibition

Answer 27

It is not possible to be afraid and relaxed at the same time, one emotion prevents the other.

Question 28

What 3 steps are involved in systematic desensitisation

Answer 28

Anxiety hierarchy, relaxation techniques, exposure

Question 29

What is an anxiety hierarchy

Answer 29

An order of the most frightening thing to least frightening, which is unique to each individual.

Question 30

What are relaxation techniques examples

Answer 30

Breathing exercises, meditation, imagery

Question 31

What is exposure

Answer 31

Being exposed to stages of the hierarchy gradually and staying relaxed. When you are relaxed at the last stage you are cured.

Question 32

Research support systematic desensitisation

Answer 32

24 people who had treatment were compared to a control group for their fear of spiders, those who had treatment were less scared.

Question 33

SD on a wide range of patients

Answer 33

It can be used on patients with learning difficulties and those who struggle with talking therapies.

Question 34

High engagement levels SD

Answer 34

Has pleasing aspects that patients are likely to engage with, meaning low attrition rates.

Question 35

What is the aim of systematic desensitisation and flooding

Answer 35

To reassociate the phobic stimulus with something pleasant (relaxation), instead of something unpleasant (fear)

Question 36

What is flooding

Answer 36

Immediate exposure to a phobic stimulus with no build up, until they full relax, with no option of avoidance.

Question 37

Flooding ethical issues

Answer 37

There are no ethical issues as patients give informed consent.

Question 38

Flooding cost and disruption

Answer 38

It works quickly so has little impact on people's lives day-to-day and is cost effective.

Question 39

Flooding attrition rates

Answer 39

Traumatic to patients making them leave, Wolpe reported a case that had to be hospitalised, meaning high attrition rates.

Question 40

Can flooding be used for all phobias

Answer 40

No, dangerous fears like murder or drowning cannot be forced on someone and therefore, it only works on smaller fears such as spiders or the dark.