psychology- U4 AOS2

Question 1

Evidence based interventions

Answer 1

evidence based interventions refers to treatments which are based on scientific evidence and has undergone thorough evaluation on relatiability/validity , peer-review and research studies than based soley on theory

Question 2

Agonists vs antagonists

Answer 2

benzodiazepines- stimulate activity of targeted neurotransmitter and are therefore agonists,
vs
whereas antagonists inhibit neurotransmitter activity

Question 3

benzodiazepines

Answer 3

a group of drugs which targets the CNS by actively selecting GABA receptors in the brain
=increase its inhibitatory effects on postsynaptic neurons therefore more resistant to excitation
^used to treat symptoms of stress and anxiety from phobic stimulus

*symptoms not cause

Question 4

Stress vs Anxiety

Answer 4

stress occurs when a person perceives they cannot cope with a current stressor,
whereas anxiety occurs when a person perceives they cannot cope with a stressor that may occur in the future.

Question 5

Phobia

Answer 5

persistent, intense and irrational fear of a specific event or situation that adversely impacts functioning where it can lead to excessive forms of anxiety and stress

Question 6

Stress

Answer 6

psychobiological response produced by internal or external stressors
=usually be overcome and can be either acute or chronic

Question 7

Anxiety

Answer 7

state of arousal involving feelings of apprehension and uneasiness that something wrong or unpleasent will happen in the future

Question 8

Fear

Answer 8

rational response when confronted by things or certain situations= can potentially protect from harm and risk when in normal amounts and situations

Question 9

Anxiety disorder

Answer 9

group of mental disorders characterised by chronic feelings of worry, excessive apprehension or fear about the future= overall negative imapct to lives

Question 10

Mental illness

Answer 10

a diagnosable psychological condition that significantly disrupts how a person usually thinks, feels and behaves.
Ex. anxiety disorders like specific phobias

Question 11

catastrophic thinking

Answer 11

thinking style which involves overestimating, exaggerating or magnifying an object or situation and predicting the worst possible outcomes to situations

=increase feelings of helplessness and underestimate ability in coping with stimulus.

Question 12

how catastrophic thinking contributes to the perpetuation of a phobia

Answer 12

as individuals will feel incapable of handling situation with stimulus present= may engage in avoidance behaviour to remain ‘safe’ according to their distorted perception (and thereby also negatively reinforce and perpetuate their phobia).

Question 13

benefits of breathing retraining

Answer 13

-minimising likelihood of a hyperventilation or panic attack

-learning how to** correct abnormal breathing patterns** when experiencing or anticipating a phobic stimulus, thereby helping to reduce anxiety-related symptoms

-individuals are able to maintain the correct breathing patterns when experiencing or anticipating a phobic stimulus, thereby helping to reduce anxiety-related symptoms

Question 14

why evidence based interventions

Answer 14

-more effective
-carried out by professionals in their field ex. psychologists
-minimise the risk and harm that other theorys such as pseudoscience
-be tailored to the individual’s specific phobia and their specific symptoms

Question 15

psychoeducation- discouraging avoidance behaviour

Answer 15

• avoidance behaviour= perpetuates the phobia, so individual has the opportunity to face phobic stimulus and learn through this experience that their phobic stimuli may not be as dangerous or overwhelming as they think

-exposure = learn how to cope with fears (e.g. with a relaxation response) and experience control over fearful situations

Question 16

Biopsychosocial framework

Answer 16

A way of describing and explaining how biological, psychological, and social factors combine and interact to influence a persons mental health and wellbeing

Question 17

Cognitive biases

Answer 17

systematic error of thinking which affects decisions, judgements, and perceptions therefore leadign to inaccurate or unreasonable conclusions