Psychopathology- Phobias, symptoms and treating

Question 1

What are 3 behavioural characteristics of phobias ?

Answer 1

• Avoidance
• Panic
• Endurance

Question 2

What are 3 cognitive characteristics of phobias ?

Answer 2

• Irrational Beliefs
• Selective attention to the phobic stimulus
• Cognitive distortions

Question 3

What are 2 emotional characteristics of phobias ?

Answer 3

• Anxiety
• Fear
• Emotional response is unreasonable

Question 4

Who came up with the two- process model ?

Answer 4

Mowrer

Question 5

What does the two process model suggest ?

Answer 5

That phobias are acquired by classical conditioning then further reinforced by operant conditioning

Question 6

Use the example of a bee to suggest how it turns into a phobic stimulus through the two process model

Answer 6

Bee starts as a neutral stimulus that produces no response. An unconditioned stimulus such as the pain of being stung by a bee produces an unconditioned response of fear. An association is formed when the neutral stimulus is paired with the unconditioned stimulus to produce an unconditioned response of fear. Bee becomes a conditioned stimulus that produces a conditioned response of fear

Question 7

What approach is the two process model an example of ?

Answer 7

The behavioural approach

Question 8

What study by Watson and Rayner is an example of the two process model ?

Answer 8

The little Albert study- 9 month old baby who was conditioned to have a fear of white rats

Question 9

How does operant conditioning maintain a phobia ?

Answer 9

Behaviours can be negatively reinforced when an individual avoids the phobic stimulus and this means it will be repeated. Over time the reduction in fear reinforces the avoidance behaviour and so the phobia is maintained

Question 10

Outline the process of systematic desensitisation

Answer 10

1- The anxiety hierarchy is put together by the therapist and client
2- Client is taught to deeply relax such as learning breathing techniques
3- Client is exposed to each level of the anxiety hierarchy until they are able to be around the phobic stimulus and be fully relaxed

Question 11

What is flooding ?

Answer 11

A behavioural therapy in which a person with a phobia is exposed to an extreme form of a phobic stimulus in order to reduce anxiety triggered by that stimulus.