Phobias

• What are the three behavioral characteristics of phobias?


  Panic, avoidance, and endurance
• What physiological response occurs during panic in phobias?


  Heightened physiological arousal due to sympathetic nervous system activity
• How does the hypothalamus contribute to panic in phobias?


  It triggers increased activity in the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system
• Why is avoidance behavior negatively reinforced in phobias?


  Because it is performed to avoid the unpleasant consequences of exposure
• What impact does avoidance behavior have on a patient's daily life?


  It severely impacts their ability to continue with day-to-day activities
• What is endurance in the context of phobias?


  Remaining exposed to the phobic stimulus for an extended period while experiencing anxiety
• What are the main emotional characteristics of phobias?

  Anxiety and unawareness of the irrationality of the anxiety
• Why is the anxiety experienced towards phobic stimuli considered irrational?


  Because it is not proportionate to the actual threat posed by the stimulus
• What are the cognitive characteristics of phobias?


  Selective attention, irrational beliefs, and cognitive distortions
• What does selective attention mean in the context of phobias?


  Focusing on the phobic stimulus despite severe anxiety
• How do irrational beliefs contribute to phobias?


  They lead to unreasonable anxiety responses towards the phobic stimulus
• What are cognitive distortions in relation to phobias?


  Inaccurate perceptions of the phobic stimulus, making it seem grossly distorted
• Can you give examples of specific phobias mentioned in the study material?

  Mycophobia (fear of mushrooms) and rectaphobia (fear of bottoms)
• What are the behavioral characteristics of phobias?


  • Panic: Heightened physiological arousal
  • Avoidance: Behavior to prevent exposure
  • Endurance: Remaining exposed while feeling anxiety
• What are the emotional and cognitive characteristics of phobias?


  Emotional characteristics:

  • Anxiety
  • Unawareness of irrationality

  
  

  Cognitive characteristics:

  • Selective attention
  • Irrational beliefs
  • Cognitive distortions
• Who suggested that phobias are acquired through classical conditioning and maintained through operant conditioning?


  Mowrer
• What did Watson and Rayner demonstrate with Little Albert?


  Little Albert associated fear from a loud bang with a white rat
• What is the neutral stimulus (NS) in the Little Albert experiment?


  The white rat
• What does UCS stand for in classical conditioning?


  Unconditioned Stimulus
• What is the unconditioned response (UCR) in the Little Albert experiment?


  The fear response
• What does CS stand for in classical conditioning?


  Conditioned Stimulus
• What is the conditioned response (CR) in the Little Albert experiment?


  Fear of the white rat
• How did the conditioning generalize in Little Albert's case?


  He developed fear towards other white fluffy objects
• What is operant conditioning?


  Learning through rewards or punishments
• What behavior do phobics typically practice?


  Avoidance behaviors
• What is the result of avoiding the phobic stimulus?


  It prevents the associated fear
• What is negatively reinforced in the context of phobias?


  The avoidance behavior
• What are the steps involved in classical conditioning of phobias?


  1. UCS (e.g., dog bite) linked by contiguous pairings
  2. CS (e.g., dog) leads to CR: classically conditioned fear of dogs
• What are the steps involved in operant conditioning of phobias?


  1. Strong fear response acts as a stimulus or drive
  2. Overt avoidance response is practiced
• What is a key advantage of Mowrer's theory on phobias?


  It explains the acquisition and maintenance of phobias
• How does Mowrer's theory translate into practical benefits?


  It aids in systematic desensitization and flooding therapies
• What does Mowrer emphasize for treating phobias?


  Exposing the patient to the phobic stimulus
• What realization does the patient achieve through exposure to the phobic stimulus?


  The phobic stimulus is harmless and their responses are irrational
• What alternative explanation did Buck provide for avoidance behavior?


  • Safety is a greater motivator than avoiding anxiety
  • Example: Social anxiety sufferers can go out with trusted friends
• What did Seligman suggest about the acquisition of phobias?


  • We are more likely to develop phobias towards 'prepared stimuli'
  • These stimuli posed threats to our evolutionary ancestors
• What is systematic desensitisation designed to treat?


  Phobic anxiety
• What is the evolutionary advantage of developing phobias towards prepared stimuli?


  It increases the likelihood of survival and reproduction
• What principle does systematic desensitisation rely upon?


  Counterconditioning
• Why are some phobias more frequent than others according to Seligman?


  Because they are towards prepared stimuli
• What is the goal of counterconditioning in systematic desensitisation?


  To learn a new response of relaxation to the phobic stimulus