Phobias

• what is a phobia?

  a persistent and unreasonable fear of a particular object, activity or situation.
• fear vs phobia?

  phobias are maladaptative= can reduce your ability to function adequately.
• what are some overall symptoms of phobias?


  • extreme/irrational fear which is disproportionate to the danger.
  • leads to avoidance, affecting everyday life.
  • don't like talking about particular subjects.
  • feelings of nausea.
  • shyness.
• what are some physical symptoms of phobias?

  panic attacks, hyperventilation, sweating, dry mouth.
• how are mental health disorders diagnosed?

  using the DSM.
• what type of system is the DSM?

  multiaxial system- paitents must show a variety of symptoms in order to receive a diagnosis.
• what does the DSM aim to do?

  • identify disorders by using explicit criteria.
  • attemps to avoid theoretical bias.
• what are some emotional characteristics of phobias?

  • anxiety response if exposed to phobic stimulus.
  • prolonged/excessive fear of object/situation.
• what are some cognitive characteristics of phobias?

  • selective attention.
  • irrational belief of the stimulus/situation.
• what are some behavioural characteristics of phobias?

  • phobia significantly distrupts their lives.
  • actively avoiding phobic stimulus.
  • panic, e.g. screaming, crying, freezing.
• what are the types of phobias?

  specific- fear of object/situation.

  social- fear of social situation/interactions.

  agoraphobia-fear of "public places".
• what is the behaviourist explanation of phobias?

  two process model: involves both classical + operant conditioning.

  explains development (classical) and maintenance (operant) of phobia.
• example of the classical conditioning of phobias:

  noise (UCS) → fear (UCR)

  noise (UCS) + rat (NS) → fear (UCR)

  rat (CS) → fear (CR)
• how are phobias maintained through operant conditioning?

  avoidance of phobic stimulus:

  • reduces the person's feelings of anxiety, negatively reinforcing the behaviour making the person more likely to repeat behaviour (avoidance) in the future.
  • person will continue to avoid phobic stimulus and maintain phobia (avoidance behaviour strengthened).