Phobias: Explaining and Treating (Behavioural Approach)

• What are phobias considered in mental health?

  Interesting mental health conditions
• Why is it difficult to imagine a phobia of buttons?

  Because not everyone has that phobia
• What approach will be discussed in relation to phobias?

  Behaviorist approach
• What are the two main concepts of behaviorism relevant to phobias?

  Classical and operant conditioning
• What does the two process model suggest about phobias?

  Phobias are acquired and maintained through conditioning
• Who proposed the two process model?

  Maura
• How are phobias initially acquired according to the two process model?

  Through classical conditioning
• What is a neutral stimulus in classical conditioning?

  An object that initially causes no response
• What is an unconditioned stimulus?

  A stimulus that produces an unconditioned response
• What happens when a neutral stimulus is paired with an unconditioned stimulus?

  An association is formed
• What does a conditioned stimulus produce?

  A conditioned response
• How can phobias be generalized?

  To stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus
• How are phobias maintained according to the two process model?

  Through operant conditioning
• What does avoidance of a phobic object lead to?

  A reduction in anxiety
• What is the effect of avoidance on phobias?

  It reinforces the phobia
• What scenario illustrates the acquisition of a phobia?

  Laura's experience with bees and stings
• What does Laura's avoidance of the picnic demonstrate?

  Her phobia impacts her social life
• What is the significance of the two process model?

  It explains phobia acquisition and maintenance
• What classic research is associated with phobias?

  Little Albert study by Watson
• What was the outcome of the Little Albert study?

  Phobias can be acquired through association
• What did Dinardo's research find about dog phobias?

  Dog bites were common in non-phobic participants
• What did Mendes and Clark find about children's water phobias?

  Most children had no negative water experiences
• What is a limitation of the behaviorist approach to phobias?

  It doesn't explain all phobias
• Why are some phobias more common than others?

  Due to evolutionary survival instincts
• What therapies are based on the behaviorist approach?

  Flooding and systematic desensitization
• What principle do flooding and systematic desensitization rely on?

  Phobias are learned associations
• What is reciprocal inhibition?

  Opposite emotions cannot occur simultaneously
• What is the main difference between flooding and systematic desensitization?


  How they expose the client to fear
• What does systematic desensitization start with?

  Teaching relaxation techniques
• What is an anxiety hierarchy?

  A list of feared situations with phobic objects
• What is the final stage of systematic desensitization?

  Holding the phobic object without fear
• What does flooding involve?

  Immediate and full exposure to phobic stimulus
• What is the expected outcome of flooding?

  Client exhausts their fear response
• Why is it important that the client cannot escape during flooding?

  To prevent reinforcing the phobia
• What is a limitation of flooding?

  It may not generalize to real-world situations
• Why might systematic desensitization be preferred by clients?

  Clients control their progress
• What is a drawback of both therapies?

  Effectiveness may not generalize outside therapy
• What alternative treatments exist for phobias?

  Drugs like benzodiazepines and antidepressants
• What is a limitation of drug treatments for phobias?

  They are temporary solutions with side effects
• What recent development has been made in phobia treatment?

  Virtual reality exposure therapy