Phobias: explaining and treating

• What are phobias considered in mental health?

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

  Because one may not have that phobia
• What is the behaviorist approach to phobias?

  • Explains phobias through learned behavior
  • Involves classical and operant conditioning
  • Focuses on environmental interactions
• What are the two main types of conditioning discussed?

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

  Phobias are acquired and maintained through conditioning
• How are phobias initially acquired according to the two process model?

  Through classical conditioning
• What is classical conditioning in the context of phobias?

  Learning through association
• What happens to a neutral stimulus when paired with an unconditioned stimulus?

  It becomes a conditioned stimulus
• What is a conditioned response?

  A learned response to a conditioned stimulus
• What can happen to a conditioned fear response?

  It can be generalized to similar stimuli
• How are phobias maintained according to the two process model?

  Through operant conditioning
• What role does avoidance play in maintaining phobias?

  It reduces anxiety and reinforces the phobia
• Describe the acquisition and maintenance of Laura's phobia of bees.

  • Acquisition: Stung by a bee, associating pain with bees
  • Maintenance: Avoids bees, reducing anxiety and reinforcing fear
• What does the scenario of Laura illustrate about phobias?

  Phobias can be learned through classical conditioning
• What was the classic research by Watson and Rayner in 1920 about?

  The story of little Albert
• What did Watson demonstrate with little Albert?

  Phobias can be acquired through association
• What did little Albert develop a fear of besides rats?

  Small dogs and furry blankets
• What did Dinardo's research suggest about dog phobias?

  Conditioning events were common in non-phobic participants
• What percentage of participants with dog phobias had conditioning events?

  56%
• What did Mendes and Clark find about children's water phobias?

  Only 2% recalled a negative experience
• What is a limitation of the behaviorist approach to phobias?

  It doesn't explain all phobias
• Why might evolutionary explanations be more valid for certain phobias?

  They relate to dangers faced by ancestors
• What are effective therapies developed from the behaviorist approach?

  • Flooding
  • Systematic desensitization
  • Both aim to replace fear with relaxation
• What principle do flooding and systematic desensitization rely on?

  Phobias are learned associations
• What is reciprocal inhibition in therapy?

  Fear and relaxation are opposite emotions
• How does systematic desensitization work?

  Gradual exposure to feared situations
• What does the anxiety hierarchy involve?

  A list of feared situations ranked by anxiety
• What is the final stage of systematic desensitization?

  Holding the phobic object without fear
• What is the goal of flooding therapy?

  Immediate and full exposure to the phobic stimulus
• Why is it important that clients cannot escape during flooding therapy?

  To prevent reinforcing the phobia
• What is a potential drawback of flooding therapy?

  It may not generalize to real-world situations
• What is a limitation of both flooding and systematic desensitization?

  They may not generalize outside therapy
• Why are drugs considered an alternative treatment for phobias?

  They lower anxiety and reduce phobic response
• What types of drugs are used for phobias?

  Benzodiazepines and antidepressants
• What is a drawback of drug treatments for phobias?

  They are temporary solutions with side effects
• What did Garcia Palacios find about VR exposure therapy?

  83% showed significant improvement
• What is the range of objects that can cause phobias?

  Wide variety of objects and situations
• How can phobias impact social life?

  They can hinder social interactions and activities
• What role does reinforcement play in phobia maintenance?

  It strengthens the avoidance behavior
• How effective is virtual reality exposure therapy?

  83% showed significant improvement