Phobias

• What is a phobia?

  A phobia is an extreme and irrational fear of a specific object, situation, or activity.
• Give three behavioural charicteristics of a phobia.

  Panic, avoidance and endurance (state of panic when in presence of phobic stimulus).
• Give three cognitive charicteristics of a phobia.


  Selective attention (can only concentrate on stimulus), irrational beliefs, cognitive distortions(perception of phobic stimulus inaccurate or unrealistic).
• Give three emotional charicteristics of a phobia.


  Anxiety, fear, unreasonable emotional response (response disproportionate to level of danger).
• What is the two process model for explaining phobias? [2]

  Phobias are aquired through classical conditioning.

  Phobias are maintained through operant conditioning.
• How is a phobia acquired through classical conditioning?

  A neutral stimulus (NS), something we don't initially fear, is paired with an unconditioned stimulus (UCS), something we already fear, to elicit an association between these.

  Due to the UCS bringing about an unconditioned response(UCR), the NS will also start to do this due to association. Overtime, the NS becomes a conditioned stimulus (CS), which brings about a conditioned response (CR).
• How is a phobia maintained though operant conditioning.

  Avoidance is negatively reinforced by the removal of an unpleasant consequence. This avoidance lowers anxiety, negatively reinforcing them that if they avoid the stimulus that they won't be as anxious. Due to this we will now avoid the stimuli and maintain the phobia.
• What are the three critical components of systematic desensitisation?

  Fear hierarchy, relaxation training and reciprocal inhibition.
• Describe the fear heirarchy component of systematic desensitisation?

  The client and therapist work together to develop a fear hierarchy, where they rank the phobic situation from least to most terrifying
• Describe the relaxation training component of systematic desensitisation?

  The individual is taught relaxation techniques like breathing techniques or mental imagery techniques.
• Describe the reciprocal inhibition component of systematic desensitisation?

  Individual is exposed to phobic situation while relaxed. According to systematic desensitisation, two emotional states cannot exist at the same time. This theory is known as reciprocal inhibition.
• Describe the process of systematic desensitisation after the three critical components have been completed.

  The client will start at the bottom of the fear hierarchy and when the patient can remain relaxed in the presence of the least feared stimulus, they gradually progress to the next level. The patient gradually moves up the hierarchy until completely relaxed in the most feared situation; at this point systematic desensitisation is successful and a new response to the stimulus has been learned, replacing the phobia.
• In systematic desesitisation why can't the client be both relaxed and anxious at the same time?

  According to the theory known as reciprocal inhibition, two emotional states cannot exist at the same time. So the client can't be both relaxed and anxious, the relaxation would overtake the anxiousness.
• Briefly outline flooding as a treatment for phobias. [2]

  The *immediate exposure* to a phobic stimuli until *anxiety decrease* or fear response occurs. Someone with a fear of spiders may be asked to hold a spider immediately. The patient is kept in this situation until the anxiety that they feel has worn off.