Subdecks (1)

Cards (45)

  • characteristics of a phobia?
    • anxiety disorder
    • irrational/extreme fear of object/situation
    • fear is disproportionate to the actual danger/risk it gives
  • what are the 3 types of a phobia?
    1. specific phobia
    2. social phobia
    3. agoraphobia
  • explain specific phobia?
    • related to exposure to specific objects/situations
    • fear/anxiety may be triggered by presence/anticipation of object/situation
  • explain social phobia?
    • long-lasting & overwhelming fear of social situations
  • explain agoraphobia?
    • fear of being in situations where escape might be difficult or that help wouldn't be available if things go wrong
    • scared of being scared
  • 2 behavioural characteristics?
    1. panic
    2. avoidance
  • explain panic?
    • screaming & crying
  • explain avoidance?
    • avoiding situations & scenarios which could involve them coming into contact with phobic object
  • emotional characteristics?
    1. emotional responses are unreasonable - having greater fear than what phobic obect should
    2. anxiety & fear - high levels of arousal & fear when around phobic object
  • cognitive characteristics?
    1. irrational beliefs about phobic object
    2. cognitive distortions - what they think about the phobic object is different/distorted from most perceptions
  • explain the behavioural explanation for phobias?
    • abnormality is learnt like normal behaviour
    • we learn to have a phobia
  • explain the 2 process model for phobias?
    1. acquire the phobia through association - classical conditioning
    2. maintain the phobia through negative reinforcement - operant conditioning
  • name the 2 treatments for phobias?
    1. systematic desensitisation
    2. flooding
  • what is systematic desensitisation?
    • gradually introduces the patient to the phobic content
    • works in 3 stages
  • what is the first stage of systematic desensitisation?
    • construction of anxiety hierarchy
    • a list of objects/situations that produce fear for client
    • bottom - what patient would feel most comfortable with
    • top - what would create the most fear/anxiety
    • in between are stages which gradually build up anxiety
  • second stage of systematic desensitisation?
    • client is provided with relaxation training & deep muscle relaxation
    • can be achieved through deep breathing
  • last stage of systematic desensitisation?
    • patient gradually introduced to phobic object/situation
    • using relaxation techniques, work from the bottom & work way up
    cannot move up fear hierarchy until they are fully relaxed & no longer fearful
  • key things about systematic desensitisation?
    • if move up too quickly will experience anxiety
    • it is impossible to experience fear & relaxation at the same time
  • what is flooding?
    • immediate exposure of phobic object to the patient
    • can be invitro - imagining exposure
    • can be invivo - actual real life experience
    • only one session
    • this is done until client is calm & fear is extinguished
  • 2 * of behavioural explanation for phobias?
    1. scientific
    2. led to effective treatment
  • 2 X of behavioural explanation for phobias?
    1. reductionist
    2. contradictory evidence of behavioural explanation
  • * scientific?
    • focuses entirely on behaviour we can observe & measure such as symptoms & responses
    • * internal
    • can establish cause & effect relationship between phobic objects & behavioural characteristics
    • research takes place in an environment which controls evs
  • * led to effective treatment?
    • sd works by helping people unlearn their phobias & has been effective at treating them for many patients
    • * valid
    • has been used to develop a treatment for phobias so has had positive impact on society
  • X contradictory evidence of behavioural explanation?
    • research has found that many people with phobias have not had a fearful experience with phobic object in past
    • study showed that only 2% children who had phobia of water had actually had frightening experience with water in past
    • ? valid
    • suggests we may not acquire & learn behaviour through classical conditioning & association
    • may be other factors that are involved in development of phobias
  • X reductionist?
    • reduces phobias down to fact we acquire it through association & maintained by negative reinforcement
    • pro - allows us to research in great detail & likely to be scientific
    • con - ignores other factors such as biological that could explain phobias
    • ? valid
    • other important factors are not taken into account when explaining phobias
    • too simplistic
  • 3 * of systematic desensitisation?
    1. evidence to show effectiveness from barlow et al 2002
    2. requires little effort
    3. not as unethical as flooding
  • X treats symptoms not cause for sd?
    • treatment focuses on behaviour displayed in response to phobic object
    • replaces anxiety with relaxation to reduce panic & other symptoms
    • but does not deal with reasons behind these behaviours which means phobia may return later
    • ? effective
    • causes of phobia are not dealt with meaning it may not fully treat phobia in long term
  • * evidence to show effectiveness for sd?
    • barlow et all 2002 examined those with injections & spider phobias
    • found sd has 60-90% success rate for clients
    • effective
    • shows in majority of patients with phobia sd successfully reduces symptoms of anxiety
    • allows them to lead normal lives
  • * requires little effort for sd?
    • involves 3 simple steps which just requires creating anxiety heirarchy & learning relaxation techniques
    • does not require changing thoughts/personality
    • stages are easy & not cognitively demanding
    • many people can complete this such as children & those with learning difficulties
    • appropriate
    • easier for clients to go through in order to have phobia treated
    • means more people can access it & suitable for everyone
  • * not as unethical as flooding?
    • main aim of treatment is to treat phobia gradually through replacing anxiety with relaxation so less chance of psychological harm through stress
    • appropriate
    • protects clients from harm
    • makes it more ethical so clients more likely to undergo this therapy
  • X for flooding?
    1. traumatic for patients
    2. not effective treatment for all phobias
  • * cost effective treatment for flooding?
    • treatment requires less time than others
    • only one session so cheaper for client
    • appropriate
    • phobias can be treated in more suitable time frame
    • makes it more accessible for wider population even those with lower income
  • X flooding traumatic for patients
    • involves immediate exposure to phobic object can cause psychological harm
    • some people may pass out/have anxiety due to being exposed so quickly
    • ? appropriate
    • doesn’t protect patients from psychological harm
    • may be deemed unethical
    • people less likely to undergo treatment reducing its practicality
  • X not effective treatment for all phobias for flooding?
    • works well for some phobias e.g arachnophobia
    • much more difficult to treat other phobias e.g social phobias
    • these people have irrational thoughts which accompany their phobia which flooding fails to treat
    • ? effective
    • treatment cannot successfully treat all phobias
    • may be better treatments that are universal for all individual symptoms