phobias

• a phobia is an overwhelming and debilitating fear of an object place or situation
• social phobia


  long term overwhelming fear of social situations
• agoraphobia

  fear of situations where escape may be difficult or help unavailable
• some physical symptoms of phobias include: dizziness, nausea, sweating, trembling, and headaches
• A simple phobia is a fear of a specific object or situation
• A complex phobia is more disabling than a simple phobia. It is a deep rooted fear of a situation or circumstance.
• classical conditioning as an explanation for phobias


  if a fear is triggered whilst a harmless stimulus is present an association may ne made between two things leading to a phobia
• social learning theory as an explanation for phobias


  Phobias can be developed through watching and observing a role model
• operant conditioning as an explanation for phobias


  If something triggers fear then it reinforces negative consequences and deters you from doing/trying again leading to a phobia
• Mineka and Zinbarg (2006)


  Case study of a boy who developed a phobia of vomiting after seeing his grandfather vomit whilst dying. This gives evidence for vicarious reinforcement.
• Mineka at al (1984)


  Found that wild monkeys were scared of snakes but the lab born monkeys were not. The lab born monkeys learned to be scared of snakes by watching the wild monkeys. This shows how fear can be acquired through social learning.
• Coombes et al (1980)


  One rat had an injection to make it sick. Both then drank from a spout. Later both rats avoided drinking from the spout. The rat that hadn't been sick learned not to drink the water because the other rat had been sick.
• vicarious reinforcement 


  If the role model is rewarded/punished the observer is more/less likely to imitate them
• exposure treatments (systematic desensitisation and flooding)for phobias are based on classical conditioning
• modelling treatment for phobias is based off of social learning theory and operant conditioning
• Systematic Desensitisation

  Therapist and client agree on a target aim for the therapy. The client then learns relaxation techniques. Then over several sessions the client is then exposed to the phobia until desensitised. This is all dependant on the strength of the phobia and the clients ability to relax.
• Four key processes in systematic desensitisation

  1. Functional analysis - identifying the nature of the anxiety and possible triggers
  2. Develop an anxiety hierarchy - creating a hierarchy of anxiety provoking situations from least to most
  3. Relaxation training - client is taught how to relax using methods e.g. deep breaths
  4. Gradual exposure - using and working through the hierarchy the exposure to the phobia is slowly increased
• McGrath et al (1990)


  Found that 75% of phobia patients respond to systematic desensitisation therapy
• reciprocal inhibition


  you cant be relaxed and stressed at the same time
• Thomas Stampfl (1967)


  Flooding/implosion techniques. Involves being physically placed into a situation with phobic object for a prolonged period of time with no way of escape. It is thought that continual exposure to feared object the client will see it as less fear provoking.
• Joseph Wolpe (1973) - Drove a girl with a phobia of cars around for several hours. She was hysterical at first but eventually calmed down. This gives evidence for flooding being a successful phobia treatment.
• Barret (1969) - Used implosion therapy for the treatment of snake phobias. For one patient images of snakes became associated with having her eyes shut resulting in insomnia. This gives evidence for implosion being an unsuccessful treatment for phobias.
• Flooding is physically being exposed to the phobic stimulus whilst implosion is being exposed to the phobic stimulus through imagination.
• Flooding is being exposed physically
• Implosion is being exposed through imagination