Phobias

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DSM-5 Categories of Phobia
Excessive fear + anxiety triggered by something, place and situation
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Specific Phobia
Of an object E.g animals or a situation such as flying or having an injection
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Social Anxiety (social phobia)
Phobia of a social situation such as public speaking
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Agoraphobiac
Phobia of being outside or in a public space
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Panic
in response to presences of the phobic stimulus E.g crying, screaming, running away
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Avoidance
Effort to avoid coming in contact with the phobic stimulus, hard to go about it
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Endurance
suffered mains in presence of the phobic stimulus. Experience high levels of anxiety, unavoidable
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Anxiety
Respond of anxiety + fear. State of high arousal. Prevents sufferer relaxing, makes it difficult for them to experience positive emotion. Fear immediate, extremely unpleasant response
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Emotional responses are unreasonable
responses go beyond, being reasonable
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Selective attention to phobic stimulus
If can see phobic stimulus its hard to look away. Gives best chance to react quickly
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Irrational Beliefs
Social Phobias, involve beliefs E.g ' Must always sound intelligent'. Increases pressure of sufferer
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Cognitive Distortions
perception of phobic stimulus is distorted
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The behavioural approach to explaining phobias
emphasis role of learning in acquisition of behaviour, explains behavioural aspects of phobias.
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Mower (1960)- Two Process model
Phobias acquired by classical conditioning, maintained by operant conditioning
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Acquisition by Classical Conditioning
Learning to associate something of which we initially have no fear (NS) with something that already triggers fear response (UCS)
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Watson + Rayer (1920) -Little Albert
No unusual anxiety at start, shown white rat and tried to play with it. Rat presentd made loud noise banging of drum close to ear.
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Process of CC Little Albert
Noise (UCS) + Fear (UCR). Rat (NS). RAT + UCS encountered. Rat (NS) associated with (UCS)- produce fear response. Rat (CS) produces Fear (CR)
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Affect on Little Albert
condition generalised to similar objects E.g Non white rabbit, fur coat, father christmas
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Maintenance by Operant Conditioning
behaviour reinforced increases frequency of behaviour
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Negative Reinforcement
Avoids an unpleasant situation, desirable consequence, behaviour will be repeated. Avoid phobic stimulus, escaper anxiety, reduction of fear reinforces avoidance behaviour. Phobia maintained
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Evaluation: Good Explanatory Power
Went beyond Watson + Rayners concept of Classical conditioning. Explains how phobias could be maintained, important implications for therapies. Explains why patients need to be exposed to stimulus, Aplication to therapy strength
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Alternative explanation for avoidance behaviour
Not all avoidance behaviour associated with phobias in result of anxiety reduction. Evidence shows some avoidance behaviour appears to be motivated more by feelings of safety. Buck- explains why agoraphobics can't leave the house without a trusted
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Buck (Alternative explanation)
explains why agoraphobics can't leave the house without a trusted person and feeling safe. Basically just low anxiety
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Incomplete explanation of Phobias
Bouton (2007)- evolutionary factors have an important role in phobias. E.g easily acquire phobias to things that where are a source of danger in the past e.g Snakes, Dark.- adaptive to acquire
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Seligman (1971) Biological preparedness
Innate predisposition to acquire certain fears. Rare to develop fears of cars + guns- only existed recently, no biological preparedness to learn fear responses towards them.
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Phobias don't always follow trauma
Sometimes people develop phobias not aware of having a related bad experience. C
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Unable to test if phobias develop through classical conditioning
Creating a phobia causes ethical issues as this will then have long term effects on them. E.g Little Albert
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The Behavioural approach to treating phobias
Systematic Desensitisation
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Systematic Desensitisation
Gradually reduce phobic anxiety through classical conditioning
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Counter Conditioning
New response to phobic stimulus learned
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Reciprocal Inhibition
Impossible to be afraid and relaxed at the same time
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Processes of SD
3 steps to the process
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1) Anxiety Hierarchy
Put together by patient and therapist, list of situations related to the phobic stimulus that provoke anxiety. Arranged from least to most frightening
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2) Relaxation techniques
teaches patient breathing exercise, mental imagery techniques, meditation + usr of valium
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3) Exposure to stimulus
Exposed to phobic stimulus when relaxed, start at bottom of anxiety hierarchy. Stay relaxed in lower level, move up to next level. Treatment successful if relaxed
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Evaluation: Its effective
Gilroy (2003)- 42 Patients, treated for phobia of spider 3 45Mins session. Phobia assessed on measurements- spider questionnaire, response to spider (Triangulated)
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Control Group (Gilroy)
treated by relaxation, without exposure.
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Findings (Gilroy)
3 months + 33 months after treatment SD group less fearful than relaxation group. Shows that SD is effective and long lasting
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Suitable for a diverse range of patients
Easiest to engage in, better than flooding and Cognitive therapies for engagement. Those with learning difficulties may not understand flooding and cognitive therapies so this is better.
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Acceptable to Patients
Patients prefer this treatment. Doesn't contain the same degree of trauma as flooding does. Includes pleasant elements e.g Relaxation procedures. Low refusal rates (willing to start therapy) low attrition rates (low drop out)
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Behaviour Approach to treating Phobias
Flooding
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Flooding
exposing phobic patient to phobic stimulus without a gradual build up. Immediate exposure
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Long sessions
2/3 hours but only need one session
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Flooding stops phobic response
no avoidance option so learn stimulus is harmless
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Extinction
learned response is extinguished when CS encountered without UCS. CS no longer produces CR
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Unpleasant experiences
Informed consent, given choice over treatment
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Evaluation: Cost-effective
Ourgin (2011) compared cost of flooding to cognitive therapies- found flooding highly effective and quicker than alternatives. Quick effect means patients are free of phobia quicker.
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Less effective for some types of phobia
Less effective for treating complex phobias E.g Social Phobias due to cognitive aspects. Dont just experience anxiety, think unpleasant thoughts. Benefit from cognitive therapies, tackle irrational thinking. Flooding can't treat all phobias
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Treatment is Highly Traumatic for patients
patients often unwilling to see it through to the end. Limitation because time + money are wasted, prepare patients for them and they refuse/ don't complete treatment
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Specific Phobia

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Of an object E.g animals or a situation such as flying or having an injection

Card 3

Front

Social Anxiety (social phobia)

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

Agoraphobiac

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

Panic

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