Phobias

Phobias

Emotional: excessive fear, anxiert and pain cued by specific thing
Behavioural approach to explaining:
1. Two process model:
  1. Classical conditioning - Phobias acquired through association of NS and UCR: NS because CS
    1. Key Study: Little Albert (Watson and Rayner) developed fear of white rat through bang, which generalised white fluffy objects
  2. Operant conditioning - Phobias maintained through negative reinforcement
  3. Social learning - phobia behaviour modelled by others
2. - Some may report specific incident but others may not (CC) Social learning, fear response acquired through observing reaction to a buzzer (Bandura and Rosenthal)
Behavioural: avoidance, faint or free
Cognitive: not helped by rational argument, unreasonableness of behaviour recognised
Behavioural approach to treating:
1. Systematic de-sensitisation (SD)
  1. Counterconditioning - phobic stimulus associated with new response of relaxation
  2. Reciprocal inhibition - relaxation inhibits the anxiety (Wolpe)
  3. Relaxation - deep breathing, focusing on peaceful scene, progressive muscle relexation
  4. Desensitisation hierarchy - from least to most fearful, relaxation practised at every step
  5. + 75% effective (McGrath et al) - Not all phobias work less well for ancient fears (Ohman et al)
2. Flooding
  1. One long session with the most fearful stimulus
  2. Continues until anxiety subsides
  3. Can be in vivo or vertical reality
  4. - Individual differences + may be more effective than SD and quicker (Choy et al)

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	Created by Pip Mooney about 8 years ago