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Definition of Phobia.
= An irrational fear of an object or situation.
Often characterised by excessive fear and anxiety, triggered by an object, place or situation.
3 classification of phobias.
1) Specific = Phobia of an object, such as an animal or body part, or a situation such as flying or having an injection.
2) Social = Phobia of a social situation such as public speaking or using a public toilet.
3) Agoraphobia = Phobia of being outside or in a public place.
3 characteristics of phobias.
1) Behavioural - Panic, Avoidance, Endurance.
2) Emotional - Anxiety, Excessive and Unreasonable response.
3) Cognitive - Selective attention, Irrational Beliefs, Cognitive distortions.
Examples of Behavioural Characteristics of phobias = Panic & Avoidance.
Panic = crying, screaming, freezing.
Avoidance = refusing to fly on planes, can interfere with life.
Endurance = remaining in the presence of the phobic stimulus but continuing to feel anxiety.
Examples of Emotional Characteristics of phobias = Anxiety & Excessive and Unreasonable response.
Anxiety = Can be long term (fear is immediate).
Excessive and Unreasonable response = often widely disproportionate to the danger posed.
Examples of Cognitive Characteristics of phobias = Selective attention, Irrational beliefs & Cognitive Distortions.
Selective attention = hard to look away, useful when in actual danger, less useful if fear is irrational.
Irrational beliefs = Can increase pressure in phobic situation eg. Won’t speak to not sound stupid, buttons will always pinch skin etc.
Cognitive distortions = distorted perspective of the phobic stimulus.
The behavioural approach to explaining phobias - Mower.
Mower (1947) proposed a two process model to explain how phobias are learned through classical conditioning and maintained through operant conditioning.
According to the two-process model, phobias are initiated through classical conditioning (learning through association) and maintained through operant conditioning (negative reinforcement).
Acquisition by classical conditioning :
Learning to associate something of which we have no fear of (Neutral response) with something that already triggers a fear response (Unconditioned response).
Eg. Scared of escalator because you’re scared of falling.
What are the only 2 things are babies born scared of?
Loud noises & Falling.
Little Albert experiment - Watson and Raynor (1920).
Aim – to investigate whether a fear response could be learned through classical conditioning in humans.
Method – Before the experiment, Albert showed no response to various objects, eg. Rat. Then, they struch a metal bar with a hammer behind Alberts head everytime he reached for the rat. After, everytime Albert was shown the rat, he would start crying.
Maintenance by operant conditioning :
Responses acquired by classical conditioning usually decline over time but phobias are long lasting. Mower suggests maintenance is a result of operant conditioning. This is linked to negative reinforcement as we are constantly avoiding the stimulus to avoid feeling anxious.
Strengths of Mower’s two process model of explaining phobias.
- Good explanatory power – strength of the of the two-process model is that it explains how phobias could be maintained over time, adding depth to Watson and Rayner’s first concept of just classical conditioning. The importance of the two-process model matters because of the strong application to therapy and how it can help to treat patients.
Weaknesses of Mower’s two process model of explaining phobias.
- Incomplete explanation – There are some elements of the phobic behaviours that require further explaining, eg. Evolutionary factors.
- Phobias that don’t follow a trauma – not all phobias follow a trauma, eg. Someone has a fear of snakes but has never seen a snake. Phobias might actually be acquired by social learning, eg. Child has the same fears as the parents who are their role models.
What are the 2 methods of treating phobias using the Behavioural Approach?
Systematic Desensitisation & Flooding.
What is Systematic Densensitisation?
= Based on the idea that what has been learned (conditioned) can be unlearned. Uses the method of counter conditioning to unlearn responses to phobic situation by eliciting another response - relaxation.
There are 3 critical components of Systematic Desensitisation :
Fear hierarchy.
Relaxation training.
Reciprocal inhibition.
1st component of Systematic Desensitisation : Fear hierarchy.
The therapist and patient will work together to create a hierarchy that ranks situations involving the phobic stimulus from least anxiety inducing to the most. They will then start facing the fears from the bottom. The patient will only move on to the next level when they are able to remain calm and relaxed in the previous stage.
Eg. 10% = seeing a picture of cockroaches.
40% = cockroach enclosed but in close proximity.
70% = cockroach running on the floor.
80% = cockroach running towards me.
100% = cockroach running on me / touching me.
2nd component of Systematic Desensitisation : Relaxation training.
The patient is taught to relax deeply - including breathing exercises, imagery techniques or meditation. Relaxation can also be achieved using drugs such as Valium in extreme cases.
3rd component of Systematic Desensitisation : Reciprocal Inhibition.
The final stage of treatment relies on the theory that two emotional sates cannot exist at the same time, this is knows as reciprocal inhibition. In this state, relaxation should override the fear response as the person cannot be anxious and relaxed at the same time.
Evaluating Systematic Desensitisation : Strengths.
Effective in the treatment of Specific Phobias eg. Spider phobia. Using this method would however not work for all phobias, for example a fear of falling - they are harder to create a fear hierarchy and to carry out.
Suitable for a wide range of patients, more than flooding. Generally more acceptable for patients than flooding - less refusal rate and less traumatic. This matters because it can accommodate a larger number of patients.
What is Flooding?
Exposing the patient to the phobic stimulus IMMEDIATELY, rather than gradually. Patient is unable to avoid (negative reinforcement) their phobia and through continuous exposure, anxiety levels eventually decrease. Since the option of avoiding is removed, EXTINCTION will soon occur since fear is a time-limited response to a situation which eventually subsides.
The patients must keep going in the course until the end, otherwise their phobia may become heightened due to the bad experience (also negative reinforcement as her anxiety subsides when she leaves. This will reinforce her phobia.)
Ethical issues : Patients must give their fully informed consent. A patient is usually given the choice between flooding and systematic desensitisation, they may choose flooding as it is faster, and therefore cheaper.
Evaluating Flooding : Strength.
Cost effective, as a faster treatment option than systematic desensitisation. This matters because if flooding has a quick effect, patients can get on with their lives quickly.
Evaluating Flooding : Weakness.
Traumatic, due to the patients being exposed to the phobia stimulus immediately rather than gradually. Research has shown that many patients are often unwilling to see it through to the end. Even though they have given consent, they find the process too difficult. This matters because time and money are waster preparing patients only to have them refuse treatment.
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