Phobias: Case Study on Button Phobia

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts related to the study of phobias and the specific case of button phobia.

Specific Phobia

A persistent and intense fear of a specific object, situation, or activity.

Agoraphobia

A fear of certain places, situations, or open spaces.

Social Phobia

A fear of social situations.

Exposure Therapy

A psychological treatment that helps individuals confront and reduce their fears through gradual exposure.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

A type of psychotherapy that helps individuals change negative thought patterns and behaviors.

Conditioned Response

A learned response to a previously neutral stimulus in conditioning.

Imagery Exposure Therapy

A form of therapy where individuals are asked to vividly imagine their feared object or situation to reduce anxiety.

Aim

Find the effectiveness of imagery exposure as part of an exposure based treatment for individuals with button phobia.

Method

• Self-report measures

• Interviews of boy and mother

• Observation during treatment sessions to see improvement in phobic behaviour

• Results measured using a nine-point scale of distress

Procedure

Began at age 5

• Distressing incident

• Interference with functioning

• Could no longer dress himself

• Became preoccupied with avoiding touching buttons on clothing, and clothing

that may have touched buttons

Sample

9 year old with a fear of buttons.

Data/Materials

ADIS-C/P: Anxiety Disorder Interview Schedule for DSM-IV (Child and

parent versions)

Disgust/fear hierarchy (tasks)

Feelings Thermometer (distress ratings)

Conclusion

Button phobia and experience of disgust was successfully treated using exposure based, cognitive-behavioral therapy.