psychopathology phobias

Phobia

An anxiety disorder characterized by an irrational fear of an object or situation.

Specific Phobia

The most common type of phobia, involving fear of a specific object or situation.

Agoraphobia

A fear of being trapped in a public place where escape may be difficult, often referred to as "fear of an open marketplace."

Social Phobia

Extreme shyness and fear of social situations, which can lead to panic attacks.

Cognitive Characteristics

The irrational thoughts that underlie phobias, preventing rational thinking about the feared object or situation.

Selective Attention

The heightened awareness and focus on the feared object, making it difficult to concentrate on anything else.

Avoidance

The tendency to excessively avoid the phobic object or situation, impacting daily life significantly.

Panic Reaction

The intense emotional response (crying, screaming, freezing, running away) experienced when encountering the feared object or situation.

Two Process Model

A behavioral approach suggesting that phobias are acquired through classical conditioning and maintained by operant conditioning.

Classical Conditioning

A learning process where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a fear response.

Operant Conditioning

A process where avoiding the phobic stimulus is reinforcing, relieving anxiety and perpetuating the phobia.

Diathesis Stress Model

A holistic explanation suggesting a biological predisposition to phobias that interacts with environmental experiences.

Biological Preparedness

The evolutionary perspective that certain phobias are linked to ancestral threats, making them more likely to develop.

Systematic Desensitization

A treatment method that replaces anxiety with relaxation through gradual exposure to the feared object.

Flooding

A controversial treatment involving intense, non-graded exposure to the feared object until anxiety decreases.

Meta-analyses

Research studies that compile data from multiple studies to assess the effectiveness of treatments for phobias.

Emotional Exhaustion

The state reached when the body’s stress response depletes, leading to a realization of safety in flooding treatment.

Ethical Concerns

Issues related to the safety and well-being of clients during treatments like flooding, which can induce high stress.