Beh exp, characteristics and treatments

Phobias

"uncontrollable, extreme, irrational + enduring fears that are out of proportion to the actual risk"

1 of 10

Emotional characteristics

- excessive fear
- unreasonable responses

2 of 10

Behavioural characteristics

- Panic
- Avoidance
- Endurance

3 of 10

Cognitive characteristics

- Distorted perceptions
- Recognition of the exaggerated anxiety

4 of 10

Two-process model as an explanation for developing and maintaining phobias? Mowrer

CC- we develop phobias through associating an anxiety provoking UCS with a previously NS to elicit a CR of fear

OC- how we maintain phobias. The CS evokes fear, and when we avoid this phobic object/situation, the anxiety feeling lessens, which is reward

5 of 10

AO3- +ve of two process model

+ Little Albert (W+R)
- shows how CC can lead to the development of phobias

- If we know how one developed a phobia then it helps us to devise treatments to get rid of the phobias

6 of 10

AO3 +ve for beh exp (2PM)

CC - Little Albert (W+R 1920)
- used classical conditioning to create a phobia in an infant called Little Albert. Albert developed a phobia of a white rat when he learned to associate the rat with a loud noise.
- Empirical evidence to show how CC leads t

7 of 10

-ve
- the role of cognition is overlooked

- Tomarken et al (1989)
- presented a series of slides of snake and neutral images (e.g. trees) to phobic and non-phobic pps. - The phobics tended to overestimate the number of snake images presented.
- Cog argue that the thinking processes that occur bet

8 of 10

-ve
- not everyone develops phobias as a result of CC

Di Gallo

- In theory anyone can develop a phobia from any harmful object, however this doesn't always happen.

- Like despite the fact the most adults have either seen, experienced or heard about car accidents were another person is injured, phobia of cars is virt

9 of 10

-ve
- Biological?

Seligman
Ost+hugdahl

Seligman (1970)
- suggests that humans have a biological preparedness to develop certain phobias rather than others
- as they may have served an evolutionary purpose for our ancestors.
-E.g. individuals that avoided snakes and high places would be more li

10 of 10

Get Revising

Beh exp, characteristics and treatments

Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Back

Card 3

Front

Back

Card 4

Front

Back

Card 5

Front

Back

Comments

Similar Psychology resources: