My Ophidiophobia
| My Ophidiophobia | Lisa JacksonFor Dr. Thomas PapiPSY105031VA016-1132-001 (Intro to Psychology) March 23, 2013 | | | |
I don’t think that I’ve never had a time in my life when I was not afraid of snakes. To me there is nothing more freighting than this crawling, scaly, unblinking reptile that man has abhorred since the beginning of time. The subfield that is primarily connected with phobia is psychoanalytical psychology, behavioral psychology and neuropsychology. According to our text, Psychoanalysis is a method of therapy based on Freud’s theory of personality, in which the therapist attempts to bring repressed unconscious material into consciousness (Baron& Kalsher, 2008). Behavioral psychology is a school of psychology that clarifies all mental and bodily activity in terms of reaction by glands and muscles to external factors (stimuli).
Neuropsychology studies the structure and purpose of the brain as they transmit to fixed emotional processes and behaviors. It is seen as a clinical and experimental field of psychology that aims to study, assess, understand and treat behaviors directly related to brain functioning. The purpose of this paper is to discuss how biological bases of behavior have contributed to this fear. I also will analyze my reactions when I came into contact with the physical presence of a fake reptile. And, finally, discuss the role that learning has had on the fact that I fear and hate snakes. Our text states that anxiety is an increased arousal accompanied by generalized feeling of fear or apprehension. When this fear becomes excessive or debilitating, this is known as a phobia. Findings by Ohman and Mineska have suggested that we may possess a biologically determined module in our brains for fear of snakes because this fear is beneficial for our survival (Ohman & Mineska, 2001). The question has been asked, what are the origins of phobias? One possibility involves the process of classical conditioning. A stimulus
I don’t think that I’ve never had a time in my life when I was not afraid of snakes. To me there is nothing more freighting than this crawling, scaly, unblinking reptile that man has abhorred since the beginning of time. The subfield that is primarily connected with phobia is psychoanalytical psychology, behavioral psychology and neuropsychology. According to our text, Psychoanalysis is a method of therapy based on Freud’s theory of personality, in which the therapist attempts to bring repressed unconscious material into consciousness (Baron& Kalsher, 2008). Behavioral psychology is a school of psychology that clarifies all mental and bodily activity in terms of reaction by glands and muscles to external factors (stimuli).
Neuropsychology studies the structure and purpose of the brain as they transmit to fixed emotional processes and behaviors. It is seen as a clinical and experimental field of psychology that aims to study, assess, understand and treat behaviors directly related to brain functioning. The purpose of this paper is to discuss how biological bases of behavior have contributed to this fear. I also will analyze my reactions when I came into contact with the physical presence of a fake reptile. And, finally, discuss the role that learning has had on the fact that I fear and hate snakes. Our text states that anxiety is an increased arousal accompanied by generalized feeling of fear or apprehension. When this fear becomes excessive or debilitating, this is known as a phobia. Findings by Ohman and Mineska have suggested that we may possess a biologically determined module in our brains for fear of snakes because this fear is beneficial for our survival (Ohman & Mineska, 2001). The question has been asked, what are the origins of phobias? One possibility involves the process of classical conditioning. A stimulus
References: Baron, R. A., & Kalsher, M. J. (2008). Psychology: From Science to Practice. Boston: Pearson Custom Publishing. Ohman, A. Flykt, A. & Estevez, F. (2001). Emotion Drives attention: Detecting the snake in the grass. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 131, 466-478. Ohman, A., & Mineska, S. (2001). Fear, phobias, and preparedness: toward and evolved module of fear and fear learning. Psychological Review, 108, 483-522.