Preview

Phobias

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1466 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Phobias
Explaining Phobias
Within this paper Sally a 23 year old woman with a dog phobia will be discussed. Also, how operant and classical conditioning as well as observational learning are a factor in developing Sally’s phobia will be covered. Additionally, how extinction and tenets of cognitive theory can help Sally overcome her dog phobia will be explained.
A phobia is an abnormal, vigorous, unreasonable persistent dread or terror that causes anxiety. “Approximately 40 million American adults ages 18 and older, or about 18.1 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have an anxiety disorder (The National Institute of Mental Health, 2013)”. A person has the capability to make a fear out of anything; dog, open spaces, water, elevators, and tight spaces. Persons with a fears or phobias go to the ends of the earth to avoid any alleged risk that is larger more so in their thoughts than physical time. When confronted with the base of their fear, the person will sustain massive anguish that can hinder everyday tasks; fear can seldom lead to complete panic. Furthermore, for a number of individuals the simple thought of their fear is tremendously upsetting. Fears can be a wearying thing. The defeat of efficiency and productivity at the hands of a person’s phobia can be massive. However, a comprehension of psychology can offer a person the authority to development past anxiety that accompanies their phobia “Phobias are not uncommon; many people suffer from anxiety due to fear of something. Phobias are the group mental conditions known as anxiety disorders. This grouping likewise includes, panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and general anxiety disorder”( Fritscher, 2009).. Fear of dogs is known as cynophobia this is a tremendously shared fear or phobia. Cynophobia or fear of dogs can be overwhelming, preventive the persons interaction with person’s whom own dogs and limiting her regular goings-on.
A fear or phobia is a



References: Fritscher, L. (2009, March 31). Social cognitive theory . Retrieved from http://phobias.about.com/od/causesanddevelopment Klausch, T. (2008, July 22). Phobias and overcoming phobias. Retrieved from http://web4health.info/en/answers/anx-phobias-general.htm The National Institute of Mental Health (2013, Febuary 04). The numbers count: Mental disorders in america. Retrieved from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/the-numbers-count-mental-disorders-in-america/index.shtml

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    An psychological explanation to understand phobias are classical conditioning which is defined as a learning process which occurs when you have two stimuli and they are repeatedly…

    • 1941 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Explaining Phobias

    • 1673 Words
    • 7 Pages

    In this paper the principles of operational, classical, and observational learning theories will be discussed as those theories pertain to the Case Study of Little Hans. I will review Sigmund Freud’s case study of Little Hans, the child that developed a fear of horses, and relate how this case is explained by the above mentioned theories. I will also discuss this case from the psychoanalytic perspective.…

    • 1673 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Phobias and Addiction

    • 732 Words
    • 3 Pages

    We have to ask ourselves what does phobia or addiction has to do with classical and operant conditioning. In this paper I will explain why how phobias can be developed through classical conditioning and operant conditioning as well as:…

    • 732 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    There is the fight or flight that every living being uses, animal and human. Humans often have other bodily reactions to fear, such as fast heart rate, sweaty palms and many others. Often times, the same person can have different reactions to different situations. For example, when I take a big test or write an essay, my hands begin to sweat. Not only does this help me calm down, I am able to focus on the task at hand. I have had a lasting fear of “The back room” in my house, it is a room that is unfinished and is used for storage purposes. I fear the room because it has a decent amount of old stuff, the room is dusty, and it is a dwelling for many arthropods and arachnids. I do not hate the room itself, because it holds the water heater and all the tools to make my house work smoothly, but I fear what lies behind the boxes, the old board games, and the unknown inside it all. Every time I have to go back in the room, I shiver and shudder and pray that there is not any sudden movement that passes my feet. While I shiver at the thought of bugs and the unknown I also have a terrible fear of heights. My fear is so bad I can barely go on the final step of a six foot ladder. I refuse to go into the attic and I scoff at the idea of helping my sister put Christmas lights on the roof. When I do come to a situation when I am on a rooftop or on a mountain overlooking a valley, not only am I…

    • 715 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The National Alliance on Mental Illness. (nd). Mental Illness Facts and Numbers. Retrieved October 1, 2014, from www.nami.org…

    • 1972 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Explaining Phobia

    • 1099 Words
    • 5 Pages

    If Sally is scared of dogs it could be a classical conditioning. Her parents or someone she was close to may have told her that dogs are mean and that she needed to be afraid of dogs. She could have created this phobia from others telling her that she needed to stay away from dogs because they could bite her.…

    • 1099 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Fear Vs Phobias Essay

    • 972 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Nearly everyone in the world is scared of something, for example mice or needles. For many people these are minor fears. A fear is a rational response to a situation that possibly poses a threat to our safety. It is normal to experience fear in a dangerous situation. Sometimes these fears can be very serious and interfere with day to day life and create anxiety. This is called a phobia. Phobias are said to affect 11% of the Australian population.…

    • 972 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    A phobia is a fear that is so irrational that the amount of fear is not warranted by cause and it interferes with the daily functioning of the sufferer (Antczak, 2011). Classical conditioning leads to phobias by way of learning. An example of a phobia is seeing a needle and fainting. You may have had a bad experience with getting a shot so once you see the needle it may cause you to have a reaction to just the sight of it (Kowalski & Weston, 2011). You know as an adult that it is painless, but the phobia kicks in and may even cause you to faint. Another example of a phobia could be to sound. If you hear a car horn honk or tires screech, followed by a crash, you then may associate every honk or screech to a car accident and you will probably stay away from that part of the road in the future to avoid these…

    • 1075 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Phobias and Addiction

    • 1486 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The works and research of Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov and B.F. Skinner, the leader in behaviorism, help to illuminate and deepen the knowledge of how classical and operant conditioning, play an important role in the treatment of phobias and addictions. Phobias have a wide range of inflictions and limitations ranging from mild and moderate to severe. Addictions vary within themselves as well, from mild cases to those far more complex. For as many differences in diagnosis of these afflictions, the treatments to help cure them are just as diverse. Because of this, it is important to understand how the classical and operant conditioning work in partnership with the therapeutic approach to help those afflicted with phobias and addictions.…

    • 1486 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Systematic Desensitisation

    • 11148 Words
    • 45 Pages

    Specific phobias are among the most common psychological problems (Kessler et al. 2005); however, specific phobias are seldom the primary reason that individuals seek treatment (Brown et al. 2001b). Because specific phobias are rarely the focus of clinical attention, there is a common—though in many cases mistaken—perception that specific phobias are straightforward and uncomplicated. In addition, because the fear associated with specific phobias is typically limited to the phobic stimuli and rarely associated with pervasive anxiety outside of the phobic situation, some believe that specific phobias are necessarily less severe than other anxiety disorders. The clinical picture of specific phobias, however, can be very different. Individuals with specific phobias can incur serious life impairment, such as failure to obtain necessary medical care, interference with social activities, and lost time and reduced productivity at work. In some cases, the impairment is comparable to that seen in other mental disorders (Wittchen et al. 1998). In addition, phobias are sometimes associated with complex symptom profiles, including physiological symptoms, extensive coping and avoidance behaviors, and unhelpful or distorted cognitions. Therefore, a thorough assessment using multiple methods is important to evaluate the idiosyncrasies of each client’s presentation. The purpose of this chapter is to review the elements of a comprehensive, evidence-based assessment and treatment plan for specific phobia. It will provide an overview of diagnostic and clinical features of specific phobia, review the empirical status of commonly used assessment and treatment methods, and conclude with recommendations for assessment and intervention.…

    • 11148 Words
    • 45 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    2. According to the Freudian concept of psychoanalysis, phobias are believed to originate from childhood traumas. This perspective also supports the idea that phobias may be replacing other hidden fear or anger that the individual is reluctant to face. Fortunately, these anxieties can be treated. Such techniques in which to do so include those from the…

    • 1151 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Catcher In The Rye

    • 459 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Phobias: Is an unreasonable yet strong fear of a certain objects, class of objects or situation. Nearly half of all people report having phobia. Common phobias include fear of crowds, darkness, heights and animals such a snakes or spides. Phobia sufferers experience fear and a strong desire to escape whatever they encounter the phobic object or situation. Most people are able to aviod the object of their phobia cause personal distress or when aviodance of it interferes with a person’s ability to carry out normal activities, mental health professionals classify it as ‘ Anxiety Disorders “. These sufferes may need specialized treatment to overcome their phobias.Many phobias have a special names.The fear of heights is ‘‘Acrophobia”. Agoraphobia is the dread of open…

    • 459 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Hypnotherapy And Stress

    • 2166 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Simple phobias are from a single stimulus, for example fear of heights or enclosed spaces. Complex phobias are where there can be a number factors. For example, a person may have a fear of flying but within this are fears of a plane crash, enclosed places and a fear of losing control. Social phobias are those associated with what may happen when one is in the company of others (Module 5 Class Notes). There are primarily three categories: Agoraphobia, Social phobia and Specific phobia, which can then be subdivided into subtypes and finally conditions DSM-IV, 1994. Phobias may be the consequence of a number of factors. Stress and anxiety could result in the development of a phobia, directly linked to a specific stimulus. However, stress can also result in what is termed, ‘displaced phobias’. This is when an individual is experiencing stress in one aspect of their life but the phobia manifests in another. An example of this could be a person who is stressed in a work situation, developing a phobia of a bridge they pass everyday on their way to work. In this instance ‘displacing’ the stress from work, to the bridge. A phobia can also be caused by a cumulative impact of a series of negative experiences. For example, being held underwater as a child by a playful brother of sister. Later experiencing difficult or uncomfortable episodes with water, over time developing into a fear of being in water. Similar to anxieties, phobias can be learned or even…

    • 2166 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Phobias

    • 3561 Words
    • 15 Pages

    Agoraphobia- Fear of open spaces or of being in crowded, public places like markets. Fear of leaving a safe place.…

    • 3561 Words
    • 15 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Do you have something you’re afraid of? Almost everyone does and it is completely normal to have fears. But when those fears are excessive, unreasonable, and effecting your well being, they are called phobias.…

    • 626 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays