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Saavedra & Silverman (2002): Button Phobia - A-Levels 9990 Psychology

Cambridge A-Levels Psychology・38 minutes read

The study explores the distinction between fears and phobias, emphasizing the role of classical conditioning and evaluative learning in developing and treating specific phobias through methods like systematic desensitization and imagery exposure therapy. This research aims to address the impact of disgust alongside fear in phobias, showcasing the effectiveness of visualization techniques in reducing distress levels associated with specific phobias over time.

Insights

  • Phobias are irrational fears of objects or events that cause significant anxiety and avoidance, often learned through classical conditioning, with a focus on reducing both fear and disgust reactions in treatment.
  • Imagery exposure therapy, utilizing visualization techniques, is a powerful tool in reducing distress associated with specific phobias by addressing evaluative learning and negative evaluations, showcasing the importance of considering disgust alongside fear in therapy.

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Recent questions

  • What is a phobia?

    An irrational fear causing significant anxiety and avoidance.

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Summary

00:00

Understanding Phobias: Fear, Learning, and Treatment

  • The study covered in the learning chapter by Savidra and Silverman focuses on phobias, distinguishing between fears and phobias.
  • Fear can be summarized as "Forget Everything and Run" or "Face Everything and Rise," highlighting the choice in response.
  • A phobia is an irrational and persistent fear of an object or event that poses little danger but causes significant anxiety and avoidance.
  • Classical conditioning explains how phobias can be learned, as seen in the Little Albert experiment where fears are acquired and can be unlearned.
  • Two subtypes of classical conditioning are expectancy learning and evaluative learning, with examples illustrating how neutral stimuli become associated with threatening outcomes.
  • Research shows that phobias learned through evaluative learning tend to elicit more disgust reactions than fear.
  • Studies on spider phobias in children and blood phobias in adults reveal a link between reducing disgust and fear in treating phobias.
  • The research gap identified is the insufficient coverage of disgust and evaluative learning in child psychiatric literature.
  • The study aims to explore classical conditioning's role in fear and avoidance in specific phobias, focusing on reducing disgust and distress associated with buttons.
  • The research method employed is a case study of a Hispanic American boy with a specific phobia of buttons, utilizing interviews and a feelings thermometer to measure disgust levels.

13:23

Treating Phobias: Systematic Desensitization and VR

  • Phobias can be treated through systematic desensitization, a method involving gradual exposure to the feared object.
  • Systematic desensitization progresses from viewing a picture of the phobic object to eventually interacting with the real object.
  • In vitro exposure involves external stimuli like pictures, while in vivo exposure includes real interaction with the phobic object.
  • Flooding, a controversial method, overwhelms a person with the phobic object to reduce fear through cognitive overload.
  • A study on a boy with a button phobia utilized two therapies: contingency therapy and imagery exposure therapy.
  • Contingency therapy involved gradual exposure to buttons, positive reinforcement, and completing a hierarchy of button interactions.
  • Despite successfully handling buttons, the boy's distress levels increased, leading to the introduction of imagery exposure therapy.
  • Imagery exposure therapy required the boy to visualize buttons falling on him, activating his senses and evaluative learning to reduce distress.
  • Imagery exposure therapy led to a significant decrease in distress ratings after seven sessions, emphasizing the power of visualization in overcoming phobias.
  • Therapists are exploring virtual reality as a tool for treating phobias, replicating exposure therapy in a controlled, immersive environment.

26:53

Imagery exposure therapy reduces phobia distress levels.

  • Imagery exposure therapy is used to treat individuals with phobias by exposing them to visual imagery in a safe environment.
  • Results of imagery exposure therapy show a decrease in distress ratings from 8 to 3 after three sessions.
  • The therapy is linked to evaluative learning, where individuals evaluate neutral objects as disgusting.
  • Disgust is a key factor in phobias, alongside fear, and needs to be considered in therapy.
  • Imagery exposure therapy has a long-term effect on reducing distress associated with specific phobias by addressing negative evaluations.
  • Strengths of the study include in-depth qualitative data and quantitative measures like the feelings thermometer.
  • Weaknesses include the inability to generalize results due to the case study design.
  • Ethical considerations include the distress caused to the participant and the need to balance harm with the long-term goal of treatment.
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