Question 1

Which of the following is not classed as a specific phobia?&#10;A) Arachnophobia (fear of spiders)&#10;B) Agoraphobia (fear of being in public places where escape may be difficult)&#10;C) Acrophobia (fear of heights)&#10;D) None of the above&#10;

Accepted Answer

All of the options listed are considered specific phobias, except for agoraphobia, which is slightly different in nature. Specific phobias are intense, irrational fears of certain things or situations. However, agoraphobia is more complex and is not just a specific phobia. It involves a fear of being in situations where escape might be difficult or help wouldn't be available if things go wrong, not just a fear of being in public places. It can include fear of open spaces, public transit, shopping centers, or simply being outside the home. Despite this complexity, agoraphobia is often categorized separately from specific phobias because it can encompass multiple fears and is associated with a fear of panic attacks, rather than a single specific object or situation.

Question 2

Seligman's (1971) preparedness theory suggests that:&#10;A) People are born with a predisposition to learn to fear certain stimuli&#10;B) People are born with certain phobias&#10;C) People develop certain phobias because of a negative experience of a stimulus&#10;D) People only develop fears about fear-relevant stimuli

Accepted Answer

Seligman's preparedness theory posits that humans are biologically predisposed to learn to fear certain stimuli more easily than others due to evolutionary factors.

Question 3

Which of the following is not a limitation of Seligman's preparedness theory&#10;A) People can develop phobias of stimuli that are non-threatening to humans&#10;B) Certain phobias are more common than others&#10;C) Elephant and woolly-mammoth phobias are rare&#10;D) It is not possible to prove what posed specific threats to our ancestors

Accepted Answer

B

Question 4

What does Mowrer's (1960) theory suggest about the learning of fear?&#10;A) A person associates a stimulus with an unpleasant outcome, resulting in a fear response&#10;B) A person learns to avoid a feared stimulus, to reduce their fear response&#10;C) Relief at avoiding a feared stimulus acts as an incentive for further avoidance,&#10;D) All of the above

Accepted Answer

Mowrer's two-factor theory of avoidance learning suggests that fear is learned through classical conditioning (associating a stimulus with an unpleasant outcome) and maintained through operant conditioning (avoidance of the stimulus reduces fear, which is reinforcing). Thus, all the options A, B, and C are aspects of how Mowrer explained the learning and maintenance of fear.

Question 5

What information does a cognitive behaviour therapist need, in order to formulate a client's specific phobia?&#10;A) Information on what triggers the client's phobia&#10;B) Information on what the client does when they feel afraid&#10;C) Information on whether anyone else does anything that helps or hinders when the client is afraid?&#10;D) All of the above

Accepted Answer

Cognitive behavior therapists need comprehensive information to formulate a client's specific phobia, including triggers, responses to fear, and the influence of others' actions on the client's fear.

Question 6

Which of the following does the human body not do during the fight-flight response to fear?&#10;A) The heart pumps oxygen-rich blood to the muscles&#10;B) Blocks the secretion of adrenaline&#10;C) Takes blood away from the stomach and intestines&#10;D) Heightens the senses

Accepted Answer

During the fight-flight response, the body does not block the secretion of adrenaline; instead, it increases adrenaline production to prepare for action, enhancing alertness and physical readiness.

Question 7

How is modern cognitive-behavioural exposure to a feared stimulus (e.g. dogs) typically conducted?&#10;A) Asking the client to imagine that they are stroking a dog&#10;B) Gradually exposing the client to a mildly fearful version of the stimulus (e.g. pictures of dogs) and working gradually up to the most fearful version (e.g. stroking a large dog)&#10;C) Asking the client to stand in a room with lots of dogs, early in therapy.&#10;D) Giving the client lots of written information about dogs

Accepted Answer

Gradual exposure, starting from a less intense form of the feared stimulus and progressively moving towards more direct exposure, is a core principle of modern cognitive-behavioural therapy for treating phobias and anxiety disorders. This method helps clients build tolerance and reduce fear in a controlled and manageable way.

Question 8

Why do clients relapse after treatment for specific phobias?&#10;A) Therapy does not generalise from the psychologist's office to other situations&#10;B) The client does not practice their confident behaviour&#10;C) Both of the above&#10;D) Clients rarely relapse after treatment

Accepted Answer

Both A and B are correct. Therapy for specific phobias often involves exposure and desensitization techniques that need to be generalized to various situations outside the therapy setting. If the therapy's effects do not generalize well, or if the client does not practice the coping strategies and confident behaviors learned in therapy across different contexts, there is a higher chance of relapse.

Question 9

How effective are exposure-based therapies for treating specific phobias?&#10;A) Very effective - so much so that there has been little change in how specific phobias are treated since the 1960s&#10;B) Reasonably effective - about 40% of people treated using exposure-based therapies recover&#10;C) A little bit effective - about 25% of people treated using exposure-based therapies recover, but many relapse&#10;D) Not at all effective - recovery rates are very low

Accepted Answer

Exposure-based therapies are highly effective for treating specific phobias, often resulting in significant improvement or recovery. This effectiveness has led to relatively little change in the core approach to treating specific phobias since the 1960s.

Deck 7: Specific Phobia