...Almost everyone has an irrational fear or two—of mice, for example, or your annual dental checkup. For most people, these fears are minor. But, when fears become so severe that they cause tremendous anxiety and interfere with your normal life, they’re called phobias. ------------------------------------------------- What is a phobia? (SLIDE 1) @ A phobia is an intense fear of something that, in reality, poses little or no actual danger. -Common phobias and fears include closed-in places, heights, highway driving, flying insects, snakes, and needles. -However, we can develop phobias of virtually anything. @ Phobia develop in childhood and adulthood. Most phobias develop in childhood, but they can also develop in adults. @ Phobia can affect relationship, school, work or daily life activities. -If you have a phobia, you probably realize that your fear is unreasonable, yet you still can’t control your feelings. Just thinking about the feared object or situation may make you anxious. And when you’re actually exposed to the thing you fear, the terror is automatic and overwhelming. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EXAMPLE:(SLIDE 2) Barbara’s fear of flying Barbara is terrified of flying. Unfortunately, she has to travel a lot for work, and this traveling takes a terrible toll. For weeks before every trip, she has a knot in her stomach and a feeling of anxiety that won’t go away. On the day of the flight, she wakes...
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...joined the Air Force, so in my experience, I can say that in the Air Force, at first, you must be commissioned officer—that is a lieutenant—then you must be able to pass a competitive examination, then you must also pass a rigid medical exam, and after that you must finish the two-year flying training in the Airforce. In the civilian world, I think, the requirement in the cilivian world, you must have a four-year college degree, preferably something that is technical but...
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...Flying Why do people fear flying? Is it because they experienced a “bad flight” or heard about bad events, where people have died, but is flying that dangerous if you look close. It is not always on the plane you get afrad, many people become afraid by reasons which does not involve being on a plane. People, who have a stressful period in life, has a higher percentage to become afraid of flying. All who have tried to fly has at one time or another had a sinking feeling when the plane is in the air, but it did not stop us from putting us into the plane again. It cannot be said about people suffering from flying phobia. They cannot just sit on a plane, as it goes against their instincts. People who are afraid of flying often suffer also from claustrophobia, so the fear of confined spaces or being clamped. They are often too scared to run in trains, buses or sail. Fortunately, there are sleeping pills, which many people swallow just before they fly. It causes them to sleep the whole route, so they do not experience anxiety attacks. Of course, it is annoying to have to swallow pills to perform the flight. Looking at the numbers from 1981 to 1994, one can see that 100 people died in flight, while 46,000 have died in car accidents, so you can quickly get a picture in your head that airplanes are much safer than the car. The weird thing about the newspapers and the public media today is that you only hear if there is an aircraft crashing, never to be heard in car crashes or similar...
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...The Fear of Bees Adam Putnam PSY211 November 6, 2013 Laurie Ellington The Fear of Bees The fear of bees is one that many individuals share. Here, we will look at how ones fear of bees may have developed. We will attempt to look at how this fear could have been learned through classical conditioning by attempting to identify the unconditioned stimulus, the unconditioned response, the conditioned stimulus, and the conditioned response. We will see how the behavior could have been learned through operant conditioning by describing the behavior, consequence, and reinforcement. Finally, we will discuss how the fear could have been learned through observational learning. Classical Conditioning Classical conditioning is when some sort of stimulus draws out a behavior. There is a natural stimulus, or unconditioned stimulus that elicits an unconditioned response, basically a person’s natural reaction to something (Hockenbury D. H. & Hockenbury S. E, 2014). Then there is a conditioned stimulus that in turn produces a conditioned response. This essentially means that something is introduced between the natural stimulus and subject which causes the behavior to change. I chose this topic because a bee stung my two-year-old daughter not long ago. Before she was stung, she had no apparent fear of any kind of insects. She was strapped in a swing at a friend’s house when a carpenter bee flew down the swing onto her legs. When the bee stung her leg, she reached down,...
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...Phobias and Addictions Ashlee D. Niland PSY300 October 22, 2012 Dr. Erickson Phobias and Addictions “According to Kowalski and Westen, the concept that learning shapes behavior, forms the fundamental concepts of the behaviorist perspective. Known together as associative learning, classical and operant conditioning are common, yet distinct ways in which humans learn behavior”(Kowalski & Weston, 2009, p. 157) Classical conditioning, also known as Pavlovian conditioning or respondent conditioning, is like having a bell that rings every time a dog gets his food. The dog then learns that the sound of that bell means food is there. The learning of the bell and food correlating to one another is classical conditioning. Operant conditioning was created by B.F Skinner. Operant conditioning is the positive and negatives of an acted motion; like a child who makes good grades in school will be rewarded by his parents or if the child makes bad grades the parents will discipline the child. If the child makes good grades but the parents continually fail to reward the child, the child may begin to slack in his school work. This is operant conditioning. Phobias “Phobias can interfere with the ability to work, socialize, and maintain a normal daily routine. They can cause such an overwhelming anxiety that people who have phobias may avoid any situation or object that is associated with the phobia” (Kowalski & Westen, 2009). Classical and operant conditioning both contribute...
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...Treatment Methods Assignment According to Morris and Maisto (2002), the goal of insight therapy is “…to give people a better awareness and understanding of their feelings, motivations, and actions, in the hope that this will lead to better adjustment (p.527). The three major insight therapies are psychoanalysis, client-centered therapy, and Gestalt therapy. Psychoanalysis allows a person to express his or her thoughts using free association. During this process, the analyst remains quiet and out of sight. The advantage of this form of therapy allows people to recall past events and give them the opportunity to work through the feelings and beliefs that underlie their problems. However, this form of therapy may take five years or longer and many people cannot afford that length of treatment. Another disadvantage is that this form of therapy does not work immediately and is not effective with severely disturbed people. Client-centered therapy, according to Carl Rogers, “…is to help people become fully functioning, to open them up to all of their experiences and to all of themselves” (Morris & Maisto, 2002, p.529). In other words, Rogers believed that it is important to always follow the client’s lead in therapy and that the client is responsible for change. Gestalt therapy differs from psychoanalysis and client-centered therapy. “Gestalt therapy emphasizes the here-and-now and encourages face-to-face confrontations” (Morris & Maisto, 2002, p.530). In this form of therapy, the therapist...
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...Phobias and Addictions Paper As organic beings grow and adapt to our environments we are able to experience and learn many things. As soon as we are born we start to experiment with various mediums for pleasure and for survival. The ways in which we learn have been studied and reviewed many times by many social researchers. The two most prominent forms of learning styles are labeled as Classical and Operant Conditioning. Both Styles allow individuals to perform experiments in which we find out what works, why it works, and the possible changes and outcomes that may be applied as a result. In classical conditioning, a stimulus that already leads to a response is replaced by a different stimulus. In operant conditioning a behavior is picked out and either reinforced or punished to make it more or less common. In laymen’s terms it acts to modify or replace the stimulus that leads to a given response, and the other to modify or refine a response (Psychology 5e, 2010). Classical Conditioning is a technique used in the change and adaption of a specific behavior. It is the naturally occurring stimulus that is paired with a defined response. A neutral stimulus is then paired with the naturally occurring stimulus. The goal is to have the neutral stimulus evoke the response without the need of the naturally occurring stimulus. The two functions become the conditioned stimulus and the conditioned response. The classical conditioning model of behaviorism is based upon the psychological...
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...Fear of Heights Essentials of Psychology University of Phoenix December 15, 2012 Robert Strausser Fear of Heights Several individuals suffer from a phobia a natural fear of something or a situation. Acrophobia is the most common phobia identified with the society (Fritscher, 2011). This type of phobia known as the fear of heights and is unlike aerophobia the fear of flying and other phobias, acrophobia can cause a person to fear numerous things related to fear of heights (Fritscher, 2011). Acrophobic may cause a person to have fear on an elevator of a building or flying on a plane. People associated with acrophobic will sudden go into a panic mode when at certain heights. They automatically begin to search for something to hold on to. Some may begin to shake, sweat, and even cry, or yell out for help (Fritscher, 2011). Their unconditioned response kicks in immediately and may even cause them to crawl on all fours, kneel, or lower they body (Fritscher, 2011). One reason for these actions is that people with acrophobic find it, difficult to trust their own sense of balance. These people believe and find it hard to think when dealing with this phobia (Fritscher, 2011). Unconditioned Stimulus is the system that alerts people (Ruden, 2012). Example, If individuals never seen a plane crash or imagine a plane falling out of the sky or crashing into a building he or she would not have the fear of heights. They are in a metal plane thousands of feet above the ground traveling...
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...an individual learns through a reward system. It is more or less association made between behavior and consequence of that behavior. Phobias and addictions develop through these two types of conditioning. Phobias develop through classical conditioning and addictions through operant conditioning. Through the past decades, psychologists studied these two relationships to develop a more understanding of these emotional disorders. Phobias and addictions are negative behaviors and usually come from classical conditioning or operant conditioning. Phobias happen out of a fear of something and addictions happen because an individual becomes controlled by an activity or habit. People react to fears and habits in different ways. What one-person fears, another does not. The same goes for habits or addictions. What one person may enjoy enough to become addicted, another person can walk away from it. Every person handles fears and addictions in very...
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...terrified of insects or spiders? Scared of flying? Afraid of visiting the dentist? Perhaps you get physically sick just thinking of having to speak in public? What would your life be like without your phobia and fear? If you have a phobia you may feel helpless in its grasp, knowing that it’s irrational but it feels mighty uncomfortable all the same. What would it be like to be able to fly whilst feeling relaxed and safe? Where would you travel to if you felt free to do so? If you have a fear of tunnels, what would life be like if you could travel by train whenever you wished and actually enjoyed the experience? What new opportunities and experiences will be open to you as a result of overcoming your phobia? There are currently over 200 known phobias including fear of making a fool of oneself (social phobia), water, spiders, enclosed spaces, flying, birds, snakes, etc. A phobia is an intense and irrational fear of an object, animal, person, place, situation or thought. This intense and extreme fear can lead the sufferer to avoid the stimulus of the fear (e.g. spiders), causing them anxiety and restriction in their lives. Some people confuse fears with phobias. Fear can be normal. For example, it is normal to experience fear in certain situations – fear is a normal response to dangerous situations such as being caught up in a riot. To feel extreme fear and for that fear to be irrational, is a phobic reaction. For example, to have a fear of thunder and lightning is irrational and...
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...sessions I have undertaken to date, reading, the Chrysalis module notes and information I have taken away from class. I will also try to cover and explain some of the ethical topics regarding the above. Firstly then I am going to discuss the relationship between stress, panic and anxiety and try to explain the differences. Stress is a common feeling that the majority of people will suffer with at some point, when faced with a new situation that causes them to be frustrated, angry or frightened it is however short lived and when removed from that particular stressful environment the person will usually feel better and no longer experience any long term negative effects. It is a necessary part of life as if we had no stress or feelings of fear we would not be able to choose the appropriate course of action in our sub-conscious when we maybe need to be aware of danger commonly known as the “fight or flight mechanism”. We would also have no motivation to do anything productive. (chapter 6 Stress Reduction, Hypnosis for change). However Chronic stress (when a person is under constant stress over a long period of time) will find a person suffering many physical and emotional problems for example insomnia, depression or a generalised inability to cope with everyday situations the physical symptoms could range from cancer to diabetes. The different categories of stress start with Hypostress which again most of us will have experienced at some point in time where...
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...“How Dreams Lead to Success” Each and every person has dreams. Most dream of happiness, wealth or fear. The way we choose to interpret and act upon these dreams, will have an effect on our entire lives. To achieve success we must follow our dreams overcome obstacles and not let the fear of failure interfere with our goals. A perfect example of how a dream leads to success is the Wright Brothers, Orville and Wilbur. They were the first innovators of flight and created the world’s first working airplane. When the brothers were young, they opened their own bike company to capitalize on the public’s new interest in bicycling. Once they earned enough money from their cycling company they wanted pursue their dreams of flying and flying machines. At first they tried to use gliders to fly, which worked but it wasn’t considered actually flying. A few years later they managed to put an engine on a plane and on December 17, 1903, they recorded the first flight. Although they had many critics, they proved all of them wrong when they flew publically in air shows. The two brothers had a dream that one day humans would take to the skies for transportation. Today most of their planes and equipment are scattered all over the country in different museums, including the Smithsonian. Wilbur and Orville Wright faced numerous hurdles that seemed impossible but they did not let challenges or failure deter them. The Wright brothers serve as an example of how hard work and dedication pays off in the...
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...Selected perspectives on the etiologies of Phobias. “I just feel really closed in, I feel like my heart is going to start beating really fast…I won’t be able to get enough air, I won’t be able to breathe, and I’ll pass out.” A Phobia is “a persistent fear of circumscribed stimulus (object or situation)” and the common examples include fear of animals, heights and enclosed places. (DSM-III R: 243). Phobias in general are classified as ‘Anxiety disorders’ in DSM –IV and are considered the most common type of all anxiety disorders. Everyone has aversions to certain objects or situations, which result in making us feel unusually uncomfortable, anxious in some cases, or just fearful- when encountered with them. But when this aversion becomes...
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...phobia is perception of danger associated with specific situations that could be avoided such as Heights elevators certain animals social situations A person was afraid of heights may believe that a building will tip over why he is towards the top Masked fears A person who is Agoura phobic is probably not even afraid of space she's afraid of something terrible happened to her while she is out in the world in other words people link their fears to previous experiences CBT for Phobias Primary method of overcoming phobias is Behavioural practice of exposure to extinction. Four instance a person was afraid of flying might first look at pictures of pains after that they would read a book about flying then they might watch a movie after that they would visualize and after that they would get in a real plane with a close friend or a therapist Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Flashbacks and Visions or even nightmares that occurs following a trauma. in other words its triggered by a terrifying event either experiencing it or witnessing it first hand for example, if someone was shot every time they hear a door slammed a flashback strikes. What are some causes of PSTD? The most common causes are: Natural disasters Spousal abuse Rape, Sexual assault Robbery/Shooting/mugging Child abuse war experience car or plane accident Eating disorders According to author Jean Antonelle When one is highly stressed the normal...
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...events in the United States. The crisis in October 19 to October 28, 1962 was a main cold war between the United States and the Soviet Union. And the crisis returns on the struggle of power between the United States and the Soviet Union throughout the war. The USSR increased its support of Fidel Castro's Cuban regime, and in the summer of 1962, Nikita Khrushchev decided to install flying arms in Cuba. President Kennedy and the other leaders of the country were faced with a bad problem where a decision had to be made. The Crisis started as a result of both the Soviet Union's fear of losing the arms fight, and Cuba's fear of US attack. The Soviet Premier, Nikita Khrushchev, thought that both problems could easily be solved by placing Soviet medium range missiles in Cuba. This placement would double the Soviet arsenal and protect Cuba from US attack. Khrushchev proposed this idea to Cuban Leading, Fidel Castro, who, like Khrushchev, saw the planned advantage. The two leaders worked together in privacy throughout the late-summer and early-fall of 1962. The Soviets shipped sixty medium-range flying missiles along with their weapons, equipment. When United States President, John F. Kennedy discovered the presence of these attacking weapons, he immediately organized a group of his important advisors. They spent some days discussing different possible plans of action and finally decided to remove the US missiles from Turkey and promise not to attack Cuba in exchange for the removal...
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