Mental Disorders (Psychopathology)

Characteristics of Phobias 

Behavioural Characteristics

-The behavioural characteristics of phobias include panic, avoidance, and endurance.

-Panic results from heightened physiological arousal triggered by the hypothalamus in response to the phobic stimulus.

-Avoidance behaviour is negatively reinforced through classical conditioning, impacting the patient’s daily life.

-Endurance occurs when the patient remains exposed to the phobic stimulus for an extended period, experiencing heightened anxiety.

 

Emotional Characteristics

-The main emotional characteristics of phobias are anxiety and an unawareness that the anxiety towards the phobic stimulus is irrational.

 

Cognitive Characteristics

-Cognitive characteristics include selective attention, irrational beliefs, and cognitive distortions.

-Selective attention involves the patient focusing on the phobic stimulus, often due to irrational beliefs or cognitive distortions.

 

Characteristics of Depression

Behavioural Characteristics

-Behavioural characteristics include changed activity levels, aggression, and altered sleeping and eating patterns.

 

Emotional Characteristics

-Emotional characteristics include lowered self-esteem, persistent low mood, and high levels of anger.

 

Cognitive Characteristics

Cognitive characteristics involve absolutist thinking, selective attention to negative events, and poor concentration.

 

Characteristics of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Behavioural Characteristics

-Behavioural characteristics include compulsions and avoidance behaviour.

 

Emotional Characteristics

-Emotional characteristics encompass guilt, disgust, depression, and anxiety.

 

Cognitive Characteristics

-Cognitive characteristics involve acknowledging excessive and irrational anxiety, developing cognitive strategies, and experiencing obsessive thoughts.

 

Now have a go at the revision quiz below to see how much you can recall.

 

1. What are the main behavioural characteristics of phobias?

a) Aggression, altered sleeping patterns, and avoidance
b) Panic, avoidance, and endurance
c) Compulsions, endurance, and guilt
d) Selective attention, irrational beliefs, and cognitive distortions

2. Which of the following is a result of heightened physiological arousal triggered by the hypothalamus in response to the phobic stimulus?

a) Changed activity levels
b) Panic
c) Compulsions
d) Selective attention

3. How is avoidance behaviour negatively reinforced in phobias?

a) Through operant conditioning
b) Through classical conditioning
c) Through cognitive distortions
d) Through absolutist thinking

4. What emotional characteristic is associated with phobias?

a) Lowered self-esteem
b) Anxiety
c) High levels of anger
d) Disgust

5. Which cognitive characteristic involves the patient focusing on the phobic stimulus, often due to irrational beliefs or cognitive distortions?

a) Selective attention
b) Absolutist thinking
c) Poor concentration
d) Compulsions

6. What behavioural characteristic is common in depression?

a) Compulsions
b) Endurance
c) Changed activity levels
d) Avoidance behaviour

7. Which emotional characteristic is associated with depression?

a) Guilt
b) Panic
c) Disgust
d) Endurance

8. In Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), what cognitive feature involves repetitive behaviours or mental acts performed to alleviate anxiety arising from persistent and irrational thoughts?

a) Absolutist thinking
b) Selective attention
c) Compulsions
d) Poor concentration

9. In phobias, what is endurance?

a) Acknowledging excessive and irrational anxiety
b) Remaining exposed to the phobic stimulus for an extended period
c) Changed activity levels
d) Developing cognitive strategies

10. What is a cognitive characteristic associated with depression?

a) Selective attention to negative events
b) Compulsions
c) Panic
d) Absolutist thinking
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