Psychology 1000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Anxiety Disorder, Operant Conditioning, Long-Term Memory

• School: Western University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: Psychology 1000
• Professor: Dr.Mike

Document Summary

Psychotherapy based on principles of classical or operant conditioning. Problem is viewed as error or failure in learning. Simple phobia: intense irrational fear of object or situation, relatively common, anxiety disorder, patient is still in touch with reality. Patient must be willing to expose self to fear for prolonged intervals. Eg think about being in a room full of snakes. Replace cr of fear with a more pleasant response: identify positive usc ucr, pair the feared object with the positive ucs ucr, gradually increase intensity of the feared object, feared object not results in positive cr. Train client in muscle relaxation on cue. Client imagines fearful situation; receives relaxation cue. Client imagines even more fearful situation receives cue. Client progresses to actual experience of fearful situation; receives cue (in vivo desensitization) Behaviour maintained because of reinforcement contingency: alcohol relaxes body, staying in house avoids fear, gambling produces a thrill.