Quiz on Specific Phobias and GABA

A specific phobia is

• intense, brief and has a major impact on functioning.

• persistent, intense and rational and has a major impact on functioning.

• likely to go away without intervention.

• the cause of significant distress and can interfere with functioning.

The role of GABA in the central nervous system is to

• regulate neural activity.

• make the postsynaptic neuron more likely to fire.

• inhibit the presynaptic neuron.

• regulate the level of adrenaline.

Guillermo tells his friend that possums hiss menacingly and have sharp front teeth that will cause severe damage to the skin. He is convinced that if he sees a possum again it will bite him and cause him to become very ill. This is an example of

• memory bias.

• poor self-efficacy.

• catastrophic thinking.

• stigma.

Guillermo frequently remembers the incident with the possum and thinks about images in which possums look frightening. He does not remember the times he has seen possums looking small and vulnerable, or when he has seen them being quiet and still. This is an example of

• rumination.

• catastrophic thinking.

• memory bias.

• poor self-efficacy.

Phobia sufferers often have worry or apprehension about being exposed to the phobic stimulus in the future. This is (a)   .

Jared talks about the incident with the birthday cake frequently and often tells the story to his friends and family, getting upset each time. The biological factor that may be involved in strengthening his response due to this is

• stigma

• GABA dysfunction

• long-term potentiation

• memory bias

Benji has had a phobia of birds since he can remember. He feels so frightened when he sees one that he says he feels like he can’t move or breathe. When he tells his friend, she tells him she also has a phobia of birds, but her mother corrects her by saying she is only a bit scared of them, and she still manages in the bird enclosure at the zoo and even helps with the chickens at school. Benji laughs and says that is not a phobia if she can do those things. What is a key difference between Benji's behaviour and his friend's behaviour? (2 marks)

Arturo has a phobia of the dentist. Since he moved out of home, he has avoided having any dentist appointments. He now has a toothache but he is too frightened to go to the dentist. Using the three-phase model of operant conditioning, explain how Arturo’s phobia has been perpetuated by operant conditioning. (4 marks)

The role of GABA in the central nervous system is to

• regulate neural activity

• make the postsynaptic neuron more likely to fire

• inhibit the presynaptic neuron

• regulate the level of adrenaline