Question

Generalised Anxiety Disorder and Phobia are types of anxiety disorders. How will different psychological models explain the development of these disorders?

Answer 1

1. Psychodynamic model: unconscious conflicts/id, ego, superego.
2. Behavioural model: abnormal behaviour is the result of learning maladaptive ways of behaving. Explain classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and social learning.
3. Cognitive Model: abnormal functioning can result from cognitive problems; irrational, overgeneralized thinking can lead to anxiety.
4. Humanistic-existential model: Humanists believe that human beings are born with a natural tendency to be friendly, cooperative, and constructive and are driven to self-actualise, i.e., to fulfil this potential for goodness and growth.
   Existentialists believe that from birth, we have total freedom to give meaning to our existence or avoid that responsibility. Those who shirk from this responsibility would live empty, inauthentic, and dysfunctional lives.