What Is a Phobia? What Type of Phobia Did 3-Year-Old

question 142

Essay

What is a phobia? What type of phobia did 3-year-old Peter have before Mary Cover Jones was able to eliminate it? Describe her counterconditioning technique and then explain how a variation of this procedure, systematic desensitization, is used for treating phobias in adults.

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Definitions:

Tegmentum

A part of the brainstem that is involved in movement and arousal, containing the reticular formation and various nuclei.

Tectum

Roof of the midbrain.

Superior Colliculi

Paired structures in the midbrain that are involved in visual and auditory reflexes and coordinate head and eye movements.

Cerebrum

The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain, responsible for higher brain functions such as thought, action, reasoning, emotion, and memory.