3. behaviourist approach to explaining phobias Flashcards
THE TWO-PROCESS MODEL
The behavioural approach emphasises the role of learning in the acquisition of behaviour.
Mower proposed the two-process model based on the behavioural approach to phobias.
This states that
phobias are learnt by classical conditioning and maintained because of operant conditioning
ACQUISITION BY CLASSICAL CONDITIONING
Classical conditioning involves learning to associate something of which we initially have no fear (called a neutral stimulus) with something that already triggers a fear response known as an unconditioned stimulus).
Watson and Rayner created a phobia in a 9-month-old baby called ‘Little Albert’.
Albert showed no unusual anxiety at the start of the study when shown a white rat he tried to play with it. However, the experimenters then set out to give Albert a phobia. Whenever the rat was presented to Albert the researchers made a loud, frightening noise by banging an iron bar close to Albert’s ear. This noise is an unconditioned stimulus (UCS) which creates an unconditioned response (UCR) of fear. When the rat (a neutral stimulus, NS) and the UCS are encountered close together in time the NS becomes associated with the UCS, and both now produce the fear response - Albert displayed fear when he saw a rat (the NS). The rat is now a learned or conditioned stimulus (CS) that produces a conditioned response (CR)/
This conditioning then generalised to similar objects. They tested Albert by showing him other furry objects such as a non-white rabbit, a fur coat and Watson wearing a Santa Claus beard made out of cotton balls. Little Albert displayed distress at the sight of all of these.
MAINTENANCE BY OPERANT CONDITIONING
Responses acquired by classical conditioning usually tend to decline over time. However, phobias are often long-lasting. Mower has explained this as the result of operant conditioning.
Reinforcement tends to increase the frequency of a behaviour.
In the case of negative reinforcement an individual avoids a situation that is unpleasant. Such a behaviour results in a desirable consequence, which means the behaviour will be repeated.
Mower suggested that whenever we avoid a phobic stimulus,
we successfully escape the fear and anxiety that we would have experienced if we had remained there.
This reduction in fear reinforces the avoidance behaviour and so the phobia is maintained.
AO3: strength of BEHAVIOURAL APPROACH TO EXPLAINING PHOBIAS
real world application - SD and flooding
One strength of the two-process model is its real-world application in exposure therapies such as systematic desensitisation and flooding.
The distinctive element of the two-process model is the idea that phobias are maintained by avoidance of the phobic stimulus. This is important in explaining why people with phobias benefit from being exposed to the phobic stimulus. Once the avoidance behaviour is prevented it ceases to be reinforced by the experience of anxiety reduction and avoidance therefore declines.
In behavioural terms the phobia is the avoidance behaviour so when this avoidance is prevented the phobia is cured.
This shows the value of the two-process approach because it identifies a means of treating phobias.
AO3: strength of BEHAVIOURAL APPROACH TO EXPLAINING PHOBIAS
research support - Ad de Jongh
A further strength of the two-process model is evidence for a link between bad experiences and phobias.
Ad De Jongh et al. found that 73% of people with a fear of dental treatment had experienced a traumatic experience, mostly involving dentistry (others had experienced being the victim of violent crime). This can be compared to a control group of people with low dental anxiety where only 21% had experienced a traumatic event.
This confirms that the association between stimulus (dentistry) and an unconditioned response (pain) does lead to the development of the phobia.
AO3: limitation of BEHAVIOURAL APPROACH TO EXPLAINING PHOBIAS
not all phobias are acquired through conditioning
Not all phobias appear following a bad experience.
In fact, some common phobias such as snake phobias occur in populations where very few people have any experience of snakes let alone traumatic experiences. Furthermore, not all traumatic experiences lead to a phobia- someone may be in a car accident, but never the develop a phobia of cars.
This suggests we are more likely to have phobias of things which posed a danger for our ancestors, and they provide adaptive advantage.
This is a problem for the behaviourist approachof explaining phobias because it means that more than conditioning is involved in the development of phobias
