3. The Behavioural Approach To Explaining Phobias Flashcards
What is a behavioural approach?
A way of explaining behaviour in terms of what is observable and in terms of learning.
What is classical conditioning?
Leaning by association. It occurs when two stimuli are repeatedly paired together - an unconditioned stimulus and a new neutral stimulus (NS). The neutral stimulus eventually produces the same response that was first produced by the unlearned stimulus alone.
What is operant conditioning?
A form of learning in which behaviour is shaped and maintained by its consequences. Possible consequences of behaviour include positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement and punishment.
Who proposed the two process model of phobias?
Hobart Mowrer
What is the model and what did it state?
It is a two-process model based in the behavioural approach to phobias. This states that phobias are learned in the first place by classical conditioning and are then maintained by operant conditioning.
Explain the first process of the model; acquisition by classical conditioning
In classical conditioning, leaning happens because an association forms between a neutral stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus until the neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned response.
In the case of a phobia, we learn to associate something of which we have no fear (the neutral stimulus) with something that already triggers a fear response (an unconditioned stimulus).
This fear is then generalised to other similar objects.
What evidence is there to support the idea that phobias can be the learned through classical conditioning?
Watson and Raynor’s Little Albert Study
Describe the Little Albert study in relation to classical conditioning
Whenever Albert reached for the white rat a steel drum was struck behind his head creating a loud noise. They paired the rat and the noise 7 times in total over a number of weeks. In this procedure the loud noise is an unconditioned stimulus and Albert’s response (fear/crying) is an unconditioned response. Before conditioning the rat was a neutral stimulus.
When the rat (neutral stimulus) and the unconditioned stimulus (noise) are encountered so close together in time the neutral stimulus becomes associated with the unconditioned stimulus and both now produce the conditioned response.
Findings:
By the third trial Albert showed fear whenever he saw the rat. The rat was now a conditioned stimulus and Albert’s fear of it as a conditioned response.
Little Albert also showed distress signs towards other similar furry objects such as cotton wool and a fur coat. This is known as stimulus generalisation.
What is negative reinforcement?
Negative reinforcement is when an individual produces a behaviour to avoid something unpleasant, it makes the behaviour more likely to happen.
Explain how a phobia can be maintained by operant conditioning
When a phobic avoids a phobic stimulus the escape the anxiety that would’ve been experienced. This reduction in fear negatively reinforces the avoidance behaviour and the phobia is maintained.
How could this behaviour be shown in someone with a phobia of clowns?
They will avoid places where there will be clowns and escape the anxiety that would have been experienced. The relief felt from avoiding clowns negatively reinforces the phobia and ensures it is maintained rather than confronted.
Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder towards leaving the sufferers home environment. This is a serious problem because it prevents the sufferer going about their normal lives. Amina suffers from agoraphobia. She is a keen A level student but she is struggling to attend college because of the acute anxiety she suffers when attempting to leave her house in the morning. Her phobia began shortly after being mugged. Actually Amina finds she can leave the house if someone else is with her, but her parents leave for work early and she lives in the opposite direction of college and her friends.
Using the two process model explain how Amina might have acquired her phobia and how it might be maintained.
Following her experience of being mugged, Amina learned to associate being mugged (an unconditioned stimulus) with going outside alone (a neutral stimulus) by classical conditioning. Going outside alone then becomes a conditioned stimulus producing the anxiety she felt when being mugged (a conditioned response). She then avoids going out on her own so she escapes the anxiety it would have caused her. The relief she feels then negatively reinforces her fear of going outside alone meaning that the behaviour will be maintained and become more likely to happen.
EVALUATION OF THE BEHAVIOURAL APPROACH TO EXPLAINING PHOBIAS
Give one strength of the two-process model
A strength of the two-process model is that it has good explanatory power. The two-process model went beyond Watson and Rayner’s simple classical conditioning explanation of phobias. It has important implications for therapy - if a patient is prevented from practicing their avoidance behaviour phobic behaviour declines.
The application to therapy is a strength of the two-process model as it shows the importance of operant conditioning in the process and also makes the model more valid.
EVALUATION
Outline the three limitations of the behavioural approach to explaining phobias
- a limitation is the two-process model is an incomplete explanation of phobias
- a limitation is that some phobias don’t follow a trauma
- the two-process model doesn’t properly consider the cognitive aspects of phobias
Explain the limitation of the two-process model being an incomplete explanation of phobias
Even if we accept that classical and operant conditioning are involved in the development and maintenance of phobias, there are some aspects of phobia behaviour that require further explaining. We easily acquire phobias of things that were a danger in our evolutionary past (e.g. Fear of snakes or the dark).
The phenomenon of biological preparedness is a problem for the two-process model because it shows there is more to acquiring phobias than simple conditioning.
