4. PSYCHOPATHOLOGY (THE BEHAVIOURAL APPROACH TO EXPLAINING PHOBIAS (THE TWO PROCESS MODEL, INCLUDING CLASSICAL AND OPERANT CONDITIONING) Flashcards
What is the Two-Process Model of phobias?
The Two-Process Model suggests that phobias are acquired through classical conditioning (learning by association) and maintained through operant conditioning (reinforcement of avoidance behaviours).
How are phobias acquired according to classical conditioning?
Phobias are acquired when a neutral stimulus (e.g., a dog) is associated with an unconditioned stimulus (e.g., being bitten), resulting in a conditioned response (fear) toward the previously neutral stimulus (dog).
How does operant conditioning maintain phobias?
Operant conditioning explains that avoidance of the phobic stimulus reduces anxiety, which negatively reinforces the avoidance behaviour, making it more likely to occur again and maintain the phobia.
What did Watson and Rayner (1920) demonstrate in their Little Albert experiment?
They showed that Little Albert could develop a phobia by associating a white rat (neutral stimulus) with a loud noise (unconditioned stimulus), leading to a fear response (conditioned response) to the rat.
What is systematic desensitization (SD) and how does it work?
SD is a behavioural therapy used to treat phobias by gradually exposing the patient to the phobic stimulus in a controlled manner while using relaxation techniques to reduce anxiety. It involves creating a hierarchy of fear-inducing situations related to the phobia.
How does systematic desensitization use relaxation and hierarchy?
In SD, the patient is taught relaxation techniques (e.g., deep breathing) to counteract anxiety. The therapist creates a fear hierarchy, starting with less anxiety-provoking situations and gradually progressing to more fearful stimuli. This helps reduce the phobia over time.
What is flooding, and how does it work in treating phobias?
Flooding is an intense therapy where the patient is exposed to their phobic stimulus in a safe, controlled environment for an extended period. This exposure prevents the person from avoiding the stimulus and helps them learn that the anxiety diminishes naturally over time.
What is a strength of the behavioural approach to explaining phobias?
The behavioural approach is supported by scientific evidence, such as Watson and Rayner’s Little Albert experiment, which demonstrated that phobias can be learned through classical conditioning.
What is a practical application of the behavioural approach?
The behavioural approach has led to successful treatments like systematic desensitization, which has been shown to reduce phobia symptoms, such as in the study by Gilroy et al. (2003) on spider phobia.
What is a limitation of the behavioural explanation of phobias?
The behavioural approach heavily favours the nurture side of the nature vs nurture debate, suggesting phobias are learned through experience, ignoring potential genetic factors or evolutionary predispositions (e.g., fear of snakes or the dark).
What is an oversimplification in the behavioural approach to phobias?
The behavioural approach may be over simplistic, as it ignores cognitive factors like irrational thinking (e.g., catastrophic thinking) that could contribute to phobia development. Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) may sometimes be more effective than behavioural treatments.
What does the Diathesis-Stress model suggest about phobias?
The Diathesis-Stress model suggests that phobias are not solely caused by learning but by a combination of genetic predispositions (diathesis) and environmental triggers (stress). This model offers a more holistic explanation than the purely behavioural approach.
