Abnormality - Behavioural Approach

Question 1

What are the 3 explanations for the behavioural approach?

Answer 1

Classical conditioning (Watson) - learning by association
Operant conditioning (Skinner) - learning by consequences
Social learning (Bandura) - learning from others

Question 2

Explain a example of classical conditioning?

Answer 2

Pavlov salivation reflex in dogs
Pavlov was able to train dogs to salivate to the sound of a bell
He did this by repeatedly pairing the sound with the production of food until the bell alone provoked salivation

Question 3

What is the acquisition of phobias?

Answer 3

An initial frightening experience leads to an association being formed between 2 stimuli
One of these which is objectively not scary but gets association with something scary which triggers an irrational emotional response

Question 4

What was Watson & Raynor’s aim?

Answer 4

To investigate the effects of classical conditioning

Question 5

What was Watson & Raynor’s method or procedure?

Answer 5

Used classical conditioning to form an association between a pet rat and a scary noise
Repeatedly banged irons together when Albert played with his rat

Question 6

What was Watson & Raynor’s results?

Answer 6

Fear of the rat was conditioned - Albert cried when the rat was present
Fear also then generalised to other fluffy objects - rabbits

Question 7

What were Watson & Raynor’s conclusions?

Answer 7

Phobias are acquired through the process of classical conditioning
Stimulus generalisation may explain how phobias spread to other similar options

Question 8

What are some strengths of the Little Albert study?

Answer 8

Good internal validity

Detailed procedures to test hypotheses - highly detailed

Question 9

What are some limitations of the Little Albert study?

Answer 9

Only 1 participant - lacks representivity & population validity
There is a lack of protection - not protected from harm

Question 10

Explain the evaluation of classical conditioning?

Answer 10

Accepted as being a plausible explanation for phobias

Question 11

Explain what operant conditioning is?

Answer 11

Shaped by its consequences

Behaviour becomes more likely if its reinforced

Question 12

What is positive reinforcement?

Answer 12

Getting something good for performing a behaviour makes the behaviour more likely in the future

Question 13

What is negative reinforcement?

Answer 13

A negative reward - removal of something bad - makes behaviour more likely in future

Question 14

What does a lack of reinforcement normally cause?

Answer 14

Less likely for that behaviour occurring

Question 15

How are phobias maintained?

Answer 15

Through the process of negative reinforcement

People avoid it = rewards from drop in anxiety - maintains the phobia

Question 16

What are the theories of phobias?

Answer 16

Acquired through classical conditioning

Maintained by operant conditioning

Question 17

Is OC accepted to explain the maintenance of phobias?

Answer 17

Yes

Question 18

Which method is successful for treating phobias?

Answer 18

Behavioural therapies involving facing up to the object of the phobia
Suggesting that the phobia is maintained by avoiding the object of the phobia

Question 19

Define what social learning is?

Answer 19

Learning through observation and imitation

We tend to watch and then imitate models that are rewarded (not those who are punished)

Question 20

What is vicarious learning?

Answer 20

Learning through the observation of models

Question 21

How are eating disorders linked to vicarious learning?

Answer 21

People observe models
They see them rewarded for extreme dieting and thinness
They model ourselves on them - imitate behaviour to achieve the same benefits
Leading to anorexia

Question 22

How are phobias linked to social learning?

Answer 22

Observing others being scared of objects

Child seeing their mother being scared of spiders then becomes scared of them too

Question 23

What did Fearn 1999 do and discover?

Answer 23

Studied young women living on island of Fiji, Before 1995 they did not receive western channels
Then introduced after 1995
By 1998 - 74% of women surveyed said they were “too big or fat” - eating disorders began to appear on the island

Question 24

What did Nasser 1986 do and discover?

Answer 24

Compared Egyptian women studying in Cairo and compared them to those studying in London
12% of those in London developed eating disorders
Compared to 0% in Cairo

Question 25

What did Mineka find out?

Answer 25

They showed that monkeys are not born with a fear of snakes - but young monkeys who observe their parents displaying a fear of snakes acquire the same fear
Suggesting fear is socially learnt