Abnormality - Behavioural Approach Flashcards
What are the 3 explanations for the behavioural approach?
Classical conditioning (Watson) - learning by association Operant conditioning (Skinner) - learning by consequences Social learning (Bandura) - learning from others
Explain a example of classical conditioning?
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
What is the acquisition of phobias?
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
What was Watson & Raynor’s aim?
To investigate the effects of classical conditioning
What was Watson & Raynor’s method or procedure?
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
What was Watson & Raynor’s results?
Fear of the rat was conditioned - Albert cried when the rat was present
Fear also then generalised to other fluffy objects - rabbits
What were Watson & Raynor’s conclusions?
Phobias are acquired through the process of classical conditioning
Stimulus generalisation may explain how phobias spread to other similar options
What are some strengths of the Little Albert study?
Good internal validity
Detailed procedures to test hypotheses - highly detailed
What are some limitations of the Little Albert study?
Only 1 participant - lacks representivity & population validity
There is a lack of protection - not protected from harm
Explain the evaluation of classical conditioning?
Accepted as being a plausible explanation for phobias
Explain what operant conditioning is?
Shaped by its consequences
Behaviour becomes more likely if its reinforced
What is positive reinforcement?
Getting something good for performing a behaviour makes the behaviour more likely in the future
What is negative reinforcement?
A negative reward - removal of something bad - makes behaviour more likely in future
What does a lack of reinforcement normally cause?
Less likely for that behaviour occurring
How are phobias maintained?
Through the process of negative reinforcement
People avoid it = rewards from drop in anxiety - maintains the phobia
What are the theories of phobias?
Acquired through classical conditioning
Maintained by operant conditioning
Is OC accepted to explain the maintenance of phobias?
Yes
Which method is successful for treating phobias?
Behavioural therapies involving facing up to the object of the phobia
Suggesting that the phobia is maintained by avoiding the object of the phobia
Define what social learning is?
Learning through observation and imitation
We tend to watch and then imitate models that are rewarded (not those who are punished)
What is vicarious learning?
Learning through the observation of models
How are eating disorders linked to vicarious learning?
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
How are phobias linked to social learning?
Observing others being scared of objects
Child seeing their mother being scared of spiders then becomes scared of them too
What did Fearn 1999 do and discover?
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
What did Nasser 1986 do and discover?
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
What did Mineka find out?
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
