Behaviorial Approach To Explaining Phobias

Question 1

Classical conditioning

Answer 1

Learning through association

Question 2

Operant conditioning

Answer 2

Learning through consequence

Question 3

Mowrer’s 2 process model suggests….

Answer 3

1, Phobias are acquired or initiated through classical conditioning.
2, Phobias are maintained or continued through operant conditioning.

Question 4

Example of initiation of phobias:

Answer 4

Experiencing a traumatic event such as falling from a height pairs the neutral stimulus of heights with fear and anxiety. Through repeated exposure, the association between heights and fear strengthens, leading to the development of a phobia of heights. The individual’s conditioned response to being in high places alone is characterized by heightened fear and anxiety.
- Falling from a height (UCS) creates an automatic fear (UCR). But when heights (NS) are associated with falling (UCS) then heights (now the CS) produce a fear response (now CR) on its own.
According to the behavioural approach a phobia is acquired through learning an association. For example, classical conditioning can explain why someone develops a fear of dogs after being bitten.

Question 5

Example of maintenance of phobias:

Answer 5

The maintenance of phobias can be explained through operant conditioning.
Operant conditioning takes place when behaviour is reinforced i.e. the likelihood of a behaviour being repeated is increased if the outcome is rewarding.
A person avoids a feared object to reduce anxiety and is therefore rewarding.
This is an example of negative reinforcement because a person avoids the situation to escaping from an unpleasant situation.
Such behaviour results in a desirable consequence which means the behaviour will be repeated

Question 6

A strength of the two-process model is evidence for a link between bad experiences and phobias….

Answer 6

• De Jongh (2006) found that 73% of dental phobics had experienced a trauma (mostly involving dentistry).
• Further support came from the control group of people with low dental anxiety, where only 21% had experienced a traumatic event.
  (Proves association can lead to phobias)

Question 7

• A strength of the two-process model is its real-world application in exposure therapies (such as systematic desensitisation)…

Answer 7

• Once avoidance behaviour is prevented it ceases to be reinforced by the reduction of anxiety
  – Avoidance behaviour therefore declines. In behavioural terms, the phobia is the avoidance, so when this avoidance is prevented, the phobia is cured.
• This shows the value of the 2-stage approach, because it identifies a means of treating phobias.

Question 8

A limitation of the behavioural approach to explaining phobias is that it does not offer a complete explanation of phobias…

Answer 8

Bounton (2007) highlights that evolutionary factors could play a role in phobias, especially if the effects of a particular stimulus (e.g. snakes) could have caused pain or even death to our ancestors. Consequently, evolutionary psychologists suggest that some phobias (e.g. snakes and heights) are not learnt but are in fact innate, as such phobias acted as a survival mechanism for our ancestors.
E - This innate predisposition to certain phobias is called biological preparedness (Seligman, 1971) and casts doubt on the two-process model since it suggests that there is more to phobias than learning.
(Doesn’t explain innate phobias