Behavioural Approach And Treatment Of Phobias Flashcards
What theory do the behaviourist approach us to explain phobias
The Two Process Model
Who proposed the Two Process Model and when?
Mowrer 1960
What two processes does the Two Process model use to explain how people acquire and maintain phobias
-Classical conditioning
-Operant conditioning through negative reinforcement
How is a phobia learnt through classical conditioning
-Initially an unconditioned stimulus will produce the unconditioned response of fear.
-A neutral stimulus is paired with the naturally occurring stimulus.
-As a result, the neutral stimulus will eventually become associated with the unconditioned stimulus, becoming a conditioned stimulus
-The conditioned stimulus will produce the conditioned response of fear
The phobia has been acquired
How is a phobia maintained through the process of operant conditioning and negative reinforcement
-Once a phobia is learnt it is negatively reinforced through operant conditioning
-A person avoids the feared stimulus, and in turn they reduce their feelings of anxiety
-As a result they are more likely to repeat this avoidance behaviour in the future.
-They are ‘rewarded’ by the relief of anxiety when they avoid the phobic stimulus
-This means that the phobia is maintained as the avoidance behaviour prevents them from learning it is harmless
What is stimulus generalisation
When a stimulus evokes the same response as a similar stimulus
Describe Watson and Rayner’s study (Little Albert and classical conditioning)
-Conducted a study with a 9month old baby called Little Albert
-Initially the unconditioned stimulus, the loud noise, produced the unconditioned response of fear
-The presence of the loud noise was then paired with a neutral stimulus- a white rat, several times,which produce no significant response at first
-Eventually, Albert began to form an association between the white rat, now conditioned stimulus, and the loud noise, conditioned response
-Furthermore, they found that stimulus generalisation took place- He began to fear similar looking things to the white rat, such as a white rabbit and a fur coat
Evaluation of the two process model
-Good practical application/ explanatory power
Alternative explanations:
-Cognitive factors -irrational thinking
-Biologically factors- Biological preparedness
-Diathess stress model- environmental and biological
Why does the Two process model explanation have good practical application
-Many people who have phobias remember a traumatic event where they acquired the phobia
-This can help us to understand which treatment is best for the disorder
What is the cognitive explanation of phobias
-The cognitive approach suggests that phobias may develop as a consequence if irrational thinking E.G ‘I might get stuck in a lift and suffocate’
(Means that CBT may be a better treatment for phobias if it stems from cognitive factors)
How does the theory of biological preparedness explain phobias (Seligman)
-Seligman argued that phobias don’t have to be learnt as human and animals are biologically preprogrammed to form an association between life threatening stimuli and fear
-E.G We naturally fear things that would have caused us harm in our evolutionary past, such as strangers, spiders and heights, but not modern day appliances. This is called biological preparedness
-This theory makes it difficult to affirm the effectiveness of the Two Process Model, suggesting that it is not as simple as conditioning.
How dos the diathesis stress model explain phobias
-Proposes that we must inherit a genetic vulnerability for mental disorders, which makes some people more likely to learn phobias than others
-E.G phobias are not always learnt following a traumatic experience. E.G not all car crash victims develop a phobia of cars, suggesting that a certain gene, or combination of them acts as a trigger for developing a phobia
-Conditioning alone isn’t enough to explain phobias, both environmental and genetic factors should be taken into account. Suggests that a combination of treatments should be used in order to treat both elements of the disorder effectively and prevent relapse. E.G both drug therapy and flooding
What are two behavioural treatments of phobias
-Flooding
-Systematic desensitisation
What is a counter conditioning
To unlearn
What is the process of flooding
-A person is immediately exposed to the most anxiety inducing situation of their phonic stimulus
-The person has no option to avoid the situation or remove it so they must stay in its presence
-Eventually they learn that the phobic stimulus is harmless and so the phobia is extinguished
What is the process of systematic desensitisation
-The patient works with. Therapist to create a fear hierarchy, ranking the phobic situation from least to most anxiety inducing.
-The patient is also taught relaxation strategies, such as breathing techniques, to help them remain calm when exposed to their fear.
-Finally, the patient works through their fear hierarchy, starting at the bottom, while trying to remain relaxed at each stage, gradually exposing them to their fear.
-Systematic desensitisation works on the assumption that two emotional states cannot exist at the same time, a theory known as reciprocal inhibition
-Eventually relaxation will replace the fear and the patient will reach the top of the hierarchy and will have mastered their fear.
What is reciprocal inhibition
The idea that a person cannot feel two emotional states at the same time e.g relaxation and fear
In SD anxiety replaced by relaxation
What principle is SD based on
Reciprocal inhibition
What are the two types of SD
-In vivo
-In vitro
What is the meaning of in vivo
Direct experience with phobic stimulus
Meaning of in vitro
-Using visualisation of the phobic stimulus (imagining)
Which type of SD is more effective
In vivo
Evaluation of flooding
-Cost effective
-Less effective for more complex phobias e.g social phobias
-Highly traumatic- high attrition rates
-Symptom substitution
Evaluation of SD
-Evidence to support effectiveness
-Client preference
-Symptom subsitution
How many sessions does flooding normally require
One 2-3 hour session in order to see results
Why is flooding useful for the NHS
-Cost effective- NHS is overstretched and underfunded so much more useful and effective treatment
Why may flooding be less effective for complex phobias like social phobias
-Social phobias can also have cognitive aspects E.g may be caused by irrational thinking
-Means that a cognitive treatment should also be used alongside E.g CBT
Why can flooding be highly traumatic for patients
-individuals are immediately exposed to the phobic stimulus, causing a high level of anxiety
How does Wolpes study support the criticism that flooding is traumatic
-Wolpe recalled a case with as patient becoming so intensely anxious that she required hospitalisation.
-This suggests that flooding can sometimes do more harm than good
Why is flooding not unethical despite its high trauma
-Patients all give informed consent
What can the trauma that flooding causes result in
-High attrition rates, meaning patients do not compete the full treatment = waste of time and money
How does Ougrin support floodings effectiveness
-Ougrin suggests that flooding is more effective and quicker than other therapies. This means that treatment is cheaper as patients need less sessions in order to be free of their symptoms
What is symptom substitution
-In some cases, although one phobias may have been removed through counter conditioning, another phobia may have developed in its place and the underlying cause of the phobias may remain and resurface under a new guise.
-However, this is a very controversial limitation.
How does McGrath support SD’s effectiveness
-McGrath found that 75% of patients with phobias were successfully treated using systematic desensitisation, particularly during in vivo techniques, in which the patient became in direct contact with the stimulus.
-This demonstrates its effectiveness in treating specific phobias, particularly when using in vivo methods
Why do patients tend to prefer SD over flooding
-The process of gradual exposure to the phobic stimulus makes SD less traumatic for the patient, and so patients are more likely to complete the full course of treatment.
-Therefore, attrition rates for SD are much lower than for flooding
Why are attrition rates of SD lower
Less traumatic as it involves gradual exposure to the stimulus and so attrition rates are lower
Why may SD be more suitable for disabled patients and children
-Less traumatic so a more suitable method as these patients can often struggle to understand what is happening and so respond better to SD
Which treatment is better,/ more effective at treating specific phobias
BOTH
How does Gilroy support the effectiveness of SD in treating specific phobias
-Gilroy- followed 42 patients who had been treated for spider phobias in three 45 min SD sessions and found that after three months and 33 months after the treatment that they were less scared than the control group. Shows that SD can be long lasting for specific phobias
