Behavioural approach on treating and explaining phobias

Question 1

what do behaviourists believe?

Answer 1

• behaviour is learned from interacting with the environment
• from experience

Question 2

how does classical conditioning cause a phobia?

Answer 2

• phobic stimulus= NS
• causes NR
• UCS= pain of phobic stimulus produces an UCR
• this doesnt need to be learned
• association bc NS paired w UCS
• object becomes CS which produces a NR

Question 2

what is the two process model? Mower:

Answer 2

• phobias acquired through classical conditioning
• learning through association
• maintained through operant conditioning
• learned from consequences/ reinforcement

Question 3

How does operant conditioning maintain a phobia?

Answer 3

• ppl w phobia aware of it and try and avoid it/ situations that mean they would come in contact with it
• avoidance= reduction in anxiety= pleasant sensation
• reinforcement strengthens the phobia
• makes them more likely to avoid it in the future

Question 4

Evaluating the behaviourist approach to explaning phobias: strength, little Albert

Answer 4

• Watson and Rayner (1920)
• showed rat for first time and had no phobic response
• Watson paired the rat with a mental pole clanking sound behind the babies head= fear
• rat= phobic response
• fear can develop through association
• showed associating showing fear to small fury animals as well

Question 5

Evaluating the behaviourist approach to explaning phobias: limitations, counter research by DiNardo dog bites

Answer 5

• conditioning events like ‘dog bites’ were common in 56% of ppl w dog phobias
• they were just as common in 66% of pp w no dog phobias
• behaviourist approach doesnt explain all phobias

Question 6

Evaluating the behaviourist approach to explaning phobias: limitations, Mendes and Clark water

Answer 6

• 2& of kids w phobia of water ca recall negative experience of water
• 56% parents said the phobia had been there when the id first went in water
• behaviourist approach doesnt explain all phobias

Question 7

Evaluating the behaviourist approach to explaning phobias: limitations, no phobic response to most everyday objects

Answer 7

• humans dont show phobic responses to most day-to-day life
• like knives and cars but spiders and snakes more common
• explained by evolutionary theory bc ancestors faced these fears
• those w natural instinctual fear would’ve been more likely to survive= reproduction
• phobias may be hereditary