Behavioural approach to explaining phobias

Question 1

Outline what is meant by the ‘two process model’.

Answer 1

Developed by Mower. Suggests an acquisition via classical conditioning and a maintenance via operant conditioning.

Question 2

Outline acquisition.

Answer 2

Through classical conditioning
Learning by a stimulus -> response association

Raynor and Watson - Little Albert 
neutral stimulus (rat) + unconditioned stimulus (noise) ->unconditioned response (fear) response.  
conditioned stimulus (rat) -> conditioned response (fear)

*The fear can become generalised to other similar objects, animals, situations 
Example for fear of dogs:
Neutral stimulus (dog) + unconditioned stimulus (loud barking) = unconditioned response (fear)
Conditioned stimulus (dog)= conditioned response (fear)

Question 3

Outline maintenance.

Answer 3

By operant conditioning
Avoidance of the phobic stimulus reduces anxiety – negative reinforcement.

e.g. avoiding dogs reduces anxiety so maintains the phobia and means the avoidance behaviour is strengthened in the future.

Question 4

What are the strengths of the behavioral approach to explaining phobias?

Answer 4

+Real world applications – phobias can be treated using exposure therapies to prevent avoidance e.g. systematic desensitisation and flooding.
+Research support - 73% of people with dental phobia had past trauma
+Provides comprehensive distal explanation for how individuals develop phobias themselves.

Question 4

What are the weaknesses of the behavioral approach to explaining phobias?

Answer 4

• Cognitive aspects – does not take into account cognitive characteristics e.g. irrational beliefs about spiders being dangerous in the UK. In England there are no dangerous spider species but high levels of arachnophobia as opposed to countries that do such as Australia.
• Counterpoint: Individual differences - Some phobias cannot be traced back to a specific event/bad experience and not all bad experiences lead to a phobia.
• Counterpoint: Evolutionary theory - is better at explaining phobias s due to being a danger in the past such as snakes – this is called preparedness (Seligman).