Behavioural Approach To Explaining Phobias - A01 Flashcards
What is the behavioural approach?
Behaviourism is a theory learning. It states that all behaviours are learned through interacting with the environment via the process of conditioning.
Behaviour is a response to environmental stimuli.
Classical conditioning
Learning through association
Explain the famous research associated with classical conditioning?
Pavlov’s dogs – Pavlov wanted to research if dogs still salivate if food isn’t there but with the association of a bell.
The dog sees the food (the unconditioned stimulus) and begins to salivate (the unconditioned response).
Then Pavlov rung the bell (the neutral stimulus) when the dog saw the food, making the dog salivate.
When Pavlov rung the bell (the conditioned stimulus) another time, the dog started salivating (the conditioned response) as it associated the bell with the food.
What is operant conditioning?
It’s learning through consequences.
The famous research associated with operant conditioning?
Skinner’s box:
Skinner used rats in the box and added a lever. If the rat pushed on the lever, it received a treat, which is positive reinforcement.
What is positive reinforcement
A behaviour that’s rewarded is reinforced (repeated).
What is negative reinforcement
A behaviour that avoids an unpleasant stimulus, such as a shock, is reinforced (repeated).
What is punishment
A behaviour that results in an unpleasant outcome, such as shock, and won’t be repeated.
What is Mowrer’s (1960) two process model?
Mowrer used a learning theory in order to propose the behavioural explanation of phobias through a two-process model:
- Phobias are initiated or acquired through classical conditioning.
- Phobias are continued or maintained through operant conditioning.
How are phobias initiated?
The behavioural approach suggests that a phobia is acquired through learning an association – classical conditioning.
If a person was bitten by a dog (unconditioned stimulus) then the person would feel fear (unconditioned response).
When a dog (the neutral stimulus) is associated with being bitten (unconditioned response) then the dog (conditioned response) produces a fear response, which is now a conditioned response, alone.
How are phobias maintained?
- This can be explained through operant conditioning.
- Operant conditioning happens when a behaviour is reinforced, e.g. the likelihood of a behaviour to continue repeating is increased if the outcome is rewarding.
- A person may avoid a feared object in order to reduce anxiety, which feels rewarding.
- This is negative reinforcement because a person avoids the situation to escape from an unpleasant situation.
- This behaviour might result in a desirable consequence, which means that the behaviour may be repeated.
Watson and Raynor (1920): case study of Little Albert?
Little Albert was conditioned to associate white rats with a feared response.
This phobia was generalised to other objects that were white and furry.
Little Albert showed anxiety when he was exposed to cotton wool, a fur coat and Watson wearing a Santa Claus beard.
UCS: the loud noise.
UCR: the fear.
NS: the white rabbit.
CS: the white rabbit.
CR: the fear.
