behavioural approach to explaining phobias

Question 1

behavioural (behaviourist) approach definition

Answer 1

a way of explaining behvaiour in terms of what is observable and in terms of learning

Question 2

two-process model

Answer 2

an explanation for the onset and persistence of disorders that create anxiety, such as phobias. the two processes are classical conditioning for onset and operant conditioning for persistence

Question 3

classical conditioning definition

Answer 3

learning by association. occurs when 2 stimuli are repeatedly paired together - an unconditioned stimulus (unlearned) stimulus and new neutral stimulus. the neutral stimulus eventually produces the same response that was first produced by the unconditioned (unlearned) stimulus alone

Question 4

operant conditioning definition

Answer 4

a form of learning in which behvaiour is shaped and maintained by its consequences. possible consequences of behvaiour include positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement or punishment

Question 5

what model is used

Answer 5

the two-process model

Question 6

what does the behavioural approach emphasise

Answer 6

the role of learning in the acquisition of behaviour

Question 7

what aspects of phobias is behavioural approach

Answer 7

behavioural aspects of phobias such as panic, avoidance and endurance rather than cognitive and emotional aspects

Question 8

how are phobias acquired

Answer 8

classical conditioning

Question 9

how are phobias maintained

Answer 9

operant conditioning

Question 10

what does classical conditioning involve

Answer 10

learning to associate something of which we initially have no fear (neutral stimulus) with something that triggers a fear response (unconditioned stimulus)

Question 11

who did little albert study

Answer 11

Watson and Rayner

Question 12

when did watson and rayner do little albert study

Answer 12

1920

Question 13

what is Watson and Rayner little albert study do

Answer 13

created a phobia in a 9-moth old baby called little albert. Albert showed no unusual anxiety at the start of the study. when shown a white rat he tried to play with it. however, the experimenters then set out to give albert a phobia. whenever the rat was presneted to albert the researchers made a loud, frightening noise by banging an iron bar close to Albert’s ear. this noise was the unconditioned stimulus which creates and unconditioned response of fear. when the rat NS and the UCS are encountered together the NS becomes assocaited with the UCS and both now produce the fear response - albert displayed dear when he saw a rat NS the rat is now the learned or conditioned stimulus that produces a conditioned response

Question 14

generalisability of classical conditioning for acquisition of phobias

Answer 14

this conditioning then generalised to similar objects, they tested albert by showing him other furry objects such as a non-white rabbit, a fur coat and watson wearing a Santa clause beard made out of cotton balls. little albert displayed distress at the sight of all these

Question 14

how is conditioning used for acquisition and maintenance

Answer 14

responses acquired by classical conditioning usually tend to decline over time. however phobias are often long lasting. Mowrer has explained this as the result of operant conditioning

Question 15

what is operant conditioning

Answer 15

takes place when behaviour is reinforced (rewarded) or punished.

Question 16

how does reinforcement effect frequency of behaviour

Answer 16

increase frequency of behaviour. this is true for both positive and negative reinforcement. the behvaiour results in a desirable consequence which means the behvaiour will be repeated

Question 17

what did Mowrer suggest about maintenance by operant conditioning

Answer 17

suggested that whenever we avoid a phobic stimulus we successfully escape the fear an anxiety that we would have experienced if we had remained there. this reduction if fear reinforces the avoidance behvaiour and so the phobia is maintained

Question 18

strength of the two-processes model as a behavioural explanation of phobias - real-world application

Answer 18

-real-world application in exposure therapies such as systematic desensitisation
-the distinctive element of the two-process model is the idea phobias are maintained by avoidance of the phobic stimulus. this is important in explaining why people with phobias benefit from being exposed to the phobic stimulus. once the avoidance behvaiour is prevented it ceases to be reinforced by the experience of anxiety reduction and therefore declines. in behavioural terms the phobia is avoidance behvaiour so when this avoidance behaviour so when this avoidance is prevented the phobia is cured –> shows the value of the two-process approach because it identifies a means of treating phobias

Question 19

limitation of the two-processes model as a behavioural explanation of phobias - cognitive aspects of phobias

Answer 19

-does not account for cognitive aspects of phobias
-behavioural explanations including the two-process model, are geared towards explaining behvaiour. in the case of phobias the key behvaiour is avoidance of the phobic stimulus. however, we know that phobias are not simply avoidance responses - they also have a significant cognitive component. for example people hold irrational beliefs about the phobic stimulus such as thinking a spider is dangerous. the two-process model explains avoidance behvaiour but does not offer an adequate explanation for phobic cognitions –> means that the two-process model does not completely explain the symptoms of phobias

Question 20

strength of the two-processes model as a behavioural explanation of phobias - phobias and traumatic experiences

Answer 20

-evidence for a link between bad experiences and phobias
-Little Albert study illustrated how a frightening experience involving a stimulus can lead to a phobias of that stimulus. more systematic evidence comes form a study of Jongh et al 2006 who found that 73% of people with a fear of dental treatment had experienced a traumatic experience, mostly involving dentistry (others had being the victim of violent crime). this can be compared to a control group of people with low dental anxiety where only 21% had had a traumatic event –> confirms that the association between stimulus (dentistry) and an unconditioned response (pain) does lead to the development of the phobia

Question 21

strength of the two-processes model as a behavioural explanation of phobias - counterpoint to phobias and traumatic experiences

Answer 21

-not all phobias appear following a bad experience. in fact some common phobias such as snake phobias such as snake phobias occur in populations where very few people have nay experience of snakes let alone traumatic experiences. also, considering the other direction, not all frightening experiences lead to phobias –> means that the association between phobias and frightening experiences is not as string as we would expect is behavioural theories provided a complete explanation

Question 22

evaluation of the two-processes model as a behavioural explanation of phobias - learning and evolution

Answer 22

-behavioural models of phobias such as the two-process model provide credible individual explanations. they can explain how a particular person develops and maintains a particular phobia
-however, there are other more general aspects to phobias that may be better explained by evolutionary theory. for example we tend to acquire phobias of things that have presented a danger in our evolutionary past (such as snakes and the dark). this is called preparedness (seligman 1971)