Behavioural Approach To Explaining Phobias

Question 1

Outline how a phobia of dogs could be learned through association

Answer 1

Dog could become associated with the pain/ trauma of the dog bite- the dog becomes conditioned stimulus.

Question 2

Operant conditioning involves learning through…

Answer 2

Consequences of that behaviour (reinforcement)

Question 3

What is meant by ‘reinforcement’?

Answer 3

If a behaviour is rewarding it is said to be reinforcing, it improves the chances it’ll be repeated

Question 4

What is positive reinforcement?

Answer 4

A behaviour is more likely to reoccur because of positive consequences

Question 5

What is negative reinforcement?

Answer 5

A behaviour is more likely to reoccur because of avoidance of negative consequences

Question 6

Why do you individuals show avoidant behaviour?

Answer 6

Due to positive reinforcement of avoidant behaviour- avoidance response is rewarding
Or behaviour is negative reinforced as to reduce fear response (turning lights on for a fear of the dark)

Question 7

How could principles of SLT explain the initiation of a phobia?

Answer 7

Bandits found that if patients observed former patients handling snakes as an effective therapy would then handle snakes more easily

Question 8

Advantages of the behaviourist approach to explaining phobias

Answer 8

1) Provides a social and psychopathological view- can be combined with biological to provide full understanding (eg genetic vulnerability)
2) research evidence supports phobias being learnt- King at L (1998) reported case studies that show children tend to acquire strong phobias through traumatic experience

Question 9

Weaknesses of the behavioural approach to explaining phobias

Answer 9

1) Not everyone that has had a traumatic experience has developed a phobia for example only 20% of people of experiencing a corrected and developed a phobia can only apply to certain situations
2) examples such as the dis thesis stress model contradict- suggests there is a genetic vulnerability

Question 10

The two process model

Answer 10

Orval Honart Mowrer (1947) proposed the model to explain how phobias are learned. Classical conditioning and then a second stage of operant conditioning occurs. Explains the initiation and maintenance of a phobia