Behavioural Approach to EXPLAINING phobias Flashcards
What is the TWO โ๐ผ -PROCESS MODEL
- Behavioural ๐ช๐ผ approach emphasises the role of learning in the acquisition of behaviour; the approach focuses on behaviour - what we can see ๐ and what its geared towards explaining the avoidance, endurance and panic aspects of phobias.
- Mowrer 1๏ธโฃ9๏ธโฃ6๏ธโฃ0๏ธโฃ proposed the TWO โ๐ผ -PROCESS MODEL based on behavioural ๐ช๐ผapproach to phobias. - it states that phobias are acquired (learned in first place) by CLASSICAL CONDITIONING and then maintained because of OPERANT CONDITIONING.
First stage - Acquisition by Classical Conditioning (CC)
CC involves learning to associate something of which we initially have no fear of (neutral stimulus) with something that already triggers a fear response (unconditioned stimulus). E.g. the traumatic experience of being bitten by a dog ๐(NS) could create phobia of dogs.
Before Conditioning Being bitten (UCS) = Fear (UCR)
During Conditioning
Dog (NS) + Being bitten (UCS) = Fear (UCR)
After Conditioning
Dog (CS) = Fear (CR)
What research ๐ฌ was carried out by Watson & Rayner 1๏ธโฃ9๏ธโฃ2๏ธโฃ0๏ธโฃ in terms of the first stage - acquisition by classical conditioning ?
Watson & Rayner 1๏ธโฃ9๏ธโฃ2๏ธโฃ0๏ธโฃ created a phobia in a 9๏ธโฃ month old baby ๐ผ called โLittle Albert ๐ถ๐ผโ.
Albert showed no unusual anxiety at the start of the study - when shown a white rat ๐, he tried playing with it.
However, Watson & Rayner then set out to give Albert ๐ถ๐ผ a phobia - whenever the rat ๐ was presented they made a loud ๐ข, frightening noise by banging an iron bar ๐ง close to his ear ๐๐ผ .
Eventually Albert ๐ถ๐ผ became frightened ๐ฑwhen he saw the rat ๐ without the noise ๐.
The rat ๐ then became a conditioned stimulus (CS) that produced a conditioned response (CR) of fear๐ฑ.
This conditioning then became generalised to similar objects, e.g. they tested Albert by showing him other furry objects i.e. non-white rabbit ๐ซ๐ , fur coat ๐๐, Watson wearing Santa Claus ๐ ๐ป beard made out of cotton โ๏ธ balls.
In the end, Albert ๐ถ๐ผ displayed distress ๐ at the sight of all the furry objects.
Second stage - Maintenance by Operant Conditioning (OC)
Whilst CC explains acquisition of CR (fear/๐ฑ phobia), Operant Conditioning maintains the phobia through negative โ reinforcement.
Responses acquired by CC tend to decline over time, however, phobias are often long lasting, Mowrer explained this as result of OC.
- Operant Conditioning takes place when our behaviour is reinforced (rewarded)๐ญ or punished ๐ค๐ผ.
Reinforement tends to increase the frequency of behaviour - true for both positive โ and negative โ reinforcement.
In the case of negative โ reinforcement, the individual will avoid a situation that is unpleasant e.g. avoiding to visit the dentist ๐ฉ๐ปโโ๏ธ if they have a fear ๐ฑ of them.
Such behaviour (avoiding going to the dentist ๐ฉ๐ปโโ๏ธ) will result in a desirable consequence, meaning that the behaviour will be repeated โ๏ธ2๏ธโฃ.
Therefore the individual will avoid their phobic object or situation (source of their fear).
What are the evaluation points of the TWO โ๐ผ- PROCESS MODEL
1) Research support for the two-process model โ
2) Good explanatory power and implications for therapy. โ
3) Incomplete explanation of phobias โ๏ธ
4) Cognitive factors might also be relevant in the development of phobias. โ๏ธ
Outline the evaluation point
1) Research support for the two-process model โ
Point:
Strength โ
of the twoโ๐ผ-process model - research support for the ideas.
Explain:
Bagby reported the case of a women ๐ฉ๐ผ who had a phobia ๐ฃ of running ๐๐ผ water ๐ฆ that she acquired from her feet ๐ getting stuck in some rocks ๐ near a waterfall ๐. although she was eventually de-conditioned, the NS of the sound ๐of the running ๐๐ผ water ๐ฆ became associated with the fear ๐ฑ she had felt and thus her phobia of running ๐๐ผ water ๐ฆ was acquired.
Example:
Mowrer 1๏ธโฃ9๏ธโฃ6๏ธโฃ0๏ธโฃ, himself provided support for how phobias can be maintained through OPERANT CONDITIONING. He conditioned rats ๐ to fear a buzzer ๐จ through the use of electric shocks โก๏ธ & then through OC he trained the rates to escape the electric shocks ๐ by making the avoidance response of jumping over a barrier ๐๐ป when the buzzer ๐จsounded ๐.
Elaborate:
Mowrer negatively โ reinforced the rats ๐ , meaning that their behaviour was repeated โ๏ธ2๏ธโฃ every time the buzzer๐จ sounded๐ - they maintained their fear๐ฑ of the sound ๐of the buzzer๐จ.
Re-cap:
These pieces of research provide strong ๐ช๐ผ support for the idea that phobias ๐ฑ can be acquired through CC and maintained through OC.
Outline the evaluation point
2) Good explanatory power and implications for therapy. โ
Point:
Strength of 2 โ๐ผprocess model is that it went beyond the original idea of just CC to explain phobias.
Explain:
It explained how phobias could also be MAINTAINED overtime which had important implications for therapies because it explained why patients need to be exposed to the feared stimulus.
Example:
Once a patient is prevented from practising their avoidance behaviour the behaviour ceases to be reinforced & so it declines.
Elaborate:
This can be seen in the success of systematic desensitisation, which pairs the feared stimulus with relaxation - which are 2 incompatible emotions, as treatment for phobias.
Re-cap:
The effectiveness of systematic desensitisation in addressing phobic symptoms lends support to the behaviourist explanation of phobias.
Outline the evaluation point
3) Incomplete explanation of phobias โ๏ธ
Limitation โ๏ธ of behavioural ๐ช๐ผexplanation is that, in theory, a phobia ๐ฃ to potentially any harmful object ๐ท/ situation๐ณ could develop, however this does not happen.
As cars ๐ pose a realistic threat to life, phobias ๐ฃof ๐ is virtually non-existent ๐ซ. This is despite almost every adult either having experienced, witnessed ๐or heard ๐๐ผabout a car accident in which someone has been injured๐ค.
Selingman 1๏ธโฃ9๏ธโฃ7๏ธโฃ0๏ธโฃ suggested preparedness theory to explain why some phobias are more readily acquired than others.
This theory proposes that humans have been prepared by evolution to be fearful of things in our distant past were a danger to survival.
Our ancestors ๐ต๐ผ who quickly learned how to avoid things e.g. snakes ๐ , heights ๐, spiders ๐ท etc, improved their chance of survival.
We have not had enough time to evolve a tendency to fear ๐ and guns ๐ซ even though they are far more dangerous to our modern day society than spiders ๐ท and snakes ๐ .
The theory of preparedness suggests that there is more to acquiring phobias than simple conditioning.
Outline the evaluation point
4) Cognitive factors might also be relevant in the development of phobias. โ๏ธ
A limitation โ๏ธ of the behavioural ๐ช๐ผ approach to explaining phobias ๐ฃ is that it ignores the role of cognitive factors.
It should be possible to trace a phobia back to its original learning experience but its often not possible.
Ost & Hugdahl 1๏ธโฃ9๏ธโฃ8๏ธโฃ1๏ธโฃ claim that nearly 1/2 of all people with phobias have either never had an anxious experience with the object of their fear or no experience whatsoever.
If its the same learning principles that underpin all phobias then it is not clear why only some people develop phobia of following a similar trauma.
DiNardo et al 1๏ธโฃ9๏ธโฃ8๏ธโฃ8๏ธโฃ found that 50% of people with a fear of dogs ๐ have had some kind of negative ๐๐ผ experience with a ๐ in their childhood ๐ฆ๐ป.
However, 50% of pโs who had no ๐ซ phobias at all reported that they had experienced a traumatic event involving a dog ๐ .
DiNardio et al. noted that those who had developed a phobia tended to have focused more on likelihood of that kind of event to repeat itself, suggesting a role for cognition in the development of phobias.
This suggests that cognitive factors may play a role in the development of phobias.