Behavioural approach to explaining phobias Flashcards
How is it argued that we learn phobias?
Through the environment.
Who came up with the two-process model?
Mowrer (1960)
What does the two process model state?
Phobias are learnt through classical conditioning and maintained by operant conditioning.
What was the study conducted for the behavioural approach to explaining phobias?
‘Little Albert’ study
Who conducted the little Albert study?
Watson and Raynor 1920
How old was ‘little Albert’?
9 months old
What was little Albert given? What was his reaction?
A white rat
He wanted to play with it.
What did the researchers do next to alberts head?
When he was presented with the rat they would make a loud frightening noise close to alberts head.
The noise was a _____ as it naturally produces ____ (___)
The noise was a unconditioned stimulus as it naturally produces an unconditioned response (fear)
The rat was a ___
neutral stimulus
What did Albert learn to associate the noise with?
He learned to associate the loud bang with the iron bar with the rat.
What did the rat become?
The conditioned stimulus and then the fear became a conditioned response.
What happened when the rat became the CS?
The rat produced the fear response whether the sound was present or not.
How were phobias maintained?
Operant conditioning and +ve and -ve reinforcement.
What is positive reinforcement?
Addition of something positive. when a certain behaviour is performed
