Behavioural explanation of phobias

Question 1

How does classical conditioning create phobias?

Answer 1

UCS(being bitten) and NS(dog) create UCR(fear)
Then CS(dog) causes CR(fear)

Question 2

What are the clinical characteristics of phobias?

Answer 2

Behavioural- avoidance
Emotional- Excessive and unreasonable fear and anxiety
Cognitive- Selective attention and irrational beliefs

Question 3

What was Mowrer’s 1960 model?

Answer 3

Two process model:
1st process- acquired through classical
2nd process- maintained by operant conditioning

Question 4

How are phobias maintained by operant conditioning?

Answer 4

Negative reinforcement- avoids object, reinforced with reduced anxiety, so they keep avoiding it

Question 5

Strengths of behavioural explanation

Answer 5

Practical applications- therapy- can be unlearnt- patients must be exposed to feared stimulus

Question 6

Weaknesses of behavioural explanation

Answer 6

Ignores cognitive element
Some phobias may be down to biology/evolution, things that may have been a source of danger earlier in history
Don’t always follow a trauma- reduced validity

Question 7

What are the two behavioural treatments of phobias?

Answer 7

Systematic desensitisation
Flooding

Question 8

What is systematic desensitisation?

Answer 8

Uses counter-conditioning to treat phobias
Client and therapist develop fear hierarchy, client learns relaxation techniques, exposed to fears while relaxed

Question 9

Systematic desensitisation evaluation

Answer 9

Research support- McGrath et al (1990), 75% patients effectively treated
Not effective in treating all phobias, such as evolutionary phobias

Question 10

What is flooding?

Answer 10

Patient completely exposed to fear, unable to avoid and reinforce phobia, patient taught relaxation techniques
Two types: In vivo(real) and In Vitro(imaginary)

Question 11

Flooding evaluation

Answer 11

Cost effective
Works quickly
Can be highly traumatic
Not effective for all phobias, e.g. social phobias