behavioural explanations of phobias

Question 1

behavioural approach

Answer 1

Way of explaining behaviour in terms of what is observable and in terms of learning

Question 2

Two-process model

Answer 2

Explanation for the onset and persistence of disorders that create anxiety, such as phobias
The two processes are ‘acquisition by classical conditioning’ and ‘maintenance by operant conditioning’

Question 3

Classical conditioning

Answer 3

Learning to associate something which we initially have no fear (NS) with something that triggers fear (UCS)

Question 4

Watson and Rayner

Answer 4

Little Albert - no unusual anxiety at start of study - when white rat present - research made loud frightening noise
Noise (UCS) = fear (UCR)
Rat (NS) = no response
Noise (UCS) + rat (NS) = fear (UCR)
Rat (CS) = fear (CR)

Question 5

Operant conditioning

Answer 5

Phobias often long lasting
Behaviour is reinforced or punished - reinforcement increases frequency of behaviour
Mowrer - when we avoid phobic stimulus we escape fear and anxiety which reinforces the avoidance behaviour so the phobia is maintained

Question 6

Application

Answer 6

• Strength
• Exposure therapies
• Once avoidance behaviour is prevented it ceases to be reinforced therefore declines
• Value of the two-process approach because it identifies a means of treating phobias

Question 7

Cognitive aspects

Answer 7

• Limitation
• Does not account for cognitive aspects
• Explains avoidance behaviour but does not offer an adequate explanation for phobic cognitions
• Two-process model does not completely explain symptoms of phobias

Question 8

Phobias and traumatic experience

Answer 8

• Evidence for link between bad experiences and phobias
• Little albert
• Ad De Jongh et al - 73% of people who fear dental treatment had a traumatic experience
• Control group of low dental anxiety - 21%
• Confirms that the association between stimulus and UR does lead to the development of phobia

Counterpoint
- Not all phobias are from bad experience - snake phobia where few people have any experience with snakes
- Association between phobias and frightening experiences is not a strong as we would expect if behavioural theories provided a complete explanation

Question 9

Learning and evolution

Answer 9

• Provide credible individual explanations
• However
• Other more general aspects of phobias may be better explained by evolutionary theory
• preparedness