BMT - Explanation and Treatment of Phobias Flashcards
What is the behavioural approach?
the perception of phobias as occurring through learning processes with treatments based upon modifying maladaptive behaviour through substitution of new responses (CC, OC and SLT)
What is the two-process model?
the perception of phobias as acquired through classical conditioning and social learning with their maintenance upheld through operant conditioning
What is the first step in the two-process model?
The acquisition (onset) oh phobias is seen as occurring directly through classical conditioning (i.e. through traumatic experience)
or indirectly through social learning (observing traumatic event)
What is the second step in the two-process model?
The maintenance of phobias is seen as occurring through operant conditioning, where avoiding or escaping from a feared object/situation acts a negative reinforcer.
This reinforces the avoidance response
What is classical conditioning?
Can be used to explain the acquisition of phobias where a natural response that causes fear becomes associated with a neutral stimulus so that the neutral stimulus by itself causes a fear response
Who is the psychologists behind classical conditioning
based upon the work of Pavlov who explained how dogs learned to salivate in anticipation of being fed rather than actually being fed
What is operant conditioning?
involves learning through the consequences of behaviour. A behaviour that is rewarding reinforces the chances of the behaviour being repeated
What is positive reinforcement?
an outcome of a behaviour that is pleasant is known as a positive reinforcement
What is negative reinforcement?
an outcome of a behaviour that results in ESCAPING something unpleasant is known as negative reinforcement
How does operant conditioning explain how phobias are maintained?
when avoidance responses are made, the fear response is reduced, reinforcing the avoidance responses, making them more likely to occur again
What piece of research supports the explanation of phobias?
Little Albert study by Watson and Rayner
What was the sample of the Little Albert study ?
an 11-month old body who lived in the hospital where his mother was a nurse.
What was the procedure of the Little Albert study?
Albert was presented with various stimuli, including a white rat, a rabbit and cotton wool. He showed no fear to any stimuli
a fear reaction was induced into Albert by striking a steel bar with a hammer behind his head, making him cry.
A white rat was given to Albert to play with, he was not scared, but as he reached out to touch the rat the bar was struck to frighten him.
repeated three times. it was intended to de-condition him, but he was pulled out of the experiment
What was the findings of the Little Albert study?
When the rat was shown without the steel bar being struck, Albert would cry, roll over and crawl away. He developed a fear towards the white rat and also similar animals/objects
What is systematic desensitisation?
treatment of phobias, based on CC with patient learning in stages to replace fear responses with feelings of calm. The two opposing emotion of anxiety and relaxation are perceived as incapable of co-existing simultaneously.
