characteristics + explanations of phobias Flashcards
what is a phobia?
an irrational fear of an object or situation
what are the 3 characteristics of phobias?
- behavioural
- emotional
- cognitive
what are the behavioural characteristics of phobias?
- panic, avoidance, endurance
what are the emotional characteristics of phobias?
- anxiety, fear, unreasonable emotional responses
what are the cognitive characteristics of phobias?
- selective attention, irrational beliefs, cognitive distortions
what do behaviourists argue about phobias?
that phobias are learnt through environment
who proposed the two-process model?
Mowrer
how did Mowrer explain phobias?
- Mowrer’s two-process model states that phobias are acquired by CC and maintained through OC
how does CC explain phobias?
- behaviour is learnt through stimulus-response association
- a stimulus can be anything in the environment that creates a response
give an example of phobias using CC
balloon popping (UCS) = flinching (UCR)
balloon (CS) = fear (CR)
how does OC explain phobias?
- phobias lead to negative reinforcement through anxiety avoidance
- avoidance of phobic stimulus leads to escaping the anxiety we would’ve faced in remained in the situation
- avoidance = anxiety reduction
give an example of phobias using OC
if sleeping with the light on lowers anxiety you will be motivated to do it again
evaluation: empirical research to support (little albert)
ID: there is empirical research to support the behaviourist approach to explaining phobias
Q: there is research that demonstrates the use of CC and OC in the development of phobias
EX: for example, Watson and Rayner used CC to create a phobia in an infant called Little Albert. Albert developed a phobia of rats when he learned to associate them with a loud noise
AN: therefore, this increases the external validity of the behaviourist approach as empirical research findings support it
evaluation: incomplete explanation
ID: however, it can be criticised for being an incomplete explanation for all phobias
Q: phobias with an underlying evolutionary component haven’t been learned through experience
EX: for example, Bounton said that these phobias can be evolutionary such as the fear of snakes and Seligman called this biological preparedness and this is why we are predisposed to acquire certain fears. AN: therefore, the behaviourist approach is unable to explain all complex human behaviour in terms of reward and punishment.
evaluation: not all bad experiences lead to phobias
ID: furthermore, a limitation of the behaviourist explanation is that not all bad experiences lead to phobias
Q: research has found that not everyone who has an unpleasant experience at the same time as a neutral stimulus goes on to develop a phobia
EX: for example, DiNardo found that only 50% of people with a phobia of dogs had had a fearful experience, and 50% of people had a fearful dog experience but did not develop a phobia
AN: this weakens the behaviourist claim that phobias are acquired through classical conditioning, as some phobias are not acquired through trauma so can’t be a result of conditioning, reducing reliability
