evaluation - behavioural phobias

Question 1

not all bad experiences lead to phobias

Answer 1

• conditioning alone cannot explain phobias

Question 2

two process model is an incomplete explanation
danger

Answer 2

• We easily acquire phobias of things that were a danger in our evolutionary past (e.g. fear of snakes).
• This is biological preparedness - we are innately prepared to fear some things more than others. = survival mechanism for our ancestors

Question 3

important in therapy

Answer 3

• If a patient doesnt face their phobia then its maintained
• used to develop treatments, including systematic desensitisation and flooding
• It explained how phobias could be maintained over time
• systematic desensitisation helps people to unlearn their fears, using classical conditioning while flooding prevents people from avoiding their phobias and stops the negative reinforcement from taking place

Question 4

there is a link between phobias and traumatic experiences

Answer 4

• little albert shows how a frightning experience leads to phobia
• 73% of people with a fear of dental treatment had a traumatic experience
• control group of people with low dental anxitey = 21% had a traumatic experenice
• assoociation between stimulus = dentistry and an UCR = pain leads to the development of phobia

Question 5

doesnt account for cognitive aspects

Answer 5

• only explains behaviour = avoidance
• doesnt consider cognitive = irrational beliefs
• doesnt completely explain the symptoms of phobias