Explaining phobias Flashcards
Role of Classical conditioning?
How you acquire a fear
A CS is paired with an UCS to produce a CR
What type of fear usually occurs due to classical conditioning?
Specific
How is a fear maintained?
Operant conditioning- negative reinforcement- avoid situations to prevent anxiety
How can social fears be impacted by specific fears?
Operant conditioning can explain why People may be scared to leave the house in case they encounter their phobia which would create anxious thoughts for them regarding panic attacks
Barlow research?
50% of people who have a fear of driving have been involved in a car accident- an example of classical conditioning
Supporting evidence for two process model?
Behavioural therapies are effective at getting people to change their response to a stimulus - shows that they treat the cause
Davey research?
7% of people with spider phobias can recall having a traumatic experience with a spider- biological factors may have influenced phobia
Influence of biological factors causing phobias?/
Phobias are evolutionary- genetic fear of snakes passed through the generation- avoid the danger
DiNarto et al research?
Just as many people with dog phobias than those without dog phobias who have recalled having a negative experience with dogs
Little Albert Case Study?
11 month old Little Albert- initially showed no fear of white fluffy objects- when objects were placed infront of him if he tried to touch them a bar was struck to make a loud noise behind his head- attempt to produce a conditioned response
How many times did Little Albert experiment occur?
Repeated x2 at first
x5 a week later
Results of Little Albert
When he was shown a rat he started to cry, this extended to all white fluffy objects- conditioned and abnormal behaviour can be learned
Evaluation of Little Albert?
Unethical- could not be repeated today
Not everyone goes on to develop a fear after a bad experience
Lab experiment - low eco, artifical
What side of nature/nurture debate?
Nurture - because of this underestimates human complexity of behaviour- reductionist
