Explaining phobias - AO3

Question 1

What is a strength of the two process model?

Answer 1

• P: Strength = real world application
• E: The idea that phobias are maintained by avoidance is important in explaining why people with phobias benefit from exposure therapies
• E: Once avoidance behaviour is prevented is ceases to be reinforced by the reduction of anxiety. Avoidance behaviour therefore declines
• L: The value of the two process approach because it identifies a means of treating phobias

Question 2

What are two limitations of explaining phobias?

Answer 2

• P: Limitation = inability to explain cognitive aspects
• E: Behavioural explanations like the two process model are geared towards explaining behaviour - in this case the avoidance of the phobic stimulus
• E: We know thay phobias have a significant cogntitive component e.g people hold irrational beliefs about phobias
• L: Means that the two process model does not fully explain the symptoms of phobias

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• P: Limitation = does not consider evolution
• E: The 2 process model provides a credible explanation for how a person might develop and maintain a particular phobia
• E: However, preparedness is an alternative explanation. This is the tendency to develop phobias for things that presented a danger in our evolutionary past (e.g snakes and the dark)
• L: This means that the two process model does not explain some important properties or phobias

Question 2

What is a strength of explaining phobias?

Answer 2

• P: Evidence linking phobias to bad experiences
• E: De Jongh et al. (2006): found that 75% of dental phobias had experimental trauma (mostly involving dentistry) which shows evidence of link between bad experiences and phobias
• E: Further support came from the control group of people with low dental anxiety where only 21% had experienced a traumatic event
• E: This confirms that the association between stimulus (dentistry) and an UCR (pain) does lead to phobias