EXPLANATIONS OF PHOBIAS

Question 1

classical conditioning and operant conditioning

Answer 1

• mowrer argues that phobias are learned through classical conditioning and then maintained by operant conditoning

Question 2

acquisition by classical conditioning

Answer 2

• ucs triggers a fear response (fear is a UCR) e.g being bitten creates anxiety
• Ns is associated with the ucs, e.g being bitten by the dog (the dog didnt prevously create anxiety)
• NS becomes CS producing fear (which is now the CR) the dog becomes a CS causing a CR of anxiety, fear following the bite

Question 3

how are phobias maintained through operant conditioning?

Answer 3

• However , operant conditioning mechanisms maintain the fear response
• Operant conditioning is when the likelihood of a behaviour being repeated is increased if the outcome is reinforced (rewarded)
• The sufferer’s behaviour is negatively reinforced when they avoid (or escape) the situation where the phobic object may be encountered . reinforces the avoidance behaviour and the phobia is constituted.
• This reduction in fear is a desirable consequence and so maintained .

Question 4

What was watson and rayner’s study?

Answer 4

• watson paired showing a rat with hitting a large metal pole behind a child’s head (little albert) creating a loud noise and scaring the child a phobic response formed, demonstrating phobias can be acquired through association

Question 5

One limitation of the 2PM is that the behaviourist explanation assumes all phobias are caused by bad experiences.

Answer 5

• DiNardo showed while conditioning events like ‘dog bites’ were common in participants with dog phobias (56%), they were just as common in participants with no dog phobia (66%)
• This suggests that the theory is deterministic because it assumes that all phobias are a result of a negative experience.
• Similarly, a person may not have had a bad experience yet-still develop a phobias.
• This is a disadvantage as it’s an incomplete explanation- it ignores cognitive factors which shape phobias

Question 6

two- process model has world wide applications

Answer 6

• the idea that phobias are maintaned by avoidance is important in explaining why people with phobias benefit from exposure therapies
• once avodiance behaviour is presented it ceases to be reinforced by the reduction of anxiety avodiance behaviour therefore declines
• this shows the value of the two-process appraoch as its beneficial when it comes to treating phobias

Question 7

one limitation is the inhability to explain cognitive ascepts of phobias

Answer 7

• behavioural explainations like the two-process model are geared towards explaining behaviour - in this case avodiance of the phobic stimuli.
• however, we know that phobias also have a significant cognitive componment e.g ppl hold irrational belief about the phobic stimuli
• this shows that the two-process model doesnt fully explain the symptoms of phobias

Question 8

another strength is evidence linking to phobias and bad experiences

Answer 8

• de jongh et al found that 73% of dental phobics had experienced a trauma (mostly involving denitstry exp) evidence of link between bad experiences and phobias
• futhermore support came from the control group of people with low dental anxiety where only 21% had experienced a traumatic event
• this conforms association between stimuli and an unconditioned response does lead to phobia

Question 9

One limitation of the 2PM is that it does not take into consideration biological factors. - learning and evolution

Answer 9

• the two way process provides a credible exp on how ppl might develop and maintain a particular phobia
• however, preparedness is an alternative exp. this is the tendency to develop phobias for things that presented a danger in our past E.G snakes and spiders are common.
• this means that the two way process model doesnt explain some important properties of phobias