L6: Behavioural Approach To Explaining Phobias: Classical And Operant Conditioning And The Two-process Model

Question 1

What does the behavioural model suggest?

Answer 1

That all behaviours including phobias can be learnt and people who have an abnormality can learn negative behaviours.

Question 2

What is the two process model

Answer 2

1. The phobia is learn via classical conditioning or social learning
2. The phobia is maintained through operant conditioning.

Question 3

What is classical conditioning?

Answer 3

The method of learning that involves building up an association between 2 different stimuli so that learning takes place

Question 4

Case study of Little Albert conducted by Watson and Rayner (1920)

Answer 4

First, a rat (neutral stimulus=he was not afraid before) is presented to 11 month-old Albert. Then a loud banging noise is produced which resulted in an emotional response by Little Albert (crying). They then paired the two stimuli repeatedly until classical conditioning took place, this was done 3 times over the course of 2 weeks.
Little Albert responded to the white rat (conditioned stimulus) and he had an emotional response (conditioned response). Learning has taken place via classical conditioning and an association has been established.

Question 5

Definition of social learning theory

Answer 5

This states that observational learning, for example young children witnessing a reaction from their parents by a particular situation resulting in the child copying this behaviour could result in developing a phobia.

Question 6

What is operant conditioning? What are the two types?

Answer 6

This is when reinforcement allows phobias to be maintained. There are two types: negative reinforcement ( avoiding phobia to reduce risk of fear), and positive reinforcement (avoiding snakes and not feeling fear is rewarding)

Question 7

Evaluation of classical conditioning (-) - little Albert

Answer 7

This study was only conducted once and the findings have not been repeated making this not very reliable. It can be questioned whether the same results can be gained if repeating, however this cannot be repeated due to ethical concerns.

Question 8

Evaluation of classical conditioning (+) - king (1998)

Answer 8

He supports this after reviewing case studies where it states that children acquire phobias by encountering traumatic experiences.

Question 9

Evaluation of classical conditioning (-) - traumatic experiences - Menzies

Answer 9

Some people may have a traumatic experience such as a car crash, but may not form a phobia of cars. Classical conditioning can not explain how all phobias develop. Contrastingly, some people may fear a certain phobic object but never had a traumatic experience with it. Menzies backs this up by studying people with hydrophobia and found that only 2% of his sample experienced a negative experience with water.

Question 10

Evaluation of 2 process model (-) - limited

Answer 10

There are other factors that cause phobias, this model focuses on learning and the environment but does not take into account biological or evolutionary factors that coukd result in a phobia.

Question 11

Evaluation of the 2 process model (-) - how adults form phobias

Answer 11

Social learning explains how young children can adapt a phobia, but does not explain well how adults form phobias, model is limited to how children form phobias.

Question 12

Evaluation of the 2 process model (+) - Two clear steps

Answer 12

This has two clear steps, learnt by powerful classical conditioning or social leandinh and miantained by operant conditioning. It seems to be an accurate way in explaining how phobias can be learnt overall