Phobias-Behavioural approach and treatment Flashcards
How are phobias explained through the behaviourism?
With Mowrer’s two-process model involving learning through experience and association. A stimulus becomes associated with a negative outcome through classical conditioning.
What did Watson find about the behaviour involved in learning phobias?
Little Albert, the subject of Watsons study was taught to fear furry animals. A loud noise (US) that produced fear (UR) was associated with a white rat (NS) because it was paired with fear, thus making it a (CS) that produced fear (CR)
What did Watson’s study with Little Albert tell us about phobias?
Phobias can be learned through experience and thus traumatic events may condition a fear response through the stimulus producing negative feelings by association.
If phobias are learned through classical conditioning, how are phobias maintained?
Phobias are maintained through operand conditioning whereby the avoidance of the stimulus reduces anxiety thus providing positive reinforcement to continue avoidance.
Social learning theory also attempts to explain phobias through behaviourism. How?
SLT states that phobias are learned through imitating a role model due to the behaviour being seen as rewarding in some form. For example, by drawing attention.
It is hard to trust retrospective information, but phobics recall traumatic events triggering their phobias. Outline a study in support of this.
The case study of Bagby, who had a phobia of running water had developed it due to a traumatic experience. This supports the idea that phobias are learned through classical conditioning, thus making the behavioural explanation more valid.
What is a common issue with case studies?
Case studies can’t be used to extrapolate the findings to a wider population due to individual differences, however they allow us to study what would normally be difficult.
Not everyone that experiences a traumatic event develops a phobia and the diathesis-stress model would be better at explaining this. State another explanation that challenges the two process model.
Rachman argued that avoidance is caused by positive feelings rather than negative. His safety signal hypothesis states that agrophobics, for example, travel through routes that they associate with safety rather than avoidance of fear.
Why could the two process model be seen as reductionist?
Because not everyone that experiences a traumatic event develops a phobia. The diathesis-stress model combines psychological factors with genetic vulnerabilities thus providing a more holistic explanation.
What is involved in the systematic desensitisation behavioural treatment for phobias?
Unlearning through classical conditioning using relaxation throughout the hierarchical stages that gradually introduce the patient to the feared stimuli.
Classical conditioning is involved in systematic desensitisation. What else may be involved?
Counter conditioning whereby a new association is created to the phobia to counter the fear response. This is because relaxation and fear cannot coexist.
Outline another behavioural treatment for phobias.
Flooding involves direct exposure to extreme anxiety. The patient is taught relaxation techniques and is then exposed to the feared stimuli.
There are many issues with flooding. Briefly evaluate the method.
Flooding can lead to psychological harm. People report nightmares and worsening phobias following the treatment. It is therefore not appropriate to everyone, however it is quick and effective. Choy et al argues that it is more effective than systematic desensitisation.
