psychopathology: behavioural approach to explain phobias

Question 1

What is the behavioural approach?

Answer 1

A ay of explaining behaviour in terms of what is observable and what is learned from interacting with the environment

Question 2

Who proposed the two-process model?

Answer 2

Hobart Mowrer (1960)

Question 3

What is the two-process model?

Answer 3

States that in:
- Process 1: phobias are acquired through classical conditioning
- Process 2: phobias are maintained through operant conditioning

Question 4

Describe how phobias are acquired through classical conditioning:

Answer 4

• A phobic object starts as a neutral stimulus, causing a neutral response (NR) so there is no response
• An unconditioned stimulus (US) produces an unconditioned fear response (UCR)
• Unconditioned stimulus-response links are automatic so they do not need to be learnt
• An association is formed when a neutral stimulus (NS) is paired with the unconditioned stimulus (US)
• the object becomes a conditioned stimulus (CS), now producing the conditioned response (CR), fear

Question 5

Who created a phobia in ‘Little Albert’ ?

Answer 5

Watson and Rayner (1920)

Question 6

Outline operant conditioning:

Answer 6

• Operant conditioning reinforces (rewards) or punishes behaviour
• negative and positive reinforcement increases the frequency of the behaviour

Question 7

Describe how operant conditioning maintains phobias:

Answer 7

Whenever we avoid the phobic stimulus, we successfully escape the fear and anxiety that we would have experienced if we remained there
- this reduction in fear reinforces the avoidance behaviour and so the phobia is maintained

Question 8

How does negative reinforcement increase the frequency of a behaviour in terms of phobias?

Question 9

What is one-trial learning?

Answer 9

When one event creates an association

Question 10

Evaluation: Based on behaviourism -> advantage

Answer 10

• Mowrer’s two-process model is based on the theories and concepts of a scientific and well-support approach, behaviourism and the process of conditioning
• gives the explanation added credibility
• Mowrer’s model also seems to be a good way of explaining both the origin of phobias and the reason they persist and can be resistant to extinction
• is a more complete explanation than only explaining the initial cause of phobias -> therefore more useful in treating phobias
• model has led to the development of a range of effective therapies in which patients will be exposed to the feared stimulus - this means that the patient is prevented from practising avoidance of the phobic object or situation
• phobia will not be reinforced and should decline
• outcome can be achieved through therapies such as flooding or systematic desensitisation, using the idea of conditioning sufferer’s to replace negative associations for the phobic object with something more positive

Question 11

Evaluation: Ignores the role of cognition -> limitation

Answer 11

• does not account for the cognitive aspects of phobias
• may develop as a result of irrational thinking, not just learning e.g. people who suffer from claustrophobia may be phobic of lifts because they fear being trapped and suffocating (irrational thought)
• the two-process model explains avoidance but does not offer an adequate explanation for phobic cognitions
• model does not completely explain the symptoms of phobias
• therefore, the cognitive approach has led to the development of CBT which is said to be more successful than the behaviourist treatments: flooding and desensitisation

Question 12

Evaluation: Real-world application -> strength

Answer 12

• two process model has real-world applications in exposure therapies
• behaviourist theories of phobia acquisition and maintenance have been practically applied to counter-conditioning therapies, systematic desensitisation and flooding
• two-process model’s ideas are important for explaining why people with phobias benefit from being exposed to the phobic stimulus
• as these treatments are effective, this suggests the behaviourist principles they are based on are valid

Question 13

Evaluation: Incomplete explanation -> limitation

Answer 13

• Brunton (2007) highlights the fact that evolutionary factors could play a role - especially if the avoidance of a particular stimulus could have caused pain or even death to our ancestors
• there are more general aspects to phobias that may be better explained with evolutionary theory
• tend to acquire phobias of things that have presented a danger in our evolutionary past
• some phobias are not learned but are in fact innate - phobias are on survival mechanisms called biological preparedness (seligman)