psychopathology - phobias Flashcards
how are phobias learnt according to behaviourists
via experience - the two process model ( mower ) of classical and operant conditioning
what is the acquisition of phobias
classical conditioning suggests that phobic object changes from being a neutral stimulus with no fear response to a conditioned stimulus with a fear response by being presented the same time as an unconditioned stimulus which naturally produces a fear response forming an association
how are phobias maintained
through operant conditioning which suggests avoidant behaviour leads to reduction in anxiety, which is a pleasant sensation. this negative reinforcement strengthens the phobic response
what is generalisation
a conditioned fear response is also experienced in the presence of a stimuli that are similar to the conditioned stimulus eg. fear of bees could be generalised to fear of small flying insects
what was watson and rayners research
watson paired showing a rat with hitting a large metal pole behind little alberts head, creating a loud noise and scaring the child. a phobic response formed, demonstrating that phobias can be acquired through association
what is Dinardos criticising research
showed while conditioning events like dog bites were common in participants with dog bites ( 56% ) but they were just as common in participants with no dog phobias ( 66% )
what is a strength of the behaviourist approach to explaining phobias
- has been practically applied to counter conditioning therapies such as systematic desensitisation and flooding. these treatments are effective suggesting the behaviourists explanation is valid.
what is a weakness of the behaviourist approach to explaining phobias
humans also don’t display phobic responses to objects that cause most pain in day to day life such as knives or cars however phobias of snakes and spiders are more common. these phobias may be better explained by the evolutionary theory
what is the purpose of behavioural therapies to treat phobias
to counter condition the phobia, replacing the fear association with a relaxation association. these therapies assume that fear and relaxation are opposite emotions that cannot co exist - reciprocal inhibition
what is systematic desensitisation
a therapist first teaches relaxation techniques like breathing exercises and then progresses through an anxiety hierarchy created by the client and therapist from least feared presentation to most. a stepped approach is used, with the client relaxing at each stage. this gradual exposure leads to extinction of the fear association and a new association with relaxation is formed
what is flooding
involves immediate and full exposure to the maximum level of phobic stimulus. this will cause temporary panic in the client, and they may attempt to escape. the clinician will keep the client in this situation until the temporary panic has stopped due to exhaustion and the client is calm in the presence of the phobic object
what are the strengths of the behavioural approach to treating phobias
- compared to flooding, the client controls systematic desensitisation making it a more pleasurable experience as they limit their anxiety however this slower process can result in more sessions compared to flooding additionally flooding isn’t appropriate for old people
- Garcia Palacios: found 83% of participants treated with VR exposure to spiders improved compared to 0% in the control group suggesting the principles of systematic desensitisation are valid and the use of VR allows a wide range of phobias to be treated
what are the weaknesses of the behavioural approach to treating phobias
- both systematic desensitisation and flooding are more effective in treating specific phobias than social phobias, as it is difficult to simulate social situations and interactions with unfamiliar individuals in a therapists office
- systematic desensitisation and flooding’s effects may be limited to the controlled environment of a therapists office and may not translate to real world experiences
