The Behavioural Appriach To Explaining Phobias Flashcards
1
Q
What did Mowrer suggest
A
That phobias are acquired through classical conditioning and then maintained through operant conditioning
2
Q
How did Watson and Rayner demonstrate how little Albert associated the fear caused by a loud bang with a white rat
A
- he was exposed to a white rat ( NS) Producing no response
- when payed with the loud bang (UCS) this produces the UCR of fear
- through several repetitions , Albert made the association between the rat CS and Fear CR
3
Q
How does operant conditioning explain phobias ?
A
- OC takes place when a behaviour is rewarded or punished
- phobics practice avoidance behaviours , meaning that they avoid the phobic stimulus
- by avoiding the phobic stimulus, they avoid the associated fear
- by avoiding such an unpleasant consequence, the avoidance behaviour is negatively reinforced and likely to be repeated again , hence maintaining the phobia
4
Q
Explain the alternative explanation for the acquisition of phobias
A
- Seligman suggested that we are more likely to develop phobias towards prepared stimuli
- these are stimuli that would have posed a threat to our evolutionary ancestors such as fire or deep water
- abs so running away from such a stimulus increases the likelihood of survival and so this behaviour has a selective evolutionary advantage
- this explanation can explain why some phobias are much more frequent than others