The behavioural approach to explaining and treating phobias

Question 1

Phobias (AO1)

Answer 1

A group of mental disorders characterised by high levels of anixety in respone to a particular stimulus or group of stimulus.

Question 2

Emotional characteristics of phobias (AO1)

Answer 2

Excessive/unreasonable/presistent
Feelings for anixeity in public
Emotions cued by presence

Question 3

Behavioural characteritics of Phobias (AO1)

Answer 3

Avoidance eg a person with a phobia of spiders

Freeze or flight, response

Question 4

Cognitive characteristic Phobias (AO1)

Answer 4

• Intrusive thoughts

- impluses that are precieved as inappropriapte or forbidden.

Question 5

Two process model (AO1)

Answer 5

States that phobias are learned by classical conditioning and maintained through operant conditioning (Mowrer 1960).

Question 6

According to the behaviour approach, abnormal behaviour can be caused by:
(AO1)

Answer 6

1) Classical conditoing
2) operant conditoning
3) Social learning theory

Question 7

Mowrer (1947) (AO1)

Answer 7

put forward a two-process model, to explaim how phobias are learned through classical conditioning and mainted through operant conditioing.

Question 8

Pavlov (1903) (AO1)

Answer 8

Discovered the idea of classical conditioning in his work with dogs and in his original research, dogs learned to salivate at the sound of the bell,

Question 9

Watson & Rayner (1920) (AO1)

Answer 9

conducted a laboratory experiment to examine whether a fear response could be learned through classical conditioning, in humans.

Question 10

Strengths of the behaviourists explanation of phobias (AO3)

Answer 10

Watson & Rayner (1920) demonstrated the process of classical conditionig, in the formation of phobias in little albert, who was conditioned to fear white rats.

Question 11

Strengths of the behaviourist explanation (AO3) - Application to theraphy.

Answer 11

Have been used for treatments for phobias eg systematic desensitation and flooding.

Question 12

Systematic desensitation (AO1)

Answer 12

Help people unlearn their fear, using principles of classical conditioning

Question 13

Flooding (AO1)

Answer 13

A type of behaviour theraphy that prevents people from avoiding their phobias. A client is exposed to an image under relaxed conditons

Question 14

Critisms of the behaviourists explaination for phobias (AO3) - Ignores cognitive factors.

Answer 14

Ignores the role of cognition in the formation of phobias and cognitive psychologists suggest that phobias may develop as a result of irrational thinking. eg claustrophobia

Question 15

What’s the first stage of the two-process model (AO1)

Answer 15

Classical conditioning.

Question 16

Weakness Some phobias don’t follow a traumatic experience

AO3

Answer 16

A person may have a fear of snakes without ever having encountered a snake. This suggests some phobias have not been acquired through learning, weakening this explanation

Question 17

Weakness of behaviour explanation of phobias
(AO3)

may be pre-disposed to some phobias

Answer 17

We may be pre-disposed to some phobias, such as snakes or spiders, which would have given human ancestors a survival advantage.

This means the capacity for certain phobias is ‘hard-wired’, and therefore not learnt.

Phobias of guns and cars, which are far more dangerous to most human today, are very rare, perhaps because these things were not present in humans’ evolutionary past. This weakens the behavioural explanation.

Question 18

What’s the second stage of the two-process model? (AO1)

Answer 18

Operant conditioning

Question 19

Counterconditioning

Answer 19

The paitent is taught a new association that runs counter to the original association.

Paitent taught through classical conditioning to associate the phobic stimulus with a new response. i.e relaxtion instead of fear. in this way way their anixety is reduce - desensitisted.

Wolpe called this ‘reciprocal inhibition because the response of relaxtion inhibits the response of anxiety.

Question 20

Relaxtion

Answer 20

The first thing the therapist would do is teach the paitent relaxtion techinque.

• Can be achieved by focusing on their breathing etc

When were anxious we breathe quickly so slowing helps this.

Question 21

Densisitation hierachy

Answer 21

SD works by gradually introducing the feared situation one step at a time so it is not overwhelming. At this stage the paitent practices relaxation so situation becomes familiar and less overwhelming.

Question 22

Systematic desenstitation steps:

Answer 22

Step 1: Paitent is taught how to relax their muscles

Step 2: Therapist and paitent together construct a desensitation hierachy (could be a series of imagined scenes each one causing more anxiety.

step 3: Paitent gradually works his/her way through the Desenistiation hierachy visualing anxiety

Step 4: Once the paitent has mastered one step in the hierachy (they can remain relaxed whileimaging it) ready to move onto the next

Step 5: Paitent eventually masters the feared situation that caused to seek help in the first place.

Question 23

2 Steps of Flooding

Answer 23

Step 1: Paitent is taught how to relax muscles

Step 2: Paitent masters there feared situation that caused them to seek help in the first place, This is accomplised in one long session.

Question 24

AO3

Question 25

Describe and evaluate the behavioural approach to the treatment of phabias [16 marks]

Relaxation may not be necessary
WEAKNESS applied to flooding and SD

Answer 25

P: It may be that the success of both flooding and SD is more to do with the expactation of being able to cope with the stimulus rather than relaxation.
E: For example, Klein et al compared SD with supportive psychotherapy for patients with either social or specific phobias. They found no difference in effectiveness, suggesting that the ‘active ingredient’ in SD or flooding is the generation. of hopeful expectancies that the phobia can be overcome.
E:This suggests that cognitive factors are more important than the behavioural approach generally acknowledges.
L:and therefore weakens the behavioiural approach to treating phobias.

–> Furthermore a more electic approach may be useful in the treatment of phobias, to include cognitive and biological approaches.

Question 26

Describe and evaluate the behavioural approach to the treatment of phabias [16 marks]
Effectiveness of SD
(Strength)

PEEL

Answer 26

P: Research has found that SD is successful for a range of phobias

EV: For examples McGrath et al (1990) reported that about 75% of paitents with phobias respond to SD. Key success tends to lie with actual contact with feared stimulus so in vivo techniques are more successful than ones just using pictures or imaging fear stimulus (in vitro) (Choy et al. 2007)

EX: This demonstrates that effectivness of SF but also how the value of using a range of different exposure techniques.

L: and therefore supports the behavioural approach to treating phobias.

Question 27

Describe and evaluate the behavioural approach to the treatment of phabias [16 marks]
WEAKNESS: Not appropriate for all phobias.

PEEL

Answer 27

P: There is evidence that demonstrates a weakness of SD in terms of it not being appropriate for all phobias.

Ev: Ohman et al. (1975) suggests that SD may not be as effective in treating phobias that have an underlying evolutionary survival component (e.g fear of dark, height or animals) than in treating phobias which have been acquired as a result of personal experience.

EX: This suggests that SD can only be used effectively in tackling some phobias

L: Therefore this indicates that SD may not be a useful method for treating phobias.

Question 28

Describe and evaluate the behavioural approach to the treatment of phabias [16 marks]
STRENGTH: Effectiveness of Flooding

Strength

Answer 28

P: There is research that demonstrates that flooding can be effective treatment for those who stick with and is relatively quick compared to CBT.

EV: Choy et al reported that both SD and flooding were effective but flooding was the more effective of the two at treating phobias. On the other hand, Craske et al, found that both flooding and SD are equally effective.

EX: This shows that flooding is an effective therapy, albeit just one of several options.

Question 29

Describe and evaluate the behavioural approach to the treatment of phabias [16 marks]
WEAKNESS: Individual differences

Flooding

Answer 29

P: There is evidence that illustrates a weakness of flooding as it is not for every paitent (or indeed every therapist.

Ev; It can be highly traumatic procedure. Paitents are obviously made aware of this beforehand but, even then, they may quit during the treatment, which reduces the ultimate effectiveness of the therapy for some people.

EX: This shows that individual differences in responding to flooding therefore limits the effectiveness of the therapy.

Question 30

Describe and evaluate the behavioural approach to the treatment of phabias [16 marks]
STREGTH OF BEHAVIOURAL THERAPIES: applied to flooding and SD

Answer 30

P: Behavioural therapies for dealing with phobias are much cheaper, faster and require less effort for the patient than other psychotherapies

Evidence: Behavioural therapies for dealing with phobias are generally relatively faster, cheaper and require less effort on the paitent’s part than other psychotherapies.

EX: For example, CBT requires a willingness for people to think deeply about their mental problems, which is not true for behavioural therapies. This lack of thinking means that the technique is also useful for people who lack insight into their motivations or emotions e.g children.

L: This shows that behavioural therapies are a more appropriate treatment for phobias as it also benefits the economy.

Question 31

Rationale

AO1

Answer 31

A person’s fear response (and the release of adrenaline underlying this) has a time limit. As aderenaline level naturally decrease, a new stimuls response is now associated with a non-anxious response.