The Behavioural Approach to explaining phobias

Question 1

How can you apply behaviour approach to formation of phobias

Answer 1

1st stage = Classical Conditioning (Initiation)

2nd stage = Operant Conditioning (Maintenance through negative reinforcement)

Question 2

Explain Classical conditioning when forming a phobia.

Answer 2

Case study = Albert
- Phobia through association
NS (White furry ray) + UCS (Loud noise) = UCR (Fear)

CS (White furry rat) = CR (Fear)

• Therefore when Albert see’s anything white & furry, a response of fear is exploited

Question 3

Explain Operant conditioning in maintaining a phobia

Answer 3

• Phobia through reinforcement
• Individual will avoid the negative stimulus (White & Furry in Albert’s case) therefore increasing likelihood of behaviour as outcome = rewarding

Question 4

Explain how Social Learning Theory can be used to form a phobia

Answer 4

• Phobia may be acquired through modelling behaviour of others
  e. g parents, teachers, siblings

Question 5

State the definition of Phobia

Answer 5

• Instances of irrational fears that produce constant avoidance of the feared object/situation

Question 6

What are the emotional characteristics of phobias?

Answer 6

• Fear = marked & persistent
• Coupled with fear are:
  > Anxiety
  > Panic

Question 7

What are the behavioural characteristics of phobias?

Answer 7

• Freeze
• Faint
• Fight or flight mode
• Fear causes immediate response to avoid it

Question 8

What are the cognitive characteristics of phobias?

Answer 8

Selective attention to phobic stimulus

• If sufferer can see phobic stimulus = hard to look away
• Can be a good thing, enables us to react quickly

Irrational beliefs

• A phobic may hold irrational beliefs in relation to phobic stimuli
• Can make the individual perform well in social situations

Cognitive distortions

• Phobic stimulus may be stimulus
• e.g arachnophobia might see spiders as alien and aggressive