The behavioural approach to explaining phobias Flashcards
What is the behavioural approach?
A way of explaining behaviour in terms of what is observable and in terms of learning
What are the three behavioural aspects of phobias?
Avoidance, endurance, and panic
What is the behavioural approach to explaining phobias?
The two-process model
Who proposed the two-process model?
Mowrer (1960)
What does the two-process model state?
Phobias are acquired (learned in the first place) by classical conditioning and then continue because of operant conditioning
What are the two steps of the two-process model?
1) Acquisition by classical conditioning
2) Maintenance by operant conditioning
What is classical conditioning?
Learning by association that occurs when two stimuli are repeatedly paired together
What is operant conditioning?
A form of learning in which behaviour is shaped and maintained by its consequences
How does acquisition by classical conditioning occur?
We learn to associate something of which we initially have no fear with something that already triggers a fear response
What type of stimulus is something that originally causes no fear?
Neutral stimulus
What type of stimulus is something that already triggers a fear response?
Unconditioned stimulus
Who investigated acquisition by classical conditioning?
Watson and Rayner (1920)
How did Watson and Rayner study acquisition by classical conditioning?
They created a phobia in 9-month-old Little Albert who showed no unusual anxiety at the start of the study
They showed him a white rat while making a loud, frightening noise by banging an iron bar close to his ear
What were the findings of Watson and Reyner’s study?
Little Albert became scared of the rat even though he wasn’t initially scared of it and wanted to play with it
What type of stimulus was the loud noise?
Unconditioned stimulus
What does an unconditioned stimulus create?
An unconditioned response of fear
How does a neutral stimulus produce a fear response?
When the neutral stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus are encountered close together in time, the neutral stimulus becomes associated with the unconditioned stimulus and they both produce a fear response
What does the neutral stimulus become once it causes a fear response?
Conditioned (learned) stimulus
What does a conditioned stimulus produce?
Conditioned response
How did Watson and Reyner generalise their findings?
They tested Albert by showing him similar objects, such as a non-white rabbit, a fur coat, and Watson wearing a Santa Claus beard made of cotton balls, to which Little Albert responded with distress
Why did Mowrer propose the idea of maintenance by operant conditioning?
Responses acquired by classical conditioning tend to decline over time but phobias are often long-lasting
When does operant conditioning occur?
When behaviour is reinforced (rewarded) or punished
How does reinforcement affect behaviour?
It increases the frequency of a behaviour
What are the two types of reinforcement?
Negative and positive
What is the negative reinforcement in terms of phobias?
An individual avoids an unpleasant situation which produces a desirable consequence so the behaviour will be repeated
How does Mowrer explain the negative reinforcement in phobias?
Whenever we avoid a phobic stimulus we successfully escape the fear and anxiety we would have suffered if we remained there
How does negative reinforcement affect the phobia?
Reduction in fear reinforces the avoidance behaviour and so the phobia is maintained
Why does the two-process model have good explanatory power?
It explains how phobias could be maintained over time, which has good implications for therapies because it explains why patients need to be exposed to the feared stimulus
How is good explanatory power a strength?
It has a good real-life application to therapy
What are the two limitations of the two-process model?
1) There is an alternative explanation for avoidance behaviour
2) It is an incomplete explanation of phobias
What is the alternative explanation for avoidance behaviour?
Not all avoidance behaviour is the result of anxiety reduction - some avoidance behaviour appears to be motivated by positive feelings of safety
Give an example of evidence to support the alternative explanation for avoidance behaviour?
Buck (2010) explained that some agoraphobic patients were able to leave their house with a trusted person with little anxiety but not alone - person was their safety factor
Why is the alternative explanation for avoidance behaviour a problem for the two-process model?
The model only suggests that avoidance is motivated by anxiety reduction, which is clearly not true
Why is the two-process model an incomplete explanation of phobias?
Bounton (2007) points out that evolutionary factors may have an important role but the model doesn’t mention this
How do evolutionary factors affect phobias?
We easily acquire phobias of things that have been a source of danger in our evolutionary past, such as snakes and the dark
How does Seligman (1971) call this effect?
Biological preparedness
What is biological preparedness?
The innate predisposition to acquire certain fears
How does biological preparedness apply to current phobias?
It is rare to develop phobias of more dangerous things such as cars and guns because they have only existed very recently so we’re not biologically prepared to learn fear responses towards them
Why is the phenomenon of preparedness a serious problem for the two-process model?
It shows that there is more to acquiring phobias than simple conditioning
Why does the two-process model not apply to all phobias?
Some phobias don’t follow a trauma so no conditioning could have taken place
