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 is classical conditioning?
Learning through association – a neutral stimulus is consistently paired with an unconditioned stimulus so that it eventually produces a conditioned response
What is operant conditioning?
Learning through reinforcement or punishment – if a behaviour is followed by a desirable consequence then that behaviour is more likely to occur again in the future
What is the two-process model?
A theory that explains the two processes that lead to the development of phobias – they are acquired through classical conditioning and are maintained through operant conditioning
What study demonstrates the acquisition of a phobia through classical conditioning?
Watson and Rayner (1920) – Little Albert
What are the strengths of the behavioural approach to explaining phobias?
Good explanatory power- People with phobias often do recall a specific incident when their phobia appeared, for example being bitten by a dog or having a panic attack in a social situation. Ad De Jongh et al. (2006)à 73% of people with a fear of dental treatment had experienced a traumatic experience, mostly involving dentistry compared to a control group of people with low dental anxiety where only 21% had experienced a traumatic event. Counter- However, not everyone who has a phobia can recall a traumatic experience that caused it. Some people might have a fear of snakes, but never actually encountered one. Also not all frightening experiences lead to phobias. This suggests that other processes, other than classical conditioning, may be involved in the development of phobias.
Practical applications- The behavioural explanation has been used to develop effective treatments for phobias- systematic desensitisation and flooding (you will learn about these next lesson). This has proved very practical in the real world to help people deal and overcome their fears, using research based on the behavioural approach.
what are the limitations of the behavioural approach to explaining phobias?
Ignores biological factors- If a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a fearful experience the result should be a phobia, but this doesn’t always happen. Research has found that not everyone who is bitten by a dog develops a phobia of dogs. This could be explained by the diathesis-stress model. This suggests that we inherit a genetic vulnerability for developing mental disorders. However, a disorder will only manifest itself if triggered by a life event, such as being bitten by a dog. This suggests that a dog bite would only lead to a phobia in those people with such a vulnerability. Therefore, the behavioural explanation is incomplete on its own, as it does not take into account biological factors.
Ignores cognitive factors- There are cognitive aspects to phobias that cannot be explained in a traditionally behaviourist framework. An alternative explanation is the cognitive approach, which proposes that phobias may develop as the consequence of irrational thinking. For example, a person in a lift may think ‘I could become trapped in here and suffocate’ (an irrational though). Such thoughts create extreme anxiety and may trigger a phobia. The two-process model explains avoidance behaviour but does not offer an adequate explanation for phobic cognitions.
