The behavioural approach to explaining phobias Flashcards
What are behavioural approaches?
A way of explaining behaviour in terms of what is observable and in terms of learning
What is classical conditioning?
Learning by association, occurs when two stimuli are repeatedly paired together
What is operant conditioning?
A form of learning in which behaviour is shaped and maintained by the consequences, includes positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement and punishment
What is the two-process model?
Proposed by Hobart Mower in 1960 - states that phobias are acquired by classical conditioning and are maintained through operant conditioning.
How are fears acquired by classical conditioning?
This involves learning to associate something of which we initially have no fear (this is a neutral stimulus) and pairing it with something that already triggers a fear response (unconditional stimulus) - showed by little Albert
How are fears maintained by operant conditioning?
Responses acquired by classical conditioning often decline over time but fears are long lasting due to behaviour being reinforced or punished (operant conditioning)
Negative reinforcement - individual avoids unpleasant situation and by avoiding phobic stimulus and therefore anxiety it reinforces avoidance behaviour so the phobia is maintained
How is it a good explanatory power?
The two process model goes beyond Watson and Raynor and explains how phobias can be maintained and this therefore had important implications for treatment explaining why patient need to be exposed to the stimuli they fear (once they cant practice avoidance behaviour, reinforcement stops and the phobia declines)
Why are alternative explanations for avoidance behaviour a weakness?
Not all avoidance behaviour associated with fears appears to be the result of anxiety - could be linked to the safety factor (explains why agoraphobia can leave house with trusted person) . This is a problem for the two-process model which suggests that avoidance is motivated by reduction anxiety
How is the explanation for phobias incomplete?
Bouton (2007) points out that evolutionary factors probably have an important role in phobias but the two way factor theory doesn’t explain this. We acquire phobias of things that have been a source of danger in the past e.g. snakes - Seligman called this biological preparedness
What is biological preparedness?
The innate predisposition to acquire fears - however it is rare to have a fear of cars despite their danger, possibly as they only appeared more recently
What about phobias that don’t follow a trauma?
If phobias appear following a bad experience conditioning is obvious but it is less obvious for those not relating to a bad experience
What about cognitive aspects?
Behavioural explanations are orientated toward explaining behaviour rather than cognition but phobias do also have a cognitive element
