The Behavioural Explanation Of Phobias

Question 1

The two step process model

Answer 1

Mowrer 1960 proposed the two process model based on the behavioural conditioning stating that phobias are acquired by classical conditioning and maintained by operant conditioning.
Watson and Rayner created a phobia in 9month old baby little Albert
1) when presented with a white rat a loud banging noise would follow
2) this created fear UCR
3) when the rat and the noise were combined multiple times consequently little Albert associated the rat with fear
This conditioning then generalised to anything that looked like the white rat for example a rabbit a fur coat and a white beard which was met with fear by Albert.

Question 2

Maintenance by operant conditioning

Answer 2

In the case of negative reinforcement the individual avoids the unpleasant situation and receives a desirable consequence so repeats this avoidance behaviour.
The reduction of fear as a result of this maintains the phobia.

Question 3

Evaluation positives

Answer 3

+ real world application in exposure therapies- preventing avoidance behaviour to remove phobia
+ evidence for a link between bad experiences and phobias
Little Albert study
Jongh found that 73% of people with a fear of dental treatment had experienced a traumatic experience at the dentist. HOWEVER not all phobias are as a result of a negative experience.

Question 4

Evaluation negatives

Answer 4

• does not account for the cognitive aspect of phobias for examples people who hold an irrational belief towards the phobic stimulus = partial explanation of phobias
• some phobias are acquired from our evolutionary past which is known as biological preparedness.