Treating Phobias - Flooding & Systematic Desensitisation

Question 1

Phobias

Answer 1

• Included in anxiety disorders
• Irrational fear of an object or situation
• Anxiety interferes with everyday living

Question 2

Watson & Rayner (1920): ‘Little Albert’

Answer 2

• Subject: 11m/o baby Little Albert
• Follows conditioning formula
• UCS: Hammer bang = UCR1: Baby afraid
• NS: White rat = NR: Baby not afraid
• NS + UCS = UCR: Baby afraid
• CS: White rat = CR: Baby afraid

Question 3

Two-Process Model: Mowrer (1947)

Answer 3

• Classical conditioning = initiation, phobia can be generalised to other objects
• Operant conditioning = maintenance, negative reinforcement as avoiding phobic stimuli is rewarding by avoiding feelings of fear

Question 4

Limitations of 2-process model: Social Learning

Answer 4

Phobias may also be acquired through modelling the behaviour to others

Question 5

Limitations of 2-process model: Incomplete explanation

Answer 5

• If stimulus is associated with a fearful experience, the result should be a phobia, but this does not always happen
• Di Nardo et al (1988): Not everyone betten by a dog becomes a phobic

Question 6

Limitations of 2-process model: Diathesis-stress model

Answer 6

We inherit a genetic vulnerability for developing mental disorders and those who have this can develop mental disorders if triggered by a life event

Question 7

Limitations to 2-process model: Biological preparedness

Answer 7

• Seligman (1970): animals are genetically programmed to rapidly learn an association between potentially deadly stimuli and fear
• Stimuli would’ve been a threat in our ancient past
• Explains why people are less likely to develop a fear of modern objects

Question 8

Supporting research for 2-process model: Sue et al (1994)

Answer 8

People with phobias often recall a specific incident when their phobia appeared (not all)

Question 9

Supporting research for 2-process model: Ost (1987)

Answer 9

Possible that these people did experience a traumatic event but have just forgotten (shows role of classical conditioning)

Question 10

Supporting research for 2-process model: Bagby (1922)

Answer 10

Case study of a woman with a phobia of running water due to getting her feet stuck at rocks near a waterfall

Question 11

Supporting research for 2-process model: King et al (1998)

Answer 11

Case studies with children showed thye tended to acquire phobias through traumatic experiences - low population validity