Evaluation

• Real-world application

  One strength of the two-process model is its real-world application in exposure therapies:

  • The two-process model explains that phobias are maintained by avoiding the phobic stimulus
  • Once the avoidance behaviour is prevented it ceases to be reinforced and therefore declines
  • Therefore, this shows the value of the two-process approach as it identifies a means of treating phobias
• Cognitive aspects of phobias

  One limitation of the two-process model is that it does not account for the cognitive aspects of phobias:

  • Phobias are not simply avoidance responses - they also have a significant cognitive component
  • For example people hold irrational beliefs about the phobic stimulus (e.g. that a spider is dangerous)
  • Therefore, the two-process model offers an incomplete explanation for the symptoms of phobias
• Phobias and traumatic experiences


  One strength of the two-process model is evidence for a link between bad experiences and phobias:

  • Little Albert illustrates how a frightening experience involving a stimulus can lead to a phobia of that stimulus
  • Ad De Jongh found that 73% of people with a fear of dental treatment had experienced a traumatic experience involving dentistry
  • Only 21% in the control group had experienced a traumatic event
  • Therefore, this confirms that the association between stimulus and UCR leads to the development of a phobia
• Counterpoint to phobias and traumatic experiences

  Not all phobias appear following a bad experience:

  • Common phobias such as snakes occur in populations where very few have any traumatic experiences.
  • Not all frightening experiences lead to phobias
  • Therefore, the association between phobias and frightening experiences is not as strong as we would expect if behavioural theories provided a complete explanation