Two process model

• Strength:

  Applied in everyday life to help people overcome phobias:

  The two process model helps us to understand how phobias are learned and maintained through classical and operant conditioning. We can use this to understand how phobias can be unlearned applying to treatments like Systematic Desensitisation.

  Suggests there are useful practical applications of this theory.
• Weakness:

  Cannot explain why we have phobias of things we have never had a bad experience with.

  Not all phobias appear after a bad experience.

  Phobia of snakes, fairly common, often experienced by people who have never had a bad experience, not all frightening experiences, lead to phobia.

  Suggests the theory offers an incomplete account of phobias.
• The two process model has practical applications in treating people for phobias.
• Treatments such as systematic desensitisation use principles from the two-process model.
• The two-process model ignores the cognitive aspect of phobias.
• The two process model ignores any biological factors in phobias such as preparedness.
• Watson& Rayner use the case of Little Albert to support the two process model for phobias.
• Ad De Jongh et al(2006) confirms that associations cause phobias to develop.
• Not all phobias are created from negative experiences; people can have phobias from watching movies or tv.
• Seligman(1971) suggest evolutionary factors can create a preparedness to potential danger, causing fears.
• The social learning theory may be a better explanation for phobias.
• A phobic person can often recall the incident which caused them fear, supporting classical conditioning.
• Menzies& Clarke (1983) found that only 2% of children with a fear of water could recall a traumatic experience with water, suggesting that the behaviourist explanation cannot account for all phobias.