phobias - explain

• what are the 3 behavioural characteristics of phobias?

  1. panic
  2. avoidance
  3. endurance
• what are the 2 emotional characteristics of phobias?


  1. anxiety
  2. unreasonable responses
• what are the 3 cognitive characteristics of phobias?

  1. selective attention
  2. irrational beliefs
  3. cognitive distortions
• define phobia

  disproportionate fear of an object or situation where anxiety interferes with everyday life
• what are the 3 main types of phobia?

  1. agoraphobia - open spaces or trapped in a public places
  2. social phobias - anxiety related to social situations
  3. specific phobias - specific objects or situations
• what are the 2 main elements of the behavioural approach?

  1. classical conditioning
  2. operant conditioning
• define classical conditioning

  learning by association
• define operant conditioning

  behaviour is shaped and maintained by it's consequences
• outline acquisition by classical conditioning

  associate a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus
• outline the Little Albert study

  white rat with loud noise

  • noise = unconditioned stimulus creates unconditioned response of fear
  • rat = neutral stimulus and UCS become associated to produce fear
  • rat is now a conditioned stimulus producing a conditioned response
• outline maintenance by operant conditioning

  behaviour is reinforced or punished

  • negative = avoids unpleasant situations producing desirable consequence which increases repetition
  • reduction in fear reinforces avoidance to maintain phobia
• one strength of the behavioural explanation of phobias

  treatments

  • counter conditioning with relaxation led to systematic desensitisation
  • origins of phobias are caused by classical conditioning
  • increases external validity
• one weakness of the behavioural explanation of phobias

  lacks explanation

  • explanation is geared towards behavioural characteristics
  • ignores cognitive and emotional elements
  • simplistic
• second weakness of the behavioural explanation of phobias

  biological preparedness

  • some phobias are innate as they impact survival
  • e.g. snakes, spiders and the dark
  • conditioning can't explain all phobias
• third weakness of the behavioural explanation of phobias

  alternative explanations

  • some people have a fear without encountering situation
  • classical conditioning requires a neutral stimulus
  • can't explain peer or media influence