behavioural explanation of phobias

• Who proposed the two-process model based on the behavioural approach to phobias?

  Mowrer (1960)
• How does the two-process model explain phobias?

  Phobias are acquired by classical conditioning and maintained by operant conditioning
• Which piece of research shows evidence for acquiring a phobia through classical conditioning?

  Little Albert experiment by Watson and Rayner (1920)
• Explain Little Albert experiment by Watson and Rayner (1920)

  • unconditioned stimulus (loud noise) leads to unconditioned response (fear)
  • rat (NS) becomes associated with loud noise, producing a fear response
  • rat becomes a conditioned stimulus
• Negative reinforcement an individual avoids a situation that is unpleasant. Such a behaviour results in a desirable consequence, which means the behaviour will be repeated.
• Mower suggested that whenever we avoid a phobic stimulus we successfully escape the fear and anxiety that we would have experienced if we had remained there. This reduction in fear reinforces the avoidance behaviour and so the phobia is maintained.