Two process model eval

• What is a weakness? (not everyone has a traumatic experience to trace their phobia back to)

  -some people have phobias to stimuli never encountred before

  -an alternative explanation could be social learning theory.

  -a child might see their parent react fearfully to something and feel motivated through vicarious reinforcement to imitate this.

  -This coupled with avoidance could lead to a phobia
• What is another weakness? (cognitive aspects to phobias that cannot be explained by traditionally behaviourist framework)

  -CA would suggest that phobias are a result of irrational thinking

  -this approach may be more valued as it can inform cognitive therapies for phobias such as CBT which may be more effective than behaviourist treatments
• What is strength? (research support)

  -Barlow and Durand (1995) showed that in cases of individuals with phobia of driving 50% had been involved in a road accident

  -through classical conditioning the road accident an UCS had turned driving into CS for those now with the phobia
• What is a strength(1960's operant conditioning explanations)

  -in the 1960's two process model went beyond classical conditioning and explained how phobias could be maintained over time

  -this had important prac explanations for therapies bc it explained why patients need to be exposed to feared stimulus.

  -Once a patient is prevented from practicing their avoidance behaviours the behaviour ceases to be reinforces so it declines
• What is another strength(can explain social phobias)

  -operant conditioning van also explain how social phobias (agoraphobias) develop from a specific phobia

  -people are anxious they'll experience a panic attack in social situations and so avoid them.