behaviourist explanation

• two-process model

  Mowrer (1947) proposed the model which states that phobias are first aquired through classical conditioning and then maintained through operant conditioning
• acquisition of phobias

  learning to associate something we originally had no fear of (neutral stimulus) with something that already triggers a fear response (unconditioned stimulus)
• maintenance of phobias

  whenever we avoid a phobic stimulus we successfully avoid the fear and anxiety (negative situation) that we would have experienced if we had remained there

  this reduction in fear reinforces the avoidance behaviour and so the phobia is maintained (negative reinforcement) as we are "rewarded" by no longer feeling that fear
• watson and rayner (1920) → procedure

  1. when the rate (NS) was presented, they made a loud, frightening noise using steel and a hammer close to albert's ear (UCS) which caused fear (UCR)
  2. when the rat (NS) and the noise (UCS) are played together, albert began to associate them with fear (UCR)
  3. both the rat (NS) and the noise (UCS) produce the fear response - albert is now scared when presented with the rat
  4. the rat is now a conditioned stimulus which provides the conditioned response of fear
  5. this fear was then generalised to similar objects e.g. non-white rat
• watson and rayner (1920) → findings

  • albert showed no unusual anxiety at the start of the study and when first presented with the rat he tried to play with it
  • little albert became scared of the rat when it was presented without the noise
  • he was also scared of other fluffy objects
  • the phobia was maintained as he went back for testing a little while after he left the study
  • little albert gained a phobia
  • phobias are a learnt behaviour through classical conditioning (association)
• strengths of the behaviourist explanation

  • emphasis on empirical evidence → psychologists conducting numerous studies to support the role of conditioning in phobias e.g. watson and rayner → increases validity
  • effectiveness of behavioural therapies for phobias → systematic desensitisation gradually exposing clients to their phobia - research shown that it is very effective → real-life application
• limitations of the behaviourist explanation

  • focus on external factors, neglects internal factors → does not account for cognitive aspect of phobias such as thoughts and beliefs that contribute to the development and persistence of phobic reactions → incomplete understanding, may miss important factors
  • multiple instances where psychologists have found that phobias are not always conditioned → dinardo (1988) found participants in a control group experienced similar interactions with dogs but didn't gain the phobia → watson and rayner's findings cannot be generalised to a wider population