Phobias 🕷️

• Two process model

  Mowrer proposed this model based on learning theory to explain acquisition and maintenance of phobias. Acquired through classical and maintained through operant
• Acquisition through classical

  Learning to associate one stimulus w another. Initially the NS creates no fear and the UCS does - through association the NS becomes CS and produces a CR of fear

  Demonstrated by Little Albert

  Eg. if a wasp stings you, site or noise of wasp scares you
• Maintenance by operant

  Operant takes place when a behaviour is reinforced (increases frequency) or punished. Negative reinforcement takes place when removing something unpleasant like anxiety.
• Mowrer + avoidance response

  Mowrer conditioned a rat to develop an avoidance response to shock - would jump over a barrier - negatively reinforcing

  When someone w a conditioned phobia responds by avoiding the stimulus, anxiety lessens - negative reinforcement - this avoidance maintains phobias
• Social learning of phobias

  Cook and Mineka suggest observational learning of phobias - an infant rhesus monkey who watched adult monkeys displaying fear to toy snakes and crocodiles acquired fear for those toys

  Humans may similarly acquire phobias by imitating fear response modelled by others such as parents
• Strength 1

  supporting evidence from Watson and Rayner - Little Albert or from Mowrer -rats (for animals) or Cook and Mineka - rhesus monkeys
• Strength 2

  application to treating phobias eg systematic desensitisation and flooding are based on classical conditioning

  SD works to help clients learn new responses to the phobic stimulus whilst flooding works by extinction of learned responses

  Illustrates practical value for learning explanations of phobias
• Weakness 1

  Does not explain all aspects of phobias - we acquire phobias of things that have been a source of danger in our evolutionary past such as fear of snakes

  Some people also acquire phobias without conditioning or modelling

  So, not complete explanation