behavioural approach to explaining phobias

• behavioural approach?

  way of explaining behaviour in terms of what is observable and in terms of learning
• two-process model?

  an explanation for the onset of and persistence of disorders that create anxiety such as phobias. the 2 processes are classical conditioning and operant conditioning for persistence.
• classical conditioning?

  learning by association. occurs when 2 stimuli are repeatedly paired together - an unconditioned stimulus and a new neutral stimulus. neutral stimulus eventually produces the same response that was first produced by the unconditioned stimulus alone
• operant conditioning?

  form of learning in which behaviour is shaped and maintained by its consequences. possible consequences of behaviour include positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement and punishment
• strength of the two-process model ?


  P - real-world application in exposure therapies.

  E - distinctive element of two-process model is idea that phobias are maintained by avoidance of the phobic stimulus. important in explaining why people with phobias benefit from being exposed to the phobic stimulus. Once the avoidance behaviour is prevented it ceases to be reinforced by the experience of anxiety reduction and avoidance therefore declines. In behavioural terms phobia is avoidance behaviour so when this avoidance is prevented phobia is cured

  L - shows the value of the two-process approach as it identifies a means of treating phobias.
• another strength of the two-process model? 


  P - is evidence for a link between bad experiences and phobias.

  E - Little Albert study illustrates how a frightening experience involving a stimulus can lead to a phobia of that stimulus. More systematic evidence comes from a study by Ad De Jongh et al. (2006) who found that 73% of people with a fear of dental treatment had experienced a traumatic experience, mostly involving dentistry (others had experienced being the victim of violent crime). This can be compared to a control group of people with low dental anxiety where only 21% had experienced a traumatic event.

  L - confirms that association between stimulus and an unconditioned response does lead to development of phobia.
• counterpoint for another strength of 2 process model ?

  P - Not all phobias appear following a bad experience.

  E - in fact some common phobias such as snake phobias occur in populations where very few people have any experience of snakes let alone traumatic experiences. Also, considering the other direction, not all frightening experiences lead to phobias.

  L - association between phobias and frightening experiences is not as strong as we would expect if behavioural theories provided a complete explanation.
• limitation of the two-process model ? 


  P - does not account for the cognitive aspects of phobias.

  E - Behavioural explanations, including the two-process model, are geared towards explaining behaviour. In the case of phobias the key behaviour is avoidance of the phobic stimulus. However, we know that phobias are not simply avoidance responses - they also have a significant cognitive component.

  E - For example people hold irrational beliefs about the phobic stimulus. The two-process model explains avoidance behaviour but does not offer an adequate explanation for phobic cognitions.

  L - does not completely explain the symptoms of phobias.
• Little Albert’s Study?

  Watson and Rayner (1920) created a phobia in a 9-month-old baby called 'Little Albert. Albert showed no unusual anxiety at the start of the study. When shown a white rat he tried to play with it. However, the experimenters then set out to give Albert a phobia. Whenever the rat was presented to Albert the researchers made a loud, frightening noise by banging an iron bar close to Albert's ear. This noise is an unconditioned stimulus (UCS) which creates an unconditioned response (UCR) of fear. When the rat (a neutral stimulus, NS) and the UCS are encountered close together in time the NS becomes associated with the UCS and both now produce the fear response - Albert displayed fear when he saw a rat (the NS). The rat is now a learned or conditioned stimulus (CS) that produces a conditioned response (CR).