Phobias; acquisition and maintenance

• What is a phobia?

  A type of anxiety disorder that is a overwhelming, irrational and debilitating fear
• Classical conditioning


  1. A phobia is acquired through association

  2. A phobia is maintained due to the renewal of the association

  E.g. loud bang ————> fear

  Loud bang + clowns ————> fear

  Clowns ————> fear

  Fear is maintained when going to a party with a clown, renewed with another bursting balloon
• Operant conditioning


  1. A phobia is acquired through punishment

  2. A phobia is maintained due to negative reinforcement

  3. The avoidant behaviour can be maintained due to positive reinforcement

  E.g. 1. Boy pets a dog and gets bitten

  2. Phobia maintained by avoiding dogs

  3. Gets an ice cream when he sees a dog
• Social learning theory


  1. A phobia is acquired through imitation of a model

  2. A phobia is maintained through vicarious reinforcement

  E.g. 1. A child acquires a phobia of spiders by observing parents, reproduces fear response

  2. Maintained if child sees parents anxiety being rewarded
• What are the strengths of these explanations of phobias?

  > Supporting evidence (Watson + Rayner) for classical conditioning

  > Social learning theory; logical reason we acquire a phobia we haven't directly experienced

  > Classical conditioning has led to treatments (systematic desensitisation)
• What are the weaknesses of these explanations of phobias?

  > Research is conducted using labatory experiments which can lack validity

  > Classical conditioning ignores the idea of 'one trial learning' (isolated situation causing a fear response)

  > Learning theory ignores the possible role of genes