BEHAVIOURAL APPROACH TO EXPLAINING PHOBIAS

• • Behavioural approach to explaining phobias emphasizes the role of learning in the acquisition of behaviour.
  • Focuses on behaviour that is observable, such as avoidance, endurance, and panic aspects of phobias.
  • Mowrer (1960) proposed the two-process model for phobias, stating that phobias are acquired through classical conditioning and maintained through operant conditioning.
• Acquisition by Classical Conditioning:

  • Classical conditioning involves associating a neutral stimulus with an unconditional stimulus that triggers a fear response
  • Example: traumatic experience of being bitten by a dog (NS) leading to a phobia of dogs
• Maintenance by Operant Conditioning:

  • Operant conditioning maintains phobias through negative reinforcement
  • Negative reinforcement involves avoiding unpleasant situations, leading to the repetition of the avoidance behavior
• Research Support for the two-process model:

  • Bagby reported a case of a woman acquiring a phobia of running water after a traumatic experience
  • Mowrer conditioned rats to fear a buzzer through electric shocks and maintained the fear through operant conditioning
• Implications for therapy:

  • The two-process model explains how phobias can be maintained over time.
  • Patients need to be exposed to the feared stimulus to prevent the maintenance of phobias.
  • Preventing patients from practicing their avoidance behaviour leads to a decline in the behaviour.
  • Systematic desensitization pairs the feared stimulus with relaxation as a treatment for phobias.
• Incomplete explanation OF PHOBIAS:

  • The model does not explain why phobias to all potentially harmful objects (cars, guns etc) do not develop.
  • Preparedness theory proposes that humans have evolved to be fearful of things that were a danger to survival in the past (snakes, spiders).
  • Theory of preparedness suggests that acquiring phobias involves more than simple conditioning.
• Cognitive factors in phobia development:

  • It should be possible to trace a phobia back to its original learning experience, but this is often not possible.
  • DiNardo et al (1988) found that 50% of people with a fear of dogs had a negative experience with a dog in their childhood.
  • Those who developed a phobia tended to focus more on the likelihood of that kind of event happening again, suggesting a role for cognition in phobia development.