Mowrer proposed this model is based on the behavioural approach to phobias and states phobias are acquired by classical conditioning and continue due to operant conditioning
Watson and Rayner created a phobia in a 9 month old baby called 'Little Albert' who was a shown a little white rat and initially showed no unusual anxiety; even tried to play with it
Watson and Rayner made a loud banging noise near Little Albert's ear whenever the rat was present. The noise was an unconditioned stimulus while the rat was a neutral stimulus
When the neutral stimulus becomes associated with unconditioned stimulus close in time, a fear response is created. Thus, the rat became a learned/conditioned stimulus producing a conditioned response
Watson and Rayner showed Albert other objects like a fur coat, white rabbit and even Watson wearing a Santa claus beard. It was found the conditioning generalised to all objects- Albert displayed distress at the sight of these objects
Mowrer explained operant conditioning leads to phobias lasting long as when we avoid a phobic stimulus, we successfully escape the fear/anxiety we would have suffered if we remained in the situation
