Phobias: explaining + treating (behavioural approach)

• Phobias


  One of the most interesting mental health conditions to talk about
• The range of objects people can be phobic about is very wide
• If you don't have a phobia of something, it can be very difficult to imagine how that phobia could have developed in someone else
• Behaviorist approach


  Explaining and treating phobias
• Classical conditioning


  A type of learning where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus, leading to a conditioned response
• Operant conditioning


  A type of learning where behavior is modified by its consequences
• Two-process model


  Suggests phobias are initially acquired through classical conditioning, and then maintained through operant conditioning
• Acquisition of phobias through classical conditioning

  1. Neutral stimulus paired with unconditioned stimulus

  2. Neutral stimulus becomes conditioned stimulus

  3. Conditioned response of fear
• Maintenance of phobias through operant conditioning

  1. Phobic person avoids phobic object

  2. Anxiety is reduced, reinforcing the avoidance behavior
• Scenario of Laura and her phobia of bees

  • Acquired through being stung
  • Maintained through avoidance of bees
• The behaviorist approach is not a full explanation for all phobias
• Evolutionary explanations may be more valid for some common phobias like fear of snakes and spiders
• Reciprocal inhibition


  Fear and relaxation are antagonistic emotions, you can't feel both at the same time
• Systematic desensitization


  1. Client learns relaxation techniques

  2. Exposed to anxiety hierarchy from least to most feared

  3. Relaxation techniques used at each stage
• Flooding


  1. Immediate and full exposure to maximum phobic stimulus

  2. Client expected to experience extreme panic response

  3. Client not allowed to escape until panic subsides
• Systematic desensitization is often the client's preferred treatment as they have more control
• Flooding may be quicker but is less suitable for some clients
• Phobia treatment in a controlled environment may not generalize to the real world
• Drugs


  An alternative treatment for phobias, can lower anxiety but are temporary and have side effects
• Virtual reality exposure therapy

  Adapts the principles of systematic desensitization using virtual reality technology