behaviourist approach to explaining phobias

• Two-process model (Mowrer 1947)

  -explains how classical and operant conditioning produce and maintain phobias

  
  

  1)people develop phobias by classical conditioning-a CS is paired with a UCS to produce the CR

  2)once someone has developed a phobia, its maintained through operant conditioning-people get anxious around the phobic stimulus and avoid it. This prevents the anxiety, which acts as negative reinforcement

  
  

  social learning-modelling behaviours of others
• strengths

  -watson and rayner, watson paired showign a rat with hitting a large metal pole behind a child's head, creating a loud noise and scaring the child. A phobic. response formed demonstrating phobias can be acquired through association

  -Behaviourist theories of phobias have been practically applied to counter-conditioning therapies, systematic desensitisation and flooding. As these treatments are effective, this suggests the behaviourist principles they are based on are valid

  -Barlow and Durand (1995)- 50% of people with phobia of driving had been in an accident. Through classical conditioning the road accident had turned driving into CS
• Weaknesses

  -Humans don't often display phobic responses to objects that cause the most pain in everyday life such a knives or cars. However, phobias of snakes and spiders are more common. These phobias may be better explained by evolutionary theory

  -ignores cognitive factors, irrational thoughts can trigger fear/anxiety