Behavioural: Phobias

• Two-process model


  Behaviourist model for explaining phobias
• Acquisition (classical conditioning)


  1. Phobic object is at first neutral stimulus

  2. Phobic object is presented with unconditioned stimulus that produces unconditioned negative response

  3. Neutral stimulus becomes conditioned stimulus, unconditioned response becomes conditioned response

  4. Fear generalised to similar stimuli
• Maintenance (operant conditioning)


  1. Phobic person avoids situations with phobic object

  2. Anxiety is reduced, which acts as negative reinforcement
• Social learning theory


  Learning can happen vicariously by observing models
• Common phobias


  • Snakes
  • Birds
  • Dogs
• Phobias of snakes, birds, and dogs had an evolutionary origin as our very early ancestors could have been hunted/attacked by these creatures
• Phobias to objects that are more dangerous in the modern day (i.e: knives, cars) are rare
• Behaviourist theories of phobia formation and maintenance have lead to effective counter-conditioning treatments such as flooding and systematic desensitisation
• Watson and Rayner (1920) used a child called little Albert to demonstrate how phobias could be induced in a child
• Menzies and Clarke (1993) found that only 2% of children with a fear of water could recall a traumatic experience with water, suggesting that the behaviourist explanation cannot account for all phobias
• The Watson and Rayner study was a highly unethical study as it caused its participant (little Albert) emotional harm