behavioural approach to explaining phobias

• Watson and Rayner showed how a fear of rate could be conditioned in Little Albert:

  1. Whenever Albert played with a white rat, a loud noise was made close to his ear. The noise (UNS) caused a fear response (UNR)
  2. Rat (NS) did not create fear until the bang and the rat had been paired together several times
  3. Albert showed a fear response (CR) every time he came into contact with the rat (CS)
• Mowrer prosed a 2 process model where phobias are acquired through classical conditioning where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an unconditional fear response, leading to an eventual phobia towards the stimulus. Phobias are maintained through operant conditioning
• One strength of the 2 process model is its real world application. The idea that phobias are maintained by avoidance is important in explaining why people with phobias benefit from exposure therapies. Once, avoidance behaviour is prevented it ceases to be reinforced by the reduction of anxiety. Avoidance behaviour therefore declines. This shows the value of the 2 process approach because it identifies a means of treating phobias
• One limitation is the inability to explain cognitive aspects of phobias. Behavioural explanations like the 2 process model are geared towards explaining behaviour. However, we know that phobias also have a significant cognitive component. This means that the 2 process model doesn't fully explain the symptoms of phobias