behavioural approach to explaining phobias

• the two-process model - Mowrer
• classical conditioning - how phobia is acquired

  Watson & Rayner - Little Albert

  white rat (NS) + loud noise (UCS) = fear (UCR)

  white rat (CS) = fear (CR)
• operant conditioning - how phobias are maintained if fear is reduced by avoiding the phobic stimulus, avoidance behaviour becomes negative reinforcer eg. someone afraid of spiders because had previously been frightened by one, reduction in fear they experience by avoiding spiders would lead to continuing avoiding them
• • importance of classical conditioning, Sue et al found that some people can recall a specific event that lead to their phobias developing.
• • a phobia does not always develop after a traumatic incident, Di Nardo et al found that not everyone who is bitten by a dog develops a phobia of dogs. The diathesis stress model proposes that we inherit a genetic vulnerability for developing mental disorders but the disorder then triggered by real life events.
• • support for social learning, Bandura & Rosenthal, model acted as if he was in pain every time a buzzer sounded. Later the participants who had observed this showed an emotional reaction to the buzzer. This shows imitating the behaviour modelled by others can lead to acquisition of phobias.
• • model ignores cognitive factors, eg. a person who thinks they might die if trapped in a lift might become extremely anxious and this may trigger a phobia about lifts. Shows irrational thinking is also involved in developing phobias.