Behavioural approach to explaining phobias

• Two-process model-phobia

  An explanation for the onset and persistence of disorders that create anxiety such as phobias. The two processes are classical conditioning for onset and operant conditioning for persistence
• Classical conditioning - phobia

  Involves learning to associate something of which we initially have no fear (neutral stimulus) with something that already triggers a fear response (unconditioned stimulus)
• Acquisition by classical conditioning - Little Albert

  Watson and Rayner

  • Albert showed no unusual anxiety at the start of the study when shown a rat. Rat presented to Albert while they played loud frightening noise by banging iron bar
  • noise (UCS) --> fear - (UCR)
  • noise (UCS)+rat (NS)--> fear (UCR)
  • Rat becomes associated with noise so both produce fear response
  • rat (Conditioned Stimulus) --> fear (Conditioned Response)
  • Generalised to similar objects - other furry white objects caused distress
• Operant conditioning - phobia

  Takes place when our behaviour is reinforced or punished. Reinforcement tends to increase the frequency of the behaviour.

  Negative reinforcement - avoid unpleasant situation that results in desirable consequence which means behaviour will be repeated
• Maintenance by operant conditioning

  Mowrer - whenever we avoid a phobic stimulus we escape the anxiety we would've experienced if we had remained there. Reduction in fear reinforces the avoidance behaviour and so the phobia is maintained.
• AO3 - explaining phobias: Real-world application

  • exposure therapies
  • Two-process model explains why people with phobias benefit from being exposed to the phobic stimulus
  • Once avoidance behaviour is prevented it ceases to be reinforced
  • helps phobias in being cured
• AO3 - explaining phobias: does not account for cognitive aspects

  • two-process model is geared towards explaining behaviours
  • phobias are not just avoidance responses
  • People hold irrational beliefs about stimulus
  • two-process model does not explain phobic cognitions
• AO3 - explaining phobias: phobias and traumatic experiences

  • Little Albert provides evidence
  • Jongh - 73% of people with fear of dental treatment experienced a traumatic experience involving dentistry
  • confirms association between stimulus and unconditioned response leads to development of phobias