Behavioural approach to explaining phobias

• Two-process model

  Classical conditioning and operant conditioning
• Classical conditioning

  Involves association
• Operant conditioning

  Behaviour is reinforced or punished
• Orval Hobart Mower (1960) argued that phobias are learned by classical conditioning and then maintained by operant conditioning
• Acquisition by classical conditioning

  1. UCS triggers a fear response (UCR)

  2. NS is associated with the UCS

  3. NS becomes a CS producing fear (CR)
• Little Albert

  • Watson and Raynor (1920) showed how a fear of rats could be conditioned in 'Little Albert'
  • Whenever Albert played with a white rat, a loud noise was made close to his ear (UCS causing UCR)
  • Rat (NS) did not create fear until the bang and the rat had been paired together several times
  • Albert showed a fear response (CR) every time he came into contact with the rat (now a CS)
• Little Albert also showed a fear in response to other white furry objects including a fur coat and a Santa Claus mask
• Maintenance by operant conditioning (negative reinforcement)

  1. Negative reinforcement - an individual produces behaviour that avoids something unpleasant

  2. When a phobic avoids a phobic stimulus they escape the anxiety that would have been experienced

  3. This reduction in fear negatively reinforces the avoidance behaviour and the phobia is maintained
• Example of negative reinforcement

  • If someone has a morbid fear of clowns (coulrophobia) they will avoid circuses and other situations where they may encounter clowns
  • The relief felt from avoiding clowns negatively reinforces the phobia and ensures it is maintained rather than confronted
• Two-process model


  Went beyond Watson and Rayner's simple classical conditioning explanation of phobias
• Two-process model


  • Has important implications for therapy
  • Suggests that if a patient is prevented from practising their avoidance behaviour then phobic behaviour declines
• Application to therapy


  Is a strength of the two-process model
• There are alternative explanations for avoidance behaviour
• In more complex phobias like agoraphobia, there is evidence that at least some avoidance behaviour is motivated more by positive feelings of safety
• This is a problem for the two-process model, which suggests that avoidance is motivated by anxiety reduction
• Limitation is the two-process model is an incomplete explanation of phobias
• Even if we accept that classical and operant conditioning are involved in the development and maintenance of phobias, there are some aspects of phobia behaviour that require further explaining
• Biological preparedness


  • Is a problem for the two-process model because it shows there is more to acquiring phobias than simple conditioning
• We easily acquire phobias of things that were a danger in our evolutionary past (e.g. fear of snakes or the dark)
• This is biological preparedness - we are innately prepared to fear some things more than others
• Sometimes phobias do appear following a bad experience and it is easy to see how they could be the result of conditioning
• However, sometimes people have a bad experience (such as being bitten by a dog) and don't develop a phobia
• A limitation is that not all bad experiences lead to phobias
• The two-process model doesn't properly consider the cognitive aspects of phobias
• Behavioural explanations in general are oriented towards explaining behaviour rather than cognition (thinking)
• The two-process theory does not adequately address the cognitive element of phobias