Maintenance

• The maintenance of phobias is explained through operant conditioning
• Mowrer explained that operant conditioning occurs when our behaviour is reinforced or punished
• reinforcement tends to increase the frequency of behaviour (positive reinforcemt)
• With negative reinforcement, the person avoids the conditioned stimulus. This results in a desired consequence - the pleasurable feeling of avoiding the stimulus.
• Mowrer suggested that whenever we avoid a phobic stimulus, we successfully escape the fear and anxiety that accompanies it. This reduction of fear reinforces the avoidant behaviour, and the phobia is maintained.
• Positive reinforcement

  Reinforcing behaviour through rewarding it
• Negative reinforcement

  Reinforcing behaviour through avoiding something bad