Behavioural approach to explaining phobias

• Two process model

  An explanation for the onset and persistence of disorders that create anxiety, like phobias.

  The two processes are classical conditioning for onset and operant conditioning for persistence.

  Proposed by Mower based on the behavioural approach to phobias. This states that phobias are acquired by classical conditioning and then continue because of operant conditioning.
• Acquisition by classical conditioning

  = Classical conditioning involves learning to associate something of which we initially have no fear (neutral stimulus) with something that already triggers a fear response (unconditioned stimulus)

  • Watson and Rayner created a phobia in a 9 month old 'little Albert'
  • Albert showed no unusual anxiety at the start, when shown a rat he played with it.
  • Experimentors set out to give Albert a phobia- whenever the rat was presented to Albert the researcher made a loud, frightening noise.
• Continued- classical conditioning

  The noise= unconditioned stimulus, which creates an unconditioned response of fear.

  • When the rat and unconditioned stimulus are encountered close together in time the neutral stimulus becomes associated with the unconditioned stimulus and both now produce the fear response.
  • Albert displayed fear when he saw a rat, the rat is now a learned or conditioned stimulus that produces a conditioned response.
• Maintenance by operant conditioning

  Phobias are often long lasting- Mowrer explained this as the result of operant conditioning.

  • Operant conditioning takes place when our behaviour is reinforced or punished.
  • Reinforcement tends to increase the frequency of a behaviour.
  • Negative reinforcement, an individual avoids an unpleasant situation. Such behaviour results in a desirable consequence so behaviour will be repeated.
• Mowrer suggested that whenever we avoid a phobic stimulus we successfully escape the fear and anxiety we would have experienced if we had remained there. This reduction in fear reinforces the avoidance behaviour and so the phobia is maintained.
• Evaluation- real world application

  Strength of two process model is real world application in exposure therapies.

  • The distinctive element is the idea that phobias are maintained by avoidance of the phobic stimulus.
  • This is important in explaining why people with phobias benefit from being exposed to the phobic stimulus.
  • Once avoidance behaviour is prevented it ceases to be reinforced by the experience of anxiety reduction and avoidance therefore declines.
  • In behavioural terms the phobia is the avoidance behaviours so when this avoidance is prevented the phobia is cured.
• Evaluation- cognitive aspects of phobias

  Limitation- two process model doesn't account for cognitive aspects of phobias

  • Behavioural explanations are geared towards explaining behaviour- for phobias the key behaviour is avoidance of the phobic stimulus.
  • However phobias are not simply avoidance responses- they have a cognitive component. Eg: people with irrational beliefs about the phobic stimulus.
  • The two process model explains avoidance behaviour but doesn't explain explanations for phobic cognitions.
  • So doesn't fully explain symptoms of phobias.
• Evaluation- phobias and traumatic experiences

  Strength= link between bad experiences and phobias.

  • Study by Ad DeJongh found that 73% of people with a fear of dental treatment had experienced a traumatic experience, mostly involving dentistry.
  • This can be compared to a control group of people with low dental anxiety where only 21% experienced a traumatic event.
  • Confirms that associations between stimulus and an unconditioned response does lead to development of phobias.
• Evaluation- counter point

  Not all phobias appear following a bad experience.

  • Common phobias like snake phobias occur in populations where very few people have any experience of snakes let alone traumatic experiences.
  • Not all frightening experiences lead to phobias.
  • Means that association between phobias and frightening experiences isnt as strong as we could expect if behavioural theories provided a complete explanation.