behavioural explanations of phobias

• classical conditioning


  the process of learning to fear something via association
• what did watson and reyner do?

  conducted a study on little albert in which every time he was presented with a rat, a steel bar was struck from behind his head making a loud noise
• what did watson and rayner find?

  that after a while little albert would cry just at the sight of a rat, even if no loud noise was made
• two process model

  phobias are acquired by classical conditioning and they are maintained by operant conditioning
• strengths of classical conditioning

  resulted in effective treatment for phobias. little albert
• limitations of classical conditioning


  other studies found overall mixed evidence for importance of classical conditioning

  behaviourist approach is unable to explain why some phobias are more common than others