4.1.10 acquisition and maintenance of phobias

Question 1

what are phobias?

Answer 1

an overwhelming and debilitating fear of an object, place, situation, feeling or animal

Question 2

who proposed the two-process model?

Answer 2

Howard Mowrer

Question 3

what is the two-process model?

Answer 3

Phobias can be acquired through a process of classical conditioning, and are then maintained through operant conditioning

Question 4

what is the social learning explanation for phobias?

Answer 4

Humans acquire phobias when they imitate fear responses shown by others (e.g parents)

1. pay attention to a role model who fears phobic stimulus (like a clown) e.g. parents
2. retain knowledge about the behvaiour being observed - fear of phobic stimulus = avoiding films, fear reaction
3. repeat the behaviour being observed
4. vicarious reinforcement. role model may get attention for fear e.g sympathy

Question 5

describe classical conditioning as an explanation for acquiring phobias

Answer 5

classical conditioning of a phobia involves learning to associate one stimulus with another stimulus

• one stimulus initially creates no fear (NS) and the other stimulus is one that already triggers a fear response (UCS)
• through association the NS becomes a conditioned stimulus producing a conditioned response of fear

Question 6

describe operant conditioning as an explanation for maintaining phobias

Answer 6

• Operant conditioning takes place when behaviour is reinforced or punished. Reinforcement increases the frequency of behaviour. Negative reinforcement takes place when a behaviour is rewarded by the removal of something unpleasant like anxiety.
• When someone with a conditioned phobia responds by avoiding the fear-provoking stimulus, their anxiety lessens and this provides negative reinforcement for the avoidance behaviour. Mowrer says this avoidance and its negative reinforcement is what maintains phobias.

Question 7

learning theory explanation of phobias - supporting evidence

Answer 7

P - A strength is there is supporting evidence from human and animal studies

E - For example, Watson & Raynor showed that Little Albert developed a phobia of white rat after the rat (NS) was paired with a loud bang (UCS) which frightened Albert (became a CR). Albert showed stimulus generalisation - fear of similar white fluffy objects.

T This means there is firm evidence suggesting that if learning is not a complete explanation for phobias, it does take place.

Question 8

learning theory explanation of phobias - competing evidence

Answer 8

P - Phobias could be explained by other factors.

E - Evolutionary psychology argues that we inherit genes for fear that are passed down from generation to generation. So an individual can have a phobia of snakes despite never being in contact with a snake. Previously having a fear response to a dangerous animal would have aided survival (fitness).

T - This means that phobias can be explained in a different way, which questions the validity of the learning explanation.

Question 9

learning theory explanation of phobias - application

Answer 9

P - Learning theory explanations for phobias have real world applications in therapies for phobias.

E - Systematic desensitisation can be used to gradually expose a client to their phobic stimulus whilst they practice relaxation, so a new association is formed (previously phobic stimulus is associated with feeling relaxed).

T - This shows the practical value of learning explanations for phobias, they are useful in real-life.

Question 10

learning theory explanations of phobias - weakness

Answer 10

P - A weakness of learning theory explanations of phobias is they are reductionist.

E - They do not consider cognitive factors, such as knowledge of phobic stimuli. Rachman (1998) argues that as well as conditioning, we can find out frightening facts about things which causes / justifies our fear of them.

T - This means that learning explanations alone may be too simplistic and that phobias may develop due to cognition (thinking) as well.