Behavioural approach to explaining phobias. Flashcards
What is a phobia?
An irrational fear of an object or situation.
What is the two-process model to explaining phobias?
Classical conditioning- Learning to associate something with something of which we initially have no fear with something that already triggers a dear response.
Maintenance by operant conditioning- Our behaviour is reinforced or punished.
Negative reinforcement- An individual avoids a situation that is unpleasant. Such behaviour results in a desirable consequence, which means the behaviour will be repeated.
Explain the case study on ‘little Albert’
Watson and Rayner created a phobia in a 9-month old baby called little Albert.
Albert showed no unusual anxiety at the start of the study. When shown a white rat he tried to play with it.
However, when the rat was given to Albert, a loud noise was set off close to Albert.
This noise was the UCS which creates an UCR and when the rat (Ns) and the UCS were paired together, the Ns became the Cs that produces a CR.
This conditioning then generalised to similar objects- fur coat, white beard.
Strengths of the two-process model.
Real world application in exposure therapies such as systematic desensitisation.
Link between bad experiences and phobias- little Albert showed how a frightening experience can lead to a phobia of that stimulus.
Limitations of the two-process model
It does not account for the cognitive aspects of phobias- The two-process model explains avoidance behaviour but does not offer an adequate explanation for phobic cognitions and irrational fears.
Jongh found that 73% of people with a fear of dentist treatment had experienced a traumatic experience, mostly involving dentistry.
