Psychopathology - behavioural approach to explaining phobias

Question 1

what is the two process model

Answer 1

• Mowrer (1960)
• explanation for the onset and persistence of disorders that create anxiety
• classical conditioning for onset
• operant conditioning for persistence

Question 2

what is acquisition by classical conditioning

Answer 2

Watson and Rayner (1920)
- created phobia in Little Albert
- when presented the rat a loud noise also made
- noise = unconditioned stimulus
- fear = unconditioned response
- rat (Neutral stimulus) and UCS stimulus are encountered together they produce fear
- Albert displayed fear when he saw the rat - distress at other white furry objects

Question 3

what is maintenance by operant conditioning

Answer 3

• when we avoid the phobic stimulus we escape the fear and anxiety we would have experienced if we stayed there
• reduction in fear reinforces the avoidance behaviour and phobia is maintained

Question 4

what are the strengths of the behavioural approach

Answer 4

Real world application
- exposure therapies - flooding

Ad de Johng et al (2006)
- 73% of people with a fear of dental treatment had experienced a traumatic experience with dentistry
- compared to a control group of 21%
- confirms that association between stimulus and a unconditioned response leads to the development of phobias

Question 5

what are the limitations of the behavioural approach

Answer 5

Cognitive aspects not accounted for
- phobias just aren’t avoidance responses they have a cognitive element
- people can hold irrational beliefs about the phobic stimulus
- two process model doesn’t completely explain all symptoms of phobias

• not all phobias follow bad experiences
• snake phobias = very few had interactions with them
• not all frightening experiences lead to phobias