The behaviourist approach to explaining phobias

Question 1

What does behaviourist approach emphasise ?

Answer 1

The importance of observable behaviours (what we can see)

-focus on behavioural characteristics of phobias

Question 2

What is classical conditioning?

Answer 2

Learning through association- repeated pairing of 2 stimuli to create conditioned response

-explains the beginning of any phobia

Question 3

What did Mowrer create?

Answer 3

The two process model

Question 4

What is the two process model?

Answer 4

An explanation for how phobias are acquired through classical conditioning and then maintained through operant conditioning

(We learn phobia through classical conditioning which would fade over time but instead we avoid the phobic stimuli which were then rewarded with relief and peace therefore your negatively reinforced to not go near cheese. Were then unable to unlearn the association between the phobia and the fear of it)

Question 5

Give 2 strengths of behavioural explanation of phobias

Answer 5

Research supporting

Practical application

Question 6

What research is there to support the role of classical conditioning in the development of phobias?

Answer 6

Little Albert was conditioned to not like white rats due to the association of them with loud noises resulting in fear

This increases our confidence in the validity of the explanation so we can trust it

Question 7

How does the behavioural approach have practical application?

Answer 7

It allowed people to come up with treatments which can reduce the effects of phobias on peoples every day life

This helps others which benefits the field of psychology

Question 8

Give 2 limitations of the behavioural explanations of phobias

Answer 8

-Ethics and methodology

-evolutionary explanation of phobias

Question 9

How are ethics and methodology a limitation to this explanation?

Answer 9

Methodology- its a case study so it only looked at one person so we dont know if the findings can be generalised so it may not be trustworthy decreasing confidence in validity of the behavioural approach of phobias.

Ethics- little Albert exp couldn’t be done today due to ethical reasons meaning its time bound and this may not still be the case now- not valid

Question 10

What is the evolutionary explanation of phobias and how does it counteract the behavioural explanation of phobias? (Limitation)

Answer 10

seligman says that we acquire phobias of things that have previously been dangerous in our evolutionary past therefore its adaptive to acquire these fears

Biological preparedness- the innate predisposition to acquire certain fears

Question 11

Give a counter to the evolutionary explanation of phobias

Answer 11

Its rare to develop a fear to guns or cars which are much more dangerous than say (spiders)