Phobias

The behavioural approach (Phobias)

• People are a product of their experiences

• We learn through classical and operant conditioning

Mowrer (1960)

Two-process Model:

• Phobias acquired through classical conditioning

• Phobias maintained through operant conditioning

Classical conditioning

Learning through association

Operant conditioning

Learning through consequences

Phobia

An anxiety disorder characterised by excessive fear and anxiety in response to an object or situation

Specific phobia

Fear of a s specific object or situation

Social phobia

Fear of social situations

Positive reinorcement

Adding something to encourage/increase behaviour

Positive punishment

Adding something to decrease/discourage behaviour

Negative reinforcement

Taking something away to increase/encourage behaviour

Negative punishment

Taking something away to decrease/discourage behaviour

ABC Model used to explain phobic behaviour

Antecedent

Behaviour

Consequence

A in ABC model

Antecedent - What happens before the behaviour (trigger or cue)

B in ABC model

Behaviour - The observable action (e.g. avoiding phobic stimulus)

C in ABC model

Consequence - What happens after the behaviour (e.g. anxiety is reduced after avoiding phobic stimulus which is negative reinforcement)

Schedules of reinforcement

• Regular (continuous)

• Erratic (partial)

What is the aim of behavioural therapies?

Counterconditioning - change a previously learnt fear response into a newly learnt relaxation response

What is meant by ‘extinction’ in reference to behavioural treatments

The weakening or disappearance of a learned fear when the phobic stimulus is repeatedly experienced without any negative outcome.

Reciprocal inhibition

The inability to be frightened and relaxed at the same time

In vitro

Imagined

In vivio

Real

The two behavioural treatments for phobias

Systematic desensitisation (SD) and Flooding

Systematic Desensitisation

A behavioural treatment for phobias that involves gradual exposure to a clients phobic stimulus until their fear is extinct with the use of relaxation techniques

Gilroy et al. (2003) - Procedure

• Sample of 42 arachnophobes

• Arachnophobes randomly allocated to either SD group who participated in 45 minute SD sessions and an only relaxation therapy group

• Patients were assessed at 3 months and 33 months after treatment

Gilroy et al. (2003) - Results

• SD group showed significant reduction in spider phobia symptoms compared to the relaxation group

• Improvements were maintained up to and past 33 months

Gilroy et al. (2003) - Conclusions

• SD is an effective long-term treatment for specific phobias

• Supports the behavioural approach

Flooding

A behavioural treatment for phobias that involves immediate and intense exposure to a client’s phobic stimulus until their fear response is extinguished, with the use of relaxation techniques

Wolpe (1970)

Drove a girl with a phobia of cars around for 4 hours. The girl was initially afraid but eventually calmed down. and her phobia disappeared

How many sessions does SD normally last?

6-8 sessions

Why are behavioural treatments ineffective on social phobias?

Social phobias often have a cognitive element to them. Behavioural treatments do not address this

What idea did Seligman (1970) propose?

Biological preparedness

What was the idea of biological preparedness

In our evolutionary past, there are certain things it would be adaptive for us to be frightened of (e.g. spiders, snakes and heights). Modern humans still have this genetic predisposition which is why phobias often such things are so common.