The behavioural approach to explaining and treating phobias: the two-process model, including classical and operant conditioning; systematic desensitisation, including relaxation and use of hierarchy; flooding

Learning a phobia by classical conditioning

People learn to associate something they don’t fear (neutral stimulus) with something that causes a fear response (unconditioned stimulus)

Case study for classical conditioning of phobias

Watson and Rayner gave Little Albert a white rat (neutral stimulus) to play with and then made a loud noise (unconditioned stimulus). The noise made him cry and after a number of times her cried when he saw the white rat, with no loud noise. Showing he gained a phobia by associating the rat with the noise, this phobia was generalised to similar objects.

Maintaining a phobia by operant conditioning

If behaviour is reinforced it is more likely to be repeated

Positive reinforcement in phobias

Something pleasant, for example if family and friends give a person attention when they show fear of and object or situation, the fear response is reinforced and likely to be maintained.