Behavioural explanations and treatments of phobias

What is the two-process model of phobias?

• explains how classical conditioning acquires phobias, and operant conditioning maintains them

Who came up with the two-process model of phobias and when?

• Mowrer

• 1947

How does classical conditioning explain phobias?

• a neutral stimulus is paired with something that naturally causes fear (UCS)

• after association, the neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus (CS), producing fear (CR)

How does operant conditioning maintain phobias?

• avoiding the phobic stimulus reduces anxiety (negative reinforcement)

• so the behaviour (avoidance) is repeated

Give two strengths of the behavioural explanations of phobias?

• there is research to support it

• there are positive implications for treatment

What research, supports the behavioural explanations of phobias?

• Watson and Rayner (1920) showed Little Albert developed a phobia of white rats through classical conditioning

What are the positive implications for treatment?

• understanding that phobias are learned, helps develop effective treatments like systematic desensitisation

Give one weakness of the behavioural explanation of phobias.

• ignores cognitive and biological influences

• e.g. evolutionary explanations (Bouton, 2007) suggest we may be biologically predisposed to certain phobias

What is systematic desensitisation?

• a gradual behavioural therapy using a fear hierarchy and relaxation techniques

• the goal is counter-conditioning, where the feared stimulus becomes associated with relaxation instead of fear

What are the steps in systematic desensitisation?

1) Relaxation techniques

2) Fear hierarchy

3) Gradual exposure

What is flooding?

• a behavioral therapy which provides immediate and intense exposure to the patients phobic stimulus

Give two strengths of systematic desensitisation.

• supporting research - McGrath et al. (1990): 75% of phobic patients improved with this therapy.

• less traumatic than flooding and good for specific phobias

Give one strength of flooding.

• fast and cost-effective; exposes patients directly, which can quickly lead to extinction of fear

Give two limitations of behavioural treatments of phobias.

• not always effective for complex or social phobias

• may not address the root cause of the phobia.

What is symptom substitution?

• when one symptom (e.g. a phobia) is removed through treatment, but another appears in its place because the underlying cause is still present

What are two disadvantages of behavioural therapy?

• may not be ethical or address the root cause

• risk of relapse if exposure is incomplete