The behavioural approach to explaining phobias

What is the main principle of the behavioural approach to explaining phobias?

That all behaviour is learned, rather than inherited.

What is the model that explains how bias are learned?

The two-process model.

What are the stages of the two-process model?

Classical conditioning (initiation of phobia)

Operant conditioning (maintenance of phobia)

CLASSICAL CONDITIONING: How is a phobia acquired?

Through the association between a neutral stimulus (eg a rat), and an unconditioned stimulus (eg a loud noise).

These are associated with eachother when paired (when they happen at the same time).

What is the unconditioned response?

Fear.

How does the unconditioned response of fear get produced in response to the neutral stimulus (rat)?

When the unconditioned stimulus (loud noise) is paired with the neural stimulus, the neutral stimulus (rat) acquires the same properties as the unconditioned stimulus.

The now conditioned stimulus (rat) now produces the now conditioned response of fear.

Explain how someone can develop a fear of dogs after being bitten, using the two process model.

Being bitten (unconditioned stimulus) creates fear (unconditioned response).

The dog (neutral stimulus) is associated with being bitten (unconditioned stimulus).

The dog (now neutral stimulus) produces fear (conditioned response).

Explain stage two of the two-process model - operant conditioning

The individual completely avoids the phobic stimulus (eg seeing a dog in a park and immediately leaving the park).

This reduces fear - negative reinforcement.

Also causes a relief as they’ve escaped the fearful situation - positive reinforcement.

What is the other behaviourist explanation for phobias, not included in the two-process model?

Social learning

How does SLT explain phobias?

Phobias can be acquired through modelling -

children may acquire the same phobias to parents as the behaviour seems rewarding: the fearful person gets attention.

Positive eval

Research support for social learning explanation - experiment by Bandura and Rosenthal (1966). A model acted as if he was in pain every time a buzzer sounded. Later on, participants who observed this showed a fear reaction to the buzzer, demonstrating acquired fear response. This shows that modelling can lead to phobias.

Research support for two-process model - Sue (1994) found that people with phobias often do recall a specific incident when their phobia appeared.

Negative eval

Not everyone develops a phobia after a fearful experience - (eg Di Nardo, 1988, found that not everyone who gets bitten by a dog this is explained by the diathesis-stress model. So the behavioural explanation is incomplete on its own.

Biological preparedness - Seligman (1970) argued that humans have ancient fears. These are of things that would’ve been dangerous in our evolutionary past. The fear helped us avoid death in the past. This explains why people are less afraid of modern things (eg toasters). So suggests the behavioural approach can’t explain all phobias.

The two process model ignores cognitive factors - cognitive explanation for phobias suggests that phobias develop because of irrational thinking. This is a superior explanation as it leads to treatments more successful than behaviourist treatments (eg CBT)

What is the diathesis stress model?

Proposes that we inherit a genetic vulnerability for developing mental disorders.

However a disorder will only manifest itself if triggered by a life event, such as being bitten by a dog.