5.3 Behavioural Approach to explaining Phobias

5.3 Behavioural Approach to explaining Phobias

1. Two-Process model

   • Behavioural approach emphasises the role of learning. This approach is geared towards explaining the behavioural characterstics.
   • Mowrer (1960) proposed the two process model, stating that phobias are acquired by classical conditioning and continue due to operant conditioning.

2. Acquisition by classical conditioning

   • Classical conditioning involves learning to associate something of which initially is unrelated to fear - a neutral stimulus - with something that triggers a fear response - unconditioned stimulus.
   • Watson and Rayner (1920) 'Little Albert'
     • Created a study into phobia in a 9 month old baby called 'Little Albert'. Albert at the start of the study had no unusual anxiety and when shown a white rat, would play with it.
       • Whenever the rat was presented to Albert, the researchers would make a loud, scary noise by banging an iron bar close to Albert's ear. The noise (UCS) created an unconditioned response of fear, when the rat (neutral stim.) and the UCS were together, both begin to produce a fear response.
         • He then displayed fear when he saw the rat (NS), making the rat a conditioned stimulus which produces a conditioned response. This caused him to generalise similar objects, causing him to be afraid of other white fluffy things e.g santa's beard.

3. Maintenance by operant conditioning

   • Responses from CC tend to decline over time, this is not the case with phobias. Mowrer explained that with operant conditioning, the behaviour is reinforce or punished.
     • This suggests that over time as you avoid the phobic stimulus, you successfully escape the fear and anxiety which reinforces avoidance behaviour and maintains phobia.

4. Evaluation

   • Strengths:
     • Real world application. Distinctive element in the two process model can explain how phobias are maintained, therefore can help with reducing this behaviour and curing a phobia.
     • Evidence for a link between bad experiences and phobias, Little Albert study provides evidence which justifies the two process model explanation for phobias.
   • Weaknesses:
     • Does not account for cognitive aspects. We know that phobias are not simply avoidance responses, the two process model does not offer an explanation for all symptoms.
     • Not all phobias appear following a bad experience. Meaning association between phobias and trauma is not as strong as shown here.