Behavioural Approach to explaining phobias

The two-process model:Mowrer proposed the two-process model based on the behavioural approach to phobias. This states that phobias are acquired (learned in the first place) by classical conditioning and then are reinforced through operant conditioning.Classical Conditioning:Classical conditioning involves learning to associate something we are not originally scared of (neutral stimulus) with something that we are scared of (unconditioned stimulus) Watson & Rayner (classical conditioning experiment): Created a phobia in a 9 month old baby called 'Little Albert' Albert showed no unusual anxiety at the beginning of the experiment Experimenters showed Albert a white rat which he tried to play with The next few times the rat was presented the experimenters made a loud frightening noise by banging on an iron bar close to Little Albert's ear. This is an unconditioned stimulus which creates an unconditioned response of fear Next time Little Albert was shown the rat he was scared of it, even without the noise This conditioning was also generalised to other objects i.e. Albert was scared of fluffy objects such as non white rabbits, fur coats and Watson wearing a santa claus beard Very unethical to cause a baby distress When the rat (a neutral stimulus) and the unconditioned stimulus are encountered close together, in time the neutral stimulus becomes associated with the unconditioned stimulus and both now produce the fear response.. The rat is now a conditioned stimulus that produces a conditioned response.

Operant Conditioning:Responses acquired by classical conditioning usually tend to decline over time. However phobias are often long lasting. Mowrer has explained this as a result of operant conditioning. Operant conditioning takes place when a behaviour is reinforced or punished. Reinforcement tends to increase the frequency of a behaviour. Negative reinforcement is where an individual avoids a situation that is unpleasant. This behaviour results in a desirable conequence so the behaviour is repeated. Mowrer suggested that when we avoid a phobic stimulus we successfully escape the fear and anxiety that we would have suffered if we had remained there. This reduction in fear reinforces the avoidance behaviour and so the phobia is maintained. Evaluation: The two-process model explained how phobias could be maintained over time and this had implications for therapies because it explains why patients need to be exposed to the fear stimulus. Once a patient is prevented from practising their avoidance behaviour, the behaviour is no longer reinforced so it declines Not all avoidance behaviours associated with phobias seem to be the result of anxiety reduction particularly in complex phobias like agoraphobia. There is evidence to suggest that at least some avoidance behaviour appears to be motivated more by positive feelings of safety i.e. the motivating factor in choosing an action like not leaving the house is not to avoid the phobic stimulus but to stick with the safety factor. This is a problem for the two-process model which suggests that avoidance is motivated by anxiety reduction Bounton explains that evolutionary factrs may also have an important role in phobias of things that have been a source of danger in our evolutionary past, such as fears of snakes. Seligman called this the biological preparedness - the innate predisposition to acquire certain fears. However not many people are scared of cars/guns that are more dangerous because they have only existed very recently so we are not biologically prepared to learn fear responses towards them