Psychopathology
Behavioural Approach to Explaining Phobias:
The Two Process Model - how phobias are learnt in classical conditioning and how it is
maintained in operant conditioning
Classical Conditioning:
phobia is acquired through association
the association between a neutral stimuli (something that never scared you before like
a white mouse) and an unconditional stimuli which produces a fear response
unconditionally (like a loud bang which has always made you scared)
by pairing the NS with the UCS, the NS starts to produce a conditioned response
(fear) because the loud bang produces a UCR
you now have a phobia of the white rat because you associate it with fear
this phobia can also be generalised to other furry white objects like a white rabbit or a
fur coat etc
Operant Conditioning:
phobia of a stimuli is maintained through operant conditioning
the likelihood of a behaviour repeating, increases if the outcome is rewarding
the likelihood of the behaviour (which is avoidance of a phobic stimuli) repeating,
increases because it reduces fear and is therefore reinforcing (negative reinforcement)
the individual therefore avoids the anxiety created by the phobic stimuli by avoiding it
completely, and maintaining their phobia for that thing
Social Learning:
neo-behaviourist explanation
phobia is acquired through modelling the behaviour of others
eg) a child will develop a phobia of spiders because they saw their mother respond to
it with extreme fear and get a reward - attention from others
Behavioural Approach to Explaining Phobias:
The Two Process Model - how phobias are learnt in classical conditioning and how it is
maintained in operant conditioning
Classical Conditioning:
phobia is acquired through association
the association between a neutral stimuli (something that never scared you before like
a white mouse) and an unconditional stimuli which produces a fear response
unconditionally (like a loud bang which has always made you scared)
by pairing the NS with the UCS, the NS starts to produce a conditioned response
(fear) because the loud bang produces a UCR
you now have a phobia of the white rat because you associate it with fear
this phobia can also be generalised to other furry white objects like a white rabbit or a
fur coat etc
Operant Conditioning:
phobia of a stimuli is maintained through operant conditioning
the likelihood of a behaviour repeating, increases if the outcome is rewarding
the likelihood of the behaviour (which is avoidance of a phobic stimuli) repeating,
increases because it reduces fear and is therefore reinforcing (negative reinforcement)
the individual therefore avoids the anxiety created by the phobic stimuli by avoiding it
completely, and maintaining their phobia for that thing
Social Learning:
neo-behaviourist explanation
phobia is acquired through modelling the behaviour of others
eg) a child will develop a phobia of spiders because they saw their mother respond to
it with extreme fear and get a reward - attention from others
