Behavioural explanations and treatments of phobias
- Created by: maddieecarr
- Created on: 06-04-22 16:04
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- The behavioural explanation of phobias
- The two-process model
- Acquiring a phobia - classical conditioning
- Association of something which triggers a fear to something neutral
- Maintaining a phobia - operant conditioning
- Uses negative reinforcement
- Avoidance of phobic stimulus means that there is a reduction of fear, benefitting the person as they are not scared
- Uses negative reinforcement
- Acquiring a phobia - classical conditioning
- Behavioural treatments of phobias
- Systematic desensitisation
- 1. An anxiety hierarchy is created of the phobia (e.g easy ways to overcome at bottom, hardest thing at top)
- 2. Relaxation techniques are taught to the individual such as breathing exercises or, meditation.
- 3. Exposure to phobic stimuli occurs based on anxiety hierarchy. The patient is relaxed while they do this.
- 2. Relaxation techniques are taught to the individual such as breathing exercises or, meditation.
- 1. An anxiety hierarchy is created of the phobia (e.g easy ways to overcome at bottom, hardest thing at top)
- Flooding
- Exposing a patient to their phobic stimuli quickly and withou any relaxation.
- Systematic desensitisation
- The Little Albert study
- Watson and Rayner created a phobia of a white rat in Little Albert who was a 9 month old. They paired a rat (NS) with a loud noise which scared Albert (UCS) to create a fear. Over time the rat became the CS and he was afraid.
- Little Albert’s fear also applied further than just white rats. He was afraid of other furry objects e.g a rabbit that was not white, a furry coat and Santa Claus’ beard
- Evaluating the behavioural explanation of phobias
- Weaknesses
- Suggestion that avoidance is not solely motivated by anxiety reduction
- Incomplete explanation as there are definitely more factors such as evolution which may play a part in an individual developing a fear
- Does not explain phobias that develop without a trauma
- Does not understand the cognitive aspects of phobias.
- Strengths
- Has been proven to explain (Little Albert study)
- Weaknesses
- Evaluating behavioural treatments of phobias
- Strengths
- SD: effective at curing phobias
- F: cost effective as patient only needs one to two sessions
- SD: suitable for most/all phobias and clients
- SD: ethical and acceptable
- Weaknesses
- F: not effective for all phobia types
- F: unethical
- Strengths
- The two-process model
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