Explaining phobias using the behaviourist approach
- Created by: Georgia
- Created on: 06-05-19 15:32
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- Explaining phobias using the behaviourist approach
- An extreme or irrational fear that causes persistent disruption to everyday life
- Symptoms; persistent fear, extreme distress and anxiety, rapid anxiety response to stimulus
- Behavioural responses; severe anxiety response; avoid contact; crying, screaming, running
- Emotional responses; persistent and excessive fear; extreme anxiety; immediate fear
- Cognitive responses; singular vision; irrational beliefs; cognitive distortions
- Classical conditioning; association of phobia and anxiety response
- Operant conditioning; avoidance of stimulus acts as negative reinforcement
- Mowrer's two-process model; acquired through CC, maintained through OC
- Classical conditioning; association of phobia and anxiety response
- Mowrer's two-process model; acquired through CC, maintained through OC
- Evaluation
- Di Nardo et al (1988) 60% of those with a fear of dogs had a frightening incident
- Doesn't explain other 40%
- Explains how phobias are maintained
- Effectiveness of treatments supports behaviourist explanation
- Too reductionist as ignores cognition completely
- Even when irrational beliefs are a cognitive response
- Doesn't explain how people have a phobia when there is no previous incident
- Di Nardo et al (1988) 60% of those with a fear of dogs had a frightening incident
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