The behavioural approach to explaining phobias - The two process model
- Created by: Rosiem2102
- Created on: 21-03-18 20:56
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- The two-process model
- Acquisition by classical conditioning
- John Watson and Rosalie Rayner (1920) created a phobia in a 9 month old baby called 'little Albert'
- Showed no unusual anxiety and tried to play with a white rat when he saw it
- Neutral stimulus (rat), unconditioned stimulus (loud noise), unconditioned response (fear or loud noise) -> conditioned stimulus (rat), conditioned stimulus (fear of rat)
- Conditioning then generalised to similar objects. Albert showed distress when he saw objects like a non-white rabbit, a fur coat and watson wearing a santa claus beard made of cotton balls
- Classical conditioning involves learning to associate something of which we initially have no fear with something that already triggers a fear response
- Maintenance by operant conditioning
- Responses acquired by classical conditioning tend to decline over time
- Phobias are often long lasting
- Mowrer suggested that whenever we avoid a phobic stimulus we successfully escape the fear and anxiety we would have suffered if we had remained there
- Mowrer has explained this as a result of classical conditioning
- This reduction in fear reinforces the avoidance behaviour and so the phobia is maintained
- Takes place when our behaviour is reinforced or punished
- Reinforcement tends to increase the frequency of behaviour
- Negative reinforcement: individual avoids a situation that is unpleasant. Results in a desirable consequence so behaviour will be repeated
- States that phobias are acquired by classical conditioning and continue because of operant conditioning
- Emphasises the role of learning in the acquisition of behaviour
- Focuses on behaviour (what we can see)
- Avoidance, endurance, panic (geared towards explaining these)
- Hobart Mowrer (1960) proposed the two-process model based on the behavioural approach to phobias
- Acquisition by classical conditioning
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