1. The Behavioural Approach to Explaining Phobias
Unit 1 - Psychopathology
The Behavioural Approach to Explaining Phobias

2. The Behavioural Model
All behaviour is learnt, therefore abnormal behaviour is learnt:
Classical conditioning
Operant Conditioning
SLT / Modeling

3. Key Words:
Classical Conditioning Operant Conditioning Social Learning Theory
Association Reinforcement Observation or
Modelling

4. Principles of Classical Conditioning
The Behavioural Model of Abnormality

5. Principles of Classical Conditioning
The Behavioural Model of Abnormality
BEFORE CONDITIONING
Salivation reflex
Explaining a Phobia
Food = Salivation
Bell = No response
Pain = Fear
Dentist = No response
DURING CONDITIONING
Food + Bell = Salivation
Pain + Dentist = Fear
AFTER CONDITIONING
Bell = Salivation
Dentist = Fear
All about associating a stimulus with a response

6. Little Albert
‘Little Albert’ (Watson & Raynor, 1920) conditioned a fear response in an 11-month old boy to a white rat. Every time he went to touch the rat, metal bars were banged together to create loud noise. Albert associated the rat with noise and therefore fear.

7. Principles of Operant Conditioning
The Behavioural Model of Abnormality
9m50secs
Shaping behaviour through the consequences of actions
REINFORCEMENT – makes it more likely a behaviour will be repeated (reinforcement can be positive or negative)
PUNISHMENT – makes it less likely a behaviour will be repeated

8. Principles of Operant Conditioning
The Behavioural Model of Abnormality
9m50secs

9. Phobias: Two-Process Model
Mowrer (1947)
A phobia is first acquired through classical conditioning
Once a behaviour phobia has been acquired it is maintained through operant conditioning
A behaviour that is reinforced is more likely to be repeated
A phobic response is unpleasant, so escaping the object or situation causes a reduction in fear (negative reinforcement)
Will is afraid of lifts, so instead he uses the stairs, which reduces anxiety = reinforces behaviour

10. Recap Questions
Finish this sentence outlining the behavioural approach: All behaviours are…
What is the key word to explain Classical Conditioning?
What are the key words to explain Operant Conditioning?
How does Classical Conditioning explain the development of phobias?
How does Operant Conditioning explain the maintenance of phobias?
What is the two-process model?

11. Recap Questions
Finish this sentence outlining the behavioural approach: All behaviours are…LEARNED
What is the key word to explain Classical Conditioning? ASSOCIATION
What are the key words to explain Operant Conditioning? REINFORCEMENT/PUNISHMENT
How does Classical Conditioning explain the development of phobias? E.g. fear of dentist
How does Operant Conditioning explain the maintenance of phobias?
What is the two-process model?

12. Recap Questions
Classical Conditioning – An explanation for fear of the dentist:
BEFORE:
Neutral Stimulus (NS) = Dentist
Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS) = Pain
Unconditioned Response (UCR) = Fear
DURING:
Dentist + Pain
AFTER:
Dentist (Conditioned Stimulus) = Fear (Conditioned
Response)

13. Recap Questions
Operant Conditioning – Explanation for maintaining phobias:
A fear response is unpleasant; escaping the object or situation reduces fear; avoidance behaviour is strengthened.
Can you give another example?

14. Phobias: Two-Process Model
Mowrer (1947)
A phobia is first acquired through classical conditioning
Once a behaviour phobia has been acquired it is maintained through operant conditioning
A behaviour that is reinforced is more likely to be repeated
A phobic response is unpleasant, so escaping the object or situation causes a reduction in fear (negative reinforcement)
Will is afraid of lifts, so instead he uses the stairs, which reduces anxiety = reinforces behaviour

15. Evaluating Two-Process Model
Supporting Evidence:
Sue et al (1994) Individuals with a phobia often recall a specific incident to trigger fear
Barlow & Durand (1995) 50% of those with driving phobia reported a traumatic experience while driving
Supports acquisition part of phobia, but doesn’t help explain maintenance

16. Evaluating Two Process Model
Not all phobias are acquired as a result of negative experiences
Ost (1987) people with fear of snakes, planes, germs have not had unpleasant experience
Some people have negative experiences and do not go on to develop a phobia
Dinardo (1988) Ps in a control group without a phobia of dogs had a similar proportion of negative incidents with dogs as the phobic group

17. Social Learning Theory
The Behavioural Model of Abnormality
Behaviour (of a role model) is observed and then copied. Also known as imitation or modeling.

18. Social Learning Theory
Most famous experiment involved a researcher called Bandura who used a ‘bobo doll’ in his experiments with children

19. Social Learning Theory
Unlike classical and operant conditioning, SLT takes into account cognitions.
SLT is the bridge between learning theory and the cognitive approach.
These mental factors mediate in the learning process to determine if a response is acquired.
Attention
Retention
Reproduction
Motivation

20. Phobias: Social Learning Theory
How might SLT explain phobias?
E.g. Child observes mother’s fear response to spiders
Child will then ‘copy’ that fear response and develop a phobia of spiders too.

21. How to evaluate Approaches
Strengths of the approach (Are there studies to support this explanation?)
Evaluate the supporting evidence
How do studies support this approach?
Can you evaluate these studies – methodology, ethics, implications
Limitations of the approach – Does it fail to explain aspects of behaviour?
Practical / useful applications – treatments?
Issues and Debates – E.g. too reductionist?
Comparison with other approaches

22. Evaluations of Behavioural Approach

23. Evaluations of Behavioural Approach

24. Evaluations of Behavioural Approach

25. Evaluation Evaluation is a skill!
It takes time and practice to become an effective evaluator!
Developing these skills will require you to think about evaluation points and why they are important.

26. Treating Phobias Is it possible to treat phobias? How?
Using behavioural principles, design a ‘treatment programme’ for someone who is afraid of spiders
Could you treat phobias using any other approach?