4.2.2 Behavioural Explanations of Phobias

The behaviourist approach explains all behaviour as something that is both observable and learned.

• When explaining phobias, the behavioural approach is therefore focused on explaining the behaviours created by the phobia and does not explain the cognitive or emotional features of phobias

The two-process model

• The two-process model is an explanation for the onset and persistence of disorders that create anxiety, this includes phobias
• Mowrer (1960) suggests phobias are first learnt (acquired) by association (classical conditioning) and then maintained via reinforcement (operant conditioning) 
• The acquisition of the phobia by classical conditioning:
  • Phobic objects are at first a neutral stimulus (NS) and do not produce a phobic response 
  • However, if it is then presented with an unconditioned stimulus (UCS), that produces an unconditioned response (UCR) then, the NS will become associated with the UCS and then the fear (phobia), will occur whenever the NS is there
  • This means the NS becomes a conditioned stimulus (CS) and the UCR becomes the conditioned response (CR)
  • This conditioning is then generalised to similar objects 
• Maintenance by operant conditioning: 
  • If a person avoids the phobic object or situation then anxiety is greatly reduced, which is rewarding for the sufferer
  • Operant conditioning happens when behaviour is reinforced; by avoiding something unpleasant and being rewarded through not experiencing anxiety, we are reinforcing the avoidant behaviour 
  • Mowrer suggests this is what happens when we avoid the phobic stimulus; we reduce the fear and this reduction in fear reinforces the avoidance behaviour and so the phobia is maintained

Example of acquisition of a phobia: Little Albert (1920)

• John Watson and Rosalie Rayner (1920) wanted to study the development of phobias and conducted a laboratory experiment where they created a 9-month-old baby called 'Little Albert'
• At the start of the study, Albert showed no unusual anxiety or worries about different objects
• Albert tried to play with a white rat when presented with it at the beginning 
• However, Watson and Rayner wanted to give Albert a phobia and so whenever the white rat was presented to Albert, they made a loud, scary noise by banging an iron bar close to Albert's ear
• The noise (UCS), created a fear response
• When the rat (NS) and the UCS were put together, they became associated and both then created the fear response
• Albert started to display fear when he saw the rat (NS)
• The rat then became the CS that produces the CR and the phobia had started
• Watson and Rayner showed that the conditioned stimulus could be generalised to similar objects;  when they showed Albert other fluffy objects, such as Father Christmas' beard made from cotton wool, a non-white rabbit, fur coat, Albert showed distress at all of these
• His phobia had become generalised
• However, it is important to note, that today the Little Albert experiment would not take place due to ethical guidelines and the psychological harm he was put under, which means its relevance to today's society needs to be mentioned

Evolutionary explanations

Some behavioural responses may be better explained by evolutionary theory for those phobias which exist that would once have been dangerous to our ancestors, E.g. Darkness, snakes, and dogs. Evolutionary theory explains this as preparedness (Seligman 1971).