Behaviourists believe that all behaviour, both normal and abnormal, is learned through processes
such as classical conditioning, operant conditioning and social learning’. Discuss the behavioural
approach to explaining phobias. (16 marks)
The behavioural approach is a theory that all behaviours are acquired through conditioning. Mowrer,
a psychologist suggest that humans are born as a blank slate ‘Tabula Rasa’ and everything including
fears are learned through association, so this approach claims phobias are not innate and are a
nurture explanation. Mowrer proposed the two process model to explain how we acquire and
maintain fear, through classical conditioning and operant conditioning. Classical conditioning is how
we acquire fears, Pavlov, another psychologist carried out an experiment with his dog to see
whether he can get his dog to salivate through the sound of a bell. So the food acts as an
unconditioned stimulus which gives an unconditioned response of salivation. Then he introduced a
bell which he rang which is the neutral stimulus, he paired this with the food (UCS) which gives a
UCR, salivation. The NS (bell) then becomes associated with the food so it becomes a conditioned
stimulus which gives a conditioned response of salivation.
So with fears, e.g. arachnophobia, a spider is a phobic stimulus (UCS) which gives a UCR of fear. A
shed by itself would be a neutral stimulus, but if I found that spider in the shed, I would pair them
together to give a UCS of fear. So the association of the spider and the shed, the shed becomes a CS
which gives off fear (CR). Often stimulus generalisation takes place which is developing a phobia of
similar things, e.g. arachnophobia is the fear of spiders so the phobic person may also be scared of
other small arachnids or insects.
Phobias are then maintained through operational conditioning which is learning through negative
consequences. To not experience the high arousal (anxiety) that you would get from a phobic
stimulus, they might repeat the behaviour of avoidance. This strengthens the fear and reinforces the
phobia.
However, a weakness of this approach is that it ignores the nature approach. The behaviourist
approach solely focuses on the nurture and environment, and that people can only get phobias
through association. This ignores the evolutionary explanation which says we have a biological
predisposition to acquire fears of specific objects, this is because the phobic stimulus was a threat in
our past so to stay alive they would avoid the phobic stimulus. Therefore, it is a weakness because it
is limited to only nurture and ignores our evolutionary responses
A strength of this theory however is that is it useful. Since there is a certain order to classical
conditioning, counter treatments can be provided to sufferers. Treatments can include to stop
associations from forming to certain objects. Through operant conditioning, treatments can include
preventing avoidance with the stimulus, which is how you maintain a fear. So this is a strength
because it can be useful for treatments in therapy.
However, another weakness is that this approach is too deterministic. According to the two process
model, if someone has bad experience with an object, they will develop a phobia of it. Determinism
ignores that we have freewill, so not everyone who has a bad experience with an object will develop
a phobia of it.
Plan- Tabula rasa – cc and pavlov- stimulis generalisation- oc maintenance, negative reinforcement
Biology, evolutionary response – useful in therapy for counter treatments , stop avoidance and stop
association – deterministic view, no freewill, not everyone develops a fear from bad experiences
