This document contains revision notes for behaviourist explanations for phobias for the psychopathology topic in paper 1 of psychology AQA A level. All content follows the AQA specification.
Behavioural Characteristics of Phobias: Panic, avoidance, endurance
Mowrer’s Two-Process Model: Phobias are learned via classical conditioning and
maintained by operant conditioning.
Fear Acquisition via Classical Conditioning
● Classical conditioning refers to learning by association.
● A fear is learned by associating something we don’t fear with something that triggers
a fear response.
Phobia Maintenance via Operant Conditioning
● Responses by classical conditioning decline over time, phobias are long lasting.
○ Mowrer explains this as the result of operant conditioning.
P: Good explanatory power.
E: Two-process model explained how to maintain phobias; important implications for
therapies, explained why patients need to be exposed to their phobia. When a patient is
prevented from practising avoidance, the behaviour ceases to be reinforced so it declines.
J: Can be applied to therapy to improve a patient's life.
P: Some phobias don’t follow a traumatic event. Contradicts Mowrer's model.
E: Behavioural explanations explain behaviour not cognition. The two-process model
explains maintenance of phobias in terms of avoidance but phobias are a cognitive element.
J: Reductionist, important to consider human cognition when explaining human behaviour.
P: Incomplete explanation of phobias.
E: Evolutionary factors play a role in explaining phobias (Bounton). E.g we acquire phobias
of things that have been a source of danger in the past (Seligman - biological preparedness).
J: Shows there is more to acquiring phobias than conditioning.
P: Not all avoidance behaviour is due to anxiety reduction, some is motivated by positive
feelings of safety.
E: Agoraphobic people can leave their house with a trusted person with little anxiety but not
alone (Buck).
J: Two-process model argues avoidance is motivated by anxiety reduction, suggesting
avoidance can be due to positive feelings of safety.
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