Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Phobias (Classical conditioning (Classical conditioning- A learning…
Phobias
Classical conditioning
Classical conditioning- A learning process which brings up an association between the stimuli through repeated parings.
Association- The link between the neutral stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus that makes the neutral stimulus cause the same response.
Generalisation- When a conditioned response is produced to stimuli that are similar to the conditioned stimulus.
-
Extinction- The loss of a classically conditioned response when the conditioned stimulus is repeated many times without the unconditioned stimulus.
little Albert (1920): Aim- To make Albert have a hear of white rats through classical conditioning. Procedure- Each time a white rat was shown to albert, a loud noise was made with a steal bar behind it. The noise frightened him and he associated his fear with the rat.
-
Phobias and preparedness
Preparedness- The tendency to learn some associations more easily, quickly and permanently than others.
According to the theory of evolution, if two animals were living in a forest and encountered a forest fire, the one who ran away would be more likely to survive. This shows some behaviours are adaptive and being fearful can be useful.
Bennett-Levy and Marteau (1984) fear of animals: Aim- To see whether we are more afraid of, or animals that move quickly, more suddenly and look very different from people. Procedure- They used a questionnaire and asked them to rate how scary animals were on a scale of 1-5.
Results- The most feared animal was the rat. strengths- They collected quantative data and had a large sample. Weaknesses- The questionnaires only asked about 6 factors and results may have been socially desirability bias.
-
Treatments for phobias
Flooding- An extreme therapy based on classical conditioning. It involves confronting your fear directly, as being near the thing you are scared of can help you overcome it.
Systematic desensitisation- Participant is exposed to their fear, but it is done more gradually.
Clinical psychologist
-
Qualifications: Three year doctorate, degree from BPS and undertake relevant work experience.
-