Classical Conditioning and Phobias

Abstract

Classical conditioning is about learning of involuntary responses by pairing a stimulus. This paper conveys about classical condition theory and its assumptions. It also tells about phobia and its classification and how classical condition relates phobia.

Classical Conditioning and Phobias

Introduction

Classical conditioning is among one of the form of learning in which one stimulus is a root of occurrence of another stimulus. This is actually comes by pairing the two stimulus, and Pavlov presented dogs with a ringing bell followed by food. As dog relates ringing of bell with food and after repeated bell caused dog to salivate. In this scenario food and salivation is an unconditional stimulus and unconditional response respectively where as bell is neutral but after that it becomes conditional stimulus.

Classical (Pavlovian) Conditioning: "the learning process whereby an originally neutral stimulus becomes associated with a particular physiological or emotional response that the stimulus did not originally produce” (Sternberg, 2000, p.163)

Research Topic

“Classical conditioning and phobias”

Research Question

How does classical conditioning explain phobias?

What are phobias?

How are phobias classified and categorized?"Discussion

Classical Conditioning occurs due to two things happening at a time and we learn to associate them with each other. Pavlov introduced such concept of classical conditioning through dog example.

Phobias

Phobias are sort of fear and anxiety that are irrational. They are classified into three areas: (1) fear of public places and travel which is complex phobias, (2) fear of social situations which is social phobias and (3) fears of insects, animals, heights and enclosed spaces which is circumscribed phobias.

Some of the common types of phobias and fears are as follows:

Animal Phobias. Examples includes fear of several animals like fear of dogs more prominent, fear of spider as well as fear of rodents.

Natural environment phobias. Examples include fear related to environmental factors such as fear of storms, fear of water or fear of the dark.

Situational phobias. This includes such fear which occur because of some specific situation for example fear of enclosed spaces, fear of flying, fear of diving, fear of tunnels and as well as fear of bridges.

Blood- Injection Injury Phobia. This results from fear of some medical illness such as fear of injury, fear of blood, fear of needless etc.

Phobias through Classical Conditioning

One of the example, conveys about how classical conditioning relates phobia was of little Albert. He was put into an experience of white rat that it associates with loud and frightening noises and after that every ...