Classical Conditioning and Phobias Flashcards

Classical Conditioning

• Learning process where a neutral stimulus gains meaning by association with a meaningful stimulus.
• Leads to a conditioned response through repeated pairing.

Stimulus and Response

• Unconditioned Stimulus (US) and Unconditioned Response (UR): Naturally occurring event causing an instinctive fear reaction, e.g., a dog bite causing fear.
• Neutral Stimulus (NS) becomes Conditioned Stimulus (CS): A neutral stimulus, like seeing a dog, is paired with the US (dog bite), resulting in fear.
• Over time, the sight of a dog can trigger fear even without a previous bite, demonstrating the development of a phobia.

Higher Order Conditioning

• Involves pairing a new neutral stimulus with an already conditioned stimulus.

Second Order Conditioning

• A new NS is associated with an existing CS, e.g., fear of dogs leads to fear of dog parks when associated with dogs.

Third Order Conditioning

• Process extends further, linking additional neutral stimuli that trigger complex phobias, like fear of places related to dog parks.

Development of Complex Phobias

• Initial Fear: Rooted in a traumatic event tied to a specific object.
• Expanded Fear: Fears generalize to related stimuli through higher order conditioning.
• Complex Triggers: Increasingly linked stimuli complicate the phobia, making avoidance difficult.

Real World Examples

• Classical Conditioning: Fear of swimming pools develops after an incident of near drowning, eliciting a CR upon seeing a pool.
• Higher Order Conditioning: Following the swimming pool phobia, fear may extend to water parks and even the sound of splashing water.

Theoretical Support

• John B. Watson and Rosalie Rayner's experiment with "Little Albert" showed classical conditioning leading to phobia creation by associating a white rat with a loud noise, resulting in generalized fear of furry items.

Implications for Treatment

• Exposure Therapy: Gradual exposure to the feared CS without the US to reduce the conditioned response.
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Helps identify and challenge irrational beliefs about fears, addressing higher order conditioning influences.

Abbreviation

• C.S.H.S.T.D.E.T