Abnormal behaviour is learned through experience in the same way as most other behaviour. It ignores the role of biology or any internal thoughts/feelings. It explains abnormal behaviour through conditioning.
CLASSICAL CONDITIONING - LEARNING THROUGH ASSOCIATION
Pairing the unconditioned stimulus with the neutral stimulus, creating a conditioned response to the neutral stimulus.
This explains the development of phobias, especially seen in Watson and Raynor's (1920) : Little Albert.
Watson and Raynor: Little Albert
Procedure:
- 11 month old boy conditioned to fear white rats.
- Showed no fear initially but was then presented with the rat and a loud noise, creating a conditioned response.
- Little Albert became afraid of white animals.
OPERANT CONDITIONING- LEARNING THROUGH REINFORCEMENT
Skinner (1974) proposed that conditioning through reward and punishment was fundamental in human development. He used pigeons and rats which would perform certain tasks for rewards.
SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY - LEARNING THROUGH VICARIOUS REINFORCEMENT
Individuals learn through seeing others being rewarded and punished - Bandura (1960s)
e.g. People may see others being rewarded with attention for abnormal behaviour and then display the same behaviour; models etc...
Observation then imitation of role models.
Evaluation
+ Behavioural approach is convincing - classical conditioning in phobias and social learning in eating disorders.
+
Focus on behaviour - The behavioural model concentrates on the behaviour that is adaptive or maladaptive. Behaviour is what is stigmatised and labelled, not the person.
+
Focus on functioning - If the behaviour presents no problem to individual or others, there is no reason to regard it as a mental disorder.
- For many people who have a phobia, there is little evidence for early fearful encounters that lead to classical conditioning.
- Nature vs nurture - behavioural approach explains all behaviour through nurture and doesn't consider genetic contribution.
- Accused of being reductionist and simplistic.
- Heavily deterministic.
- Underlying causes not considered.
TREATMENTS
Systematic Desensitisation
Procedure
- Reverses conditioning and replaces maladaptive response by encouraging a healthier response.
- Done in stages:
1) Relaxation - individual learns relaxation techniques.
2) Hierarchy of anxiety-provoking situations.
3) Reciprocal inhibition - 2 incompatible emotional states cannot exist at the same time.
4) Complete treatment - treatment ends when client is desensitised.
5) in vivo and in vitro - procedure can be carried out in real life (in vivo) or imagined (in vitro).
Evaluation
+ Gradual changes cause minimal distress
+ Not as unethical as flooding
+ Can be very effective in treating phobias and no evidence that it is temporary
+ Tolerating imagined stressful situations is followed by reduction in anxiety.
+ In vivo has shown more effective than in vitro.
+ Commonly used to treat phobias.
- Can still cause distress
- In vitro may not be realistic enough to desensitise
- Therapy targets learnt associations but doesn't address deeper psychological issues
- Ethical issues
- Time consuming
Aversion Therapy
Procedure
- Pairs an unwanted habit with unpleasant consequences.
Evaluation
+ Some studies support claim that nausea paired with alcohol can result in conditioned aversions
+ Provide a window of opportunity
- Doubts about this being maintained
• Also uses more positive techniques to teach behaviours
- Ethical issues
Behavioural Modification
Procedure
- Based on operant conditioning
- Reinforces appropriate behaviour and ignores inappropriate behaviour
Evaluation
+ Rewards = effective way of changing behaviour and useful in improving antisocial behaviour
- Usually set in highly structures institutions - not generalisable to the real world
- Highly reductionist
- Based on learning principles and ignore biological factors
