Phobias and addiction - Essay Example

Phobias and addiction in ical and operant conditioning al affiliation Phobias and addiction in ical and operant conditioning Introduction A phobia can be defined as atenacious irrational fear of a situation or object, which causes a person to avoid the said object or situation. On the other hand, an addiction is, according to Kowalski &Westen (2011) a chronic disease in which the brain is motivated by rewards and reinforcement, thus causing a person to continually engage in a givenbehavior. Using the classical and operant conditioning theories of learning by Pavlov andSkinner respectively, it is possible to demonstrate how phobias and addictions develop.

The development of phobias through classical conditioning In classical conditioning, behavioral patterns are attributed to previous learning that causes direct stimuli to affect indirect ones. Accordingly, classical conditioning can be used to explain how phobias occur based on how the pairing of stimuli causes different responses from a person. According to Bernstein, Nash&Nash (2005), a person develops a conditioned aversive illogical fear of the direct object of phobia as a result of associating it with a traumatic experience that serves as an unconditioned stimulus.

For example, a person who has a phobia of dogs may have been attacked by a dog before, and was left in pain. Consequently, every time that person sees a dog, they associate it with pain and try to avoid dogs as much as possible. Another example, according to Bennett (2006) is that of little Albert who was made to listen to loud voices, while at the same being presented with a rabbit to play with. Consequently, Albert learnt to associate furry objects with loud noises, thus developing a phobia of furry objects.

The development of addictions through operant conditioning Operant conditioning operates on the basis that behavior is usually repeated if a direct reward is expected. In line with this, addictions can be explained using the operant conditioning theory based on the fact that positive reinforcement causes behavior repetition. It, therefore, follows that if a certain behavior triggers fulfillment in the brain, then the behavior is said to have caused positive reinforcement and the individual is likely to engage in the said behavior so as to be positively rewarded (Kowalski &Westen, 2011).

For example, Bennett (2006) writes that most people become addicted to alcohol and drugs as a result of the effects brought about by intake. Essentially, the pleasurable feeling resulting from drug intake establishes an operant conditioning process that causes the person to feel rewarded for taking the drug, thus leading to more indulgence (Bennett, 2006). The distinction between classical and operantconditioning Although classical and operant conditioning theories are used to understand human behavior, and both result in learning, the two theories have different elements.

For example, Kowalski &Westen (2011) state that whereas classical conditioning is characterized by the presence of a neutral signal that elicits a reflex action, operant conditioning involves the occurrence of an action which elicits reinforcement.Additionally, classical conditioning involves the occurrence of involuntary behaviors to a passive participant, while operant conditioning involves the reinforcement of voluntary behaviors in an active participant (Bernstein, Nash & Nash, 2005). It is also important to note that while operant conditioning rewards an individual with incentives, there are no such rewards in classical conditioning because if anything, the experiences in the latterleave the person feeling terrified.

The extinction process in classical and operant conditioning Extinction is a process by which undesirable behaviors are not reinforced, thus forcing them to subside. According to Bernstein, Nash & Nash (2005) the extinction process is a gradual procedure that aims at slowly changing behavior by weakening negative behavior. In classical conditioning, extinction occurs if the unconditioned stimulus is no longer paired with the conditioned stimulus, thus discouraging reflex action. Over time, if the process continues, then the individual learns to stop associating the conditioned stimulus with unconditioned stimulus.

Repeated exposure to the conditioned stimulus in the absence of the unconditioned stimulus will result in the extinction of reflex response. For example, little Albert began being given flurry objects to play with, in the absence of the loud voices in order to eliminate his phobia, but unfortunately he was discharged from hospital with his fear still existent (Bennett, 2006). In operant conditioning, extinction occurs when the consequences of an operant response are weakened. Basically, Bernstein, Nash& Nash(2005), state that the failure to reinforce a response to an operant behavior leads to the eventual reduction of the said behavior.

The basic extinction method used in operant conditioning is ensuring that the reward elicited from a behavior ceases being satisfying. For instance, if a drug addict continues using drugs to such a level that they no longer bring about the pleasure experienced when the behavior started, then the person may slowly stop taking drugs because the reward is no longer there. Conclusion The classical and operant conditioning theories evidently play a major role in influencing human behavior. Although the two theories of behavioral psychology use different processes, they both result in learning.

Taking the example of phobias and addictions the two theories help understand how these two psychological issues occur, and how extinction can be used to reduce them, thus freeing people of emotional difficulties. References Bennett, P. (2006). Abnormal and Clinical Psychology: An Introductory Textbook. Berkshire: McGraw-Hill International. Bernstein, D., Nash, P &Nash, P. (2005). Essentials of Psychology. New York: Cengage Learning. Kowalski, R., &Westen, D. (2011). Psychology. New Jersey:John Wiley &Sons, Inc.