Home » other » conditioning hypotheses phobias and addiction

Conditioning hypotheses phobias and addiction

Operant Conditioning, Habit, Gambling, Positive Reinforcement

Research from Essay:

Conditioning Theories: Fears and Craving

Phobias and Addiction

Phobic disorders and Traditional Conditioning Theory

Classical health theory proposes that an individual can acquire a phobic response to a conditioned stimulus (CS), if the CS is paired with an aversive unconditioned government (UCS) of sufficient durability and/or mother nature to elicit a negative affective reaction (Armfield, 2006, s. 747). For instance , if a golfer is struck by impressive on the 15th hole, the UCS is being hit by simply lightning and the CS is playing golf. In the event the golfer lives through the encounter, he or she could possibly be unable to get over the fear of being hit by simply lightening (unconditioned response) rather than be able to walk onto one more golf course (conditioned response). Whether it was a raining day if the CS was paired with the UCS then your golfer could possibly overcome the newest phobia simply by playing simply on very clear days, but they will always be watching the skies for any signal of atmosphere.

The ability of a UCS to elicit a CS has become proposed to depend on 4 qualities: uncontrollability, unpredictability, dangerousness, and how revolting it is (Armfield, 2006, pp. 754-757). Being struck by lightning might rate full of uncontrollability, unpredictability, and dangerousness, and might therefore symbolize a strong UCS. On the other hand, a few spiders or snakes might not exactly rate at the top of any of the 4 qualities, yet they can elicit a strong unfavorable affective response in some persons because it is the perception of these qualities that matters most. These kinds of ‘specific’ phobias can be differentiated from classically-conditioned phobias simply by how convenient they develop, an overstated response, and a high amount of resistance to treatment (Armfield, 06\, p. 747). Preparedness theory suggests that each of our predisposition expressing specific fears is a function of our far away ancestors turning out to be genetically hard wired to fear may be, in order to boost survival chances in the wilderness. The presumed genetic component of specific fears represents an unconditioned incitement.

Addiction and Operant Conditioning

Illicit medication use, once viewed through an operant health lens, is usually self-reinforcing. Good reinforcement these kinds of drugs innately provide in the form of pleasant, actually euphoric claims of awareness, becomes a kind of negative strengthening for individuals wanting to escape a great aversive circumstance or condition (Flora, 2004, p. 155). Although the likelihood of addiction is usually

< Prev post Next post >