1 Phobias and Addictions

Phobias and Addictions Melinda Johnson PSY/300 September 5, 2011 Kaisa Freeman

2 Phobias and Addictions Phobias and Addictions A substantial amount of learning exists when people make associations between the environment and making choices according to the known consequences. According to Kowalski and Westen learning theory (2009), the concept that learning is adaptive and shapes behavior, forms the fundamental concepts of the behaviorist perspective. Known together as associative learning, classical, and operant learning are two common yet different ways in which people learn behavior. The results of both classical and operant conditioning contribute to the individuals ability to thrive and function normally and acclimate to the complications of human society. Just as classical and operant learning can help achieve functioning in society they can also cause dysfunction. Two devastating emotional difficulties that can develop through these conditionings are phobias and addictions. Phobias A phobia is a constant illogical fear of an object, situation, or activity that the person is driven to avoid. Phobias can interfere with the ability to work, socialize, maintain a normal daily routine and can cause such an overwhelming anxiety that people who have these phobias go through extreme measures to avoid the situation or object associated with the phobia. These reactions may isolate the person from society, and there can be physical debilitating symptoms associated with the phobias such as: shortness of breath, heart palpitations, chest pains, a choking sensation, sweating, dizziness, nausea, and fear of death. (APA, 2010) The development of phobias through classical conditioning happens when one stimulus is paired with another that changes or obscures the original reflexive response to the original stimulus. As with the fear of animals (zoophobia) a person encounters an animal, compare the

3 Phobias and Addictions animal to the bell in Pavlovs classical conditioning experiment with the dogs. The animal does not on its own cause fear or anxiety in a person just as the bells do not cause dogs to drool, nevertheless if the animal is paired with an irrational or fearful thought that the animal may bite and kill, consequently the person has learned to fear the animal because of the irrational or fearful thought that is automatically associated with the sight or even thought of animals. It is the pairing of the object or with the thought that causes anxiety and fear just as the pairing of the bell with food taught dogs to drool when they heard the bell. Phobias will continue to cause fear and anxiety in a person until the disassociation of the fearful irrational thought from the object is removed. Extinction in Classical Conditioning Extinction in classical conditioning is the process by which the conditioned response is weakened when the conditioned stimulus is presented without the unconditioned stimulus. (Kowalski & Westen, 2009) In the example with zoophobia, the animal is removed or disassociated with the fearful and irrational thoughts and eventually the phobia should be weakened until there is no longer an association between the two. However, after extinction there may be a spontaneous recovery where an association is revitalized usually for a short time by a remaining association that is weak and will not stay for long and most likely not bring back the old association. Addiction Addiction is defined as a primary, chronic disease, characterized by an inability to control the use of a psychoactive substance. The term addiction also applies to compulsion notsubstance related such as gambling described as a recurring compulsion to engage in an activity despite harmful consequences to physical, mental, and social health. (APA, 2010) The

4 Phobias and Addictions development of addictions through operant conditioning takes place when a person is stimulated for example, playing the lottery (gambling) ,which is the behavior and responds to gambling by experiencing a new high sensation (reinforcement) and wants more of what is being sensed ( the high). The person enjoys this altered state of being high or developing a very good sensation and it causes the person to increase the regularity of doing what has enabled the person to establish the high, and this causes the person to become addicted. The behavior is being positively reinforced and according to the principles of operant conditioning behavior that is followed by a stimulus that is pleasant, increases the frequency of that behavior. (Kowalski & Westen, 2009) In operant conditioning, an important part of the learning process is the schedule of the reinforcement prompted by the behavior, and this schedule or timing has a dramatic impact on the strength of the response. The positive reinforcement associated with gambling is continuous; therefore it creates a strong association between the behavior and the response. Extinction in Operant Conditioning Extinction can occur in operant conditioning similar to the process in classical conditioning, but in operant conditioning, extinction occurs when there is a lack of the associated consequence following the behavior. If the behavior does not produce either a favorable or an unfavorable consequence, the behavior will eventually end and not be performed again. (Kowalski & Westen, 2009) The expectation is that if the addict no longer experiences an high state from gambling or drug use the addicts behavior is not reinforced and should eventually stop but this is not the case the majority of the time because the addict seeks to find something else that will take the place of that high that they cannot obtain and in a drug addict this means more dosage of the drug or obtaining something more stronger than the drug that was used previously.

5 Phobias and Addictions Distinguishing Between Operant and Classical Conditioning Operant and classical conditioning are two types of associative learning developed out of the behaviorist perspective. Although they share common features such as extinction, prepared learning, discrimination, generalization, and the possibility of maladaptive associations, both involve learning associations, and neither conditioning will last if not reinforced. (Kowalski & Westen, 2009) Each conditioning is characterized by unique differences in their way to achieve learning. In classical conditioning, the stimulus that produces an automatic response is replaced by a different stimulus, in operant condition the behavior is chosen according to consequences of the behavior and is positively or negatively reinforced to make the behavior preferred. (Kowalski & Westen, 2009) Founded on previously learned material, operant conditioning depends on the active choice of the learner although classical conditioning involves involuntary spontaneous behavior, which makes operant conditioning a more active learning experience and classical conditioning more passive in regard to conscious or semi- conscious thought processes. Conclusion Associative learning involves two separate and distinct ways of learning and each is effective in different situations. Everyday people learn by association, and most of these learned behaviors involve both types of conditioning. Both types are intertwined in a continuous learning experience and most people cannot decipher which conditioning type they are learning and most learning takes place without the conscious knowledge of the person. These associations can be a source of emotional difficulties such as phobias and addictions, whereas extinction can be achieved, the process can be difficult and become an extensive lengthy process. However,

6 Phobias and Addictions learning by association allows people to survive, adapt to, and steer through an ever-changing environment.

7 Phobias and Addictions References American Psychiatric Association. (2010, February 10). DSM-5 proposed revisions include new category of addiction and related disorders. Retrieved August 31st 2011, from http://www.psych.org/MainMenu/Newsroom/NewsReleases/DSM-5-ProposedRevisions-Include-New-Category-of-Addiction-and Related-disorders.aspx Kowalski, R., & Westen, D. (2009). Psychology (5th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley