there is a problem with this explanation. As Pavlov discovered, new associa-
tions formed through classical conditioning extinguish once the pairing is re-moved. Why, then, do phobias not just become extinct on their own without
psychological intervention? One answer is that operant conditioning may take
over. Imagine a 3-year-old girl who falls off a tall slide. The pain and fear she
experiences are paired with the slide, and those feelings reemerge the next
time she approaches the playground. Her anxiety increases as she gets closer
and closer to the slide. Quite likely, she ’ll decide to turn away and try the
slide some other time, thereby reducing the anxiety. What has happened in
this situation is that the act of avoiding the slide has been reinforced through
negative reinforcement. Running away was followed by a reduction in theaversive stimulus, the feelings of fear and anxiety. If this avoidance behavior
is reinforced a few more times, the girl could develop a strong fear of slides.
This fear might then be generalized to a fear of all high places, and years laterthe woman may seek therapy for this debilitating phobia.
Psychologists also use conditioning principles to explain why some people
develop fears after a traumatic experience whereas others do not (Mineka &
Zinbarg, 2006). On one hand, previous learning can protect us from develop-
ing phobias. A boy who has had many pleasant experiences with dogs is not
likely to develop a fear of the animal when one untrained dog snarls at and
bites him. One study found children who had many uneventful trips to the
dentist were less likely than new patients to develop a fear of dentists after
one painful visit (Kent, 1997). On the other hand, a learning history with sev-
eral small fearful experiences can make a person more vulnerable to develop-
ing a phobia when a very traumatic experience occurs (Mineka & Zinbarg,
2006). A girl who has been frightened several times by loud and splashing
children at the local pool is especially vulnerable to developing a fear of water
after a near-drowning experience.
Behaviorists view other problem behaviors as the result of reinforcing the
wrong behavior. A socially anxious girl may have found the only escape fromLoud Noise
(Unconditioned Stimulus)
White Rat
(Conditioned Stimulus)Fear Responses
(Unconditioned Response)
Fear Responses
(Conditioned Response)
FIGURE 13.5 Diagram of Little Albert ’s Classical ConditioningApplication: Behavior Modifi cation and Self-Efficacy Therapy 359