Phobias and Addictions

Phobias and Addictions

According to numerous Psychologists, behaviors are learned through conditioning. There are two types of condition: operant conditioning, and classical conditioning. Operant conditioning is the individual's natural response to external stimuli, while classical conditioning adopts the theory that our reaction to situations is a learned behavior.

Numerous phobias are thought to be brought on by classical conditioning. (Kowalski, Westen. 2005) Many phobias that are known to man have some underlying cause, a reaction brought on by memories of an undesirable nature. For example, an individual who has experienced an accident in a motor vehicle may experience extreme anxiety when attempting to get behind the wheel of another car. This individual may also experience anxiety when riding in a vehicle with others, feeling like they may not be in control of the situation. By way of classical conditioning, experiencing a traumatizing accident may cause an individual to suffer long term effects when riding in a vehicle. As a general rule, people who have never had this type of experience generally do not experience the fear of the situation. An individual experiences fear when negative thoughts can be associated with the experience, such as the effects of classical conditioning.

For the reasons listed above, some phobias can be eliminated from classical conditioning effects. Sometimes reasons for an individual experiencing a phobia may not have relevancy on one's life experiences. These phobias often are invoked by a thought or an inanimate object, with no clear reason why the individual experiences fear. For example, many people fear clowns. This phobia has become quite popular. One often sees clowns around Halloween, participating in haunted attractions. A phobia of clowns does not mean a clown ever had a negative effect on a person. This is a classic sign of operant conditioning. There is no valid rational reason for this fear, except that the fear is real to the individual.

Another phobia considered to be operant conditioning is the fear of germs and dirt. There is no reward when an individual washes their hands on an hourly basis; the germs always seem to come back. There also does not need to be any bad experience that has led an individual into constant hand washing or cleaning the house. The fear seems very real, but the reason for the fear are often irrational.

Classical conditioning seems to present itself frequently when evaluating addictions. With individuals who are chemically dependent, partaking in the use of drugs has a consequence to follow the action. The consequence is becoming high. The high itself may present itself differently, but the outcome is the same. The drug abuser uses the drug to avoid, or escape reality. Classical conditioning shows that the use of drugs will deliver the high, in reference to the reward program. Receiving this reward,