Classical conditioning and the acquisition of human fears and phobias: A review and synthesis of the literature

Abstract

This paper is an attempt to consider classical conditioning models of human fears and phobias in a contemporary context, and to consider how conditioning models might be of some theoretical help in this area. The paper covers (i) a contemporary review of the basic phenomena of human conditioning, (ii) a comparison of conditioning processes in humans and animals, (iii) a description of a contemporary model of human conditioning designed to accommodate recent research findings, (iv) a re-examination of the traditional criticisms of conditioning accounts of phobias in the light of this contemporary model, (v) a discussion of some of the features of fears and phobias that this model can address, and (vi) a brief discussion of the scope of this model and some implications for the treatment of clinical fears and phobias.