Looking down from the top of a cliff or from the roof of a tall building can always cause a lot of distress and discomfort to some people. Well, if you have felt your heart skip a bit whenever you stood on a higher ground and took a downward vertical gaze, then you now know you are not alone. This condition where some people experience distress or discomfort whenever subjected to heights in known as acrophobia. Personally, I am always scared of heights even though I have never been able to explain what happened and when I actually began fearing heights. However, after sharing my story with my elder siblings, I was able to find out certain interesting facts. As a kid, I had been on some play sets that would occasionally fall apart. I sustained some serious injuries during this period and then eventually, I lost interest in playing on play sets. They also told me that I even began showing reluctance whenever I had to ascend tall buildings. One question that emerged in the process is the question of what might be causes of acrophobia.
What causes Acrophobia?
People suffering from this condition do not have to dig deep for answers. Psychology, through two of its main schools of thoughts: behavioral and evolutionary psychology, could as well provide the answers to the causes of height phobias. I am actually able to successfully apply several informal learning approaches both from the behavioral and evolutionary aspects of psychology to my condition. However, much emphasis is given to the behavioral approach in this essay.
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Classical Conditioning
Behavioral psychologies maintain that according to classical conditioning, phobias are acquired via classical conditioning as well as associative learning (Dunsmoor & Murphy, 2015, p.73). The classical conditioning theory is a learning process where biologically puissant (unconditioned) stimuli are matched with previously neutral (conditioned) stimuli, causing the neutral stimuli to produce responses similar those that could have been prompted by the potent stimuli (Dunsmoor & Murphy, 2015). This theory is applicable to acrophobia. The fact that I sustained injuries when playing on play sets must have instilled fear and distress within me. This is because my brain was able to relate the experience of ascending objects with a traumatic event; falling, causing me to learn to relate the negative outcome with heights. In my case therefore, the unconditioned stimulus was falling. The unconditioned response was therefore fear of sustaining more injuries whenever I played on the play sets. By repeatedly matching the play sets with the unconditioned stimulus (falling), the play sets (now the conditioned stimulus), came to induce the fear reaction I experience every time I pursue heights. This fear response is the conditioned response.
Operant Conditioning
This behavioral approach to psychology is a learning procedure that is existent through punishments and rewards for behavior (Sherlin et al., 2011). Through this learning approach therefore, an individual is able to associate particular behaviors and their consequences (Sherlin et al., 2011). Operant conditioning proposes that the stimuli existent when a behavior is either punished or rewarded ultimately get to control that specific behavior (Sherlin et al., 2011). Operant conditioning involves voluntary behavior, consequence as well as reinforcement (Staddon & Cerutti, 2003). Staddon and Cerutti (2003) also affirmed that phobias are negatively reinforced according to the operant conditioning theory. This is a result of behavior strengthening, and removal of unpleasant consequences (Staddon & Cerutti, 2003). Just like the classical conditioning theory, the operant theory is also applicable to my condition. It is justifiable to say that playing on play sets in my case was the voluntary behavior. On the other hand, falling and getting hurt while playing on the play sets was the consequence of the behavior. Reinforcement in my case was fear. The theory also explains why the fear of height has not been able to go away. This is because every time ascend a high object or structure, I always fear falling down and getting hurt in the process. This concept is referred to as negative reinforcement of phobia (Staddon & Cerutti, 2003).
Cognitive Social Learning Theory
This approach to learning and social behavior states that new behaviors are acquirable by observation and imitation (Pratt et al., 2010). This theory also describes learning as a cognitive process, that occurs in a societal context and which can occur wholly through direct instruction or observations (Reed et al., 2010). Reed et al. (2010) also affirmed that learning does not require direct buttressing to happen. The cognitive social learning theory also talks about the learning process occurring through vicarious reinforcement (Reed et al., 2010). Like the two theories before, the cognitive social learning theory is also relevant to my condition, an acrophobe. According to this theory, it could be that my fear of heights is learnt from somebody else, probably someone I closely relate to. This learning could have either taken place through observation or imitation. Over time, this has slowly been integrated into me and I am now just like the person who inspired me.
Conclusion
The three theories offer insights into the learning process. In so doing, the theories are therefore applicable to various situations that entail learning. Phobia, especially acrophobia is a perfect example. Each of the three theories gives a separate and an independent account onto how acrophobia can be learnt. The classical conditioning theory talks about the importance of stimuli in the learning of acrophobia. On its side, the operant conditioning theory discusses the learning process while focusing on the punishments and rewards for behavior. What sets these two theories apart is the fact that the classical conditioning theory provides an explanation on why phobia does not fade easily. Lastly, the cognitive social learning theory presents learning as observation and imitation. This theory could as well be the most comprehensive of the three. It explicates learning as a result of interactions between behavioral, cognitive as well as environmental influences.
References
Dunsmoor, J.E., & Murphy, G.L. (2015). Categories, concepts, and conditioning: how humans generalize fear. Trends in Cognitive Sciences , 19(2), 73-77.
Pratt, T.C., et al. (2010). The empirical status of social learning theory: A meta-analysis. Justice Quarterly, 27(6), 765-802.
Reed, M.S., et al. (2010). What is social learning? Ecology and Society, 15(4), 1-10.
Sherlin, L.H., et al. (2011). Neurofeedback and basic learning theory: Implications for research and practice. Journal of Neurotherapy , 15(4), 292-304.
Staddon, J.E., & Cerutti, D.T. (2003). Operant conditioning. Annual Review of Psychology, 54, 115-144.
