Clara has developed a severe phobia of automated hand dryers in public restrooms. When she was five, she walked into a restroom and a motion-activated high-speed hand dryer suddenly turned on right next to her head, producing an extremely loud, high-pitched screech that startled her and made her scream. Since then, Clara experiences intense panic and anxiety whenever she sees or hears an automated hand dryer.
To avoid this anxiety, Clara refuses to use public restrooms unless a friend first checks to confirm there are no automated hand dryers. If she accidentally encounters one and hears it start up, she immediately flees the restroom, and her friends comfort her by taking her to a quiet area and buying her favorite hot drink to help her calm down.
Discuss how learning theories can explain the acquisition and maintenance of Clara's phobia of hand dryers.
Practise Edexcel A Level Psychology Content with exam-style questions for A Level Psychology. 1,059 questions covering Diagnosis of mental disorders (4 Ds), Classification systems (DSM and ICD), Schizophrenia and one other disorder, Treatments for the two disorders, Individual differences, and Developmental psychology, matched to the Edexcel A Level Psychology (9PS0) specification and written in Paper 1, Paper 2 and Paper 3 style. Every question includes a full worked solution and mark scheme, so you can see where marks are awarded rather than just whether you got the answer right.
