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.
205 exam-style questions on Edexcel A Level Psychology Content, covering Main features of classical conditioning, Pavlov (1927) salivation in dogs, Main features of operant conditioning, Properties of reinforcement, Behaviour modification and shaping, Main features of social learning theory, Social learning stages, Bandura (1961, 1963) Bobo doll experiments, Bandura (1965) vicarious reinforcement, Learning theories and phobias, Treatments for phobias, Individual differences, and Developmental psychology. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.