Classical Conditioning, Stimulus Generalization and Phobias

1. Describe a phobia that either you or a close friend suffers from. 

2. Using classical conditioning terminology, explain how you think this phobia could have been learned. If you do not know exactly how the phobia was learned, it is ok to speculate. Be sure to identify the US, UR, CS, and CR. 

3. How would stimulus generalization maintain this phobia? 

4. Based on your reading, explain how you might go about setting up a program of desensitization therapy for the phobia you described. 

5. How effective do these behavioral therapies seem to be for the treatment of certain psychological conditions? What types of psychological conditions would be highly responsive to systematic desensitization, etc.? Are there certain types of human psychological conditions that would not be handled well with therapies based on classical conditioning? 

6. Imagine yourself as the therapist conducting systematic desensitization. How comfortable would you be as the therapist doing these types of therapy? Imagine yourself as a client. Would you be comfortable working in this way to overcome a phobia?