Many behavioural therapists view phobias and other anxiety disorders as the result of learning.Using the language of classical conditioning,describe a specific example of how this might occur.

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The Answer is To help people learn to handle fear-inducing situations,therapists may choose the behavioural technique known as systematic desensitization,in which gradual exposure to a feared stimulus or situation is coupled with relaxation training.This involves counter conditioning,pairing the feared stimulus (the CS)with a pleasant unconditioned stimulus (such as relaxation)that yields the unconditioned response of happiness.This will eventually cause the CS to elicit the unconditioned response (UR)as a conditioned response (CR).For example,a person who fears snakes may be taught to meditate (unconditioned stimulus (US)causing the UR of happiness)and then presented with snake pictures (a CS)and asked to meditate (the US)to a point where they are relaxed (UR).Once the snake picture elicits the CR of happiness from being paired with meditation,they can move to the next step which may involve using a model snake as the CS and pairing it with meditation until the CR of happiness is elicited.Successive approximations to a real snake will be made at levels that can reasonably be handled by the individual.At the end,the CS of a snake should not elicit the CR of fear but rather a CR of happiness.

Many Behavioural Therapists View Phobias and Other Anxiety Disorders as the Result