Orval Hobart Mowrer

Orval Hobart Mowrer ( born January 23, 1907 † 21 June 1982) was an American psychologist who dealt among other things with the behaviorist explanation of anxiety disorders and the psychology of learning. Mowrer worked as a psychotherapist at the Galesburg State Research Hospital in Illinois.

As part of the Two -Factor Theory (two- factor theory ) explained Mowrer phobias as acquired disorders that come through a combination of classical and operant conditioning concluded: first, an unconditioned stimulus through association with an unconditioned response to a conditioned stimulus, ie, for fear trigger. This is negatively reinforced by operant conditioning, in which the person learns to fear by avoiding the stimulus to weaken. For about a bee sting lead to fear of bees ( classical conditioning ). In the following, leads the constant avoidance of bees to maintain the fear and thus a constant phobia ( operant conditioning ). This particular provides for the treatment of anxiety disorders is a major problem and has led to the development of confrontational therapies such as flooding.

MOWRER Two -Factor Theory is one of the most influential models of anxiety disorders, but in today's research approaches deemed to be in need of completion.

1954 was Mowrer president of the American Psychological Association.