Behavior Therapy

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Behavior Therapy

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A set of clinical procedures relying on experimental findings of psychological research (both animal and human)

Based on principles of learning that are systematically applied
Treatment goals are specific and measurable
Focusing on the client’s current problems
To help people change maladaptive to adaptive behaviors
The therapy is largely educational - teaching clients skills of self-management

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Leaders of Behavior Therapy

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Skinner, Bandura, Wolpe, Meichenbaum

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Behavior Therapy's assumptions

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No such thing as mind, thought, or unconscious.
No mind/body dualism.
No such thing as personality.
Learning principles determine those things that we see as thought, attitudes, and habits.
Past influences the present, but only inasmuch as our past affects current reinforcement schedules.
"Symptoms" are the consequence of reinforcement history.
To change behavior, we must change stimulus/response relationships.

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Nature of therapeutic relationship

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Action is preferred over insight

Insight is not necessary

This is a directive therapy

Therapist is the expert

Contrary to expectations, behavior therapists are often rated as more empathic than other therapists!

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Four Aspects of Behavior Therapy

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Classical Conditioning

Operant Conditioning

Social-Learning Approach

Cognitive Behavior Therapy

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Classical Conditioning

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In classical conditioning certain respondent behaviors, such as knee jerks and salivation, are elicited from a passive organism

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Operant Conditioning

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Focuses on actions that operate on the environment to produce consequences
If the environmental change brought about by the behavior is reinforcing, the chances are strengthened that the behavior will occur again. If the environmental changes produce no reinforcement, the chances are lessened that the behavior will recur

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Social-Learning Approach

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Gives prominence to the reciprocal interactions between an individual’s behavior and the environment

Bandura, Bobo doll

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Cognitive Behavior Therapy

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Emphasizes cognitive processes and private events (such as a client’s self-talk) as mediators of behavior change

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Reinforcers

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Primary/Conditioned

Nature of reinforcement -- always identified by increases in the frequency of the behavior (positive and negative)

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How is punishment different from reinforcement?

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Punishment takes away, reinforcement gives something (positive or negative)

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Disadvantages of punishment

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Person (i.e. a child) still gets attention when punished

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Aversive stimuli

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If organism can get away: Escape learning.
If organism can't: Punishment.
If organism is afraid that punishment will occur and acts to prevent this: Avoidance.

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Learning Principles

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Generalization
Discrimination
Extinction
Spontaneous recovery
Reinforcement schedules

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Generalization

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behaviors learned in one context or situation are transfered to another (e.g., studying hard in Ed Psyc is transfered to studying hard in other classes)

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Discrimination

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Knowing when and where to do behavior

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Extinction

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getting rid of behavior

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Spontaneous recovery

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May be in new situation and anxious, so will revert to behavior you know best

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Reinforcement schedules

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fixed or variable

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Psychopathology according to behaviorism

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Comes from:
Adaptive and maladaptive behaviors are learned
Time, place and culture determine whether something is identified as psychopathology

Causes of psychopathology:
Problematic reinforcement
-- reinforced for maladaptive behaviors
-- punished for adaptive behaviors
-- unclear how to earn reinforcers (problematic reinforcement schedules, unclear discriminant stimuli)

B.F. Skinner: Psychopathology is the result of a punitive and over-controlling environment
punishment ----> fear, guilt, punishment, depression, anger, anxiety

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Function analysis

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1. State problem in behavioral terms.
2. Identify your goals.
3. Take baseline measures.
4. Identify and change stimuli controlling behavior.
5. Monitor changes in behavior.

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ABC Model

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A-B-C

Antecedent
What was happening?
Time/mood/setting
I'm grumpy

Behavior
What did you do?
Sleep in

Consequence
What happened next?
Feel bad and guilty

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Therapeutic Techniques

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Relaxation training

Systematic Desensitization

Modeling - observational learning

Assertion training - learn to express oneself

Social Skills Training - learning to correct deficits in interpersonal skills

Multimodal therapy - a technical eclecticism

Applied Behavior Analysis - training new behaviors, part. effective w/ developmentally delayed

Dialectical Behavior Therapy - learning emotional regulation and mindfulness; for borderline personality disorder

Mindfulness-Based stress reduction therapy - meditation and yoga

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy - learning acceptance and non-judgment of thoughts and feelings as they occur

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Other considerations in counseling

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Engage social support.
Use social reinforcers.
Make rewards contingent on desired behavior.
Use immediate reinforcers, when possible.
Make rewards achievable.
Work for generalization of results.

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Application to Group Counseling

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Treatments
rely on empirical support
emphasize self-management skills and thought restructuring
Are typically brief

Leaders
use a brief, directive, psychoeducational approach
conduct behavioral assessments

Leaders and members
create collaborative, precise treatment goals
devise a specific treatment plan to help each member meet goals
objectively measure treatment outcome

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Limitations of Behavior Therapy

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Heavy focus on behavioral change may detract from client’s experience of emotions

Some counselors believe the therapist’s role as a teacher deemphasizes the important relational factors in the client-therapist relationship

Behavior therapy does not place emphasis on insight

Behavior therapy tends to focus on symptoms rather than underlying causes of maladaptive behaviors

There is potential for the therapist to manipulate the client using this approach

Some clients may find the directive approach imposing or too mechanistic