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Behavioral Psychotherapy
Learning the A-B-Cs
Defining Behavior
 What we do…Outward manifestation of our
inner selves
 Communication (to others) of how we feel
and think and who we are
 Tool we use to accomplish goals, but…may
also prevent us from reaching goals
Behaviorist Manifesto
Psychology as the behaviorist views it is a purely
objective experimental branch of natural science. Its
theoretical goal is the prediction and control of
behavior. Introspection forms no essential part of its
methods, nor is the scientific value of its data
dependent upon the readiness with which they lend
themselves to interpretation in terms of
consciousness. The behaviorist, in his efforts to get
a unitary scheme of animal response, recognizes no
dividing line between man and brute. The behavior
of man, with all of its refinement and complexity,
forms only a part of the behaviorist's total scheme of
investigation (Watson, 1913).
History
 Two historical events are foundations for BT
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Experimental research on animal learning
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Ivan Pavlov’s classical conditioning
 Aversion therapy
 Systematic desensitization
 Flooding
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E.L. Thorndike’s research on the influence of consequences
1905: Law of effect
blank slate
“Responses that produce a satisfying effect in a particular
situation become more likely to occur again in that situation, and
responses that produce a discomforting effect become less likely
to occur again in that situation.”
 Behavior management /modification (using token economies)
 Behavior and response prevention (Tx for OCD)
History (continued)
 Rise of behaviorism in the 1900s
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John Watson’s emphasis on environmental
events
Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and
my own specified world to bring them up in and I'll
guarantee to take any one at random and train him
to become any type of specialist I might select –
doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant-chief and, yes, even
beggar-man and thief, regardless of his talents,
penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations, and race
of his ancestors.
I am going beyond my facts and I admit it, but so
have the advocates of the contrary and they have
been doing it for many thousands of years. (Watson,
1930)
Letter from Skinner’s daughter
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B.F. Skinner’s radical behaviorism: Operant
conditioning explains all
History (continued)
 “Little Albert” experiment
 Watson forced out of psychology in 1920
(Rosalie Rayner, Mary Ickes, Harold Ickes)
 Formal beginnings of BT were in the 1950s, primarily with
children
 By the 1970s, emphasis shifted to social learning theory &
cognition
 The 1980s and 1990s showed increased attention to
affect
 Currently, 14% of clinical faculty are “behaviorists” while
42% emphasize cognitive-behavioral or social learning
approaches
Basic Concepts
 Three main approaches
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Applied Behavior analysis (the focus today!)
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Mediational Stimulus-Response (S-R) model
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Based on Skinner’s radical behaviorism
Behavior is considered to be a function of its consequences
Cognitions are considered private events and not proper
subjects for scientific study
Makes use of reinforcement, punishment, and other operant
conditioning principles
Private events, including thoughts and feelings are integral
Examples include systematic sensitization and flooding
Social-cognitive theory
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Person is his/her own agent of change
It is not the experience, but person’s interpretation of the
experience
Common characteristics
1. Commitment to consistent empirically determined theory
2. Abnormal behaviors are nonpathological “problems of living”
3. Abnormal behavior assumed to be acquired and maintained in the
same manner as normal behavior
4. Behavior assessment focuses on current determinants rather than
on the analysis of possible historical antecedents
5. Rooted in the notion of mutual influences: Parents effect children,
but children also effect parents
6. Specificity is vital. Person is best understood by what he/she does
in a particular situation
7. Treatment is individually tailored to different problems in different
individuals
8. Understanding origins of problem NOT essential for producing
change
Process of psychotherapy
 Considerations for starting treatment
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Must identify specific problem (jointly with client or parents)
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Does the problem require treatment
What will happen if nothing is done
What treatment is likely to be most effective
Who is the best person to deliver the treatment (e.g.,
therapist, parents, teachers)
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deficit behavior
excessive behavior
Someone present in environment is better
Someone capable and willing to implement plan
What is the best context for treatment (e.g., school, home)
 Do a thorough assessment (e.g., identify discriminant stimuli for
problematic behavior)
Process of psychotherapy (treatment)
 Design an appropriate treatment plan using positive reinforcement,
negative reinforcement, and punishment techniques
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Figure out the most appropriate reinforcers
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a. Resistant to saturation (M&Ms are bad, what’s better?)
b. Able to be administered in small units (trip to Florida?)
c. Able to be administered immediately following behavior
d. Must be in control of agent (e.g., not dependent on weather)
e. Must be compatible with treatment plan
f. Must be practical
g. Conditioned reinforcers work well (token reinforcers that are
associated with other positive reinforcers (points, tokens)
Establish reinforcement schedule, based on behavior frequency
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a. Low frequency = continuous reinforcement
b. High frequency = fixed interval, fixed ratio, or variable ratio
Treatment (cont.)
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Break behavior into components and use shaping techniques
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Reward approximations (homework example)
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Know the assignment
Bring homework materials home
Go to study area without prompt
Remain in study area on task
Get the work done
Turn in the assignment
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Use prompting and modeling
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Have a contingency contract (an agreement about what is
expected and the consequences of not doing it)
Treatment (for unwanted behaviors)
 For unwanted behaviors
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Extinguish by removing reinforcers that used to
follow the unwanted behavior
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Give reinforcers for a competing behavior
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If punishment is used, it should follow these rules
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As intense as possible (start with maximum intensity)
As frequent as possible
As immediate as possible
Relatively brief
Can’t be a way out of doing something
Can’t associate w/ positive reinforcers (don’t apologize)
Applied Behavioral Analysis:
Central Constructs
 Client-counselor relationship is imperative and counselors exhibit
high levels of empathy, self-congruence and interpersonal contact.
The relationship is collaborative and relationship variables differ
according to client and culture.
 Operationalization of Behavior: Focuses on the concreteness and
specifics of behavior. Vagueness is transformed into objective,
observable actions.
 Functional Analysis: The ABC’s of behavior. An individual's
behavior is directly related to events and stimuli in the
environment.
 Reinforcement: Behavior develops and maintains itself through a
system of punishments and rewards.
 Goals: These are designed to make specific behavioral changes.
 concrete, specific, observable and measurable
 meet biological and social needs; adaptive
 avoid pain and discomfort
”
Coercive Cycles (version 1)
Child wants
a cookie
Child stops
screaming
Parent gives in,
gives child cookie
Parent says
“no”
Child starts
screaming
Coercive Cycles (version 2)
Child wants
a cookie
Child stops
screaming,
whimpers quietly
Parent says
“no”
Child starts
screaming
Parent yells at child
and gives solid smack
on bottom
Interactive Exercises
Behavioral Methods
 Operant Conditioning (Applied Behavior Analysis)
 Relaxation Training (demo)
 Systematic Desensitization
 Flooding
 Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
 Social Skills Training
 Mindfulness, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)