Ch 14 Behavior Therapy

Question 1

behavior therapy

Answer 1

an approach to psychotherapy emphasizing empiricism, observable and quantifiable problems and progress, and a lack of speculation about internal mental processes

Question 2

Ivan Pavlov (late 1800s to early 1900s)

Answer 2

an important figure in history of behavior therapy; a researcher whose classical conditioning studies provided a foundation for many behavioral techniques

• study: dog v bell and salvation
• classical conditioning

Question 3

John Watson

Answer 3

an important figure in the history of behavior therapy and early promoter of behaviorism in the United States

• effort to bring classical conditioning to US

Question 4

B.F. Skinner

Answer 4

a pioneer of behaviorism whose experimentation on the law of effect and operant conditioning formed the foundation for many forms of behavior therapy

• law of effect / operant conditioning

Question 5

Edward Lee Thorndike

Answer 5

a pioneer in the study of intelligence who promoted the idea that each person possess separate, independent intelligence; also, a leading researcher in the area of operant conditioning and the law of effect

Question 6

law of effect

Answer 6

• Thorndike’s research with cats
• law stated that all organisms pay attention to the consequences (or effects) of their actions
• pleasurable consequences result in reoccurring actions
• unpleasant/negative consequences result in actions to be less likely to occur

Question 7

Goal of behavior therapy

Answer 7

• primary goal is observable behavior change
• emphasis on empiricism
• defining problems behaviorally
• measuring change observably

Question 8

emphasis on empiricism

Answer 8

• study of human behavior should be scientific
• clinical methods should be scientifically evaluated via testable hypotheses and empirical data based on observable variables

e.g. baseline measures of problem behavior at treatment outset; subsequent measures after some therapy

Question 9

testable hypothesis

Answer 9

in behavior therapy, an essential feature of theories underlying problem behaviors whereby theories can be empirically supported, refuted, modified, and retested

Question 10

empirical data

Answer 10

an essential feature of behavior therapy that can take the form of frequencies of problem behavior at various points in therapy

Question 11

defining problems behaviorally

Answer 11

• client behaviors are not symptoms of some underlying problem
• those behaviors are the problems
• behavior definitions make it easy to identify target behaviors and measure changes in therapy
• clients’ own definitions can be very hard to assess or measure

Question 12

measuring change observably

Answer 12

• use unambiguous definitions of change

- introspection is not an acceptable way to measure progress - not directly observable

Question 13

observable changes

Answer 13

an essential feature of behavior therapy; therapeutic changes that are directly observable rather than inferred

Question 14

introspection

Answer 14

the process of looking inside the mind for evidence of mental processes or therapeutic change, rejected by behaviorists for its lack of objectivity

• not an ideal way for measuring change observably

Question 15

Goal of behavior therapy

Answer 15

• primary goal is observable behavior change
• emphasis on empiricism
• defining problems behaviorally
• measuring change observably

Question 16

classical conditioning

Answer 16

• conditioning in which an unconditioned stimulus that produces an unconditioned response is paired with a conditioned stimulus such that the conditioned stimulus elicits a similar response (labeled as the conditioned response)
• passive type of learning

generalization - in classical conditioning, a process by which the conditioned response is evoked by stimuli that are similar to, but not an exact match for, the conditioned stimulus

discrimination - in classical conditioning, a process by which the conditioned response is not evoked by stimuli that are similar to, but not an exact match for, the conditioned stimulus

Question 17

testable hypothesis

Answer 17

in behavior therapy, an essential feature of theories underlying problem behaviors whereby theories can be empirically supported, refuted, modified, and retested

Question 18

empirical data

Answer 18

an essential feature of behavior therapy that can take the form of frequencies of problem behavior at various points in therapy

Question 19

defining problems behaviorally

Answer 19

• client behaviors are not symptoms of some underlying problem
• those behaviors are the problems
• behavior definitions make it easy to identify target behaviors and measure changes in therapy
• clients’ own definitions can be very hard to assess or measure

Question 20

measuring change observably

Answer 20

• use unambiguous definitions of change

- introspection is not an acceptable way to measure progress - not directly observable

Question 21

observable changes

Answer 21

an essential feature of behavior therapy; therapeutic changes that are directly observable rather than inferred

Question 22

exposure therapy based on classical conditioning

Answer 22

• a form of behavioral therapy based on classical conditioning in which clients gradually face a feared object or situation
• “facing your fear”
• often used to treat anxiety disorders, phobias
• client is repeatedly “exposed” to the feared object and the expected aversive outcome does not take place -> client no longer experiences the fear response
• exposure is typically gradual (“graded” exposure), following an anxiety hierarchy
• exposure can be imaginal or in vivo (real)
• exposure and response prevention for OCD
• prolonged exposure therapy for PTSD
• exposure therapy for specific phobia

Question 23

two types of conditioning

Answer 23

• classical conditioning

- operant conditioning

Question 24

classical conditioning

Answer 24

• conditioning in which an unconditioned stimulus that produces an unconditioned response is paired with a conditioned stimulus such that the conditioned stimulus elicits a similar response (labeled as the conditioned response)
• passive type of learning

Question 25

unconditioned stimulus

Answer 25

the stimulus that elicits the unconditioned response before any conditioning has taken place Before conditioning: Food

Question 26

unconditioned response

Answer 26

the response elicited by the unconditioned stimulus before any conditioning has taken place Before conditioning: Salvation to food

Question 27

conditioned stimulus

Answer 27

the stimulus paired with the unconditioned stimulus that ultimately elicits the conditioned response After conditioning: Sound of bell

Question 28

exposure and response prevention

Answer 28

a particular form of exposure therapy - and an example of an evidence-based practice - that has received substantial empirical support for the treatment of OCD

Question 29

systematic desensitization

Answer 29

a form of behavior therapy based on classical conditioning involving re-pairing (or counterconditioning) the feared object with a new response, such as relaxation, that is incompatible with anxiety - often used for phobias and anxiety disorders - similar to exposure including relaxation training - bc relaxation is incompatible with anxiety - counterconditioning occurs when relaxation response replaces anxiety response

Question 30

exposure therapy based on classical conditioning

Answer 30

- a form of behavioral therapy based on classical conditioning in which clients gradually face a feared object or situation - "facing your fear" - often used to treat anxiety disorders, phobias - client is repeatedly "exposed" to the feared object and the expected aversive outcome does not take place -> client no longer experiences the fear response - exposure is typically gradual ("graded" exposure), following an anxiety hierarchy - exposure can be imaginal or in vivo (real) - exposure and response prevention for OCD - prolonged exposure therapy for PTSD - exposure therapy for specific phobia

Question 31

imaginal exposure

Answer 31

in exposure therapy, exposure to anxiety-provoking objects via imagination, in contrast to in vivo exposure

Question 32

in vivo exposure

Answer 32

in exposure therapy, exposure to anxiety-provoking objects in real life, in contrast to imaginal exposure

Question 33

graded exposure

Answer 33

in exposure therapy, a gradual approach to exposing clients to feared objects or situations

Question 34

anxiety hierchary

Answer 34

in exposure therapy, a rank-ordered list of anxiety-provoking stimuli to which the client will be gradually exposed

Question 35

techniques based on operant conditioning

Answer 35

- contingency management / reinforcement & punishment & extinction - extinction - token economies - shaping - behavioral activation - observational learning (modeling)

Question 36

contingency management

Answer 36

a form of behavior therapy based on operant conditioning in which the consequences following selected behaviors are changed to produce more desirable behavior - powerful way to change behavior

Question 37

counter-conditioning

Answer 37

re-pairing a conditioned stimulus with a response that is incompatible with the previously conditioned response; an essential component of systematic desensitization

Question 38

relaxation training

Answer 38

the first step of systematic desensitization in which the behavior therapist teaches the client progressive relaxation techniques that induce a relaxation response incompatible with anxiety

Question 39

assertiveness training

Answer 39

a form of behavioral therapy based on classical conditioning in which clients improve on timid, apprehensive, or ineffectual social behaviors - uses both exposure therapy and elements of systematic desensitization - exposure therapy: facing interpersonal fears - syst. desensit.: counterconditioning - replacing relaxation with assertiveness - begins with direct instructions from the behavior therapists with which the client is taught specifically what to say and do in a particular situation

Question 40

operant conditioning

Answer 40

conditioning in which the organism "operates" on the environment, notices the consequences of the behavior, and incorporates those consequences into decisions regarding future behavior

Question 41

contingencies

Answer 41

the "if..., then..." statements connecting actions to outcomes that organisms learn through operant conditioning

Question 42

techniques based on operant conditioning

Answer 42

- contingency management / reinforcement & punishment - extinction - token economies - shaping - behavioral activation - observational learning (modeling)

Question 43

aversion therapy

Answer 43

a form of contingency management therapy that emphasizes the use of punishment as a consequence for an unwanted behavior

Question 44

extinction

Answer 44

the removal of an expected reinforcement that results in a decrease in the frequency of a behavior - effective way to decrease unwanted behaviors - initially can cause extinction burst but ultimately if reinforcement is still withheld, decrease will occur

Question 45

extinction burst

Answer 45

in behavior therapy, the initial increase in intensity of the unwanted behavior immediately after the expected reinforcement is removed

Question 46

token economy

Answer 46

a form of behavior therapy based on operant conditioning in which clients earn tokens, exchangeable for reinforcements, for performing predetermined target behavior - most feasible in sites where behavior is continuously monitored

Question 47

shaping

Answer 47

in behavior therapy, reinforcement successive approximations of the target behavior - reward each "baby steps" toward the desired behavior - best for changing behaviors that are complex, challenging, or novel for client

Question 48

behavioral activation

Answer 48

a form of behavior therapy for depression, the goal of which is to increase the frequency of behaviors that are positively reinforcing to the client - behavioral activation --> activate behavior --> encourage of certain behavior/actions --> target depressive clients to do things that were once enjoyable. - based on the idea that depressed people lack positive reinforcement - goal: increase frequency of positively reinforcing behaviors - structured daily routine incl rewarding behavior

Question 49

observational learning

Answer 49

in behavior therapy, conditioning that takes place when the individual observes contingencies applied to others rather than the self; also known as modeling and social learning

Question 50

Albert Bandura

Answer 50

a leading researcher in the area of observational learning, modeling, and social learning

Question 51

two observational learning strategies

Answer 51

- imitation | - vicarious learning

Question 52

imitation

Answer 52

client simply mimics the modeled behavior

Question 53

vicarious learning

Answer 53

client observes not only the modeled behavior but also the model receiving the consequences for that modeled behavior

Question 54

behavioral consultation

Answer 54

an indirect alternative to behavior therapy whereby the therapist serves as a consultant to an individual such as a parent, teacher, or supervisor who ultimately implements the behavioral interventions with the client in the natural setting - indirect way for therapist to modify a client's behavior - 3 parties involved: the client, the consultee, and the consultant (therapist) - consultee spends significant time in natural setting with client

Question 55

5 stages of behavioral consultation

Answer 55

- initiation of the consulting relationship - problem identification - problem analysis - plan implementation - plan evaluation

Question 56

parent training

Answer 56

parents seek help with problematic behaviors of their children

Question 57

teacher training

Answer 57

teachers seek help with problematic behaviors of their students

Question 58

how well does behavior therapy work?

Answer 58

- behavioral therapists have a significant amount of empirical support, especially in comparison to most other forms of therapy - esp for anxiety disorders, PTSD, depression, and children's behavior disorders - may also be most empirically testable forms of therapy