Behavior Therapy

Question 1

Stimulus-response theory (S-R)

Answer 1

• Operant conditioning principle
• An environmental event directly causes a response from the organism

Question 2

Stimulus-organism-response theory (S-O-R)

Answer 2

• What’s going on inside the organism determines the response

Question 3

Operant conditioning

Answer 3

• Founded in 1911
• Assumes a behavior is controlled by the environment
• Introduced the ideas of reinforcement and punishment

Question 4

Classical conditioning

Answer 4

• Founded in the 1920s
• A neutral stimulus comes to elicit a response through repeated pairing with another stimulus

Question 5

Little Albert experiment

Answer 5

• Example of classical conditioning
• Took a once neutral stimulus (rabbit) (NS) and paired its presence with a loud noise (US) which was frightening (UR)
• Albert then learned to associate the rabbit (CS) with the loud noise (US) and would become upset (CR) just from the rabbit

Question 6

Temperament

Answer 6

Biological dispositions that express themselves in environmental responses/behaviors

Question 7

Do pure behaviorists worry about internal experiences?

Answer 7

• No
• Behavior is explained in terms of variables in the environment: learning, situational cues, and temperament

Question 8

Reinforcement

Answer 8

Should increase the likelihood of a behavior

Question 9

Positive reinforcement

Answer 9

• Adding something to increase the likelihood of a behavior
• Giving candy to a child after they behave at the doctor

Question 10

Negative reinforcement

Answer 10

• Taking something away to increase the likelihood of a behavior
• Removing a child’s chores if they do well on a test
• Procrastination; removing the stress by putting off studying

Question 11

Punishment

Answer 11

Should decrease the likelihood of a behavior

Question 12

Positive punishment

Answer 12

• Adding something to decrease a behavior
• Giving an alcoholic medicine that will make them throw up if they drink alcohol

Question 13

Negative punishment

Answer 13

• The removal of something to decrease a behavior
• Taking away a cat’s favorite toy because they threw up on the carpet

Question 14

Discrimination learning

Answer 14

Learning a behavior that is particular to one or a few specific situations

Question 15

Generalization

Answer 15

Learning a behavior that can be used everywhere

Question 16

Vicarious learning/observational learning

Answer 16

Learning behavior through examples/watching
- Bobo doll experiment

Question 17

Rule-governed behavior/instructional learning

Answer 17

Learning behavior without directly seeing it or experiencing it; learned through contact with rules/teaching
- Not running into a busy street

Question 18

How can operant conditioning be a source of distress?

Answer 18

• Negative reinforcement in procrastination: taking away stress by not doing work, but eventually you’ll be swamped!
• Positive reinforcement in tantrums: rewarding a child so they will stop actually reinforces their tantrums!

Question 19

How can classical conditioning be a source of distress?

Answer 19

• Insomnia: the bed (US) used to induce sleepiness (UR) as you’re only supposed to sleep in bed. But, with repeated pairings to your phone, food, or work in bed, these (CS) become paired with the bed (US), and then paired with wakefullness (CR)!

Question 20

Goals of behavior therapy

Answer 20

• Change behavior by…
• Correcting maladaptive learning experiences
• Introducing adaptive learning: learning behavior for certain contexts

Question 21

Behaviorists believe…

Answer 21

• That all behaviors make sense in the context of their environments because there is something in the environment maintaining it
• That all behaviors have a function

Question 22

Exposure

Answer 22

Gradually exposing a person to their fears in a safe environment
- Therapist demonstrates the behavior to show transparency and trust

Question 23

Stimulus control

Answer 23

• Control the stimuli in the environment
• Extinguish the stimuli with inappropriate control
• Develop adaptive conditioning (break the learned behavior and learn a new one)
• Ex) cleaning your car so it isn’t paired with smoking anymore

Question 24

Extinction (operant conditioning)

Answer 24

When a behavior is no longer reinforced; “putting it on extinction”

Question 25

Extinction (classical conditioning)

Answer 25

The gradual weakening or disappearance of a conditioned response when the unconditioned stimulus is no longer presented - Ex) pavlov's dogs no longer salivating (CR) at a bell (CS) because food (US) is no longer presented with the bell

Question 26

Shaping

Answer 26

Not expecting the exact behavior change the first time new contingencies are introduced, gradual

Question 27

Describe the therapeutic style for behavior therapy.

Answer 27

- Directive and transparent - The therapeutic relationship can help bolster motivation but is not emphasized in traditional BT

Question 28

Treatment structure

Answer 28

- Will look unconventional and can take place in real world settings - May take longer per session - Ultimate goal is to leave therapy

Question 29

Treatment development

Answer 29

- Set treatment goals (specific and measurable) - Select appropriate treatment (changing reinforcement/cues) - Develop treatment contract with clear goals and expectations

Question 30

Behavioral excess

Answer 30

Behaviors that occur too often and are marked down to be reduced; maladaptive

Question 31

Behavioral deficits

Answer 31

Healthy, adaptive behaviors that need to be increased or learned

Question 32

Information sources

Answer 32

- Talking to close others, school, other doctors to get a full picture on what is triggering the maladaptive behaviors - Diaries, self-reports

Question 33

Functional analysis

Answer 33

- Looking at the situations in which the maladaptive behaviors occur and figure out the function of those behaviors

Question 34

ABCs of functional analysis

Answer 34

- Antecedent (A): what happens before the behavior - Behavior (B) - Consequence (C): what happens after the behavior/what is maintaining the behavior

Question 35

Differential reinforcement

Answer 35

Put the unwanted behavior on extinction and simultaneously identify a wanted behavior to take its place; reinforce the wanted behavior

Question 36

Token economy

Answer 36

Positive reinforcement where someone receives tokens and the tokens lead up to a reinforcer - Can lead up to classical conditioning; the tokens can become directly reinforcing!

Question 37

Contigency management

Answer 37

Directly getting reinforcement each time - Ex) getting money after a negative drug test

Question 38

Aversive conditioning

Answer 38

Punishment in response to behavioral excess - Not as effective as reinforcement techniques

Question 39

In-vivo exposure

Answer 39

Behavior therapy/exposure in the relevant environment

Question 40

Imaginal exposure

Answer 40

Thinking through the exposure, not in real life

Question 41

Interoceptive exposure

Answer 41

Exposure to feared bodily experiences (ex. nausea, dizziness, increased heart rate)

Question 42

Response prevention

Answer 42

Preventing safety behaviors so the client can fully learn a new behavior (ex. preventing dissociation)

Question 43

How can stimulus control be used to treat insomnia?

Answer 43

- Extinguish inappropriate conditioning (bed can only be used for sleep and sex, if you can't sleep then get out of bed) - Condition appropriate stimuli (set consistent sleep/wake times, avoid napping, establish a bedtime routine)

Question 44

What is the evidence base for Behavior Therapy?

Answer 44

- Exposure is the "gold standard" for phobia and anxiety - Effectiveness shown for anxiety disorders, depression, substance use disorders, and schizophrenia (in conjunction with antipsychotics)

Question 45

What are some cultural considerations for Behavior Therapy?

Answer 45

- What one culture find reinforcing another culture might not - Therapist must be aware of their own biases