Behavioral
Therapy
Behavior therapy, as it is widely known, has its
roots with B.F. Skinner. The behavioral approach was a
significant departure from the present psychoanalytic
perspective of the 1950’s and 1960’s. Skinner had a strong
a priori assumption that science is the only means of
obtaining truth. Because of this, he sought to strip all
components of psychology that could not be verified with
empirical research. Because only behavior and environment
could be directly observed (one of the criteria of the
scientific method), Skinner formulated a theory that
asserted all human behavior is a direct result of the
environment in the form of stimuli, where human behavior
strictly complies with the principle of causality. Concepts
such as “soul” or “mind”, because they are non-falsifiable,
are therefore irrelevant and without meaning. Skinner
thought of his ideas as the only true scientific theory of
personality. Two of the foremost principles of the behavior
approach are classical and operant conditioning. While
classical conditioning was known before Skinner, it was his
formulation of operant conditioning that hallmarked his
greatest contribution to psychology.
Classical conditioning is a form of associative
learning that occurs when a neutral stimulus is paired with
an unconditioned stimulus in order to bring about a
conditioned response. Ivan Pavlov is well known for his
classical conditioning of dogs having identified that dogs
salivate prior to being fed, he began to ring a bell at the
same time as feeding and eventually the dogs associated the
bell with salivating for the food and the bell alone trigger
the salivation rather than the presence of the food.
Operant conditioning utilizes the principles of
reinforcement and punishment to bring about a desired
response. For any consequence, the following possibilities
exist:
a)
something desired is dispensed (positive
reinforcement)
b)
something painful is removed (negative reinforcement)
c)
something desired is removed (negative punishment)
d)
something painful is dispensed (positive punishment)
Operant conditioning occurs when a consequence eventually
becomes expected for a particular behavior. For example,
when a child is rewarded for achieving good grades. The
positive outcome of their behavior to study and achieve
certain grades is motivated by the expectation of a positive
result in addition to the good grades. In order to teach
individuals complex tasks, Skinner proposed a system of
successive approximations of operant learning where tasks
are broken down into several steps that, when individually
learned, summarily progress towards the complex task
desired.
In addition to Skinner’s system, two other forms
of behavior therapy include the social learning approach and
the cognitive behavioral approach. Cognitive behavioral
therapy integrates the thought of the individual and will be
covered later in this paper. Social learning as proposed
by Bandura, occurs through the interactional nature of how
individuals respond and adjust their behavior to adapt to
the changing environment and others around them. Cognition,
environment, and behavior are interlocked into a system of
cause and effect which can affect any component at any time.
Bandura called this triangulation “reciprocal determinism.”
Behavior therapy generally sees individuals as both the
producer and the product of their own environment. A basic
aim of this theory is to educate people and increase an
individual’s freedom. Dealing with the client’s current
problems and the factors that influence them, the counselor
adheres to a systematic approach and empirical evaluation to
develop a plan to assist the client in making changes. In
order for therapy to be successful, clients are expected to
take an active role in changing their situation and learning
the skills of self-management to identify problems as they
begin to develop. If the therapist is utilizing social
learning theories, concepts such self-efficacy (one’s belief
in his ability to do the task) and task mastery will be
critical to success. Clients will be directed to enhance
expectancy beliefs and associate with proper models as they
modify maladaptive behavior.
Through the assessment of overt and covert
behavior, individuals are made aware of all factors that are
contributing to their situation. This collaborative
partnership with the client utilizes practical applications
that are unique to individual problem and the resources that
are available. Finally, interventions are considered in a
culture specific format.
Utilizing these parameters, clients work towards
increased personal choice and the development of new healthy
conditions for living. Specific techniques include
relaxation, systematic desensitization where by individuals
are successively introduced to more anxiety arousing
situations to develop less sensitivity to a trigger, and
exposure therapy. Training includes development of
assertiveness that helps individuals make the choice to
behave in healthy ways in certain situations. Coaching,
training, and modeling are also key ingredients to a
successful behavioral therapeutic approach.
This form of therapy provides a diverse number of
techniques to assist clients in achieving the results to
live a live more freely. Additionally, behavior therapy is
empirically based with both an emphasis on research and
assessment of treatment outcomes. Emphasis is placed on the
client deciding what behaviors need to change, rather than
the counselor dictating what needs to be changed.
Limitations to this therapy include the lack of
change that occurs in feelings. While the therapy provides
change in behavior, this is not manifested in a different
attitude or belief system. This also extends to limiting
the relationships that occur in the client’s life. Since it
is only the behavior that is changing, the opportunity to
develop depth relationally is not addressed, only removing
the symptomatic behavior that is causing problems rather
than addressing the underlying issues. Additionally,
clients do not leave therapy with further insights, simply a
change in how they behave. A final criticism of behavior
therapy is the use of manipulation and control by the
therapist.
Personal Evaluation
At its core, behavioral therapy asserts a direct
casual link in the form of Stimulus
à
Behavior. Intermediary factors are not considered. This is
because behavioral therapy to me seems to pride itself on
being “scientific.” The problem with the notion that truth
can only be proven through science is that such a
postulation itself cannot be proven with science; it must
stand outside of science. I exist, and I know I exist. I
hold this to be a self-evident truth: I have a mind, and my
thoughts are ineffable components of who I am and are not
dictated by predictable natural law. I am not a hapless
slave that simply reacts in a deterministic fashion to
bioelectrical stimuli. Somwhere within my existence, I have
the ability to examine different possible courses of action
and independently judge them and make a decision as to which
course to choose. Until I make that judgment, my choice is
not naturally predetermined as if it could be confined to
scientific predictability. Skinner can tell me until he is
blue in the face that freewill does not exist and that my
behavior is ultimately predictable. But that is his free
choice to do so. It is mine to reject his postulation.
A Calvinist may be quick to interject here that
Skinner has it right- behavior is predetermined and the
notion of freewill is false. However, the difference is
that Skinner’s determinism is naturalistic meaning that
behavior is completely predictable from natural law alone.
Calvinistic theology holds that the predictability of
behavior is according to supernatural law, a marked
difference from Skinner. So while I reject fully Skinner’s
simplistic and mechanistic view of human existence, his
theories on operant conditioning and reinforcement are
valuable to any therapist. That operant conditioning is a
useful tool and holds true in many instances does not
mutually exclude freewill or the existence of mitigating
factors between stimulus and behavior. I therefore do not
want to simply discard all of Skinner simply because of his
presuppositions. There is no doubt that aspects of
conditioning principles hold true in many circumstances;
however it’s not sufficient to explain all of them.
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