Personality, 9e

Jerry M. Burger

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 The Behavioral/Social Learning Approach:
Theory, Application, and Assessment

Chapter 13

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 Chapter Outline
 Behaviorism
 Basic principles of conditioning
 Social learning theory
 Social-cognitive theory
 Application: Conditioning principles and
self-efficacy in psychotherapy

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 Chapter Outline
 Assessment: Behavior observation methods
 Strengths and criticisms of the
behavioral/social learning approach

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 Behaviorism
 Overt behavior - That which can be
observed, predicted, and controlled by
scientists
 Principles that help explain human behavior
 Classical conditioning
 Operant conditioning

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 Behaviorism
 Radical behaviorism - People do not know
the reason for their behavior
 Developed by B. F. Skinner
 Challenged the extent to which one is able to
observe the inner causes of one’s behavior

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 Principles of Conditioning -
Classical Conditioning
 Begins with an existing stimulus-response
(S-R) association
 Unconditioned stimulus (UCS) evokes
unconditioned response (UCR)
 Unconditioned stimulus paired with a
conditioned stimulus (CS) evokes conditioned
response (CR)
 Second-order conditioning - Building one
conditioned S-R association on another
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 Figure 13.1 - Classical
Conditioning Diagram

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 Limitations of Classical
Conditioning
 Persistence of new S-R association requires
occasional pairing or reinforcement of
unconditioned and conditioned stimuli
 Extinction - Gradual disappearance of the
conditioned S-R association
 Impossible to create certain S-R bonds

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 Operant Conditioning
 Law of effect - Behaviors are:
 More likely to be repeated if they lead to
satisfying consequences
 Less likely to be repeated if they lead to
unsatisfying consequences

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 Operant Conditioning
 Concerns the effect certain kinds of
consequences have on the frequency of
behavior
 Reinforcement - Consequence that increases
the frequency of a behavior
 Punishment - Consequence that decreases the
frequency of a behavior
 Consequence - Reinforcement or punishment
depending on the person and the situation
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 Operant Conditioning
 Reinforcement strategies
 Positive reinforcement - Behavior followed by a
reward
 Negative reinforcement - Removal of
unpleasant stimulus when the behavior occurs
 Methods to decrease undesired behaviors
 Cease reinforcement
 Punishment

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 Operant Conditioning
 Shaping - Reinforcement of successive
approximations of the desired behavior
 Useful in teaching complex behaviors
 Generalization: Generalizing a response
of a specific stimulus to another stimulus
 Discriminate: Differentiation between
rewarding and nonrewarding stimuli

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 Social Learning Theory
 Behavior-environment-behavior interactions
 Environment influences people’s behavior
which in turn determines the environment
people like to be a part of
 Individuals provide their own reinforcers

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 Figure 13.2 - Rotter’s Basic
Formula for Predicting Behavior

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 Social-Cognitive Theory
 Reciprocal determinism: External and
internal determinants of behavior are part
of a system of interacting influences
 Affect both behavior and various parts of the
system

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 Figure 13.3 - Bandura’s
Reciprocal Determinism Model

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 Social-Cognitive Theory
 People when faced with new issues, imagine
possible outcomes, calculate probabilities, set
goals, and develop strategies
 Self-regulation: Controls behavior in the
absence of external reinforcements and
punishments
 Observational learning: People learn by
observing other people’s actions

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 Social-Cognitive Theory
 Observational learning: People can
learn by observing or reading or just
hearing about other people’s actions
 Behaviors learned through observation need not
be performed
 Performing an observed behavior depends on
people’s expectations about the consequences

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 Behavioral Explanations of
Psychological Disorders
 John B. Watson demonstrated the creation
of abnormal behaviors through normal
conditioning procedures
 Operant conditioning takes over once the
pairing of classical conditioning is removed
 Problematic behaviors are explained in
terms of reinforcing the wrong behavior

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 Application: Conditioning
Principles in Psychotherapy
 Classical conditioning applications
 To eliminate or replace stimulus-response
associations that cause clients problems
 Systematic desensitization
 Replacing the old association of feared stimulus and
response by a new association of stimulus
 Aversion therapy
 Altering problem behaviors by pairing aversive
images with undesirable behaviors

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 Application: Conditioning
Principles in Psychotherapy
 Operant conditioning applications
 Therapist identifies the target behavior and
defines it in specific operational terms
 Contingencies of rewards and punishments are
changed according to the frequency of behavior
 Biofeedback - Requires special equipment that
provides information about somatic processes

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 Application: Self-Efficacy in
Psychotherapy
 People do not alter their behavior until they
make a decision to expend the necessary
effort
 Outcome expectation - Extent to which people
believe actions will lead to a certain outcome
 Efficacy expectation - Extent to which people
believe they can perform the actions that will
bring about the particular outcome

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 Application: Self-Efficacy in
Psychotherapy
 Sources of efficacy expectations
 Enactive mastery experiences
 Vicarious experiences
 Verbal persuasion
 Physiological and affective states
 Guided mastery
 Situation arranged by therapist that guarantees
successful experience to client

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 Assessment: Behavior
Observation Methods
 Direct observation
 Analogue behavioral observation - Situations
are created in which the problem behavior is
likely to occur
 Accuracy of behavior can be improved by
having two or more observers independently
code the same behaviors

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 Assessment: Behavior
Observation Methods
 Self-monitoring
 Therapists ask clients to keep records of when
and where they engage in certain behaviors
 Observation by others
 Provides the most accurate assessment of a
client’s behavior
 Used to complement data obtained through
other methods

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 Strengths of the Behavioral/Social
Learning Approach
 Solid foundation in empirical research
 Development of useful therapeutic
procedures
 Treatments based on conditioning principles
have several advantages
 Most useful approach for certain population

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 Criticisms of the Behavioral/Social
Learning Approach
 Narrow in its description of human
personality
 Does not give inadequate attention to the
role of heredity
 Human beings are more complex than the
laboratory animals
 Reduction to observable behaviors distorts
the real issues of therapy
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