BEHAVIOR THERAPY

DR SAIMA MAJEED
Behavior Paradigm

 Based upon learning principles.

 All behaviors are learned.
 What is learned; can be unlearned .
 New learning can be introduced.
Learning occurs in one of three
ways..
Observational/Vicarious Learning (Modeling)
Assessment in Behavior Therapy (cont.…)

Dimensions of behavior. (Baselines)

 Frequency.
 Intensity.
 Duration.
The ABC Model
TECHNIQUES
 Differential Reinforcement and Extinction

Differential Differential Differential

reinforcement of other reinforcement of reinforcement of low
behavior alternative behavior rates of behavior
 Premack Principle

 Mitchell and Stoffelmayr (1973) applied the Premack principle in a DRA program to
increase the work behavior of two people with schizophrenia. They differentially
reinforced work performance (a low-probability behavior) by allowing the patients to sit
down and do nothing (high-probability behavior) for a brief time only after completing a
certain amount of work.

 If they did not complete the work, they were not allowed to sit down and do nothing. The
results showed that the work performance of both people increased dramatically with the
use of DRA.
Skills Training

 Chaining.
 Shaping.
 Relaxation training and systematic desensitization.
 Social Skills training.
 Assertiveness training.
 Problem solving skills.
Chaining

 Chaining helps the therapists and parents teach kids how to perform complex, multi-step tasks.
 Most tasks can be broken down into more basic components.
 For example, the directive to “Make your bed” can be broken down into specific directions about
 smoothing the fitted sheet,
 pulling the top sheet up,
 arranging the blankets,
 and fluffing up the pillows.
 Chaining is a way to link discrete tasks together to help kids complete the whole task. 
There are three main approaches to chaining.

 Total Task Chaining 

 The first is total task chaining. The behavior analyst or parent walks the child through
each step of the task, prompting as necessary. 
Forward Chaining

 Forward chaining has the child learn how to complete the first step of the task
independently.
 Then, the parent or the therapist prompts the child for each subsequent task.
 Once the child can complete the first step independently, without being prompted, then he
or she can work on completing the first two steps independently
 , and so on. 
Back word Chaining

 Backward chaining is the opposite of forward chaining.

 The child completes all of the steps with prompting, save for the last one.
 Depending on the skill being taught, backward chaining has a distinct advantage:
 It directly links the independent completion of a task to the immediate reward or
reinforcement.
 Once the child can complete the last step independently, he or she can work on also
completing the next-to-last step independently. 
Shaping

 If a behavior never occurs, we say that it is not in the person’s repertoire. Shaping is a
way of adding behaviors to a person’s repertoire. Shaping is used when the target
behavior does not yet exist. In shaping, what is reinforced is some approximation of the
target behavior.

 Approximation means any behavior that resembles the desired behavior or takes the
person closer to the desired behavior. Successive approximations are steps toward the
target behavior, the behavior you want to shape.
Rules for Shaping

 Define the target behavior: The behavior you want hasn’t occurred yet; it’s the goal at
the end of the process, so you must decide what behavior is to be “shaped up”. To get to
the target behavior, you must have a clear idea of what it is.
 Reinforce successive approximations of the target behavior: The target behavior is
‘shaped up’ by reinforcing the nearest approximations of that behavior. If the child gets
stuck at a particular step, you can usually induce variability in behavior by withholding
reinforcement. Some of the new behavior will be in the direction you want the behavior
to go and can then be reinforced.
 Reinforce an approximation several times or until a closer approximation appears,
whichever comes first. If no new approximation has appeared after several
reinforcements, withhold reinforcement until a new approximation occurs. (Note: see
handout “Prompting and Fading” to help encourage new approximations) In general,
shaping progresses more rapidly when the increases in the requirements for reinforcement
are small. When you hold out for something better, the something better should be only a
very slight improvement. If an approximation appears that is a big advance, reinforce it’;
but don’t hold out for big advances
 Monitor results: The only way you can gauge how successful you are being at shaping
behavior is by noting what changes in behavior are occurring. Are you seeing progress
toward the target behavior? Is the behavior that occurs now closer to the target behavior
than the behavior you got earlier? Is it time to hold out for a closer approximation of the
target behavior? Has the behavior begun to break down? Should you move back to a
previous level? These are questions you must ask while shaping behavior and you can
answer them only by paying close attention to changes in behavior. Taking data on each
step, keeping track of approximations and levels of prompts help you determine answers.
Graphing the data you’ve taken on a skill can help you determine the answers to many of
these questions at a glance.
Example

 Jack is a three year old boy with autism. He has limited verbal behavior and his teacher
has began a program in which the goal is for him to request an item by saying its name.
Jack loves to roll a ball, so she decides to use this interest to teach Jack how to mand
(request) by saying ball. She begins by teaching Jack to say the first sound in ball, /b/.
When Jack makes the /b/ sound she rolls him the ball and praises him enthusiastically. If
he says any other vocalization other than /b/, she does not roll him the ball. After Jack is
able to successfully say the sound to request the ball across multiple days, she then
increases the difficulty of the task and teaches him to say, "ba" in order to request the ball.
If Jack says, "ba" she will roll him the ball. If he gives any other vocalization (including
the previous /b/) she does not roll him the ball.
 In this example, the teacher is differentially reinforcing Jack by only rolling him the ball
(reinforcement) when he pronounces the correct sound, and not rolling him the ball if he
gives any other sound (or no sound at all). She is reinforcing successive approximations to
the word, "ball" when she rolls it to him for using vocalizations that are closer (sound
more like) to the final behavior.
Aversion therapy

            Aversion therapy is another way to use the classical conditioning, to reduce the
frequency of the undesirable behavior, such as smoking or overeating, by teaching the client
to pair an unpleasant stimulus that results in undesirable responses.  An indication of Aversion
Therapy is by; alcohol abuse, homosexuality, or Tranvestism.  There are different types of
Aversion Therapy,
 1. Overt Sensitization, which is a type of therapy that produces an unpleasant consequences
for undesirable behaviors.
  2. Convert Sensitization, which relies on the individual produce symptoms rather than on
medication.  
Exposure Therapy

 Exposure therapy is often used in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder

(PTSD) and phobias.
 Exposure therapy is a safe and proven technique when used by an experienced,
licensed therapist who specializes in these kinds of conditions and treatments.
 When used properly, scientific research has shown that it can be a powerful
method to help a person overcome the anxiety and fear associated with PTSD or
phobias.
 In PTSD, exposure therapy is intended to help the patient face and gain control of the fear
and distress that was overwhelming in the trauma, and must be done very carefully in
order not to re-traumatize the patient.
 In some cases, trauma memories or reminders can be confronted all at once (”flooding”),
 while for other individuals or traumas it is preferable to work gradually up to the most
severe trauma by using relaxation techniques and either starting with less upsetting life
stressors or by taking the trauma one piece at a time (”desensitization”).
Systematic Desensitization

 Systematic desensitization
  is a type of behavioral therapy based on the principle of classical conditioning.
 It was developed by Wolpe during the 1950s.
 This therapy aims to remove the fear response of a phobia, and substitute a relaxation
response to the conditional stimulus gradually using counter conditioning.
Social skills training (SST)

 Social skills training is a type of psychotherapy that works to help people improve their
social skills so they can become socially competent.
 SST is predominantly a behavioural therapy but cognitive therapy can also be used in
some situations to maximize the success of SST.
 This psychotherapy can be done one-on-one or in a group situation.
Assertiveness training

 Assertiveness training
 Assertiveness training is a form of behavior therapy designed to help people stand up for
themselves—to empower themselves, in more contemporary terms.
 Assertiveness is a response that seeks to maintain an appropriate balance between
passivity and aggression.