Psychology2016

596 CHAPTER 15

Action Therapies: Behavior Therapies and

Cognitive Therapies

While insight therapies strive to understand the motives behind one’s behavior, action

therapies are focused on changing the behavior itself. In behavior therapies, the goal is to

change behavior through the use of learning techniques, while cognitive therapies strive

to change maladaptive thoughts.

BEHAVIOR THERAPIES: LEARNING ONE’S WAY TO BETTER BEHAVIOR

15. 4 Explain how behavior therapists use classical and operant conditioning to
    treat disordered behavior.

The last chapter talked about how behaviorists have a very

different way of looking at abnormality—it’s all learned. So do

behaviorists do any kind of therapy?

That’s right—the basic concept behind behaviorism is that all behavior, whether

“normal” or “abnormal,” is learned through the same processes of classical and operant

conditioning. Unlike the psychodynamic and humanistic therapies, behavior therapies

are action based rather than insight based. Their aim is to change behavior through the

use of the same kinds of learning techniques that people (and animals) use to learn any

new responses. The abnormal or undesirable behavior is not seen as a symptom of any-

thing else but rather is the problem itself. Learning created the problem, and new learn-

ing can correct it (Onken et al., 1997; Skinner, 1974; Sloan & Mizes, 1999).

THERAPIES BASED ON CLASSICAL CONDITIONING Classical conditioning is the learn-

ing of involuntary responses by pairing a stimulus that normally causes a particular

response with a new, neutral stimulus. After enough pairings, the new stimulus will

also cause the response to occur. to Learning Objectives 5.2 and 5.3. Through

classical conditioning, old and undesirable automatic responses can be replaced

by desirable ones. There are several techniques that have been developed using this

type of learning to treat disorders such as phobias, anxiety disorders, and obsessive-

compulsive disorder.

Practice Quiz How much do you remember?

Pick the best answer.

1. Although the term may apply to many therapies, “transference” is
   typically associated with ____ therapies.
   a. behavioral
   b. humanistic

c. biomedical

d. psychodynamic

2. Motivational interviewing is an alternative therapy to what
   therapeutic approach?
   a. psychodynamic therapy
   b. Gestalt therapy

c. humanistic therapy

d. group therapy

3. Dr. Ellington is directive in his approach with clients. He pays close
   attention to body language and often focuses on a client’s denied
   past. What type of therapeutic approach is Dr. Ellington using?
   a. humanistic approach
   b. Gestalt approach

c. group approach

d. behavioral approach

4. Which of the following cases would a humanistic approach probably
   be LEAST effective in treating?
   a. Leilani, a university professor who has feelings of inadequacy
   b. Kayla, a professional musician who feels worthless and suffers
   from depression
   c. Miranda, a corporate executive who suffers from marked delu-
   sions and active auditory hallucinations
   d. Felicia, a homemaker who suffers from the traumatic memories
   of her abusive childhood

behavior therapies
action therapies based on the prin-
ciples of classical and operant con-
ditioning and aimed at changing
disordered behavior without con-
cern for the original causes of such
behavior.