Learning Put To Use

Behaviour Therapy

Behaviour therapy helps people change

unwanted behaviours (such as phobias,
obsessions, sexual problems) and to
develop new skills (such as improving
It
social interactions).
 Behaviour Therapy

Behaviour therapy may use systematic

desensitisation to reduce phobic clients’
anxiety responses.

It assumes that most anxiety responses are

acquired through classical conditioning.
 Behaviour Therapy

Systematic desensitisation involves 3

steps:
1.  An incompatible response to the conditioned
anxiety/fear response is developed, e.g. deep
muscle relaxation.
2.  A graded anxiety stimulus hierarchy is developed
from least anxious situation to most anxious
situation.
3.  The client works through the hierarchy learning to
remain relaxed while imagining each stimulus.
 Behaviour Therapy

If the client experiences strong anxiety the

imaginary scene is dropped in favour of complete
relaxation.
This is continued until the client can imagine the
scene with no anxiety and then moves on to the
next scene.
Gradually the client unlearns troublesome
behaviour.
 Behaviour Therapy

As clients conquer imagined phobia stimuli they

may be encouraged to confront the real stimuli.

Usually the real life confrontations prove

harmless and individual’s anxiety responses
decline.
 Behaviour Therapy

Systematic
desensitisation is an
effective treatment for
phobias in which clients
are taught relaxation
techniques and then
asked to imagine or
approach feared situations
gradually.
 Behaviour Therapy

Aversion therapy is a treatment of last

resort only.
A stimulus associated with an unwanted
response is paired with an unpleasant
stimulus in an effort to eliminate the
maladaptive response.
It takes advantage of the automatic nature
of responses produced through classical
conditioning.
 Behaviour Therapy
Example:
alcoholics have nausea causing drugs paired with their
favourite drinks.

Aversion therapy reduces undesirable behaviors by

pairing them with an aversive (unpleasant) stimulus.
 Behaviour Modification

Behaviour modification is used in all kinds of

everyday life settings:
r  family homes
r  classrooms
r  daycare centres
r  nursing homes
r  psychiatric units
r  sports fields
r  factories and offices
r  rehabilitation centres
 Behaviour Modification

Behaviour modification is based on the

reinforcement of desired behaviours and
ignoring (as far as possible) undesired ones.
The withdrawal of reinforcement is used to
eliminate inappropriate behaviour or teach new
responses.
 Behaviour Modification

Involves three steps:

•  identify maladaptive behaviour
•  identify the reinforcers that are maintaining
the maladaptive behaviour
•  change the environment so that the
behaviour is no longer reinforced
 Behaviour Modification
Assessing a child who has temper tantrums
Note child’s behaviour
Identify maladaptive
while having temper
behaviour
tantrum

Identify the reinforcers that

Describe the situation that
are maintaining the
set off the tantrum
maladaptive behaviour
Analyse what happened
Change the environment so after the tantrum that
that the behaviour is no might have served to
longer reinforced reinforce it, e.g. the
reactions of parents.
Bianca spends too many hours every
week playing computer games.

Describe how behaviour modification can be

used as an effective psychological
intervention so that Bianca spends less time
playing computer games.
(4 marks)
 Cognitive Therapy

Cognitive therapy is an approach to

treating emotional problems, such as
anxiety and depression, by teaching people
how to deal with negative thoughts and
attitudes.
 Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

Depressed people have negative views of their

world, themselves and the future.
Cognitive behaviour therapists can treat depression
by getting a depressed person to do more things
that give them pleasure, helping them to solve
problems in their lives, and learning better social
skills.
An advantage of cognitive behaviour therapy is that
it helps people learn skills that may prevent them
from becoming depressed in the future.