BEHAVIOUR
THERAPY
made by:
[Link] Singh
[Link] Pratap
Bagri
[Link]
Raghuwanshi
[Link] Gupta
[Link] Singh
UNDERSTANDING
BEHAVIOUR THERAPY
• Behavior Therapy is a psychological approach that
focuses on understanding and modifying observable
behaviors and their underlying causes.
• It is based on the principles of learning theory,
particularly classical conditioning and operant
conditioning, and emphasizes the importance of the
environment in shaping and influencing behavior.
GOALS
• Behavior therapy views behavior as a product of interactions
between individuals and their environment.
• It posits that maladaptive behaviors are learned and can be
unlearned through targeted interventions.
• The therapy’s goal is to identify the specific behaviors that are
problematic or unwanted and develop strategies to change or
replace them with more adaptive behaviors.
VIEW OF HUMAN
NATURE
Behaviorists, as a group, share the following ideas about human
nature (Rimm & Cunningham, 1985; Seligman & Reichenberg, 2014):
• A concentration on behavioral processes—that is, processes
closely associated with overt behaviour.
• A focus on the here and now as opposed to the then and there of
behaviour.
• An assumption that all behaviour is learned, whether it be
adaptive or maladaptive.
VIEW OF HUMAN
NATURE
• A belief that learning
maladaptive behaviour.
can be effective in changing
• A focus on setting up well-defined therapy goals with their
clients.
• A rejection of the idea that the human personality is
composed of traits.
In addition, behaviorists stress the importance of obtaining
empirical evidence and scientific support for any techniques
they use.
THEORIES OF
BEHAVIOUR
THERAPY
Behaviour therapy works on the principles of Behaviorism; a school of
thought that focuses on the observable behaviors of individuals
rather than their internal mental processes.
The two key theories are:
• Classical Conditioning
• Operant Conditioning
Classical
Conditioning
• Ivan Pavlov discovered a fundamental associative learning
process called classical conditioning in the 1890s.
• Classical conditioning refers to learning that occurs when a
neutral stimulus (e.g., a tone) becomes associated with a
stimulus (e.g., food) that naturally produces a behaviour.
• After the association is learned, the previously neutral
stimulus is sufficient to produce the behaviour.
APPLICATIO
N
In behavior therapy, classical conditioning principles are
utilized to understand and modify behaviors.
• Classical conditioning may play a role in the development of
phobias and substance use disorders.
• The Therapist may use counter-conditioning techniques in
behavioral therapies to help treat phobias and other mental
health conditions.
• Examples include Aversion Therapy and Systematic
Desensitization.
• A mental health professional may use these types of therapies
to help treat phobias and anxiety.
• They do this by slowly introducing someone to the stimulus that
induces their fear or anxiety response.
• The goal is that, over time, their behavior and thought
processes toward the stimulus will change, and they will no
longer feel fear or anxiety due to the stimulus.
Operant
conditioning
• Operant conditioning is a learning method that uses rewards and
punishments to modify behavior. The term was coined by B. F. Skinner in
1937.
• It focuses on the relationship between behaviors and their consequences.
• Skinner's research involved studying how reinforcements and punishments
influence organisms' behaviors organisms' behaviors are influenced by
reinforcements and punishments in their environment.
APPLICATIO
N
• Operant conditioning provides incentives for healthy behaviors and
consequences for unwanted behaviors.
• Operant conditioning particularly effective when working on breaking certain
bad habits and developing healthier patterns.
• Example of Operant conditioning in Behaviour therapy could be seen in
changing maladaptive behaviour like Procrastination.
Theory of
connectionism
• Edward Thorndike (1898), an influential psychologist, developed the
theory of behaviorism, which emphasizes the study of observable
behavior rather than internal mental states.
• He worked on learning theory that leads to the development of
operant conditioning within behaviorism.
• The theory of connectionism emphasizes the formation
of connections between stimuli and responses and how
these connections are strengthened or weakened by their
consequences, which is encapsulated in his Laws of
Learning.
Law of Effect- Thorndike proposed that behaviors followed by satisfying
consequences are more likely to be repeated, while those followed by
unpleasant consequences are less likely to be repeated. This principle
became foundational in understanding how rewards and punishments
shape behavior.
Law of Exercise- This principle suggests that the more often a
stimulus-response connection is practiced, the stronger it becomes.
Repeated practice solidifies connections between stimuli and
responses.
Law of Readiness- According to this law, learning is more effective
when an individual is ready or motivated to learn. If a person is not
prepared or willing, learning will be less effective.
John B.
Watson
John B. Watson, is often referred as the “father of behaviourism”,
proposed that psychology should focus solely on observable
behaviors rather than internal mental states. He argues that all
behaviors are acquired through conditioning and that the
environment plays a critical role in shaping behavior.
Watson believed that by studying observable behavior and its
relation to environmental stimuli, psychology could become a more
objective and scientific discipline. He famously conducted
experiments, such as the Little Albert study, to demonstrate that
emotional responses could be conditioned.
Watson's approach emphasized the importance of empirical research
and rejected introspective methods, advocating for the idea that
behavior can be studied and modified through controlled
Techniqu
es
General behavior techniques:-
• Shaping:- Behavior learned gradually in steps through successive
approximation is known as shaping. When clients are learning new skills,
counselors may help break down behavior into manageable units.
• Generalization:- It involves the display of behaviors in environments
outside where they were originally learned. It indicates that transference
into another setting has occurred.
• Maintenance:- Maintenance is defined as being consistent in performing
the actions desired without depending on anyone else for support. In
maintenance, an emphasis is placed on increasing a client’s self-
management. this may be done through:-
Self monitoring- when clients learn to modify their own behaviors. it involves
two processes related to self monitoring: self observation and self recording.
• Extinction:- It's the elimination of a behavior because of a withdrawal of its
reinforcement.
• Punishment:- It involves presenting an aversive stimulus to a situation to
suppress or eliminate a behavior.
• Overcorrection:- Overcorrection is a technique in which a client first
restores the environment to its natural state and then makes it ‘better than
normal’.
• Time-out:- It is a mild aversive technique in which a client is separated from
the opportunity to receive positive reinforcement.
• Contingency Contracts:- It spells out the behaviors to be performed,
changed, or discontinued; the rewards associated with the achievement of
these goals; and the conditions under which rewards are to be received.
• Covert sensitization:- It is a technique in which undesired behavior is
eliminated by associating it with unpleasantness.
• Behavioral Rehearsal:- This consists of practicing a desired behavior until it
is performed the way a client wishes.
Systematic
Desensitization
Joseph Wolpe (1958; 1964) developed this approach based on his
theory of reciprocal inhibition, which found that two polarized
emotional responses cannot coexist simultaneously.
Systematic desensitization therapy is a behavioral therapy
intervention used to treat anxiety, phobias, OCD, and
PTSD. It is predicated on the idea that the client has
learned a conditioned aversive response (usually fear or
disgust) to a specific stimulus and that this association can
be broken by counter-conditioning.
• Helps you alter your reaction to triggers/stimuli in the
environment.
• Create an environment of safety and empowerment
• Master the ability to use breathing/relaxation/distress
tolerance to downregulate your stress response
¬Learn about the trigger and mitigate the stress response
¬why it triggers you and what it is related to (smell, sight,
sound)
T- Thoughts
• Fact based informationA-aboutActivity the threat it poses in the
G- Guided Imagery
S-present.
Sensation
While systematic desensitization is based on counter
conditioning using reciprocal inhibition, exposure therapy uses
graded exposure to the stimulus while positively reinforcing
tolerance of anxiety, until the anxiety is gradually extinguished
Steps for systematic
desensitization
Step 1: Deep muscle relaxation techniques :- In the first stage of the
treatment, people with anxiety and fears are taught breathing
exercises and muscle relaxation techniques. Relaxation techniques are
generally these types:
• Autogenic relaxation:- You repeat words, phrases, or suggestions in your mind that
create a feeling of relaxation and calm. The repetition in the mind leads to the muscles of
your body getting more and more relaxed.
• Progressive muscle relaxation:- You learn to slowly tense and relax each muscle group.
You normally start from your toes and work your way up to your neck and head muscles.
• Visualization:- You imagine a journey to a peaceful and calm situation, place, or setting,
like a seashore or a garden. This aids muscle relaxation and feelings of relaxation.
• Deep breathing:- You breathe in deeply through the nose to a count of three, and then
out through your mouth to a count of three.
Step 2: Creating a fear hierarchy:-
• you create a list where you write out all your fears and rank
them on a scale of 1 to 10.
• First, you list your level-10 fear, which causes you the
highest amount of anxiety that you can imagine.
• Next, you list your level-1 fear, which causes you the least
amount of anxiety. After this, you brainstorm the remaining
fears and list them in order from 2 to 9.
Once your list is done, you discuss your fears with your
therapist and work on exposing yourself to them. You start from
the fear that is the least frightening and work yourself up to
Step 3: Working up through the fear scale through
exposure.:-
The process of exposure can be done in two ways:
• In vitro – the patient imagines being exposed to the
object of fear in the mind's eye.
• In vivo - the patient is actually exposed to the fear.
• A third type of exposure therapy called virtual reality
exposure therapy (VRET) has become popular in recent
years. Virtual Reality (VR) technology mimics real-life
situations in a computer-generated environment. It
helps you work through your fears in a safe and
Overvie
w:-
Systematic desensitization is a highly effective,
evidence-based behavioral therapy intervention for clients who avoid
certain situations, whether this is because they experience phobias,
social anxiety, OCD, or PTSD.
It differs from graded exposure and flooding because it is based on the
principle of reciprocal inhibition, which replaces an aversive response,
such as anxiety, with learned relaxation.
Importantly, the client is always in control of the intensity of exposure,
which avoids further trauma and the compounding of avoidance
behaviors.
Aversion
Therapy
• Aversion therapy is a type of behavioral therapy designed to modify or reduce
unwanted or dangerous behaviors that may be disrupting a person's life.
• Aversion therapy is designed to stop the reward system in the brain and create a
negative experience, such as a painful or uncomfortable stimulus, creating an
aversion.
• Aversion therapy is based on classical conditioning. According to learning
theory, two stimuli become associated when they frequently occur together
(pairing).
For example, in addiction, the drug, alcohol, or behavior in the case of gambling
becomes associated with pleasure and high arousal.
• Aversion therapy uses the same principle but changes the association and
Aversion therapy, which is also referred to as aversive conditioning or
counterconditioning, was first used in the early 1920s. Today it is most
commonly used as a treatment for addictive behaviors.
Some specific uses for aversion therapy include:3
• Alcohol abuse
• Smoking (including vaping or e-cigarettes)
• Substance abuse
• Gambling
• Aggression and anger behavioral issues
• Sexual offenses and inappropriate behaviors
• Overeating
• Repetitive self-harm behaviors and aggression among individuals
with intellectual disabilities
• Nail-biting
Aversion Therapy Techniques
The different types of aversion therapy include:-
• Medication-based: Medications such as disulfiram cause nausea and/or
vomiting when a person drinks or sometimes even smells alcohol. This is also
called emetic therapy.
• Chemically-based: Chemicals, such as those found in nail polish, that either
taste or smell offensive work to reduce nail-biting behaviors.
• Electrical aversion therapy (EAT): This is one of the more controversial
forms of aversion therapy. It introduces pain through electrical shocks, which
crosses ethical guidelines. Shocks are administered in the arm, leg, or even the
genitals.
• Verbal and visual aversion therapy: Negative verbal suggestions are
stated while the client imagines the behavior or thinks about the desired
behavior.
• Sensory:
EthicalUses an unpleasant
issues, Doubts aboutor uncomfortable sensation such as
long term effectiveness, touch, taste,
Relapse
Biofeedback
• Biofeedback is a technique that teaches
individuals to control physiological processes that
are typically involuntary, such as heart rate,
muscle tension, and blood pressure, by providing
real-time data about those processes.
• It helps individuals to gain greater awareness and
control over their physiological functions such as
involuntary actions that is automatic in nature, to
improve health and performance.
How Biofeedback
Monitoring: Sensors are attached to the body to monitor
Works
physiological functions.
Feedback Loop: Real-time data is displayed through
visual or auditory signals.
Self-Regulation: Individuals learn to make subtle changes
in their body’s functioning, such as relaxing certain
muscles or slowing down heart rate, using the feedback.
Example 1: Managing
Anxiety with HRV
Biofeedback
• Scenario: An individual experiencing
chronic anxiety.
• Application: HRV biofeedback is used to
train the individual to control their
breathing and heart rate, promoting
relaxation.
• Outcome: The person learns to manage
their anxiety symptoms by maintaining a
Example 2: Biofeedback for
ADHD
• Scenario :- A child diagnosed with ADHD
struggling with focus and hyperactivity.
• Application :- EEG biofeedback (neuro-
feedback) is used to train the child’s brain to
maintain a focused and calm state.
• Outcome :- After several sessions, the child
demonstrates improved attention span and
reduced hyperactivity, leading to better
academic performance.
Advantages of
Biofeedback
• Non-Invasive: No need for medication or
surgical interventions.
• Self-Empowerment: Encourages individuals
to take an active role in their health.
• Customizable: Tailored to individual needs,
making it effective for a wide range of
conditions.
• Evidence-Based: Supported by research for
various applications, including stress
Challenges and
Limitations
Accessibility: Biofeedback equipment and training
can be expensive and not widely available.
Time Commitment: Requires consistent practice
and multiple sessions for effectiveness.
Varied Results: Not all individuals respond equally
well to biofeedback, and some conditions may
require additional treatments.
Future of
• Technological Advancements: Wearable
Biofeedback
biofeedback devices and mobile apps are
making biofeedback more accessible.
• Integration with Other Therapies:
Combining biofeedback with cognitive-
behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness,
and other therapeutic approaches for
enhanced outcomes.
• Personalized Health: Potential for
biofeedback to become a standard part of
Token Economy
Token economy is a form of psychological therapy
based on operant conditioning, which uses a
reward system to manage maladaptive behaviours.
Good behaviours earn tokens (secondary
reinforcers) that can be exchanged for a reward
(primary reinforcers), such as magazines or
favourite foods.
Example :- Starting with a simple 12-piece
jigsaw puzzle, each time the child finds the
right piece, they get a sticker by their name in
the teacher’s notebook. When they have
completed the puzzle, they can trade 12
Advantages
• Effective Behavior Modification: Token economies have been
successful in teaching new skills and reducing unwanted
behaviors, especially in children, people with
developmental disabilities, and individuals with mental
health conditions.
• Immediate Reinforcement: Tokens provide
immediate feedback for desired behavior, helping
to establish the connection between the behavior
and the reward.
• Structured Learning Environment: It provides a
structured approach to reinforcing learning or
Disadvantages
• Dependence on External Rewards: Individuals may
become dependent on external reinforcement rather
than developing intrinsic motivation for the desired
behavior.
• Generalization Issues: Skills or behaviours learned in
a token economy system may not always transfer to
real-world settings where rewards aren’t provided.
• Risk of Inequality: Some individuals may consistently
receive more tokens than others, leading to feelings
of resentment, unfairness, or competition.
Case Study: Primary School
Classroom
In this classroom, teachers implemented a token
economy to improve student engagement and reduce
disruptive behavior. Each student had a chart on their
desk with spaces for stickers.
These stickers were awarded for positive behaviors such
as:
• Completing homework on time
• Participating actively in class discussions
• Helping peers
Tokens: Stickers (which represent points).
Rewards: Students could exchange 10 stickers for small
prizes like pencils, notebooks, or extra playtime. Larger
rewards, such as a movie day or pizza party, required
accumulating 50 or more stickers.
Outcome :- The school saw a significant improvement in
classroom behaviour, with a reduction in disruptive
incidents.
• Moreover, students who typically struggled with
focusing were more motivated by the immediate
feedback of receiving a sticker.
• Some parents reported that their children’s willingness
Case Study: Autism Treatment
A token economy wasProgram
used in an applied behavior analysis
(ABA) program for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
(ASD).
The primary goal was to improve social skills,
communication, and daily living activities.
• Using words to request help or objects (e.g., asking for a
toy)
• Making eye contact during interactions
• Sharing toys or taking turns during playtime
Tokens: Visual tokens like stars or smiley faces placed on a
reward chart.
Rewards: Children could exchange tokens for highly
motivating rewards, like extra playtime with a favorite toy, a
preferred snack, or screen time.
Outcome :- Over several months, children in the program
began to show consistent improvements in communication and
social interaction.
• One child, who initially only communicated non-verbally,
began using words to request food or play activities.
• Parents reported positive changes at home, with some of
the desired behaviors, like using words instead of crying to
