Forms of Psychotherapy - Behaviour Therapies

According to Duke and Nowicki (1979), "Behaviour modification is a mode of individual treatment of psychological disturbances in which basic rules of learning discovered and tested in the laboratory are applied to the solution of human problems."

• The client is interviewed to analyse behaviour patterns; behavioural analysis identifies three components:
• Malfunctioning behaviours — behaviours causing distress to the client.
• Antecedent factors — causes that predispose the person to the behaviour.
• Maintaining factors — factors that keep the faulty behaviour going.
• Example: a young person started smoking during exam preparation (antecedent: anxiety-provoking situation); the relief from anxiety upon smoking is the maintaining factor.​
• Once identified, a treatment package is chosen to eliminate faulty behaviours and substitute them with adaptive ones.​

• Negative reinforcement: Behaviour increases by removing or avoiding an unpleasant stimulus (e.g., wearing woollen clothes to escape cold).
• Positive reinforcement: Desired behaviour is rewarded to increase its frequency (e.g., favourite food when homework is done).
• Token economy: Tokens are given for desired behaviour and later exchanged for rewards.
• Differential reinforcement: Increase desired behaviour and reduce unwanted behaviour by rewarding the desired behaviour and ignoring the unwanted one.
• Example: A girl is taken to the cinema only if she asks politely, while crying and sulking are ignored.

Persons with behavioural problems can be given a token as a reward every time a wanted behaviour occurs. The tokens are collected and exchanged for a reward such as an outing for the patient or a treat for the child. This is known as a token economy.

• An unwanted behaviour is repeatedly paired with an aversive (unpleasant) consequence until the person develops an aversion to it.
• Example: an alcoholic is given a mild electric shock while smelling alcohol; with repeated pairings, the smell of alcohol itself becomes aversive and the person gives up alcohol.​

Modelling is the procedure wherein the client learns to behave in a certain way by observing the behaviour of a role model or the therapist who initially acts as the role model.

• Behaviour Therapy: Based on behaviourism, mental disorders occur due to faulty learning.
• Focus: Emphasises present behaviour, while the past is considered only to understand causes.
• Basis: Based on classical conditioning by Ivan Pavlov and instrumental conditioning by Edward Thorndike.
• Behavioural Analysis: Identifies malfunctioning behaviour, antecedent factors, and maintaining factors.
• Reinforcement: Uses positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, token economy, and differential reinforcement.
• Techniques: Aversive conditioning, systematic desensitisation, modelling, and relaxation.
• Therapist’s Role: Conduct accurate behavioural analysis and choose suitable techniques to change behaviour.