Behavioral direction and its application in psychological counseling - Basic methods in behaviorism

Basic methods in behaviorism

The main methods in behaviorism are:

• Observation (of behavior).
• Oral recording method.
• Method of conditioned reflexes.

Watson completely denied the existence of hereditary traits and instincts and defended the decisive importance of the influence of education and the environment on the development of the child.

As for emotions, according to Watson, emotions are the body's reaction to certain stimuli. These stimuli cause both internal changes in the body and those external reactions that arise during the learning process. This theory does not assume conscious awareness of emotions and sensations.

Watson's view of the thinking process fits organically into the general concept of behaviorism. In particular, he tried to reduce thinking to implicit motor behavior. He argued that thinking is a certain kind of sensorimotor behavior (muscle movements of the larynx). Consequently, thinking becomes a kind of silent internal conversation.

Another prominent representative of behavioral psychology is Skinner, who focused his research on such an aspect as operant behavior.

As a radical behaviorist, Skinner rejected all notions that people are autonomous and their behavior is determined by the supposed existence of internal factors (unconscious impulses, archetypes, personality traits). Such ideas, in his opinion, originated in primitive animism and persist because the environmental conditions that determine behavior are ignored.

Skinner's theory makes no attempt to question or speculate on the processes of a person's internal state. This is considered inapplicable to the scientific explanation of behavior. To avoid the observation that description amounts to explanation, Skinner argued that the human body is a “black box” whose contents (motives, drives, conflicts, emotions, etc.) must be excluded from the scope of empirical investigation. Variable body sizes contribute nothing to our understanding of human activity and serve only as a brake on the development of scientific analysis of behavior.

Skinner recognized that behavior can be reliably confirmed and predicted by environmental conditions. Understanding behavior means controlling it and vice versa. Skinner believed that data obtained from animal experiments could be used to analyze human behavior. Just as science progresses from simple to complex, it is possible to extrapolate data from simple animals to humans. Therefore, Skinner focused his research on the study of reciprocal and operatic behavior, as well as on the study of types of reinforcement and punishment.

C. L. Hull and I. R. Guthrie also contributed to the study of learning. In particular, Guthrie introduced the concept of “one-trial learning” (one combination of stimulus and response is enough to establish a connection). Hull also introduced the concepts of primary and secondary amplification.

Further research within the framework of behaviorism gradually began to take into account the presence of internal intervention variables between stimulus and response. This includes E. C. Tolman with his ideas about "intervening variables" (factors that determine behavior). Although intervening variables were observed in Tolman's studies, he was one of the first to show interest in these variables. Also noteworthy is his concept of “latent learning” (which is truly a cognitive concept).

Concept

Cognitive methods in psychotherapy work with the patient's thinking model.

The goal of cognitive therapy is awareness and correction of destructive patterns (mental schemes).

The result of treatment is complete or partial (at the patient’s request) personal and social adaptation of the person.

People, faced with unusual or painful events at different periods of their lives, often react negatively, creating tension in the body and brain centers responsible for receiving and processing information. This releases hormones into the blood that cause suffering and mental pain.

In the future, such a pattern of thinking is reinforced by repetition of situations, which leads to mental disorders. A person ceases to live in peace with himself and the world around him, creating his own hell.

Cognitive therapy teaches you to react more calmly and relaxed to inevitable changes in life, turning them into a positive direction with creative and calm thoughts.

The advantage of the method is working in the present tense, without focusing on:

• events in the past;
• influence of parents and other close people;
• feelings of guilt and regret about lost opportunities.

Cognitive therapy allows you to take your destiny into your own hands, freeing yourself from harmful addictions and the unwanted influence of others.

For successful treatment, it is advisable to combine this method with behavioral, that is, behavioral.

What is cognitive therapy and how does it work? Find out about it in the video:

What is a cognitive ability test for? Read about it here.

Advantages and limitations of the behavioral approach

The behavioral approach has many unique features (including aspects that are primarily cognitive-behavioral). Here is a list of the unique and strengths of the behaviorist approach.

• Directly addressing symptoms. Because most clients need help with specific problems, counselors who directly address symptoms can often provide clients with immediate help. In addition, the behavioral therapy approach is suitable for counseling clients with attention disorders, conduct disorders, eating disorders, drug addiction, psychosexual disorders, impulsive behavior, and phobic disorders (Seligman, 1997).
• Focus on the here and now. The client does not need to explore the past to get help in the present. The behavioral approach saves time and money.
• Availability of various techniques for use in counseling. Between 1969 and 1976, the number of behavioral therapies more than doubled, a trend that continues today. Counselors can use behavioral therapy techniques in a variety of settings. There are a number of behavioral counseling journals, such as the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis.
• The basis is the study of a theory that explains well the process of learning new behaviors (Krumboltz & Thoresen, 1969, 1976). Learning theory continues to evolve and produce practical applications for use in many fields (Rescorla, 1988).
• Support the Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy (AAVT), which publishes ethical guidelines for its members (Azrin, Stuart, Risely, & Stolz, 1977). AABT promotes the practical application and explanation of behavioral counseling techniques in an effort to protect the public from unscrupulous practitioners.
• Backed by credible research on the impact of behavioral therapy techniques on the counseling process. Beginning consultants can use one of the many research designs as a model. A common feature of all behavioral therapy approaches is a commitment to objectivity and the use of assessments.
• Objectivity in identifying and solving problems. In this way, the counseling process is demystified and clients and independent evaluators are able to determine their level of responsibility (Gilliland et al, 1998).

The behavioral approach also has some limitations.

• He considers only the external behavior of a person, without addressing him as a person. Critics argue that many behaviorists, such as Skinner, have "disconnected" the individual from personality and replaced it with the study of laws that govern actions under certain conditions. This approach may be too simplistic to explain complex human interactions (Hergenhahn, 1994).
• Sometimes used mechanically. Goldstein (1973) points out that “the most common mistake made by new behavioral therapists is to apply methods too hastily” (p. 221). Although most behavioral therapists strive to connect with clients and consult collaboratively, some initially underestimate the importance of the client-counselor relationship, thereby damaging the reputation of the approach.
• It is best suited for controlled conditions that are difficult to replicate in normal counseling situations. Behind this observation is the consideration that many of the behavioral theories were developed from studies of animal behavior - rats and pigeons. Many consultants wonder whether the behavioral approach is effective when working with clients in less-than-ideal conditions.
• Using theory-ahead methods (Thoresen & Coates, 1980). The rapid proliferation of new methods has been initiated by behavior consultants, but the theory that should underlie these methods has not kept pace.
• Ignoring the client's history and his subconscious. Although the behavioral therapy approach can be very helpful for a client who has a particular behavioral problem, it cannot help those who want to resolve their past problems or bring about unconscious clarity.
• Stages of development are not considered (Sprinthall, 1971). Skinner (1974) points out that the child's inner world develops, but he and many other behaviorists believe that developmental stages provide little information to explain outer behavior. Instead, they argue that the process of knowledge acquisition has universal features.

Areas of application

The cognitive approach can be applied to all people who feel unhappy, unsuccessful, unattractive, unsure of themselves, etc.

An attack of self-torture can happen to anyone. Cognitive therapy in this case can identify the thinking pattern that served as the trigger for creating a bad mood, replacing it with a healthy one.

This approach is also used to treat the following mental disorders:

• depression;
• suicidal tendencies;
• panic attacks, anxiety, suspiciousness;
• various types of addictions, including alcohol;
• social phobia (fear of communicating with people);
• unreasonable fears;
• eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia);
• attention deficit hyperactivity disorder;
• manic-depressive psychosis;
• antisocial behavior pattern (lying, kleptomania, sadism).

Cognitive therapy can remove difficulties in relationships with family and friends, and also teach you how to establish and maintain new connections, including those with the opposite sex.

What does cognitive science study? Find out the answer right now.

Structure of the Consulting Process

None of the theoretical orientations or schools of psychological counseling reflects all possible situations of interaction between a consultant and a client. Therefore, let us consider the most general model of the structure of the consultation process, the so-called eclectic model (WE Gilland and associates; 1989). This systemic model, which includes six closely interconnected stages, reflects the universal features of psychological counseling or psychotherapy of any kind.

• Research of problems. At this stage, the adviser establishes contact (report) with the client and achieves mutual trust: It is necessary to listen carefully to the client when he talks about his difficulties, and to show the highest degree of sincerity, empathy and caring, without resorting to judgment or manipulation. It is necessary to encourage the client to take a deep look at his problems and become aware of his feelings, the content of statements and non-verbal behavior.
• Two-dimensional formulation of the problem. During this stage, the counselor attempts to accurately characterize the client's problems and cover both emotional and cognitive aspects. Issues are clarified until client and consultant have the same understanding; problems are specifically identified. Accurate identification of problems allows us to understand their causes and sometimes indicates ways to solve them. When difficulties or ambiguity arise in defining problems, we must return to the exploratory phase.

Identifying alternatives. At this stage, possible alternatives to solve problems are identified and openly discussed. By asking open-ended questions, the consultant encourages the client to name all possible alternatives that he considers appropriate and realistic, helps introduce other alternatives, but does not impose solutions. During the discussion, you can create a written list of alternatives to make it easier to compare them. Alternatives must be found to solve the problem that the customer can use directly.

• Planning. At this stage, a critical assessment of the selected solution alternatives is carried out. The counselor helps the client determine which alternatives are appropriate and realistic in light of past experiences and current readiness for change. Creating a realistic plan to solve the problem should also help the client understand that not all problems are solvable. Some problems take too much time, others can only be partially solved by reducing their destructive, disruptive behavior. The problem solving plan should include the means and methods by which the client will check the feasibility of the chosen solution (role-playing games, “rehearsals” of actions, etc.).

5th event. At this stage, the plan to solve the problem is consistently implemented. The consultant helps the client structure activities, taking into account circumstances, time, emotional effort, as well as the possibility of not achieving goals. The client must understand that partial failure is not a disaster, and that it is necessary to continue to implement the plan to solve the problem and link all actions to the end goal.

• Rating and feedback. At this stage, the client, together with the consultant, evaluates the degree to which the goal has been achieved (the degree to which the problem has been solved) and summarizes the results achieved. If necessary, you can modify the solution plan. If new or deeply hidden problems arise, it is necessary to return to the previous steps.

This model, which mirrors the counseling process, only helps to better understand how a particular counseling process works. The actual counseling process is much more extensive and often does not follow this algorithm. The division of stages is conditional, since in practice some stages overlap with others, and their interdependence is more complex than in this scheme.

Select the city closest to you

Moscow
St. Petersburg
Aachen Abakan Aban Avimor Alma-Ata Almaty Alushta Amsterdam Anapa Antalya Apsheronsk Armavir Arkhangelsk Astana Astrakhan Athens Baku Balakovo Balashikha Balashov Bangkok Baranovichi Barnaul Barcelona Belgorod Belombre Berdsk Biysk Blagoveshchensk Blagoveshchensk (Amur region) Borisogleb SK Bratsk Brno Bryansk Budapest Budennovsk Burgas Bushtyna Varna Vienna Vidnoye Vitebsk Vladivostok Vladikavkaz Vladimir Volgograd Volgodonsk Volzhsky Vologda Volchikha Voronezh Voskresensk Votkinsk Gelendzhik Georgievsk Gomel Goryachy Klyuch Denver Jacksonville Dinskaya Dmitrov Dnepropetrovsk Dolgoprudny Domodedovo Donetsk Dorogobuzh Dresden Yekaterinburg Essentuki Zheleznogorsk Zheleznodorozhny Zhi Tomir Zhukovsky Zaporozhye Zvenigorodka Zelenograd Zimovniki Ivanovo Jerusalem Izhevsk Irkutsk Yoshkar-Ola Kazan Kalach-na -Don Kaliningrad Kaluga Kamensk-Uralsky Kandalaksha Kemerovo Kerch Kiev Kineshma Kirov Kirovograd Chisinau Klimovsk Kovrov Kolomna Komsomolsk-on-Amur Korolev Kostanay Kotka Krasnoarmeysk Krasnogorsk Krasnodar Krasnoyarsk Kremenchug Krivoy Rog Kuznetsk Kurgan Kursk Lazarevskoye Leninsk-Kuznetsky Lesnoy Liman Lipetsk Lisichansk Liski Lobnya London Lugansk Lutsk Lviv Lyubertsy Magnitogorsk Manchester Manganese Morocco Marseille Makhachkala Megion Melitopol Menzelinsk Miass Millerovo Mineral Waters Minsk Minusinsk Mogilev Mozhaisk Moscow Murmansk Mtsensk Mytishchi Naberezhnye Chelny Nazarovo Nalchik Nakhabino Nakhodka Not specified Nefteyugansk Nizhnevartovsk Nizhnekamsk Nizhny Novgorod Nikolaev Nice Novokuznetsk Novorossiysk Novosibirsk Novouzensk Novocherkassk Novoshakhtinsk Noginsk New York Obninsk Odessa Odintsovo Omsk Orel Orenburg Orekhovo-Zuevo Pavlograd Paris Penza Perm Petrozavodsk Podolsk Polotsk Prague Protvino Pskov Pushkin Pushkin Pyatigorsk Ramenskoye Revda Reutov Riga Rostov-on-Don Rybinsk Ryazan Salavat Salsk Samara San Mateo St. Petersburg Saransk Saratov Svatovo Sevastopol Severodvinsk Semipalatinsk Sergiev Posad Serpukhov Simferopol Smela Smolensk Soligorsk Sosnovy Bor Sochi Stavropol Stary Oskol Sterlitamak Stupino Sumy Syktyvkar Tambov Tashkent Tbilisi Tver Tel Aviv Timashevsk Tiraspol Tikhvin Tikhoretsk Togliatti Tomsk Toronto Tuapse Tuymazy Tula Tyumen Uzhgorod Ulan-Ude Ulyanovsk Usolye-Sibirskoye Ussuriysk Ust-Kut U fa Ukhta Frankfurt am Main Frolovo Khabarovsk Haifa Kharkov Helsinki Kherson Khimki Khmelnitsky Zurich Chara Cheboksary Chelyabinsk Cherepovets Chita Mines Shymkent Shchelkovo Elektrostal Engels Yalta Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug Pravokhettinsky Yaroslavl Yartsevo Yasinovataya

Diseases for which it is used

Art therapy - what is it, definition

In academic communities, cognitive behavioral psychotherapy has been recognized as the most effective method for treating various mental and neurotic disorders.

Personality disorder

Important! The main principles of the approach are the unconditional acceptance of individual personality traits, a good attitude towards each individual while maintaining healthy criticism of his negative actions.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is used to treat the following diseases:

• depression and anxiety disorders;
• schizophrenia and psychosis;
• disorders associated with the use of psychotropic and narcotic substances;
• psychological addictions (for example, gambling addiction);
• suicidal thoughts in adolescents;
• dysmorphophobia;
• eating disorders (bulimia, anorexia, obesity).

CBT is used in psychotherapy for children and adults. The application of the technique must be adjusted to the client’s age.

Exercises

Most of the exercises are designed to work in a psychotherapist-patient pair or in a group. But there are also those that you can do yourself. If this does not concern serious mental disorders and the goal is only to restore inner harmony and put your life in order, you can try working out at home.

"-" and "+"

Divide a sheet of paper into 2 columns. At the top on the left write the sign “-”, on the right - “+”. Write down your problem in these columns. For example, what is good and what is bad about being fired. Complete the paper throughout the day. In the evening, before going to bed, the left side of the sheet is cut off, burned and forgotten. The right one is re-read daily for 3 weeks.

"Smile"

Every day, immediately after waking up and before going to bed, go to the mirror and smile, even if you feel bad and don’t want to do it. The exercise time is 2 minutes.

"Whip"

Put a tight rubber bracelet on your wrist or do a cat manicure with finely sharpened nails. As soon as you break a rule, do a bad thing, or think in a negative way, hurt yourself. Pull the elastic band back and release. Dig your nail into your palm. Contraindications for performing this exercise include previous experiences of violence.

"Gingerbread"

After achieving a certain goal (you got up at 6 am and went for a run, didn’t smoke all day, weren’t afraid to approach your boss), reward yourself. This could be shopping, going to a cafe, watching your favorite TV series.

"Frog"

Start the day with an unloved task or phobia: write a report, go to your boss, make an unpleasant call, sort out a stressful relationship.

"Stop"

Part of the technique for performing this exercise has already been described above. Imagine a big red “Stop” button in your head. We started thinking about how your ex humiliated you, pressed on and switched to something positive and constructive. While working, my hand reached out to the phone to play; I pressed it and continued working.