Lesson 4:-Theoretical aspect of behaviousal approach.

This approach is based on the premise that primary learning comes from experience and
applies learning principles to the elimination of unwanted behaviours. The initial concern is
to help the client analyse behaviour, define problems, and select goals. Behavioural Therapy
is effective for individuals who require treatment for some sort of behaviour change, such
as addictions, phobias

and anxiety disorders. It concentrates on the ‘here and now’ without focusing on

the past to find a reason for the behaviour. The behavioural approach says that

people behave in the way that their environment has taught them to behave, e.g.,

through rewards and punishments, modeling, etc. So this approach attempts to

change the way the environment reinforces particular behaviour and works at

applying learning principles to help people to learn new behaviours by behavioural

experiments, role playing, assertiveness training, and self management training.

Four Aspects of Behaviour Therapy

1) Classical Conditioning

In classical conditioning certain respondent behaviours, such as knee jerks and

salivation, are elicited from a passive organism.

2) Operant Conditioning

It focuses on actions that operate on the environment to produce consequences.

If the environmental change brought about by the behaviour is reinforcing, the

chances are strengthened that the behaviour will occur again. If the environmental

changes produce no reinforcement, the chances are lessened that the behaviour

will recur.

3) Social Learning Approach

It gives prominence to the reciprocal interactions between an individual’s

behaviour and the environment.

4) Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

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It emphasises cognitive processes and private events (such as client’s self-talk)

as mediators of behaviour change.

i) View of Human Nature

As the behaviourist views human nature, humans are neither good nor bad but

are living organisms capable of experiencing a variety of behaviours. Their

personality is composed of traits. The behaviourist believes that people can

conceptualise and control their behaviour and have the ability to learn new

behaviours. In addition, people can influence the behaviour of others as well as

be influenced by the behaviour of others. Behaviourists concentrate on behavioural

processes as they are closely associated with overt behaviour and believe that all

behaviour is learned, whether it is adaptive or maladaptive. They also believe

that learning and development occur in one of the three ways:

• respondent learning,

• operant conditioning and

• social modeling.

ii) Role of a Counsellor

A counsellor may take one of the several roles, depending on his or her behavioural

orientation. The counsellor functions as a consultant, teacher, advisor and

facilitator. The behaviour counsellor tries to help the individual to learn new and

more adaptable behaviours and to unlearn old non adaptable behaviours. The

behaviour counsellor focuses attention on the individual’s ongoing behaviours

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Introduction and their consequences in his own environment. He tries to restructure the

environment so that more adaptable patterns of behaviour can be learned and

non adaptable patterns of behaviour can be unlearned. An effective behavioural

counsellor operates from a broader perspective and involves the client in every

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phase of counselling.

iii) Goals

Basically behavioural counsellors want to help clients make good adjustments

to life circumstances and achieve personal and professional objectives. A major

step is to reach mutually agreed upon goals. Blackham and Silberman(1971)

suggests four steps in this process:

1) Defining the problem

The clients are asked to specify when, where, how and with whom the

problem arises.

2) Take a developmental history

Knowledge about how the client has handled past circumstances.

3) Establish specific goals

Counselors help clients break down goals into small, achievable goals.

4) Determine the best method for change

Helping the client to reach desired goal by choosing the appropriate method.

Continuous assessment of the effectiveness of method is must.

iv) Techniques

General behavioural techniques are applicable to all behaviour theories, although

a given technique may applicable to a particular approach at a given time in a

specific circumstance.

Systematic desensitisation: This is a technique used specifically with phobias.

It helps the client to pair relaxation with previously feared stimuli.

Aversive therapy: It is almost the opposite of systematic desensitisation and

has the client pair some aversive stimuli (e.g., nausea, pain, disturbing images,

etc.) with some behaviour that he/she is having difficulty giving up. For example,

a person trying to quit drinking might take a drug that makes her nauseous

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whenever she drinks alcohol. Both systematic desensitisation and aversive therapy

make use of classical conditioning learning principles—learning that occurs when

things get paired together. Systematic desensitisation “teaches” the client a new

thing by pairing relaxation with something they fear whereas Aversive therapy

“teaches” a new thing by pairing a bad experience with some behaviour they

want to eliminate.

Behaviour Modification programs: These approaches try to increase positive

behaviour and decrease negative behaviour by using reinforcements and

punishments in the most effective ways based on learning principles. The

counselor will try to help the parents identify in what ways the undesired behaviour

is being reinforced and eliminate that reinforcement and help them develop ways

to reinforce desired behaviour.

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Theoretical Approaches to

Counseling

Use of Reinforcers: Reinforcers are those events which increase the probability

of occurrence of a desired behaviour in the future by applying consequences that

depend on the behaviour in question.

Positive Reinforcement: The administration of positive consequences to workers

who perform desired behaviours- Pay, promotions, interesting work, praise,

awards.

Negative Reinforcement: The removal of negative consequences when workers

perform desired behaviours-Nagging, complaining.

Punishment: Administering negative consequences to undesirable behaviours

in an effort to decrease the probability that the behaviour will occur again in the

future.

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Shaping: It is a process in which undifferentiated operant behaviours are gradually

changed into a desired behaviour pattern by the reinforcement of success

approximations, so that the behaviour gets closer and closer to the target behaviour.

Extinction: When pairing of conditioned and unconditional stimulus stops then

association weakens and conditioned response becomes less frequent till it

disappears.

Generalisation: Conditioned response occurs in response to stimuli which are

similar to the conditioned stimulus.

Discrimination: Conditioned response does not occur to all possible similar

stimuli-learned difference between stimuli

The cognitive behavioural approach examines the patient’s beliefs and behaviours.

Individuals hold beliefs about themselves and relationships that affect behaviour.

Negative beliefs lead to maladaptive behaviours. By examining and challenging

these beliefs with new information, subsequent new behaviours can change. This

approach also examines behaviours directly so that new, more adaptive behaviours

can be developed. This approach is especially beneficial for changing habits,

learned behavioural patterns, phobias, and many forms of depression.

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