Chapter 2 - Cognitive-behavioural perspective

Question 1

Central theme of the behavioural approach

Answer 1

Learning (classical/operant conditioning)

A specific stimulus may come to elicit a certain resposne through classical conditioning

Question 2

Positive reinforcement

Answer 2

Add smth good

Question 3

Negative reinforcement

Answer 3

Remove smth bad

Question 4

Punishment

Answer 4

Add smth bad OR remove smth good

Question 5

Generalization

Answer 5

When a response is conditioned to 1 stimulus and it can be evoked by other similar stimuli

Question 6

Discrimination

Answer 6

When a person learns to distinguish between similar stimuli

Question 7

Extinction

Answer 7

Gradual disappeaeance of conditioned response (ex: exposure therapy)

Question 8

Observational learning

Answer 8

Learning throufh observation alone, without directly expeirencing an unconditioned stimulus or reinforcement

Question 9

Focus of C-B perspective

Answer 9

How thoughts and info processing can become distorted and lead to maladaptive behaviour

Question 10

Attribution

Answer 10

something that occurs afterwards
Ex: attributions of students who did not do well on the GREs - lack of intelligence, exhaustion, unfair test, today is Friday the 13th, lac of mathematical abilities, fed up with math problems

Question 11

Attributional styles

Answer 11

• Internal / external
• Situational (specific) / global
• Stable/ unstable
• Global Int stable: I’m dumb
• Global ext stable: Everyone is annoying at my house so I cant study
• Situational int unstable:I didnt sleep last night
• Situational ext unstable: the fire alarm went off during the exam

Question 12

Appraisals

Answer 12

typically something that you do when you bump into it (your reaction directly in the moment)

Question 13

Schema/cognitive set

Answer 13

Underlying representation that guides information processing

Network of information (built with new and past knowledge, sometimes info will be adapted to fit schema)

Question 14

Criticisms of C-B

Answer 14

Some learning experiences have yet to be discovered (ex: how we “learn” depression?)
Practicing new behaviours does not prove that the absence of rewards caused the abnormal behaviour
Schemas: not well defined, no explanation of what causes them
Unclear difference between behaviours and cognitive influences (we have to behave in new ways for change to occur)

Question 15

Contributions of CB

Answer 15

Integration has shown results in psychotherapy (CBT)
Strong evidence for its benefits for depression, anxiety, eating disorders, autism, schizo (can be + effective than antidepressants in long term)

Question 16

Self-efficacy (Bandura)

Answer 16

sense of being capable (linked with self-regulation)

Question 17

4 key processes in observational learning (Bandura)

Answer 17

1. Attention (noticing model’s behaviour)
   
   2. Retention
   3. Reproduction
   4. Motivation (repeating if there is a + consequence)

Question 18

Behaviour therapy - what is it used for + examples of techniques

Answer 18

Used to treat phobias (modify behaviour in general) (ex: classical conditioning - exposure therapy), modelling can be used also, counterconditioning (similar to exposure), and operant conditioning (rewards good behaviours)

Question 19

Systematic desensitization

Answer 19

Wolphe hypothesis is that one can imagine anxious scenarios while being relaxed and progress more and more

Question 20

Aversive conditioning for therapy

Answer 20

pairing an attractive stimulus (ex: alcohol to an alcoholic) with an unpleasant stimulus (ex: dug that gives nausea)

Question 21

Beck’s Cognitive therapy (Thomas’ example)

Answer 21

based on this idea to treat depression - changing the client’s perception of themselves by highlighting positive events
Ex: Thomas suffering from Parkinson - believed that his acceptability depended on being competent at all times - 4 steps to his therapy
Education about social anxiety, depression and cognitive model to normalize his experience
Diary keeping of thoughts
Reducing avoidance with homework
Testing/challenging core beliefs

Question 22

Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (RET/REBT)

Answer 22

By Albert Ellis
goal is to make ppl realize that self-statements can mediate emotional arousal, goal is to modify the thinking and make the new attitudes part of everyday life

Question 23

Irrational beliefs

Answer 23

statements about self, repeated to self (ex: I must be competent at all times) (AKA the “musts” or “shoulds”)
○ Rational examination of those thoughts may eliminate them (RET/REBT)

Question 24

Cognitive Behaviour therapy (CBT)

Answer 24

Modifying overt and covert behaviour (thoughts and actions)
Cognitive restructuring: changing a pattern of thought that is presumed to be causing a disturbance in the individual
Popular method: 38% of therapists in Qc

Premise: the person is + influenced by his/her perception of events than by the event itself - behaviours reinforce perceptions

Question 25

Using operant conditioning to modify behaviour

Answer 25

Using positive reinforcers to + behaviour
• Treating autism, LD, retardation, betwetting, aggression, etc
○ Ex: treating socially withdrawn child by rewarding playing with others
• Ex: woman with excessive clothing had to remove some in order to be able to go eat

Question 26

Evaluating the C-B paradigm

Answer 26

• Does not give insight on how the wrong behaviours were learned (does not mean that a depressive person was lacking rewards), therefore on the roots of disorders
• Schemas are abstract and not well-defined (regarded as causing depression, but no explanation of what causes those gloomy schemas)
• Cognition influences behaviour, and vice-versa
• Some say that the behavioural component should be emphasized - challenging thoughts is not always effective/needed
• Some learning experiences have yet to be discovered (ex: how do we learn depression?)
• Conclusion: combination of both might be best? (Ex: CBT)

Question 27

Discriminative stimulus (operant)

Answer 27

External events that in effect tell an organism that if it performs a certain behaviour, a certain consequence will follow (reinforcement)

Question 28

Counterconditioning

Answer 28

Relearning achieved by eliciting a new response in the presence of a particular stimulus
Based on systematic desensitization principle

Question 29

Cognitive paradigm

Answer 29

focuses on how people structure their experiences, how thay make sense of them and how they relate their current experiences to past ones that have been stored in memory

Question 30

Successive approximations

Answer 30

Responses that closer and closer resemble the desired response in operant conditioning (example of women with less and less clothing)

Question 31

Cognitive restructuring

Answer 31

General term for defining the change in pattern of thought of behaviour that is presumed to be causing abnormal behaviour/thoughts. Target of CBT therapy