Cognitive-Behavioral for Couples and Families Flashcards
Assumption of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Behaviors are learned and can therefore be replaced or reduced.
Classical Conditioning
Pairing a reflexive response with a neutral stimulus.
Systemic Desensitization was developed by Joseph Wolpe to treat
phobias
(A phobia is a classically conditioned response to a behavior that is not dangerous.) This therapy relies on deconditioning.
Skinner is responsible for work that fleshed out the principals of
operant conditioning.
Increasing or decreasing the likelihood of a response.
— the mouse OPERATES the lever and is rewarded with food—
Skinner’s work emphasizing current conditions promoting the behavior was in opposition to the vastly popular
psychodynamic work the emphasized intra-psychic causes of behavior.
These theorists noted that children/adults learn through ______________ which does not need reward or punishment.
Bandura and Walters
Imitation
While clinicians could teach couples to modify each other’s behavior, this process broke down based on
the meaning that each member attributed to the partner’s actions. This discovery launched cognitive therapies.
Some Theorists in the behavioral school recognized and appreciated the power of attribution of meaning to a partner’s behavior had on how that behavior was received. Some of these theorists were:
They developed:
a) Ellis, Beck, and Meichenbaum.
b) Cognitive therapies
Cognitive therapies emphasize
how internal thought processes are subject to distortion and this subjectivity influences individual’s emotional and behavioral responses.
Cognitive Therapists focus on assessing and modifying cognitions this will include:
a) distinguishing between accurate and inaccurate perceptions
b) restructuring inaccurate perceptions
Behavioral and Cognitive therapies have been challenged by systems theorist due to the criticism that they are too
linear - promoting linear causal thinking. This criticism not fully accurate because it does not consider mutual circular influences involving family members
James Alexander is responsible for this integration of systems and behavior to treat families.
Functional Family Therapy (FFT) assume that the consequence achieved by a negative behavior are reinforcing even if this is not known consciously. So find another way of arriving at the desired consequence.
Bandura is known for his development of the theory of
Social Learning Principals
Cognitive-behavioral therapist’s job is to help the couple understand the circular nature of their interaction and motivate each person to modify his or her contribution to it.
Coercive Family systems (threats/punishment to control children) often produce children who are
aggressive as children are using aversive behavior (per pattern learned within the family) to try to influence the parents
Which type of reinforcement schedule produces the greatest persistent behavior change?
Intermittent
The tendency of the parents to notice a child’s negative behavior
negative tracking
In summary cognitive-behavioral therapists believe that
a person’s emotional and behavioral responses to life events depend on the particular thought the person has about those events.
A leading theorist in CBT is
Arron Beck
Beck’s CBT focuses on helping people to learn to do this sequence of things:
a) identify aspects of their thinking that are contributing to negative emotions and behavior
b) test the validity of their thoughts
c) replace distorted cognitions with more realistic ones.
Beck focuses on supporting 2 new behaviors:
1) recognizing automatic thoughts
2) noticing schemas
Cognitive Distortions are
errors in processing information of which there are several which BECK identifies
Name 5 cognitive distortions
- over-generalization
- personalization
- mind reading
- dichotomous thinking
- selective abstraction - focus on one aspect
- magnification / minimization- something is perceived as more/less important than it is
Selective perception
CBT - same as selective abstraction - paying selective attention to some aspect of behavior
Attributions
inferences - correct, incorrect or on the spectrum - about the cause of a behavior
Expectancies
distorted processing of information predicting the probability of some behavior
(he isn’t going to come if I call him.)
Three cognitive distortions that are important in couples/family therapy involving information-processing errors.
1) selective perception
2) attribution
3) expectancies
schemas
long-standing beliefs of “knowledge structures” that the individual has about characteristics of people, objects, relationship etc.
stable ways that a person understands her world
Cognitive distortions shape the form of a person’s thoughts. Schemas effect the
content of thoughts. (Assumptions & Standards)
TWO important schemas important to couple and family therapy:
1) assumptions
2) standards
assumptions
a type of schema (beliefs) that an individual has about typical characteristics of people and objects and the relationship between them.
standards
beliefs about the way that people, relationships, and events “should” be.
Standards vary in how realistically they represent the possibilities of real life.
Inventory of specific Relationship Standards (ISRS) measures what 3 things:
concerning 12 different areas of relationship (affection, sex, household tasks, finances, expression of positive and negative feelings)
Standards about
- Boundaries (togetherness/independence)
- Investment of time and energy in the relationship
- Power/control (how it should be used in the couple’s relationsip
explain sentiment override
a person’s preexisting overall feelings about a spouse determines the person’s cognitions and behavior toward the spouse more than the spouse’s current behavior does.
emotional reasoning
individual relies on cues of his or her emotions as signs of “Truth” (feel blah - can’t do anything)]
good functioning of a couple or family depends upon this dual
