Developments in behavioural science Flashcards
What are the three waves of behaviour therapy?
- Behaviour therapy (classic behaviour therapy and applied behaviour analysis)
- Cognitive therapy (CBT)
- Contextual therapy (ACT)
What are the two reasons that behavioural therapy was developed?
- Doubts about the effectiveness of psychoanalysis.
- Extension of associative learning principles in clinical setting (classical and operant conditioning)
What were the doubt about psychoanalysis efficacy?
Eysenck’s criticisms - challenges long-duration, lack of empirical evidence, unfalsifiability, emphasis on unconscious processes
What does the extension of associative learning principles in clinical settings mean?
The same principles can be applied to maladaptive behaviour in a clinical setting - it is now empirical and measurable.
What are the two characteristics of behavioural therapy?
Focus on the environment (something we can observe and test) and efficacy assessment (something we know will work and we can test)
What are the two techniques of behavioural therapy?
Systematic desensitisation and prolonged exposure with response prevention
What is systematic desensitisation?
Involves gradually exposing the individual to the feared stimulus/situation while train them in relaxation techniques (Wolpe)
What are the steps of systematic desensitisation?
- Create a hierarchy of fear-inducing situations/stimuli from least to most anxiety-provoking.
- Choose how to approach to each stimulus (gradually exposure).
- Implement relaxation techniques unitl you feel calm.
What is the idea behind systematic desensitisation in terms of classical conditioning?
You cannot be relaxed and anxious at the same time - associated a stimulus associated with fear with the opposite (relaxation).
What is systematic desensitisation used for?
Anxiety/fear responses
What is prolonged exposure with response prevention used for?
Anxiety, particularly OCD
What is prolonged exposure with response prevention?
Exposure: exposed (controlled and gradually) to feared stimulus for extended period without engaging in the usual compulsive behaviours intended to reduce anxiety.
Response prevention: individual confronts their fears while preventing the usual compulsive responses - make it more difficult to do. Better to do quickly rather than gradually
What was one of the main critiques of behaviour therapy?
Doesn’t take into account thoughts/emotions/beliefs - ignores language/cognition
Why did cognitive therapy emerge?
In response to behavioural therapy criticisms - addresses the role of lanaguage and cognition in behaviour.
Who are the pioneers of cognitive therapy?
Aaron Beck (cognitive therapy) and Albert Ellis (rational emotive behaviour therapy)
What is cognitive therapy about?
Focuses on thoughts, beliefs and interpretations.
Identifies and challenges maladaptive thought patterns.
Aims to modify negative or irrational beliefs.
What is the ABCDE model of cognitive therapy?
A - activating event
B - beliefs
C - consequences
D - disruptive irrational beliefs
E - effect
What is cognitive restructuring in cognitive therapy?
Involves identifying and challanging maladaptive thought patterns - aims to replace negative/irrational beliefs with more adaptive ones
What are the core components of CBT?
- Cognitive restructuring - identifying and challenging negative/irrational thoughts
- Behavioural activation - encouraging adaptive behaviours and reducing avoidance
- Exposure therapy - gradual exposure to feared stimuli to reduce anxiety
- Problem solving - develop effective coping strategies and problem solving skills
What is CBT?
A combination of cognitive and behavioural techniques to treat psychological disorders - evidence based apporach with strong emphasis on empiricism
What are the pros of CBT?
Very effective and supported by evidence across psychological disorders
What are the cons of CBT?
- Unclear origin of effectiveness (cognitive vs behavioural component)
- Not always effective for every disorder.
- Distortion of hte contextual nature of hte behaviour therapy in favour of intrapsychic approach - internal to person modulating behaviour.
- Adaption of medical model may lead to overreliance on medication - effectivess of therapy extends beyond symptom reduction
What are the problems with second wave therapies that third wave therapies improve?
- Dissatisfaction with diagnostic systems - transdiagnostic common dimensions (not relying on labels), hyper-reflexility (focus on yourself and your thoughts) as a common dimension
- ‘Enigmas’ of diverse effective therapies - focus on general principles of therapies (trusting relationship, healing environment, myths and rituals)
- Intrapsychic approach - recovery of contextual perspective and function of negative cognitions and behaviours
What are the two general pricniples of third wave therapies?
Acceptance and activation
What is an example of a third wave therapy?
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
What is ACT?
Focuses on mindfulness and acceptance, commitment to action for personal values
What is the aim of ACT?
Increase psychological flexibility - the ability to contact the present moment more fully as a conscious human being, and to change or persist in behaviour when it serves valued ends
What is the philosophy of functional contextualism?
To predict and shape behaviour of an individual who is interacting in and with the context
What philosophy, science and theory is ACT based on?
Functional contextualism, contextual behavioural science, and relational frame theory
What is relational frame theory?
Language and cognition are based on the ability to relate stimuli in a meaninful way - we are not only able to understand individual stimuli but also relationship between stimuli
What are the core principles of psychological flexibility (ACT)?
Being present, acceptance, cognitive defusion, self as context, values, commitment
What is acceptance (in ACT)?
Be willing to experience difficult thoughts
What is cognitive defusion (in ACT)?
Observe your thoughts without being ruled by them
What is self as context (in ACT)?
Notice your thoughts
What is values (in ACT)?
Discover what is really important to you
What is commitment (in ACT)?
Take action to pursue the important things in your life
What are the point of values in ACT?
Understanding value-consistent behaviours.
Clarifying and committing to personal values produce better behavioural variability.
Aim is not to reduce symptoms but to increase the individual’s repertoire of effective behaviours
