Habit Reversal Procedures

Question 1

What are the 3 steps where habit reversal can reduce bad habits

Answer 1

1. Awareness training
2. Training of competing response
3. Period ‘booster’ to refresh awareness

Question 2

What is a ‘bad’ habit?

Answer 2

Repetitive or stereotyped behaviours that have negative physical effect for the individual

Question 3

Are habits apart of explicit or implicit memories?

Answer 3

Implicit: apart of the procedural memory system (striatum) that are unconscious–> they are cued by aspects of the performance context

Question 4

How are habits reinforced?

Answer 4

They are typically reinforced by automatic reinforcements

Question 5

Are habit disorders in the DSM5?

Answer 5

No, they are designated repetitive habit behaviours that cause impairment

Question 6

When is a behaviour characterized as a disorder?

Answer 6

It is a disorder if it is distressing to the person and occurs with sufficient frequency or intensity to cause the person to seek treatment

Question 7

Define a Nervous Habit

aka body-focused repetitive behaviour problems

Answer 7

(influence of Freud still lingering) Repetitive, manipulative behaviours that are assumed to occur when a person experiences heightened nervous tension

Question 8

True or False: nervous habits are maintained by social reinforcement

Answer 8

False, most nervous habits are maladaptive (negative social evaluations) so social reinforcement should decrease the habits

Question 9

What may motor tics be due to?

Answer 9

Increased muscle tension (certain movement may produce relied to injured area, but tics persist after injury has healed)

Question 10

True or false? Vocal tics are sounds that are a part of speech

Answer 10

False, they are repetitive vocal sounds that do not convey info or serve any function (excessive throat clearing, uttered sounds…)

Question 11

Describe Tourette’s disorder/syndome

Answer 11

Tourettes syndrome includes multiple motor tics and at least one vocal tic

Question 12

Is Tourette’s syndrome generally present with other co morbid factors?

Answer 12

Yes, usually with ADHD or OCD

Question 13

How is Tourette’s disorder treated?

Answer 13

It is usually treated with behavioural therapies

Question 14

Define a Habit Reversal Procedure:

Answer 14

An approach for decreasing a behaviour that does not concentrate on providing or withdrawing reinforcers. It is usually implemented by the target person and supervised by a behaviour analyst or another therapist

Question 15

Who developed Habit Training Reversal?

Answer 15

Nathan Azrin and R. Gregory Dunn in 1973

Question 16

Explain the two main components of Habit Training Reversal:

Answer 16

1. Awareness training: person is taught to describe the problem behaviour and then to watch for it and notice when it occurs
2. Competing response training: person is taught to preform a behaviour that is incompatible with the target behaviour.

Question 17

Why is competing response training effective?

Answer 17

It prevents the target behaviour AND provides an alternative behaviour, also it can be used as a punisher if it is preformed after the target behaviour

Question 18

What is the optimal duration of time for a competing response?

Answer 18

1-3 mins

Question 19

What two other strategies HTR might apply?

Answer 19

Social support and Motivation Strategy–> ABC of the target beheviour

Question 20

Explain Generalization Therapy and how it works:

Answer 20

The practice focuses on how to control tics in common everyday situation.
It starts where the person practices tic control procedures until done correctly. Then, they use Symbolic rehearsal, where the person imagines tic-eliciting situations, but preforms the tic control exercises (for practice). Finally the person tries to use the tic control exercises in real world situations

Question 21

Explain Aversion Therapy:

Answer 21

A form of respondent conditioning which involved the repeated pairing of a troublesome reinforcer with an aversive event

Question 22

Which Habit reversal treatment could be used for Alcoholism? Is it effective on its own?

Answer 22

Aversion therapy can be used:
Disulfiram (US) is given with alcoholic drinks (NS) and it causes nausea and other extremely unpleasant reactions (CS). Isn’t very effective because they have to take the drug in order to feel sick when they drink–> takes a lot of motivation, often used as a last resort and in conjunction with behavioural counseling

Question 23

Explain Massed Negative practice:

Answer 23

A punishment procedure that requires the person to repeat the undesired target behaviour
ex: Catch your kid smoking, make them smoke 3 packs in a row so it becomes aversive lol

Question 24

Describe the steps to apply Habit Reversal:

Answer 24

1. Define the target behaviour (always)
2. determine the ‘habit loop’ of ABC
3. increase awareness of target behaviour
   4 select competing responses
4. recruit others to aid in behaviour change (social support
5. Apply motivation strategy