Behavioural Therapies

Aversion Therapy (Classical Conditioning)
1. This removes an undesired behaviour by associating it with unpleasant feelings
Systematic Desensitisation (Classical Conditioning)
1. This is treatment for phobias. First the phobic person makes a 'fear hierachy. When put in the situation of their least feared event they feel anxious. They are then encouraged to use a relaxation technique. This is repeated until the feared event is only linked with relaxation. This whole process is repeated for each stage of the hierachy until they are calm through their most feared event.
Operant Conditioning
1. They control abnormal behaviour by removing the reinforcements which maintain the behaviour, and giving new reinforcements which maintain the behaviour, and giving new reinforcements for better behaviour. Examples include token economy.
Strengths of the Behavioural Model
1. It's a scientific approach - it has clear testable concepts, which may have been supported in many experiments
2. Behavioural therapies can be very effective for treating phobias, eating disorders and compulsions
Weaknesses of the Behavioural Model
1. It cannot explain all behaviours because it neglects the influence of genetics and biology and also the influence of cognitions
2. Behavioural therapies are not effective for all disorders
3. The procedures sometimes raise ethical issues e.g. aversion therapy may be quite distressing
4. It only treats the behaviour, so it doesn't address any underlying causes for it

Resource summary

	Created by lj.willis about 10 years ago