Discuss in brief the techniques used in behaviour therapy.
The techniques used in behaviour therapy are not based on any unified theory. These are developed on the basis of various principles particularly on classical conditioning, operant conditioning and modelling. The main objective of the techniques is to modify maladaptive behaviour.
Negative reinforcement and Aversive conditioning are the two major techniques of behaviour modification.
1. Reinforcement Techniques:
(a) Negative Reinforcement: It refers to following an undesired response with an outcome that is painful or not liked. For example, a mother may cover her son's thumb with a bitter NEEM paste so that he should not develop the habit of thumb sucking. Due to the bitterness, the child tries to avoid or withdraw the bitterness of thumb and will leave the habit of thumb-sucking.
Aversive Conditioning:
(b) Positive Reinforcement: If an adaptive behaviour occurs, positive reinforcement may be used by the therapist. For example, the child's mother may prepare child's favourite dish on the day when most of the time child was being observed not keeping his thumb in the mouth.
Token Economy: A behaviour therapy is based on positive reinforcement.
(c) Differential Reinforcement: In differential reinforcement, both positive and negative reinforcements are used together. By using this method, unwanted behaviour can be reduced and wanted behaviour can be increased simultaneously.
(d) Method of ignoring Unwanted Behaviour: In this method, the therapist positively reinforces the wanted behaviour and ignores the unwanted behaviour. For example, the parents are instructed to praise the child or give chocolate to him or to take him to the cinema if the child does not suck the thumb but ignore the unwanted behaviour that is sucking the thumb. This method is less painful and equally effective for modifying the unwanted behaviour.
2. Systematic Desensitisation: It is a technique introduced by Wolpe, for treating phobias or irrational fears. This technique is based on the principle of reciprocal inhibition. This principle states that the presence of two mutually opposing forces at the same time, inhibits the weaker force, e.g., distress, at the same time, inhabits relaxation, cannot occur.
The technique follows four steps:
3. Modelling: It is the procedure wherein the client learns to behave in a certain way by observing the behaviour of a role model or the therapist.