Behavioral Techniques

Professional Interventions -4

Behavioral Techniques

Methods of Increasing Desirable Behaviors: 

For behavioral contracting, commonly using positive or negative reinforcement for specific behavior with client’s participation and consent. Positive reinforcement involves the addition of something that is equivalent to a reward and a negative reinforcement involves the removal of something that is aversion. Each increases the likelihood of recurrence of any behavior upon which it is contingent. In shaping, behaviors are achieved by reinforcing small steps or approximation towards the final steps. Responses can be initiated by verbal of physical prompting or by modeling in which the therapist demonstrates the required behavior to the subject. In token economy, there is a behavior modification regime that uses reinforcement in the form of tokens, to encourage the learning of positive behavior. The tokens can then be exchanged for special privileges. Reinforcements are initially given for simple responses and thereafter for more complex behaviors.

Methods of Reducing Undesirable Behaviors: 

Aversive techniques, covert sensitization, etc are some of the methods used to reduce the undesirable behaviors.

Methods of Reducing Anxiety and Fear: 

Exposure to feared situations can be carried out slowly or rapidly.  Slow exposure, systematic desensitization, involves including a state of relaxation before a feared stimulus is introduced. Anxiety is minimized by choosing stimuli from hierarchy of cues of increasing difficulty and by interrupting exposure as soon as the subject indicates arousal. The stimulus is reintroduced only when a state of relaxation has been re-established. It is slow, tedious method, which has been largely superseded by rapid exposure. When carried out in vivo it is sometimes called flooding and its use in imagination, at which maximal anxiety levels are evoked, is called implosion.

Relaxation Methods: 

Muscular relaxation methods, breathing techniques, soothing music, etc. Biofeedback consists of providing the subjects with information about the state of his or her physiological functioning.

Methods of Altering Social Behaviors:

Social skills training aims to modify a subject’s social behavior in order to help him or her to overcome these difficulties. Treatment usually involves a programmed course, which is applied to a group of selected subjects.  Behaviors are modeled by the therapist and the group follows this with role play and rehearsal under controlled conditions.  The therapist’s role is to guide, coach and encourage the group.  Group members offer feedback with an initial emphasis upon successful aspects of performance.