Lecture notes
Class notes on problem behaviours and choices
- Institution
- The University Of Birmingham (UBir)
Full lecture notes on problem behaviours and choices, week 9
[Show more]
Seller
Follow
Content preview
Introduction to LearningProblem Behaviours & Choices
Therapies based on classical or operant conditioning have long been used
for a variet of behaviour problems:
Fear and phobias
Classroom and teaching in general
Prison and secure institutions
Child behaviour problems
Learning disabilities and autism
Psychiatric disorders
Treatment based on Classical Conditioning
Mary Cover Jones (1924)
Little Peter – 34 months
Naturally arising rabbit phobia
Peter fed cookies while rabbit presented at different distances.
(counter-conditioning and modelling)
The steps involved in classically conditioning Little Peter and his reaction:
A. Rabbit anywhere in the room in a cage causes fear reactions.
B. Rabbit 12 feet away in cage tolerated.
C. Rabbit 4 feet away in cage tolerated.
D. Rabbit 3 feet away in cage tolerated.
E. Rabbit close in cage tolerated.
F. Rabbit free in room tolerated.
G. Rabbit touched when experimenter holds it.
H. Rabbit touched when free in room.
I. Rabbit allowed on tray of high chair.
J. Squats in defenceless position beside rabbit.
K. Helps experimenter to carry rabbit to its cage.
L. Holds rabbit on lap.
M. Stays alone in room with rabbit.
N. Allows rabbit in play pen with him.
O. Fondles rabbit affectionately.
P. Lets rabbit nibble his fingers.
(Jones M.C. (1924) A laboratory study of fear: The case of Peter,
Pedagogical Seminary, 31:308-315)
Extinction – weakening of the conditioned response
A CR can be weakened or eliminated when the CS is repeatedly
presented in the absence of the unconditioned stimulus.
Try and reduce the incidence of a conditioned stimulus occurring
with the unconditioned stimulus.
, Counter-conditioning
o In counter-conditioning the response to a stimulus is
eliminated by evoking a new response to the same stimulus,
incompatible to the first one.
Reciprocal inhibition
o Reciprocal inhibition in which certain responses are
incompatible with each other, and the occurrence of one
response necessarily inhibits the other.
Systematic desensitisation
Aversion therapy
Wolpe (1958): Systematic desensitisation
Cats refused to enter chamber where they were previously shocked
Fed cats in room very different from the chamber
And then in rooms progressively closer to the chamber
Until the cat eventually ate in the chamber room
ARGUED:
o A new response (eating, pleasurable) became associated with
the stimulus
o This response was incompatible with the initially conditioned
response (fear)
o The stronger response (pleasure) determined behaviour
o Reciprocal inhibition? Certain responses are incompatible with
each other, and the occurrence of one response necessarily
inhibits the other.
Could this approach be applied to the treatment of phobias?
Wolpe proposed that fear reduction could be accomplished by
simultaneous presentation of:
o Anxiety provoking stimuli and
o Stimuli evoking a response antagonistic to anxiety
But how to counter-condition an event cannot be generated
experimentally or in the clinic? (Thunder storm?)
Systematic desensitisation
This is a treatment procedure for phobias that involves pairing
relaxation with a succession of stimuli that elicit increasing levels of
fear.
o Have person imagine the feared event.
o Have person associate that feared event with a different state
– e.g. relaxation.
o A person suffering from anxiety compiles a list of feared
situations from least to most frightening: ‘anxiety hierarchy’.
o Person imagines graded series of anxiety provoking situation
whilst relaxing.
o Relaxation inhibits anxiety: the two are INCOMPATIBLE
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller jessboyden. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £5.49. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
52510 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy revision notes and other study material for 14 years now