Chapter 6 Behavioral Methods for Changing Respondent Behavior

1. Chapter 6Behavioral Methods for Changing Respondent Behavior

2. What We Learn in the Respondent Conditioning Process • a contingent association between the CS and reflex • to place a negative or positive value on the CS

3. Strength of the CR • the CS should make consistent predictions • the CS should be closely paired in time with the US • the more intense the CS, the stronger and faster the conditioning • the more intense the US, the stronger and faster the conditioning

4. Other Factors Influencing Respondent Conditioning • some US - CS relations are more relevant • taste (but not auditory and visual stimuli) pairs well with sickness • taste does not pair well with pain • more intense CSs tend to overshadow less intense stimuli • once established, a CS tends to block other stimuli from becoming CSs for the same US (blocking)

5. Other Factors Influencing Respondent Conditioning (continued) • prior experience with a CS in a neutral setting may make it more difficult for the stimulus to develop as a CS (latent inhibition) • discrimination and generalization develops with respondent CSs

6. Second Order Conditioning • in first-order respondent conditioning, a CS predicts the US • in second order conditioning, a CS predicts an established CS

7. Second Order Conditioning

8. Conditioned Emotional Responses • a conditioned emotional response (CER) is a learned fear • CERs can be learned: • directly through classical conditioning • indirectly through modeling • indirectly through cognitive processes • genetic factors may contribute to the development of fears

9. Conditioned Emotional Responses (continued) • elements of fearful experiences may be stored in separate memory systems • some elements may be stored in implicit or "nondeclarative" memory • other information is stored in explicit or "declarative" memory

10. Operant and Classical Control of Substance Abuse • operant control of substance abuse: • positive reinforcement (leads to pleasant feeling) • negative reinforcement (eliminates withdrawal symptoms) • respondent control of substance use: • stimuli associated with use can become CSs that will produce drug-like physiological CRs

11. Operant and Classical Control of Substance Abuse (continued) • encountering these CSs can increase temptation to use • -protective physiological CRs develop in the presence of CSs associated with use • emetic therapy pairs consumption of alcohol (CS) with drug (US) that causes nausea (UR)

12. Respondent Conditioning and Chemotherapy • chemotherapy used with cancer patients often causes nausea as a side effect • anticipatory nausea can cause sickness just prior to treatment • food aversion can develop with tastes associated with treatment • overshadowing can be used to associate flavors of less preferred foods with nausea

13. Assessing Respondent Behaviors • assess fears: • directly by observing overt fearful responses • indirectly through self-reports and physiological measures • frequency and duration data can quantify severity of fears • magnitude is more commonly used to measure severity of CERs

14. Assessing Respondent Behaviors (continued) • magnitude is quantified using: • physiological responses such as heart rate • rating scales like the subjective units of discomfort scale (SUDS)

15. Functional Analyses in Respondent Behavior • antecedents are the original or generalized CSs • measure antecedents using: • questionnaires like the Fear Inventory • self-report of how the fear began • identify environmental stimuli, general life factors, and thoughts or images that are associated with the fear

16. Functional Analyses in Respondent Behavior (continued) • identify bodily sensations and activities associated with the fear response • identify avoidance responses maintained by the fear • identify additional problems that result from avoidance • identify the short- and long-term consequences of fear-generated behaviors

17. Extinction and Counterconditioning Methods • extinction presents the CS without it predicting the US • flooding exposes phobic to an intense CS for a prolonged period • spontaneous recovery of an extinguished response can occur • counterconditioning associates the CS with an alternative US

18. Counterconditioning: Systematic Desensitization systematic desensitization gradually replaces fear with relaxation • desensitization often begins with relaxation training and development of a hierarchy of fears • almost any relaxation procedures can be used • a stimulus hierarchy identifies stimuli that elicit very weak to very strong CRs

19. Counterconditioning: Systematic Desensitization (continued) • both imaginal and real life (in vivo) stimuli can be used • after relaxation training and development of the hierarchy, begin desensitization proper: • present the least-feared stimulus • client relaxes • subsequent stimuli are presented once prior stimuli do not elicit fear

20. Counterconditioning: Systematic Desensitization (continued) • adjustments should be made if fear responses are observed

21. Hierarchy of Fear of Heights 1. Standing at a closed upper-floor window and looking out. (SUDS = 5) 2. Standing on a stepladder, 3 feet from the floor, to change a light bulb. (SUDS = 15) 3. Standing on a balcony near the railing, several stories above the ground. (SUDS = 25) 4. Walking on flat ground above a mountain cliff, 20 feet from the edge. (SUDS = 35)

22. Hierarchy of Fear of Heights (continued) 5. Walking on flat ground above a mountain cliff, 5 feet from the edge. (SUDS = 45) 6. Hiking on a steep trail. When cliffs are very near, there are guard rails. (SUDS = 55) 7. Being a passenger in a car traveling at the speed limit on a narrow and winding mountain road. When cliffs occur, there are guard rails. (SUDS = 65)

23. Hierarchy of Fear of Heights (continued) 8. Being on an extension ladder outside a house, cleaning a second-story window. (SUDS = 75) 9. Climbing up a 50-foot high water tower, using a ladder with handrails. (SUDS = 85) 10. Standing on a moderately sloped roof of a house. (SUDS = 95)

24. Effectiveness of Desensitization Procedures • systematic desensitization is well documented as an effective treatment • treatment effects appear to be durable • treatment using in vivo stimuli may be better than those using imaginal stimuli • desensitization can occur without using relaxation exercises

25. Effectiveness of Desensitization Procedures (continued) • desensitization can occur without using full stimulus hierarchies • use of hierarchies and relaxation do not seem to harm the individual and may help the process

26. Vicarious Desensitization through Modeling • in participant modeling, the client watches others interact with a feared object and is encouraged to do the same • supplement with prompts and instruction • modeling treatments for fears may be less likely to generalize

27. Tips on Using Systematic Desensitization • make sure those involved understand the procedure, its purpose, and its effectiveness • personalize the hierarchy • maximize experience with the CS • use imaginal CSs when necessary but prefer in vivo stimuli

28. Tips on Using Systematic Desensitization (continued) • have an assistant present if SUDs are high • keep CS rankings available for reference • make sure the target individual has mastered the relaxation exercises • do not rush through the procedure

29. Tips on Using Systematic Desensitization (continued) • do not make sessions too long • schedule sessions at least once or twice per week • withdraw the CS if the person cannot relax in the presence of it - reassess your strategy