theoretical perspectives on abnormality: cognitive-behavioural and existential-humanistic lecture...

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THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ABNORMALITY:

COGNITIVE-BEHAVIOURAL AND EXISTENTIAL-HUMANISTIC

LECTURE OUTLINE

• Behavioural theories

• Cognitive theories

• Cognitive-behavioural theories

• Existential-humanistic theories

BEHAVIOURAL THEORIES

Classical conditioning (Pavlov)

US UR

CS CR

Operant conditioning (Skinner)

SD behaviour Reinforcer

BEHAVIOURAL THEORIESOperant conditioning

Reinforcement – leads to an increase in the behaviour preceding the reinforcer

• positive

• negative

Punishment

• positive

• negative

BEHAVIOURAL THEORIES

• Classical conditioning – can play a role in a variety of anxiety disorders

• Operant conditioning – can play a role in numerous disorders

• Two-factor theory (Mowrer) – both classical and operant interact to maintain anxiety problems

• Modeling (Bandura) – can learn maladaptive or adaptive behaviours via observational learning

BEHAVIOURAL THEORIES

• Basic assumption of behavioural theories is that maladaptive behaviours are learned and can be unlearned, and that new, more adaptive behaviours can be learned

• Has been applied to a wide range of disorders and problems

BEHAVIOURAL THEORIES

Treatments based on classical conditioning

• systematic desensitization - Wolpe

• aversive conditioning

• exposure, flooding

BEHAVIOURAL THEORIES

Treatments based on operant conditioning

• behaviour shaping, coaching (teaching a new behaviour)

• token economy, contingency contracting, and other methods of positive reinforcement (used to strengthen adaptive behaviours)

• extinction and punishment (used to weaken maladaptive behaviours)

• stimulus control – used to cue adaptive behaviours

COGNITIVE THEORIES

• Basic assumption of cognitive theories is that maladaptive behaviour results from irrational or distorted ways of thinking – emphasis is on internal thought processes

• Like psychodynamic theories, cognitive theories have been employed mostly with people with anxiety and mood disorders

• Like behavioural theories, there is a strong research emphasis in cognitive theories

COGNITIVE THEORIES

Albert Ellis – psychological problems stem from irrational and catastrophic thinking

Examples of irrational beliefs

• I must be loved and approved of all the time

• Things must always go right

• I must be competent at everything

• Life should always treat me fairly

Rational-Emotive Therapy (RET) – therapist challenges client’s irrational belief

COGNITIVE THEORIES

Aaron Beck – psychological problems stem from distorted thinking based on underlying cognitive schemata

Cognitive schemata – ways of viewing self, world, past, future

Cognitive therapy - therapist challenges client’s distorted thinking through a process of checking beliefs against reality – evidence-gathering approach

COGNITIVE-BEHAVIOURAL THEORIES

Over the past 20 years, the cognitive and behavioural theories have become more inter-connected, emphasizing both behaviour and thinking

Bandura – social learning theory

• self-control

• self-efficacy

Cognitive-behavioural therapy is becoming the dominant paradigm in clinical psychology

AND COGNITIVE- BEHAVIOURAL TREATMENTS

• Problem-solving training – D’Zurilla & Goldfried

• Self-instructional training - Meichenbaum

Cognitive-behavioural therapy is becoming the dominant paradigm in clinical psychology

SUMMARY OF BEHAVIOURAL AND COGNITIVE THEORIES AND TREATMENTS

• emphasis on behaviour and cognitive processes

• more active, directive therapeutic approach than most psychodynamic approaches

• more research-oriented and results-oriented approach than most psychodynamic approaches

EXISTENTIAL-HUMANISTIC THEORIES

• Roots – German and French phenomenology, focus on experiencing and emotion

• Third force – as an alternative to psychodynamic and behavioural theories

• With the exception of Rogers, not as rooted in research as behavioural and cognitive theories

EXISTENTIAL-HUMANISTIC THEORIES Core concepts

• Freedom

• Phenomenology

• Self-actualization

• Being and authenticity

• Holism

• Willing and wishing – Rollo May

EXISTENTIAL-HUMANISTIC THEORIES Carl Rogers’ Theory of

Psychopathology

Lack of unconditional positive regard

Lack of unconditional positive self-regard (low self-esteem)

Incongruence between self and experience

Anxiety, defensiveness, distortion

EXISTENTIAL-HUMANISTIC THEORIES Carl Rogers’ Theory of Client-centered

Therapy

Therapist provides unconditional positive regard

Unconditional positive self-regard (self-acceptance or high self-esteem)

Congruence between self and experience

Authenticity, openness, psychological health

EXISTENTIAL-HUMANISTIC THEORIES Core qualities of therapist for client-

centered therapy

• Empathy

• Warmth (unconditional positive regard)

• Genuineness - authenticity

EXISTENTIAL-HUMANISTIC THEORIES Core qualities of therapist for client-

centered therapy

• quite a bit of research attesting to the importance of these therapist variables

• widespread application of these skills in psychology and counseling training programs – active listening skills

• some would argue that these skills are important for all types of therapy (compare with psychodynamic notion of working alliance)

EXISTENTIAL-HUMANISTIC THEORIES Other important existential-humanistic

theorists and therapists

• Maslow – self-actualization and need hierarchy

• Jourard – importance of self-disclosure for psychological health and for therapy

• existential – Rollo May, Viktor Frankl – logotherapy

• Fritz Perls – Gestalt therapy – emphasis on experience/emotion, empty chair technique

SUMMARY OF EXISTENTIAL-HUMANISTIC THEORIES AND TREATMENTS

• emphasis on experience and emotion

• emphasis on non-directive approaches to therapy

• less research-oriented than behavioural and cognitive approaches