mily therapy
1. Increase in frequency of desirable behavior through appropriate reinforcements and elimination of oppressive measures
2. Training in communication and problem-solving skills
2. Establishment of expectations for appropriate conduct
3. Modification of antecedent conditions
4. Formulation and implementation of positive and negative reinforcement procedures
5. Continuous monitoring and assessment of procedures
1. Increase and decrease frequency of positive and negative behaviors respectively
2. Learn how to determine positive behaviors of spouse through therapist facilitation and training
3. Acquire communication, collaboration and decision-making skills
A. Effective approach for a wide variety of settings
B. Should be used in combination with other therapeutic approaches in therapy
Behavioral modification is derived from the theoretical premise that human behavior ultimately determines how one thinks, feels and acts in the future (Gladding, 2003, p. 438). More specifically, the theory of operant conditioning, as developed by Edward Thorndike, John Watson and B. F. Skinner, lies at the heart of this approach. According to these theorists, the behavior of human beings changes due to their responses to specific events or stimuli in the environment. Each response will in turn generate a particular consequence. The modification or shaping of behavior can occur when a particular stimulus-response pattern is reinforced by using a specific consequence to conditioning the individual to respond in a desirable way in the future. While Thorndike used the term "instrument" to refer to the reinforced response, it was Skinner who coined the term "operant" to emphasize how the learning process is a result of "one "operating" on the environment. Therefore, in operant conditioning, behavior is modified when the consequence that occurs after the subject's response is used to reinforce or extinguish...