Chapter 6 Behavioral Methods for Changing Respondent Behavior

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

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

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)

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

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

Second Order Conditioning

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

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

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

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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)

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)

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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