Page 2 - LN 3_Therapuetic Approaches

▪ Behavioural Techniques-
➢ The principles of these techniques are to reduce the arousal level of the client,
alter behaviour through different principles of learning.
➢ Negative reinforcement and aversive conditioning are the two major
techniques of behaviour modification.
1. Negative Reinforcement are the responses that lead organisms to get
rid of painful stimuli or avoid and escape from them.
Example- one learns to put to use the electric heaters to avoid the
unpleasant cold weather.
2. Aversive conditioning refers to repeated association of undesired
response with an aversive consequence.
Example- an alcoholic is given a mild electric shock and asked to smell
the alcohol. With repeated pairings the smell of alcohol is aversive as the
pain of the shock is associated with it and the person will give up
alcohol.
3. Positive Reinforcement is given to increase the deficit in an adaptive
behaviour that occurs rarely.
For example, if a child does not do homework regularly, positive
reinforcement may be used by the child’s mother by preparing the
child’s favourite dish whenever s/he does homework at the appointed
time.
4. Token Economy involves persons with behavioural problems who are
given a token as a reward every time a wanted behaviour occurs.
The tokens are collected and exchanged for a reward such as an outing
for the patient or a treat for the child.
5. Differential Reinforcement can be achieved through reducing
unwanted behaviour and increasing the wanted behaviour
simultaneously.
For example, A girl who sulks and cries when she is not taken to the
cinema when she asks. The parent is instructed to take her to the cinema
if she does not cry and sulk but not to take her if she does. Further, the
parent is instructed to ignore the girl when she cries and sulks. The
wanted behaviour of politely asking to be taken to the cinema increases

and the unwanted behaviour of crying and sulking decreases.
6. Systematic desensitisation is a technique introduced by Wolpe for
treating phobias or irrational fears.
Thus, the relaxation response is first built up and mildly anxiety-
provoking scene is imagined, and the anxiety is overcome by the
relaxation. The client is able to tolerate progressively greater levels of
anxiety because of her/his relaxed state.
It operates on the principle of reciprocal inhibition. This principle states
that the presence of two mutually opposing forces at the same time,
inhibits the weaker force.