Behavioral therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, cognitive therapy, operant conditioning, operant conditioning, problem solving training, self-management, social competence, attention deficit syndrome, psychoorganic syndrome (POS), ADD, Attention – Deficit – Disorder, behavioral disorder with attention and concentration disorder, ADD, attention deficit disorder, Träumerle, ADHD Fidgety Phil, ADHD. Fidgety Phil syndrome, Hyperkinetic syndrome (HKS).
Definition and description
After the diagnosis of problems or learning problems, such as ADD or ADHD, the primary symptomatology has not changed. This means that one can in no way rest on the diagnosis, rather the opposite is the case. It is necessary to adapt to the problems by means of multi-layered therapy (= multimodal therapy) in order to work out the best possible way of dealing with the clinical picture.
Often the problems have already led to further learning problems, such as dyslexia and/or dyscalculia. These problems can also occur when the child is highly gifted. For this reason, an individual therapy plan should be drawn up as seamlessly as possible in addition to the diagnosis. One possible form of therapy is behavioral therapy with its various forms of treatment and treatment methods.
Behavioral Therapy
Behavioral therapy is based on the concepts of psychological learning and behavior therapy and represents a form of psychotherapy. In contrast to depth psychology, in which the subconscious plays a major role, behavioral therapy assumes that psychological disorders are caused by incorrect learning, which is strongly influenced by faulty reinforcement mechanisms. The therapeutic approach can be complex.
In general, one distinguishes three main directions in behavioral therapy. These are: Classical behavioral therapy uses different learning principles, which should achieve the desired success by application, whereas cognitive therapy rather questions the perception and thought structures of the “patient”. Finally, cognitive behavioral therapy tries to combine the first two forms of therapy and thus to bring about specific behavioral changes through perception and thought structures, combined with specific learning and behavioral principles.
With regard to the attention deficit syndrome, this means that behavioral patterns that have been additionally reinforced by inconsistent educational styles offer central starting points for behavioral therapy measures. Due to the inconsistency in upbringing, the child experiences no negative consequences, possibly even a reward, so that he can conclude that he can get away with his behavior. A child will then use these behaviors again and again, after all, he has not experienced anything negative, maybe even something positive as a consequence for his behavior.
These typical behaviors must be examined first problem-oriented. The central question is, which situation triggers the typical behavior in the individual case. This behavior is then positively influenced by various behavioral therapy measures.
The measures described below represent different techniques and methods of cognitive behavior therapy.
- The classical behavior therapy
- The cognitive therapy
- The cognitive behavioral therapy
Operative conditioning, also called “learning by success” or “learning by success”, is usually directly associated with the name Skinner (B. F. Skinner) and his experiments with the so-called Skinner box. The idea behind operant conditioning is, that in general actions and behaviors to which a rewarding reaction is done, are repeated and if repeated can finally become a learned habit.
In operant conditioning the learner is active, because he controls his own behaviour. He behaves in a certain way to either achieve a positive reaction or to avoid negative consequences. Amplifiers that lead to positive consequences are called “positive amplifiers”.
Those that lead to negative consequences are called “negative reinforcers”.In the area of positive amplification, for example, the following amplifier categories can be distinguished: Operant conditioning is particularly problematic if it is applied incorrectly. A simple example:A child who achieves his or her wishes by showing negative behavior in public and parents reward this behavior by giving in. Imagine a child who wants to get certain sweets or toys in a store.
The mother negates this, the child literally rehearses a revolt. To avoid the critical looks of the environment, the mother fulfills the child’s wish. If this happens more often, the child knows exactly: “I only have to rehearse the rebellion to reach my goal.
In the area of negative reinforcement, for example, the following categories of reinforcement can be distinguished: There is also the possibility of not reacting to behavior. In this case, one hopes that the behavior will be deleted, since there is no reaction or effect on it. A simple example for this would be to ignore the negative behavior of the actor in order to achieve that these behaviors do not occur in the future.
- Social reinforcers (praise, recognition, attention, positive emphasis, tenderness)
- Material amplifiers (material things, like gifts, money, etc. )
- Action enhancers (actions that one likes to do may be practiced (longer) or at all: playing longer, excursions)
- Self-reinforcing (the learning person reinforces himself through social, material or action reinforcers)
- Unpleasant consequences occur
- Pleasant consequences are withdrawn
- Pleasant consequences are expected from the actor but not executed
All articles in this series:
