Behaviorism, Social Learning Theory, and the DSM by William Holley

Behaviorism:

dharmablue — 2015-03-23 00:43:43 UTC

Focus on learning and behavior
How conditions and consequences shape learning and behavior
Studies observable behavior instead of internal processes such as thought or feelings
Key theorists: Pavlov, Watson, Thorndike, and Skinner

Pavlov’s contribution to Behaviorism:

dharmablue — 2015-03-23 00:46:52 UTC

Through repetition, a neutral stimulus such as a bell paired with an unconditional stimuli (naturally occurring such as food) can produce same response (salivating) as the unconditional stimuli
The stimulus and Response paradigm became scientific because of Pavlov’s strict experiments and systematic data collection
Association with the stimulus is central to learning and behavior changes

Watson’s contribution to Behaviorism:

dharmablue — 2015-03-23 00:49:40 UTC

Took Pavlov’s Stimulus and Response paradigm and applied it to the world of psychology
Defined behaviorism as “a natural science aimed at the prediction and control of human behavior and held that behavior could be shaped through the selection and application of appropriate stimuli” (RCC 347)
Association through repetition within the stimuli and response paradigm form a habit (RCC 347)
Rejected the role of heredity and mentalism which asserts internal workings typically of the mind are key to understanding behavior, i.e. Freud (RCC 347)

Thorndike’s contribution to Behaviorism:

dharmablue — 2015-03-23 00:54:50 UTC

Took the Stimulus and Response (S-R) paradigm and developed the idea that consequences strengthen or weaken the S-R connection
Consequences either satisfy (making it sought after) or annoy (making it avoided) the learner but either way the connection is “stamped in” or reinforced which is the Law of Effect (RCC 348)
Moved beyond associated learning and conditioned reflexes (his critique of Pavlov) to behavioral consequences which function to change a person’s internal nature and behavior (RCC 348)

Skinner's contribution to Behaviorism:

dharmablue — 2015-03-23 01:01:29 UTC

Accepted the Stimulus and Response paradigm but held it is the simplest example of learned behavior
Believed that person and environment relations were too complex to be understood in reflexive terms

Developed the idea of operant conditioning which focuses on consequences or what happens after the behavior creating a learning dynamic in which behavior is “strengthened by its consequence and the consequence itself is the reinforce for the behavior” (RCC 349)
Positive reinforcement adds something to the environment and negative reinforcement removes something from the environment which strengthen the desired behavior/response
Punishment weakens the desired behavior/response through giving an unwanted consequence or removing a positive reinforcement
Reduced the importance of the stimulus (known as the antecedent) in explaining human behavior
Continued to emphasize the experimental processes and date collection and analysis giving scientific credibility to the field

maj293 — 2015-03-24 01:18:16 UTC

clf41 — 2015-03-24 01:57:00 UTC

"The ritual of making a diagnosis is a performance that occurs within the social space." (Datta 2014)

There is a lot written about the DSM, I choose this article by Datta, as he describes the DSM and how they created the diagnosis of homosexuality and how it was sort of but not really removed.

clf41 — 2015-03-24 01:58:12 UTC

This is the newest and latest addition of the DSM. This video explains the continued controversy.

Some descriptions of the DSM

clf41 — 2015-03-24 02:00:46 UTC

DSM stands for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders. It is the manual published by the American Psychiatric Association which lists all classifications of mental disorders.
The organizing concept of the DSM is to assign symptoms to the classification for which they are most relevant. For example, even if obsessive symptoms are frequently found with the manic/depressive symptoms of bipolar disorder, they would nevertheless be categorized with obsessive-compulsive disorder as they are more relevant to that category.
Each classification contains threshold criteria for the symptoms it includes; that is, the length and/or severity which are needed for that symptom to qualify for the diagnosis.
From time to time, the classifications are updated in order to incorporate new knowledge.
The DSM has been enormously helpful in that it has created a single “language” with which to discuss, collaborate and diagnosis mental disorders.
Despite this usefulness, the classifications in the DSM have not led to any major research breakthroughs. They remain concepts, or ideas of mental disorders, rather than evidence-based, validated classifications linked to known biological conditions.
Investigators continue in their efforts to define mental disorders in ways that will provide that validation.
There is growing recognition that the organizing concepts of the DSM are largely at odds with how our brains create behavior and that meaningful research will not be accomplished as long as it is based on DSM classifications.

Erikson, V., Kress, V. (2005). Beyond the DSM Story: Ethical Quandries, Challenges, and Best Practices. Sage Publishers

clf41 — 2015-03-24 02:02:20 UTC

Chapter 5

Toward Resolving the Quandaries and Pursuing Ethical and Contextually Sensitive Diagnostic Practice

This chapter focuses specifically on identifying Thirty-Three Activities that helps practitioners increase their awareness of the ethical dilemmas inherent in using the DSM. It also helps increase competence in contextually sensitive and thorough assessment practices. I will go ahead and list the Thirty Three activities and their goals which I believe are necessary as practitioners to practice and embrace. Each activity goes into a number of exercises in order to reach that goal, I will not list the exercises here but highly recommend checking them out at some point.

ACTIVITIES 1 through 33

Activity 1

Goal: To encourage empathy with client perspectives on diagnostic labeling. To reduce the tendency for detachment from and objectification of the client when applying diagnostic labels.

Activity 2

Goal: To increase awareness about common perceptions of mental illness and to explore the roots and sustainers of negative perceptions.

Activity 3

Goal: To increase an understanding of the political nature of some DSM diagnoses by exploring who promoted the inclusion of the diagnoses, and what their reasons might have been for wanting the diagnoses included.

Activity 4

Goal: To develop an appreciation of the idea that diagnoses are not set "facts," but context ridden, ever-changing labels (e.g., at one point, the DSM labeled gays and lesbiansas mentally ill). To become aware of the ever changing line between what is normal or abnormal behavior.

Activity 5

Goal: To encourage awareness of and sensitivity to the complexity of the diagnostic decision-making processes.

Activity 6

Goal: To encourage multiplistic and divergent thinking about the DSM and its uses.

Activity 7

Goal: To encourage considering (or adding) alternative explanations for client' experiences beyond a "mental disorder" conceptualization. To help practitioners view diagnoses as a case and situation specific. To facilitate an emphasis on client strengths.

Activity 8

Goal: To facilitate and practice deconstructing clients' language in order to understand clients' perceptions of their reality, rather than merely "accepting" the language and assuming that one knows what the clients mean.

Activity 9

Goal: To avoid making premature diagnostic decisions, as research illustrates that delaying diagnostic decisions leads to greater accuracy, and that once made, practitioners find it quite difficult to shift their diagnostic impressions despite new information.

Activity 10

Goal: To encourage the consideration of strengths and how they can be used and emphasized in counseling.

Activity 11

Goal: To explore the numerous issues and layers of considerations that contribute to diagnostic decision making, and to encourage advanced levels of conceptualization and thinking about diagnoses.

Activity 12

Goal: To increase practitioners' awareness of the impact of culture on the diagnostic process. To broaden the perspective of culture and beyond race into other cultural experiences.

Activity 13

Goal: To explore the issues of gender as they relate to conceptions of normal and abnormal behavior. To identify value influences on what is included or not included in the DSM.

Activity 14

Goal: To explore social constructions of gender related to normal and abnormal behavior.

Activity 15

Goal: To consider the sociopolitical contect associated with past diagnoses.

Activity 16

Goal: To explore the role that gender and culture play in conceptualizing mental disorders

Activity 17

Goal: To foster an ability to use strength base language that communicates an understanding of the impact of context. To decrease pathology-based language during client assessment.

Activity 18

Goal: To explore the importance of cultural context in the etiology and treatment of mental disorders.

Activity 19

Goal: To use case studies to explore ethical and practical issues associated with the DSM

Activity 20

Goal: To increase the ability to collaborate, involve clients in the diagnostic process, and facilitate the formation of diagnostic meanings.

Activity 21

Goal: To encourage understanding of the ways that values may impact counseling and diagnosis

Activity 22

Goal: To increase practitioners' understanding of the values inherent in different theoretical approaches and how they compare with those of the DSM.

Activity 23

Goal: To encourage understanding of the relationship between values of certain mental health professions and the values inherent in the DSM diagnositic manual.

Activity 24

Goal: To increase awareness of the more positive perspectives of diagnostic labels, and thus to reduce the chance that professionals will fail to identify client strenths when assessing.

Activity 25

Goal: To encourage divergent way of thinking about diagnoses.

Activity 26

Goal: This exercise challenges the linearity of causation that is assumed in the DSM and in the medical model upon which it is grounded, and instead, posits a circular or recursive way of understanding causes of problems.

Activity 27

Goal: To encourage consideration of alternative methods of diagnosis and counter the notion that disorders should be conceptualized as being located solely in the individual.

Activity 28

Goal: To help practitioners to consider a dimensional versus a categorical perspective on diagnosis

Activity 29

Goal: To externalize clients' diagnosis and internalize personal agency.

Activity 30

Goal:To imagine possible funding sources or methods of payment other than insurance

Activity 31

Goal: To increase awareness of the benefits that mental health professionals have to offer beyond traditionally reimbursed services.

Activity 32

Goal: To increase awareness of the value to employers of mental health provider's knowledge.

Activity 33

Goal: To increase mental health providers' ability to advocate for and market themselves.

WOW RIGHT ON!

(Jenoa Briar-Bonpane, personal communication, March 22nd, 2015).

clf41 — 2015-03-24 02:03:24 UTC

We could spend an entire semester or two studying the DSM. Instead, we just touch on it here. The DSM is something you are likely to work with either directly or indirectly in social work. In order for clients to access counseling, treatment, financial assistance, etc., they need to qualify and that often means having the right diagnosis. The DSM is a taxonomy of diagnoses. It provides names and numbers for symptoms that allow us to use a kind of universal language/code to communicate with other disciplines/institutions about the types of challenges clients are living with. The DSM does not explain causes, nor does it offer solutions. It is a catalog created by a handful of mental health clinicians and it changes over time reflecting the influence of historical, political, and theoretical contexts of the time. It is a tool we are wise to be familiar with and one we also need to review with a critical eye for what is included, what is missed, and who/how decided what conditions/symptoms are deemed pathological.

maj293 — 2015-03-24 02:11:39 UTC

Social Learning Theory, developed by Robert L. Burgess and Ronald L. Akers (1966), is based on the notion that learning comes from observing and imitating the actions of others.

maj293 — 2015-03-24 02:26:00 UTC

We all participate in social learning every day. For example, here is a contemporary example of Social Learning Theory in action with regard to Youtube instructional videos. When we want to learn how to do something, we often simply watch and imitate the actions of others who post instructional videos on the internet.

Behaviorism at work:

dharmablue — 2015-03-24 02:32:45 UTC

with adults living in poverty through changing the operating conditions

clf41 — 2015-03-24 02:32:49 UTC

clf41 — 2015-03-24 02:33:35 UTC

Behaviorism at work:

dharmablue — 2015-03-24 02:33:44 UTC

In the classroom

The D.S.M. and the Nature of Disease

clf41 — 2015-03-24 02:35:55 UTC

April 7, 2013

Social Learning Theory Explored...

maj293 — 2015-03-24 03:19:12 UTC

Is aggression a learned behavior? If so, how do we learn this behavior and why?

Social Learning Theory states that children learn aggressive behavior by observing other children’s aggressive actions. Children learn that, under certain circumstances, the reward for aggressive (or criminal) behavior is greater than the punishment (vicarious reinforcement). The aggressive behavior will be repeated depending upon the success (or reward) that a child receives from acts of aggression (self- efficacy).

A strength of Social Learning Theory is that it can explain context dependent aggression or aggressive behavior that occurs without direct reinforcement.

Social Learning Theory can also explain causal links between media and real-life aggression. However, there is much debate about how influential media is relative to aggressive behavior by real people in everyday life.

Will playing video games lead a child to murder? Do violent movies play a role in domestic violence? These questions are highly debated and continue to be explored today.

Social Learning Theory -- The Original Bobo Doll Experiment

maj293 — 2015-03-24 03:35:56 UTC

Behaviorism at work:

dharmablue — 2015-03-24 04:12:18 UTC

with children who have autism

References

clf41 — 2015-03-24 04:53:38 UTC

Book

Erikson, V., Kress, V. (2005). Beyond the DSM Story: Ethical Quandries, Challenges, and Best Practices. Sage PublishersRobbins, S., Chatterjee, P., Canda, E. (2012) Contemporary Human Behavior Theory: A Critical Perspective for Social Work. Allyn & Bacon.

Articles online

Datta, Vivek (2014) When Homosexuality Came out of the DSM. Mad in America Science, Psychiatry and Community, Featured Blog. Retrieved from http://www.madinamerica.com/2014/12/homosexuality-came-dsm/

Greenberg, Gary (2013) The D.S.M and the Nature of Disease. The New Yorker. Retrieved from http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/the-d-s-m-and-the-nature-of-disease

Juvenile Bipolar Research Foundation (2015) JBRF Website.
Retrieved from http://www.jbrf.org/page-for-families/the-diagnostic-and-statistical-manual-of-mental-disorders-dsm/

YouTube

Bullying News Videos. (2008, September 13). Classical Conditioning: Ivan Pavlov Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhqumfpxuzI

The Curious Classroom. (2013, August 30). Bandura and Social Learning Theory. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjTxQy_U3ac&t=108

The Curious Classroom. (2013, December 22). Social Psychological Theories of Aggression – Social Learning Theory. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnWocJQ1U30

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) 5 Controversy. (2014, January 5th)
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n27YaehttLc

Fuse Universal. (2011, Februarys 16). What is Social Learning? Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIlwGYY0_AA

JustUsSeven. (2010, October 3). Learning To Do ABA Therapy at Home. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lbins7IVf4Y

Learning for the 21st Century. (2012, December 30). Use a Learning Theory: Behaviorism. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYDYzR-ZWRQ

TedX Talks. (2013, April 26). Change Behavior- Change the World: Joseph Grenny at TEDxBYU. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6T9TYz5Uxl0&index=2&list=PLes-2vkbjh_CINIGM1r4VxTyq30o-bSsB