Behavioural Model of
Abnormality
EVALUATION (Ao2)
Advantages & Limitations
•
Advantage 1: Behavioural approaches, especially when combined with
cognitive approaches, have proved very effective in treating clients with
phobias and other neurotic disorders, such as obsessive-compulsive
disorders. They are less successful with more serious disorders such as
schizophrenia and psychosis.
•
Advantage 2: There is also the advantage that therapy can focus directly on the
client’s maladaptive behaviour. There is no need to refer to the client’s
previous history or to his medical history. Behaviourists believe that changing
the behaviour from maladaptive to adaptive is sufficient for a ‘cure’.
•
Limitation 1: One limitation of the BM is that only behaviour is considered. The
thoughts and feelings of cognition are not taken into consideration. However, a
human being is much more than a bundle of behaviours, and thinking and
feelings need to be considered. Behavioural therapy may change the behaviour
without resolving the underlying causes of that behaviour.
•
Limitation 2: The BM ignores possible medical causes of abnormal behaviour.
For example, we know that there is a genetic element in anorexia, that the lack
of glucose can deepen depression, and that excessive dopamine is linked with
several mental disorders. It is likely that the Behavioural Model takes too
narrow a focus of what constitutes human psychology. Humans are more than
2
rats in Skinner boxes.
Evaluation of the Behaviourist Approach
+ Treatments can be effective as they have
practical application.
- Reductionist: The approach ignores the
role of biological factors and suggests that
humans are simple mechanisms at the
mercy of stimulus-response behaviours
+ The approach is concerned with the
present symptoms rather than
concentrating on the past.
- Only treats the symptoms and not the
causes
+ Scientific and empirical support through
experiments. This means it has been
objectively measured.
- Large amount of supporting research is
based on animal studies which can’t be
generalised to humans.
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Activity: Explaining mental illness
using the behavioural model
• Work in Pairs and Use Classical
conditioning, Operant conditioning, and
Social learning theory (modelling) to
explain the development of Anorexia
Nervosa. (write down your explanations).
• List at least one strength & one limitation
of using the behavioural model to explain
the abnormal behaviour ‘Anorexia’.
4
Behaviourist Approach (AO2)
Name and outline 2 supporting points and 2 criticisms of the approach
Support: 1) Focuses on Behaviour
2) Focuses on Functioning
Criticism: 1) Ignores causes of behaviour 2) Reductionist
Explain each criticism in more detail….
Apply the behaviourist response to the criticism that it ignores causes
of behaviour (using keyword ‘However’)