THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES
ON ABNORMALITY:
COGNITIVE-BEHAVIOURAL AND
EXISTENTIAL-HUMANISTIC
LECTURE OUTLINE
• Behavioural theories
• Cognitive theories
• Cognitive-behavioural theories
• Existential-humanistic theories
BEHAVIOURAL THEORIES
Classical conditioning (Pavlov)
US
UR
CS
CR
Operant conditioning (Skinner)
SD
behaviour
Reinforcer
BEHAVIOURAL THEORIES
Operant conditioning
Reinforcement – leads to an increase in the
behaviour preceding the reinforcer
• positive
• negative
Punishment
• positive
• negative
BEHAVIOURAL THEORIES
• Classical conditioning – can play a role in a
variety of anxiety disorders
• Operant conditioning – can play a role in
numerous disorders
• Two-factor theory (Mowrer) – both classical and
operant interact to maintain anxiety problems
• Modeling (Bandura) – can learn maladaptive or
adaptive behaviours via observational learning
BEHAVIOURAL THEORIES
• Basic assumption of behavioural
theories is that maladaptive
behaviours are learned and can be
unlearned, and that new, more
adaptive behaviours can be learned
• Has been applied to a wide range of
disorders and problems
BEHAVIOURAL THEORIES
Treatments based on classical
conditioning
• systematic desensitization - Wolpe
• aversive conditioning
• exposure, flooding
BEHAVIOURAL THEORIES
Treatments based on operant conditioning
• behaviour shaping, coaching (teaching a new
behaviour)
• token economy, contingency contracting, and
other methods of positive reinforcement (used to
strengthen adaptive behaviours)
• extinction and punishment (used to weaken
maladaptive behaviours)
• stimulus control – used to cue adaptive
behaviours
COGNITIVE THEORIES
• Basic assumption of cognitive theories is that
maladaptive behaviour results from irrational or
distorted ways of thinking – emphasis is on
internal thought processes
• Like psychodynamic theories, cognitive
theories have been employed mostly with people
with anxiety and mood disorders
• Like behavioural theories, there is a strong
research emphasis in cognitive theories
COGNITIVE THEORIES
Albert Ellis – psychological problems stem from
irrational and catastrophic thinking
Examples of irrational beliefs
• I must be loved and approved of all the time
• Things must always go right
• I must be competent at everything
• Life should always treat me fairly
Rational-Emotive Therapy (RET) – therapist
challenges client’s irrational belief
COGNITIVE THEORIES
Aaron Beck – psychological problems stem from
distorted thinking based on underlying cognitive
schemata
Cognitive schemata – ways of viewing self,
world, past, future
Cognitive therapy - therapist challenges client’s
distorted thinking through a process of checking
beliefs against reality – evidence-gathering
approach
COGNITIVE-BEHAVIOURAL THEORIES
Over the past 20 years, the cognitive and
behavioural theories have become more interconnected, emphasizing both behaviour and
thinking
Bandura – social learning theory
• self-control
• self-efficacy
Cognitive-behavioural therapy is becoming the
dominant paradigm in clinical psychology
AND COGNITIVE- BEHAVIOURAL
TREATMENTS
• Problem-solving training – D’Zurilla & Goldfried
• Self-instructional training - Meichenbaum
Cognitive-behavioural therapy is becoming the
dominant paradigm in clinical psychology
SUMMARY OF BEHAVIOURAL AND
COGNITIVE THEORIES AND TREATMENTS
• emphasis on behaviour and cognitive
processes
• more active, directive therapeutic approach
than most psychodynamic approaches
• more research-oriented and results-oriented
approach than most psychodynamic approaches
EXISTENTIAL-HUMANISTIC THEORIES
• Roots – German and French
phenomenology, focus on experiencing
and emotion
• Third force – as an alternative to
psychodynamic and behavioural theories
• With the exception of Rogers, not as
rooted in research as behavioural and
cognitive theories
EXISTENTIAL-HUMANISTIC THEORIES
Core concepts
• Freedom
• Phenomenology
• Self-actualization
• Being and authenticity
• Holism
• Willing and wishing – Rollo May
EXISTENTIAL-HUMANISTIC THEORIES
Carl Rogers’ Theory of
Psychopathology
Lack of unconditional positive regard
Lack of unconditional positive self-regard
(low self-esteem)
Incongruence between self and experience
Anxiety, defensiveness, distortion
EXISTENTIAL-HUMANISTIC THEORIES
Carl Rogers’ Theory of Client-centered
Therapy
Therapist provides unconditional positive regard
Unconditional positive self-regard (selfacceptance or high self-esteem)
Congruence between self and experience
Authenticity, openness, psychological health
EXISTENTIAL-HUMANISTIC THEORIES
Core qualities of therapist for clientcentered therapy
• Empathy
• Warmth (unconditional positive regard)
• Genuineness - authenticity
EXISTENTIAL-HUMANISTIC THEORIES
Core qualities of therapist for clientcentered therapy
• quite a bit of research attesting to the
importance of these therapist variables
• widespread application of these skills in
psychology and counseling training programs –
active listening skills
• some would argue that these skills are
important for all types of therapy (compare with
psychodynamic notion of working alliance)
EXISTENTIAL-HUMANISTIC THEORIES
Other important existential-humanistic
theorists and therapists
• Maslow – self-actualization and need hierarchy
• Jourard – importance of self-disclosure for
psychological health and for therapy
• existential – Rollo May, Viktor Frankl –
logotherapy
• Fritz Perls – Gestalt therapy – emphasis on
experience/emotion, empty chair technique
SUMMARY OF EXISTENTIAL-HUMANISTIC
THEORIES AND TREATMENTS
• emphasis on experience and emotion
• emphasis on non-directive approaches to
therapy
• less research-oriented than behavioural and
cognitive approaches