Abnormal Psychology 212
Abstract The Behavioral Model is based on the concept that behaviorist concentrate on behaviors of individuals and suggest that development occurs in accordance with the principles of learning. The theorists behind this model believe that classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and modeling all contribute to behavior, whether it is normal or abnormal. Treatments used under this model are designed to identify problematic behaviors in patients and replace these behaviors with socially acceptable ones.
The Behavioral Model Behavioral theorists believe that actions are determined by our life experiences. Behaviors are broken down into two groups, external and internal. External behaviors are your actions, like going to work and internal behaviors occur inside our bodies, like feelings, emotions, and thoughts. Behavioral theorists base their explanations on the principles of learning, the process of changing behavior in response to the environment. Researchers studied stimuli and rewards, and watched how they affected the responses of their patients. Many forms of conditioning were established that produced abnormal and normal behavior in people. The three main forms of conditioning are operant, modeling, and classical. Operant conditioning is a form of learning in which behaviors are shaped through rewards or reinforcements and punishments. Reinforcements are responses to a behavior that increase the probability that the behavior will be repeated and punishments are responses that decrease the probability that the behavior will be repeated. Operant conditioning also involves in law of effect which is the idea that behaviors that are followed by pleasurable consequences are more likely to be repeated that behaviors that are followed by aversive consequences. Modeling, also called Social Learning, is learning that is based on observing and imitating the behavior of others. The perspective