Attitude & BEHAVIOUR MODIFICATION THERAPY

EDUCATION MATERIAL

1. ATTITUDE AND BMT

2. Definition Theories BMT Factors affecting attitude

3. Attitudes Attitudes are defined as “predispositions towards action, about or toward people and things, evaluation of people, objects and ideas, and made up of emotional reactions, thoughts and beliefs, and action components. They can be learned or genetic and are sometimes impossible to change.

4. Attitudes According to Triandis (1971), attitudes have three components: a cognitive component 2. an affective component, and 3. a behavioral component.

5. Functions of Attitudes Value-Expressive function enable us to express who we are and what we believe in Ego-defensive function enable us to project internally-held conflicts onto others (e.g., homophobia) Knowledge function enable us to know the world Utilitarian Function Enable us to gain rewards and avoid punishment

6. Heider’s Balance Theory Heider’s (1958) cognitive consistency theory suggests: There is a need to maintain balance in any given triad (Person X, Person Y, Object or Person O). A positive (+) relationship between two people (X, Y) and a + relationship to the object or other person (O) results in balance.

7. Heider’s Balance Theory A positive (+) relationship between two people (X, Y) who have a negative relationship to another person/object (O) results in imbalance. This results in pressure to restore balance. Heider uses an algebraic formula to identify when relationships are balanced or not. Eight different configurations can be made using positive and negative relationships

8. Festinger’s (1957) Cognitive Dissonance theory In order to maintain consistency among our beliefs, attitudes, values, and behaviors, we use certain mechanisms when conflict arises. Rather than being in a state of imbalance or dissonance, we want to restore balance and have consonance.

9. Theories of Attitude Change: The Yale Attitude Change Approach ( Hovland , et al. 1953) Source – originator of communication Message – features of communication itself Audience – characteristics of who is receiving the message

10. Theories of Attitude Change: The Yale Attitude Change Approach ( Hovland , et al. 1953) Characteristics of Source Credibility Expertise Trustworthiness Attractiveness Similarity Appearance

11. Theories of Attitude Change: The Yale Attitude Change Approach (Hovland, et al. 1953) Message Factors One-sided vs. Two-sided messages Order of messages Primacy Effects Recency Effects Repetition

12. Theories of Attitude Change: The Yale Attitude Change Approach (Hovland, et al. 1953) Characteristics of Audience Distraction Intelligence Self-Esteem Age (18-25 year olds most susceptible)

13. Theories of Attitude Change: Bem’s (1965) Self Perception Theory People infer their attitudes from their behaviour

14. Petty & Cacioppo’s (1986) Elaboration Likelihood (dual-process) Model of Persuasion (ELM) Central route to persuasion occurs when we think critically about message content and are swayed by the strength and quality of its arguments. Peripheral route to persuasion occurs when we do not do much thinking but are swayed by employing heuristics on the basis of non-content cues (e.g., “experts know best”)

15. The Elaboration-Likelihood Model of Persuasion ( Petty & Cacioppo , 1986) Persuasive Communication Ability & Motivation to pay attention? No Yes Central Route to Persuasion Peripheral Route To persuasion Attitude Change

16. Values Attitudes and values are closely linked. Rokeach (1968, 1971, 1973) has argued that people’s values are also important as a predictor of behavior. Values are seen as more fundamental than attitudes and are more stable and long lasting.

17. Factors Influencing Attitude Factors influencing attitude are beliefs, feelings, and action tendencies of an individual or group of individuals towards objects, ideas, and people . Quite often persons and objects or ideas become associated in the minds of individuals and as a result, attitudes become multidimensional and complex . Attitudes involve some knowledge of a situation .

18. Social Factors. Direct Instruction. Family. Prejudices. Personal Experience. Media. Educational and Religious Institutions . Physical Factors. Economic Status and Occupations Factors Influencing Attitude

19. BMT

20. Behavior Therapies Behavior therapy is therapy based on the principles of learning , such as the classical and operant conditioning principles discussed earlier in semester. Insight or understanding are not goals of behavior therapy; behavior change and symptom relief are the goals.

21. Therapies based on the principles of learning classical conditioning operant conditioning Cognitive learning

22. Therapy Based on Classical Conditioning: Systematic Desensitization Based on the assumption that you cannot simultaneously be anxious and relaxed. Learn to associate the feared stimulus with a relaxation response to change the conditioning. First, anxiety hierarchy created, from least feared to most feared stimuli; progressive relaxation is taught. Then, therapist helps pt. work his/her way up the anxiety hierarchy until they can imagine each stimulus and remain relaxed at the same time.

23. Therapy Based on Classical Conditioning: Flooding Another form of counterconditioning (changing the conditioning that has paired anxiety or fear with a given stimuli, such as a spider) is flooding . In flooding , the person is exposed to the feared stimulus all at once for a long period of time until the connection between the stimuli and fear is broken (extinction takes place).

24. Therapy Based on Classical Conditioning: Aversive Conditioning Aversive conditioning occurs when the therapist tries to associate an unpleasant state with an unwanted behavior. Examples include associating nausea with alcohol use ( An abuse ), or associating shocks with inappropriate arousal in sex offenders . Usually not effective in the long term, so often used in conjunction with other methods if used at all.

25. Therapy Based on Operant Conditioning: Behavior Modification In behavior modification, reinforcers or punishers are used consistently to reward desired behavior or punish unwanted behavior. One example of a reinforcing is when a token economy is used; this means that each good behavior gets a small token that can be saved and later spent as money to buy various rewards . A-B-C analysis (smoking)

26. Cognitive Therapies Cognitive therapists believe that our thoughts about ourselves and others impact on our feelings and behavior; it is not the things that happen but our interpretation of those things that cause us pain, problems. Often, they work to help people change their “ self-talk ,” or internal dialogue, making it less negative and more positive. Often used to treat depression . Eg :Rational emotive therapy, beck’s cognitive therapy and self instructional training