The
specialty of Behavioral Psychology emphasizes an experimental-clinical approach
to the application of behavioral and cognitive sciences to understanding human
behavior and developing interventions to enhance the human condition. Behavioral psychologists engage in research,
education, training, and clinical practice regarding a wide range of problems
and populations. The distinct focus of
behavioral psychology is twofold: (a) its strong reliance on an empirical
approach; and (b) its theoretical grounding in learning theories, broadly
defined, including respondent conditioning, operant learning, social learning,
cognitive sciences, and information processing models.
Behavioral
Psychology has its theoretical roots in the fields of experimental analysis of
behavior, behavior therapy, and
cognitive therapy. Currently, there are
four sub-areas of Behavioral Psychology which share theoretical foundations in
learning theory and a common approach to case conceptualization. These include applied behavior analysis,
behavior therapy, cognitive-behavior therapy, and cognitive therapy. Behavior is very broadly defined to include
overt actions, as well as private phenomena, such as cognitions, affect,
emotions, and physiological events.
The
knowledge base of Behavioral Psychology is derived from a wide range of areas,
including experimental, cognitive, developmental, physiological, and social psychology. The knowledge core common to all four
sub-areas of Behavioral Psychology includes the full spectrum of learning
theories, human development, biological bases of behavior, cognitive aspects of
behavior, affective aspects of behavior, psychopathology, principles of
measurement, ethics, clinical decision making, ethnic and cultural diversity
issues, research methods, and group and single-subject experimental
designs. Behavioral psychology is
especially also concerned with how the various behavioral, cognitive,
affective, biological, and social factors interact and impact each other.
The
American Board of Behavioral Psychology can certify psychologists in Behavioral
Psychology, with a concentration in one of the above four designated sub-areas,
as an affiliated board of the American Board of Professional Psychology. Practitioners of applied behavior analysis
can be certified by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board, Inc.®
Cognitive therapists can also be certified by the Academy of Cognitive Therapy.
Populations
Behavioral
psychologists serve a wide range of populations, including children,
adolescents, adults, and older adults.
Behavioral procedures have been successfully implemented with
individuals, couples, groups, families, classrooms, and organizations, as well
as in a variety of settings (e.g., homes, schools, clinics, hospitals,
workplaces, correctional facilities, communities).
Problems/Issues
Behavioral
Psychology has been applied to a wide range of problems which include, but are
not limited to, the following:
(a)
Anxiety
disorders (e.g., obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, posttraumatic
stress disorder)
(b)
Depressive
disorders (e.g., unipolar depression, bipolar disorder, dysthymic disorder)
(c)
Personality
disorders (e.g., borderline personality disorder)
(d)
Substance
abuse (e.g., alcoholism, tobacco addiction, drug abuse)
(e)
Health-related
problems (e.g., sleep disorders, eating disorders, weight control, pain,
distress associated with chronic illness)
(f)
Childhood
disorders (e.g., conduct disorder, attention deficit and hyperactivity
disorder)
(g)
Pervasive
developmental disorders (e.g., autism, behavioral problems, language problems,
social skill deficits)
(h)
Violence
and aggressive behavior (e.g., criminal behavior, sex offending)
(i)
Developmental
disabilities (e.g., adaptive behavior, behavior problems, language
difficulties)
(j)
Academic
performance
(k)
Relationship
problems (e.g., sexual dysfunction, marital difficulties)
(l)
Schizophrenia
(e.g., skill deficits, psychotic behavior)
(m)
Community
psychological enhancement and safety issues (e.g., wearing seat belts)
Procedures
Empiricism
is a hallmark of Behavioral PsychologyB consequently, it relies heavily on those
assessment and intervention procedures that have been found to be
scientifically supported.
Beyond
the use of Atraditional@ psychological assessment procedures,
such as self-report inventories and rating scales, Behavioral Psychology has
developed a variety of behavioral assessment procedures that emphasize
measuring overt behavior and observable phenomena (e.g., direct observation and
recording of the rate, frequency, duration, latency, intensity, and/or
magnitude of behaviors and cognitions).
These methods are used to determine the nature and parameters of a
problem in order to develop individualized treatment protocols, as well as
during and after treatment in order to evaluate the efficacy of such
interventions.
A
large cadre of specific behavioral and cognitive interventions exist, most of
them developed along the various traditional learning paradigms. These include, but are not limited to the
following:
(a)
Classical
conditioning approaches (e.g, systematic desensitization, gradual exposure)
(b)
Operant approaches
(e.g., differential reinforcement, functional analysis)
(c)
Social
learning approaches (e.g., behavioral rehearsal, modeling),
(d)
Cognitive
therapy approaches (e.g., cognitive restructuring, schema modification).
Other
behavioral approaches focus on skills training (e.g., assertiveness training;
behavioral activation, social problem-solving therapy), whereas still others
may be considered as Astress management@
strategies (e.g., autogenic training, progressive muscle relaxation,
visualization).
In
addition to the assessment and treatment of individual and group problems,
behavioral psychologists actively engage in research, training, and
consultation.