Behavioral Modification Techniques for Psychological Health

Techniques of Control Activation

Objective: To teach the individual to control their own level of arousal through the direct modification of physiological conditions without the aid of external resources.

Techniques utilized:

• Progressive relaxation
• Autogenic training
• Passive relaxation
• And more...

Applications: Disorders associated with excessive activation or stress, pain problems, preparation for hospitalization, and various medical interventions.

Technical Exposure

Objective: Reduction of anxiety through the repeated presentation of the stimulus that causes anxiety.

Applications: The elimination of medical fears, phobias, and caution regarding blood and injections.

Operating Techniques to Acquire or Increase Behavior

Objective: To increase the probability of emission of a behavior and healthy habits.

Work-out programs:

• Direct reinforcement
• Behavioral contracts
• Token economy
• Stimulus control

Applications: Improving adherence to medical treatments, maintenance and improvement of health behaviors, quality of life, and chronic pain management.

Operating Techniques to Eliminate or Reduce Behavior

Objective: Reduce behaviors that disrupt, impede, or prevent adaptive behavior.

Procedures: Extinction, differential reinforcement, response cost, time out of reinforcement, and satiation.

Applications: Modification of harmful habits.

Aversive Techniques

Objective: Achieve the complete cessation of the emission of a behavior.

Procedure: Use of aversive stimuli (subject to ethical issues).

Applications: Alcoholism, smoking, and obesity.

Modeling

Objective: Learning through observation of the behavior of others.

Procedure: Show the individual one or more models that exhibit behavior, asking them to focus attention on the action and the contingencies that follow.

• Acquisition: New repertoires of behaviors or skills.
• Inhibition/Disinhibition: Modification of behavior previously possessed in their repertoire.

Applications:

• Primary Prevention: Risk behaviors associated with HIV, alcohol, drugs, positive attitudinal change for healthy habits, physical exercise, nutrition, and protected sexual relations.
• Secondary Prevention: Learning behaviors of self-exploration and adherence to treatment.
• Tertiary Prevention: Problem-solving for brain injuries, establishment of self-care behaviors, and language skills in children with developmental disorders.

Self-Control and Cognitive Techniques

Principal Methods:

1. Meichenbaum Autoinstructional Training: Modification of automatic thoughts and emotional triggers.
2. Problem Solving: A procedure where the person identifies and discovers effective ways of coping with daily life problems.
3. Cognitive Structures: Rational-Emotive Therapy, and Ellis and Beck's Cognitive Therapy.
4. Coping Skills: Stress inoculation training (Meichenbaum).