Social learning model DUE TODAY!
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ClassLectureNotesSWK3514-15-20.docxBehavioral Theory
Believes that most if not all human behavior is learned. Adaptive behavior or maladaptive. (addiction is learned behavior)
Behaviorists are concerned with studying and analyzing observable, measureable behavior (empirical evidence)
Addiction is created because people are conditioned to engage in frequent drug taking behavior over and over and over again.
There are two types of conditioning:
1. Classical Conditioning (aka Respondent Conditioning/Pavlovian Conditioning). Where behavior is under the control of a well-defined stimulus. It is actually the pairing of stimuli together that can elicit a behavioral response.
Pavlov – Used dogs to demonstrate involuntary learning. Reflexive learning.
Food + Bell = Salivate (drool)
(Stimuli #1) (Stimuli #2) Behavior
The bell alone without the presentation of the food caused the dogs to salivate. The dogs had become conditioned to just the sound of the bell alone, to drool.
Little Albert experiment White rat + Loud noise = startle
Alcohol/drug use example
Stress social influences
Stimuli #1 + Stimuli #2 = Alcohol or drug use (behavioral response)
Cravings social users = Use
Go away to a rehab and come home. Stress stimuli alone ---- can lead to behavior of use
Social influences stimuli alone can lead to behavior of use
Stimuli Withdrawals/cravings ------ Relapse
Stimuli hanging out with active users ------- Relapse
Triggers are stimuli that can cause relapse or use because we have been classically conditioned to respond to those stimuli, to those triggers.
Euphoria/Urges/withdrawal + Smell/sight/environment = Substance Use
(Triggers) people places things
Stimuli 1 Stimuli +2 Behavior
2. Operant Conditioning - This is how most voluntary behavior becomes learned. It’s behavior that is produced that doesn’t appear to be directly elicited by a stimulus. This type of conditioning occurs through reinforcement and punishment. Behavior becomes learned as a result of reinforcement and punishment.
Operant behavior is conditioned if it is followed by a reinforcer.
Behavior is maintained by events that occur after the behavior and not before it.
A reinforcer can be both positive and negative.
A reinforcer is any event that increases the probability and rate of behavior
Positive (+) = to add
Negative (-) = to take away or subtract or remove
We are talking about the adding or subtracting of stimuli.
Positive Reinforcement
Means adding a stimuli after a behavior that the person finds rewarding or valuable that increases or maintains the frequency of behavior. (gold star on the work, or you receive a bonus at work after good production, or praise).
What is rewarding or valuable about alcohol and drug use?
Reinforcers?
Euphoria, have a great time/party!!!!, social inclusion,
May maintain the likelihood of using at the same rate or increased rate.
Negative Reinforcement – maintaining or increasing in the rate of behavior.
IT does not matter if I say positive or negative reinforcement . As long as the word reinforcement or reinforcer is there, it means to maintain or increase the rate of behavior.
Negative reinforcement does not mean decrease !!!! The only thing that decreases the probability or rate of behavior is punishment.
Negative Reinforcement
Begins with an unwanted, irritating, aversive stimuli that we want to remove from our lives!!!
The behavior we generate is to remove the unwanted stimulus. The result is an increase in that behavior because it provides relief from the unwanted stimulus.
Example #1 The sound of an alarm clock. IT’s irritating! It’s unwanted stimuli. The behavior we do is to remove, subtract, take away the sound. We get relief or reinforcement from the sound being gone. And the next time it comes back, we will do the same behavior to remove it.
Example #2 The headache. The feeling is irritating and unwanted. The behavior we do is to pop a pill. In a little while, we get relief from the headache being gone. The next time it returns, we pop another pill.
Example #3 The crying baby. Feed the baby, change the diaper, swaddle the baby.
How is addiction negatively reinforced?
Withdrawal symptoms (unwanted!) the behavior I do is to use again. Ahhhh relief from the unwanted withdrawal symptoms. And when the sickness returns??? Use again.
In fact addicts can condition themselves through both positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement.
Punishment is the only thing that decreases the probability or rate of behavior.
Punishment can be both positive and negative.
Positive Punishment – Add a stimuli after a behavior that the person does not find rewarding or valuable. They find it punishing. Spanking or scolding, Criticism, make them clean their room. Chores.
Example in addiction: Hangover. Anxiety and paranoia added after smoking pot.
Example: DWI – Add a Fine, add court dates, add a lawyer, Add points onto your license, add on drinking and driving classes, add on handcuffs.
Negative Punishment- Taking away or removing stimuli after a behavior that the person does not find rewarding or valuable. (Taking away a toy, a phone, a computer, an event, time-out)
Example: DWI – Pay fine (Take away money), take away your license, take you away and put you in jail, take away your car, take away your dignity.
Example: The frustration and deprivation of being without our drug of choice.
Sometimes we want to get to what behaviorists call extinction. Extinction is the complete elimination of the behavior.
Punishment, if done correctly, can lead to the extinction of behavior. But, punishment has to be applied consistently and it has to be meaningful.
Two other types of learning according to Behavior Theory
Generalization can be defined as the tendency of an action to occur in a new setting because of the setting’s similarity to the one in which the behavioral response was originally learned, with the likelihood of the response recurring being proportional to the degree of similarity between the settings.
Setting A Setting B
Kindergarten 1st grade
CVS K-Mart
For example, let us imagine that a cocaine addict, 4 years into recovery, goes on a business trip to a distant city. After arriving at the airport, he heads to the subway to catch a train for a downtown meeting. While riding on the subway train, he experiences intense cravings for cocaine. The last time he can remember having such an intense desire for cocaine was when he used to snort the drug with his buddies while riding the trains in his hometown. His cocaine cravings (and use) essentially generalized to all subway trains.
Discrimination can be defined as learning distinct responses to two or more similar but different stimuli due to differing benefits and costs associated with each one.
Offer 1 Offer 2
SWK 446 Tuesdays at 4pm Saturdays at 9am
Prof. A Prof. B
The failure to discriminate contributes to many relapses during early recovery.
For example, let us suppose that an addict is discharged from an inpatient treatment facility. He has many new friends whom he has met through NA and many old friends with whom he used to get high. He insists that he can be with his old friends and not “pick up” or “slip.” Unfortunately, he soon relapses, but he gradually learns that his old friends represent a stimulus condition that he must avoid.
The greater the enticement, the greater the feeling, the greater the fun, the greater the experience, the more you become conditioned.
