Evolutionary Psych-Class 21

origins of CBT

• CBT emerged from behaviourism and cognitive theory integration.

• The 1949 Boulder conference emphasized the scientist-practitioner model.

• Eysenck’s 1952 critique questioned psychotherapy’s effectiveness.

• Behaviour therapy evolved to meet this challenge with empirical methods.

rise of protocols

• CBT became protocol-driven to match pharmacological trials.

• Manuals targeted disorders like depression and anxiety.

• Outcome research validated many CBT protocols.

• However, these approaches often neglected client individuality.

limits of the medical model

• No biological markers reliably define mental disorders.

• Diagnosis often relies on symptom checklists and categories.

• The latent disease model remains unsupported by genetics research.

• Treatment often misaligns with client needs and lived context.

DSM and RDoC Issues

• The DSM and ICD lack treatment utility despite widespread use.

• RDoC emphasized biological processes but retained disease assumptions.

• These models obscure personal context and process-level factors.

• Critics call for person-centred, functional approaches instead.

CBT identity crisis

• CBT gained mainstream acceptance at a theoretical cost.

• It shifted from principles-based to protocol-focused practice.

• Evidence-based care became rigid and symptom-focused.

• This created dissatisfaction among clinicians and clients alike.

Rise of process-based models

• PBT refocuses on dynamic, testable change processes.

• It integrates behavioural, cognitive, affective, and contextual levels.

• It allows tailoring treatments to individual client goals.

• This model moves beyond ‘one-size-fits-all’ interventions

understanding change

• Processes must be theory-based, dynamic, and progressive.

• They operate across psychological, biophysiological, and sociocultural levels.

• Examples include emotion regulation, attentional control, and motivation.

• Targeting these processes improves long-term client outcomes.

critique of Symptom protocols

• Many clients relapse despite protocol completion.

• Symptom-focused therapy may miss core change mechanisms.

• Individual variability is often ignored in trials.

• Process tracking offers more responsive therapeutic adjustments.

EEMM

extended evolutionary meta-model

eemm overview

• The Extended Evolutionary Meta-Model (EEMM) maps change processes.

• It includes six psychological dimensions: affect, cognition, attention, self, motivation, and behaviour.

• Two additional levels: biophysiological and sociocultural.

• Each domain includes variation, selection, retention, and context.

eemm and evolution

• The EEMM applies principles of variation, selection, and retention.

• Change is adaptive when it aligns with personal and contextual fit.

• Maladaptive processes arise when change is rigid or mismatched.

• The model tracks both adaptive and pathological patterns.

variation and selection

• Variation represents new behaviours or cognitive responses.

• Selection identifies which variants support the client's goals.

• Retention involves integrating new behaviours into routines.

• Context ensures changes are relevant to life circumstances.

adaptive vs maladaptive

• EEMM separates health-promoting and harmful processes.

• Example: flexible attention vs. rigid rumination.

• Therapy focuses on shifting toward adaptive patterns.

• Dimensions interact dynamically over time

therapist use of eemm

• Therapists use the EEMM to organize treatment planning.

• Identifies which dimensions and levels are most relevant.

• Helps assess gaps in treatment models.

• Supports a personalized, dynamic case formulation.

dimensions of change

• Each dimension (e.g., affect or attention) influences well-being.

• Change in one domain can cascade across others.

• Therapy targets multiple interconnected dimensions.

• Attention to dimension-level change aids in fine-tuning intervention.

multilevel integration

• Biophysiological factors include genetics, neurochemistry, sleep.

• Sociocultural levels include relationships, norms, identity.

• Processes occur within and across these levels.

• EEMM supports integration of all relevant influences.

PBT flexibility

• PBT avoids rigid allegiance to one therapy school.

• It draws tools from behavioural, cognitive, humanistic traditions.

• The focus is on process utility, not protocol fidelity.

• This increases adaptability across diverse client needs.

common language of change

• EEMM offers shared terminology for clinicians.

• Reduces confusion across therapeutic approaches.

• Facilitates integration of diverse methods.

• Encourages collaboration and research clarity.

dynamic systems view

• Psychopathology is viewed as a shifting network.

• Symptoms interact in context-dependent ways.

• Therapy alters networks toward flexibility and functionality.

• Outcomes reflect systemic, not just individual, change.

network models in practice

• Client experiences are mapped as causal networks.

• Therapy targets central nodes with highest influence.

• This offers precision and personalized pathways.

• Changes ripple through the client’s system.

implications for training

• Therapists need skills in process identification and tracking.

• Training should focus on dynamic, idiographic assessment.

• Emphasizes real-time feedback and outcome alignment.

• Supports skillful adaptation in complex clinical scenarios.

role of context in change

• Psychological processes function within specific environmental contexts.

• A behaviour’s adaptiveness depends on the demands of the situation.

• EEMM highlights how context shapes the selection and retention of traits.

• Therapy supports clients in shaping environments that sustain change.

idiographic focus in PBT

• PBT emphasizes person-specific (idiographic) case formulation.

• Rather than assuming shared causes, it explores individual process pathways.

• This approach aligns with evolutionary variation across individuals.

• Functional analysis replaces categorical diagnostic labels.

Intervention as Evolutionary Training

• Interventions are seen as experiments in behavioural evolution.

• Effective practices amplify adaptive variation and suppress maladaptive forms.

• Feedback helps refine which behaviours are retained.

• This mirrors how evolution shapes organisms in their niches.

psychological flexibility as fitness

• Psychological flexibility supports adaptation to changing demands.

• It involves openness, awareness, and value-directed action.

• In evolutionary terms, it enhances fitness in uncertain environments.

• Flexibility is central in third-wave behavioural therapies like ACT.

the future of the process-based models

• EEMM supports ongoing refinement through empirical testing.

• Future models may map neural, behavioural, and social systems.

• Integration with evolutionary theory enhances explanatory power.

• PBT positions psychology as both scientific and humanistic.