PSY350 Lecture 5.15

Learning perspective

Involves learning models

Learning models

Focused on classical and operant conditioning as roots of illness, or as methods of treatment

Classical

Learning by association

Pavlov dog

Operant

Learning by consequences

Good or bad consequences

What else does the learning perspective include?

Social-cognitive theory

Social-cognitive theory

Observing others experiencing consequences for their behaviors and then we build a cognitive model for what we'd expect

Examples and problems with social-cognitive theory

If we see others drinking and having a good time then we'll expect ourselves to have a good time by drinking too

Could incorrectly build the model by only seeing good consequences vs bad (or vice versa), which is an example of receiving asymmetric information

What is the learning perspective effective in?

Very effective in types of therapy

Why is it effective in therapy?

Focus on changing behavior now, not the past

Generally more likely to be rooted in science

Focus on changing behavior now, not the past

Where you are now and how you can change those behaviors in the future

Focused on identifying associational triggers

Generally more likely to be rooted in science

Has more journal-level research

Humanistic perspective

Humanistic models

What did humanistic models do?

Started to displace the Freudian model by offering a different approach to how we regard clients and do therapy

Therapy started to drift towards this model as a way to do therapy instead of Freud's so it started to become more dominant

Compare Freud's model to the Humanistic model

Freudian model focused on what was wrong with you while Humanistic model focused on what was right with you

What does the humanistic model focus on and is built around?

Focus on the value of being human and drive for self-actualization

Built around the fundamental assumption that regardless of what you've done before now, you're a human being who has value, dignity, and the potential to be a better person and live a better life in the future

Self-actualization

The drive to be the best version of yourself

However the model-

Does not absolve you of your sins

Still holds you accountable and focuses on your potential to be better in the future

What else?

Science doesn't support their descriptive models or personhood, but their approach to therapy is dominant among clinicians

Unconditional positive regard

Valuing other people as having basic worth regardless of their behavior at a particular time

Conditional positive regard

Valuing other people on the basis of whether their behavior meets one's approval