Study of Interviews (Therapeutic and Interrogative) by Operant Conditioning Methods
Abstract
The program of work was undertaken to determine whether the procedures, the procedural terminology and the principles of behavior which have been developed in the experimental laboratory using conditioning (respondant and operant) methods are applicable to the analysis of psychotherapeutic operations. Following analysis of recorded interviews the treatment of patients was undertaken in experimental cubicles with one-way viewing screens. It was found that verbal behavior had to be dealt with as an operand and that it conveyed both discriminative and instructional signals. It was also necessary to differentiate factors which maintained the course of the work from the 'content' of the work. Psychotherapy could thus be regarded as education in interpersonal relationships. Patients were then treated in terms of their behavioral deficiencies in interpersonal operations. It was assumed that symptoms were maintained by these consequences and that they were given up when the patient developed better methods for attaining those consequences of critical relevance to him. The work reported provides a basis for applying the experimental method to psychotherapy.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 03, 1970
- Accession Number
- AD0715730
Entities
People
- Israel Goldiamond