BEHAVIOUR MODIFICATION IN MENTAL HEALTH

The term “Behavior Modification” was originally coined by practitioners to emphasize the treatment of behavioral deficits and excesses per se, rather than the hypothetical psychological states or processes claimed by others to cause human behavior (Ullmann and Krasner,1965).Behavior change — the implicit or explicit goal of all psychotherapy — is conceived of as a learning process; Behavior Modification, from the practitioner’s point of view, is thus an “educational” endeavor (Binder, 1977). Because Behavior Modification refers to outcome rather than method, it does not distinguish between various means of changing behavior (for example, reinforcement techniques versus chemotherapy or psychosurgery).

This ambiguity has led to a good deal of public confusion in recent years. And among professional practitioners,terms such as “behavior therapy,” “contingency management,”“learning therapy,” “applied behavior analysis,” “applied behaviorism,” “programmed instruction,” and “precision teaching” (which refer to more clearly defined subcategories of behavioral treatment) are often used instead of the term Behavior Modification.