Content Area Editor: John Guercio


Behavioral Medicine


Behavioral Medicine is the application of learning theory to physiological maladies and ailments that have typically been considered under the guise of the medical model of treatment. Assessment procedures derived from the field of behavior analysis are used to determine the environmental context of current medical issues as they are described and observed by practitioners. Upon the completion of a functional assessment of the medical issues, a function based intervention can then be implemented. The focus of treatment is on addressing existing problems as well as training related on effective preventive procedures that can be implemented to address the problem. The role of behavior in the prevention of significant medical issues is the cornerstone of Behavioral Medicine. Effective stress management practices that help ameliorate common results of stress such as tension headache and high blood pressure are under the purview of behavioral medicine. Behavioral medicine applications play a complimentary role in preventative medicine and can be detailed in the context of a number of medical disorders.

The primary objective in the field is the understanding and correct application of behavior analytic principles in the domain of medical issues and stress prevention.  The history of behavioral medicine and the behavioral etiology of some common medical maladies will be detailed in this section as well as a presentation of various types of behaviorally-based relaxation strategies and their applications. The physiology of the stress response and the use of biofeedback to address some of the physiological arousal that the stress response can produce will also be detailed. Visitors to this section will learn about the correct identification, explanation, and understanding of the key concepts of biofeedback and relaxation as well as the application of the key concepts of complex behavior analysis to a variety of medical issues and populations. This should enable interested practitioners to gain a better grasp of some of the more modern proponents of relaxation and stress management as it applies to one’s own life.


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