aggressively. Nurses and aides can record the occurrence of patients ’behaviors.
Although this process can introduce bias, it often provides the most accurate
assessment of a client ’s behavior.
Many psychologists use these reports to complement data obtained
through other methods. For example, children sometimes act differently inthe presence of a therapist than they do at home. A client may be able to
role-play the appropriate behaviors when confronting a make-believe man-
ager but may become timid when facing the real boss at work. Getting familymembers involved in the process can have other advantages, such as making
them aware of the client ’s problem and of how their reactions might affect
his or her behavior.
STRENGTHS AND CRITICISMS OF THE BEHAVIORAL/
SOCIAL LEARNING APPROACH
Behaviorism roared onto the psychology scene in the 1920s and put a grip on
the discipline that didn ’t loosen for several decades. Although not as influential
as it once was, behaviorism in various forms remains alive and well today.
Explanations of behavior that evolved from behaviorism, such as social-cognitive
theory, also remain popular. Obviously, the behavioral/social learning approach
to personality could not have withstood this test of time without having some
unique strengths. Of course, no theory as influential as this one can hope to es-
cape criticism either.
Strengths
One reason for the endurance of the behavioral/social learning approach is itssolid foundation in empirical research. This contrasts with other approaches
to personality, which are sometimes based on intuition or on data gathered
from biased samples. Most of the theorists covered in this chapter relied on
empirical data when developing and refining their theories. Critics often chal-
lenge the existence of Freud ’s Oedipus complex, but it would be difficult to
deny the mountain of evidence demonstrating that behaviors sometimes
change through operant and classical conditioning.
Another strength of the behavioral/social learning approach lies in the
development of some useful therapeutic procedures. Studies find these proce-dures to be effective in treating a number of psychological problems, especially
when combined with elements from cognitive therapies (Christensen, Atkins,
Yi, Baucom, & George, 2006; Mitte, 2005; Shadish & Baldwin, 2005).Moreover, behavioral treatments are popular. One survey asked marriage and
family therapists about their primary treatment approach when working with
clients (Northey, 2002). By a large margin, “cognitive-behavioral ”was the
most commonly cited approach.
Behavior modification procedures have several advantages over other
therapy approaches. One advantage is their use of baseline data and objective
criteria for determining success or failure. Other approaches often begin treat-
ment without first determining the level of the problem; therapy is declared
a success when the therapist or the client decides there has been some368 CHAPTER 13 The Behavioral/Social Learning Approach