6 • general Skill S: orienT aTion anD  anal Yzing Be HaVior
problem and our response. Each of these options requires use of one or more DBT 
skills. The final option is to stay miserable (or make things worse) and use no skills.*
••General Handout 3: Guidelines for Skills Training. This handout lists the 
guidelines for most standard DBT skills programs. These are standards of behavior 
that people in a group skills program are asked to follow. Some programs may have 
somewhat modified guidelines.
••General Handout 4: Skills Training Assumptions. Assumptions are beliefs 
that cannot be proved. In DBT skills training, all group members and skills trainers are asked to abide by these assumptions.
••General Handout 5: Biosocial Theory. Biosocial theory is an explanation of 
how and why some people find it challenging to manage their emotions and actions. DBT skills are particularly useful for these people.
Analyzing Behavior
••General Handout 6: Overview: Analyzing Behavior. This handout previews 
the two general skills for analyzing behavior—chain analysis and missing-links 
analysis.
••General Handout 7: Chain Analysis. Any behavior can be understood as a 
series of linked parts. These links are “chained” together because they follow each other—one link in the chain leads to another. Chain analysis is a way of determin -
ing what has caused a behavior and what maintains it. This handout provides a 
series of questions (e.g., “What happened before that? What happened next?”) for 
unlocking the links in a behavior chain that can feel stuck together. It guides you