Introduction to Cognitive Behavioural Therapy – Literature
Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
2022/2023
, Week 1
Lecture 1
1. Farmer, R.F. & Chapman (2016). Behavioral interventions in cognitive behavior
therapy: Practical guidance for putting theory into action. Washington, DC, US:
American Psychological Association
Chapter 1: Overview
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Efficacious
Widely used
Used for anxiety disorders, depression, personality disorders, substance use
disorders, eating disorders, and couples’ distress
Broad and heterogenous
Involves (to various degrees) cognitive, behavioural, emotional, physiological, and
environmental factors
Ten schools that fall under the umbrella of CBT
Aaron T. Beck and Judith S. Beck
Distorted and dysfunctional thinking influences mood and behaviour
o Such thinking is common to all psychological disorders
Thought distortions and underlying core beliefs are unique
Therapy aimed at:
o Promotion of realistic, accurate, and balanced thinking
o Changing behaviour and mood
Therapy only works if the underlying beliefs and schemas are changed
Behavioural interventions in CBT: underlying assumptions and common features
Behavioural views on abnormality
Psychology/psychiatry “deviant” or “defect” models of abnormality predominate
o Problematic behaviour = deviant/abnormal
CBT maladaptive schema
Medical approaches disease or dysfunctional biological processes
Psychodynamic approaches differentiation of internalised self and other mental
representations and maturity of inner defence coping mechanisms
Each approach targets their problem area in therapy
Something must be changed/altered/removed to get rid of abnormality
Behaviour theory and therapy
Search for internal causes is largely avoided
Concerned with what one does and the contexts
Normality vs abnormality is determined by cultural norms, practices, and values
Abnormality
o a problem in living
o a justifiable response to dysfunctional or stressful environments
o inadequate behavioural responses/coping
Nothing defective or deviant Covert behaviour
within a person
Behavioural interventions within CBT: description and application
Overt behaviour
observable by others
,ABC model (three-term contingency) (Skinner, 1969)
Antecedents Behaviour Consequence
Why people behave the way they do
Functionalism – based on Darwinian evolutionary principles
o Physical structure related to function
o Behaviour is functional in relation to environmental context
Functional behaviour is selected and made more likely
Non-functional behaviour is not selected and become extinguished
o Behaviour is determined
Environmental determinism
o Associated with the selection of variations in an individual’s behaviour over
successive generations
Contextualism
o Events and behaviour are organised and linked together in meaningful ways
o Concerned with the context in which the behaviour is embedded
Common features among behavioural assessment
Interpersonal therapies
o Focus on social behaviour and relations with others
Cognitive therapies
o Focus on automatic thoughts, underlying assumptions, schemas
Humanistic therapies
o Emphasise immediate experiences, emotions and the provision of validation
Psychodynamic therapies
o Focus on historical material, mental representations of the self and other,
and the use of defence mechanisms
Biological therapies
o Focus on neurochemical functions and neurocircuit activity
Behaviour therapies focus on
Contexts in which client’s problematic behaviour occurs
Behavioural repertoire
Potentially modifiable antecedents and consequences associated with the
maintenance of problematic behaviour
Teaching new behaviours to replace problematic behaviours
Motivation for change, viewed as:
o A state or condition resulting from environmental events
o Is modifiable through environmental manipulations
Behavioural assessment – several features associated with the new functional context of
behaviour are assessed and evaluated
Antecedents
o When do problematic behaviours frequently occur?
o Are there common internal antecedents that immediately precede such
behaviour?
, o Are there establishing operations that increase the reinforcing value of
certain behaviours?
o Are there verbal rules that govern problematic behaviour?
o Etc.
Consequences
o Are the short-term consequences similar to or different from long-term?
o Are positive reinforcing consequences instrumental in the maintenance of
the behaviour, or are negative reinforcing consequences more likely?
Learning history as it relates to current problematic behaviours
o What factors in the client’s past have shaped and established the behaviours
that the client seeks to change?
Current behavioural repertoire
o Overt behaviours
o Thoughts
o Experiences
o Emotions
o Physiological changes or responses
Client’s motivation for change
o Does the client indicate a willingness to change his or her behaviour?
o Can the client articulate personal values or goals?
Although people may show similar patterns of behaviour, it is likely their motivations/
factors account for these patterns differ
Common features among behavioural interventions
An empirical orientation
o Empirically supported intervention strategies
Therapist-client collaboration
o Client is an active participant in the therapeutic process
o Work together to develop a formulation of problem areas and plan a therapy
Active orientation
o Clients encouraged to actively do something about their problems
A flexible approach
o Hypotheses regarding client’s problems undergo testing and evaluation
Emphasis on environment-behaviour relations
o Clients described in terms of what they do in relational to situational context
Time-limited and present focus
o Time allocated to therapy relative to severity
o Emphasis on the current not the past
Emphasis on change AND acceptance processes
o Interventions promote change, encourage development of self-validation
o Non-judgemental approach
An overview of the history of behaviour therapy and behavioural interventions within CBT
Basic theories of learning
Theoretical roots of contemporary behaviour therapy lie in modern learning theories
Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
2022/2023
, Week 1
Lecture 1
1. Farmer, R.F. & Chapman (2016). Behavioral interventions in cognitive behavior
therapy: Practical guidance for putting theory into action. Washington, DC, US:
American Psychological Association
Chapter 1: Overview
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Efficacious
Widely used
Used for anxiety disorders, depression, personality disorders, substance use
disorders, eating disorders, and couples’ distress
Broad and heterogenous
Involves (to various degrees) cognitive, behavioural, emotional, physiological, and
environmental factors
Ten schools that fall under the umbrella of CBT
Aaron T. Beck and Judith S. Beck
Distorted and dysfunctional thinking influences mood and behaviour
o Such thinking is common to all psychological disorders
Thought distortions and underlying core beliefs are unique
Therapy aimed at:
o Promotion of realistic, accurate, and balanced thinking
o Changing behaviour and mood
Therapy only works if the underlying beliefs and schemas are changed
Behavioural interventions in CBT: underlying assumptions and common features
Behavioural views on abnormality
Psychology/psychiatry “deviant” or “defect” models of abnormality predominate
o Problematic behaviour = deviant/abnormal
CBT maladaptive schema
Medical approaches disease or dysfunctional biological processes
Psychodynamic approaches differentiation of internalised self and other mental
representations and maturity of inner defence coping mechanisms
Each approach targets their problem area in therapy
Something must be changed/altered/removed to get rid of abnormality
Behaviour theory and therapy
Search for internal causes is largely avoided
Concerned with what one does and the contexts
Normality vs abnormality is determined by cultural norms, practices, and values
Abnormality
o a problem in living
o a justifiable response to dysfunctional or stressful environments
o inadequate behavioural responses/coping
Nothing defective or deviant Covert behaviour
within a person
Behavioural interventions within CBT: description and application
Overt behaviour
observable by others
,ABC model (three-term contingency) (Skinner, 1969)
Antecedents Behaviour Consequence
Why people behave the way they do
Functionalism – based on Darwinian evolutionary principles
o Physical structure related to function
o Behaviour is functional in relation to environmental context
Functional behaviour is selected and made more likely
Non-functional behaviour is not selected and become extinguished
o Behaviour is determined
Environmental determinism
o Associated with the selection of variations in an individual’s behaviour over
successive generations
Contextualism
o Events and behaviour are organised and linked together in meaningful ways
o Concerned with the context in which the behaviour is embedded
Common features among behavioural assessment
Interpersonal therapies
o Focus on social behaviour and relations with others
Cognitive therapies
o Focus on automatic thoughts, underlying assumptions, schemas
Humanistic therapies
o Emphasise immediate experiences, emotions and the provision of validation
Psychodynamic therapies
o Focus on historical material, mental representations of the self and other,
and the use of defence mechanisms
Biological therapies
o Focus on neurochemical functions and neurocircuit activity
Behaviour therapies focus on
Contexts in which client’s problematic behaviour occurs
Behavioural repertoire
Potentially modifiable antecedents and consequences associated with the
maintenance of problematic behaviour
Teaching new behaviours to replace problematic behaviours
Motivation for change, viewed as:
o A state or condition resulting from environmental events
o Is modifiable through environmental manipulations
Behavioural assessment – several features associated with the new functional context of
behaviour are assessed and evaluated
Antecedents
o When do problematic behaviours frequently occur?
o Are there common internal antecedents that immediately precede such
behaviour?
, o Are there establishing operations that increase the reinforcing value of
certain behaviours?
o Are there verbal rules that govern problematic behaviour?
o Etc.
Consequences
o Are the short-term consequences similar to or different from long-term?
o Are positive reinforcing consequences instrumental in the maintenance of
the behaviour, or are negative reinforcing consequences more likely?
Learning history as it relates to current problematic behaviours
o What factors in the client’s past have shaped and established the behaviours
that the client seeks to change?
Current behavioural repertoire
o Overt behaviours
o Thoughts
o Experiences
o Emotions
o Physiological changes or responses
Client’s motivation for change
o Does the client indicate a willingness to change his or her behaviour?
o Can the client articulate personal values or goals?
Although people may show similar patterns of behaviour, it is likely their motivations/
factors account for these patterns differ
Common features among behavioural interventions
An empirical orientation
o Empirically supported intervention strategies
Therapist-client collaboration
o Client is an active participant in the therapeutic process
o Work together to develop a formulation of problem areas and plan a therapy
Active orientation
o Clients encouraged to actively do something about their problems
A flexible approach
o Hypotheses regarding client’s problems undergo testing and evaluation
Emphasis on environment-behaviour relations
o Clients described in terms of what they do in relational to situational context
Time-limited and present focus
o Time allocated to therapy relative to severity
o Emphasis on the current not the past
Emphasis on change AND acceptance processes
o Interventions promote change, encourage development of self-validation
o Non-judgemental approach
An overview of the history of behaviour therapy and behavioural interventions within CBT
Basic theories of learning
Theoretical roots of contemporary behaviour therapy lie in modern learning theories
