426 THOMA ET AL.
behavior from the simplest of habits all the way up to the acquisition of
language (Skinner, 1957). Skinner’s operant learning methods are still
directly applied to this day in such paradigms as token economies on
inpatient units as well as behavioral interventions with children, such
as “time outs.”
One of the first researchers to apply behavioristic principles to clinical
applications was Mary Cover Jones, Watson’s assistant in the Little
Albert experiment. She reasoned that if conditioning could be used to
induce a phobia, perhaps it could be used to undo a phobia as well
(Jones, 1924). For example, she reduced fear in a three-year-old boy
who was afraid of fuzzy white objects by gradually bringing a rabbit
in a cage closer and closer to the boy while he ate so that he eventually
was able to touch it. Other early clinical applications include Pavlovian
extinguishing of bedwetting (Mowrer & Mowrer, 1938) and the development
of progressive relaxation techniques (Jacobson, 1929), which
were applied to a wide variety of physical and mental conditions, including
hypertension, insomnia, and phobias.
While there are many behavior therapies that are heralded as the
forerunners for current practices (such as Wolpe’s systematic desensitization
or Beck’s cognitive therapy, described below), one of the first behavior
therapies widely administered to clients was assertion training.
Developed by Andrew Salter, assertion training was designed to assist
clients to overcome their inhibitions, which were widely considered the
etiological basis for neurosis (Salter, 1949). Salter’s work was highly influential,
even if little recognized outside behavior therapy circles. His
work in developing a behavior therapy was the basis for more highly
developed assertiveness training programs, including the widely used
client-oriented book Your Perfect Right (Alberti & Emmons, 2008). Assertion
training remains a critical component of many CBT protocols.
Like many of the early developers of CBT, Joseph Wolpe was a psychiatrist
originally trained as a psychoanalyst. Wolpe then became interested
in finding ways to apply behavioristic principles to humans
(Glass & Arnkoff, 1992). Working in his native country of South Africa,
he began with de-conditioning experiments on cats and then applied
his findings to humans, developing one of the earliest behavior therapies
known as systematic desensitization (Wolpe, 1958). This approach,
using what Wolpe called reciprocal inhibition, centered on exposure to
feared stimuli through use of imaginal imagery, which would then be
alternated with relaxing imagery. The theory held that the relaxation
response would become coupled with the target imagery in place of
the fear response, under the belief that incompatible physiological responses
would allow for the transfer of new associations. Systematic
desensitization was used to treat phobias, social anxiety, generalized
CONTEMPORARY COGNITIVE BEHAV IOR THERAPY 427
anxiety, stuttering, impotence, and other disorders. This approach became
highly influential, setting the stage for manualization of BT as
well as disseminating the use of exposure techniques. More recent
evidence has shown that systematic desensitization did not appear to
require the relaxation component, thus pointing toward the exposure
component as the active ingredient. These findings invalidated Wolpe’s
original theory, but supported the systematic application of exposure
(Marks, 1987).
426 THOMA ET AL.behavior from the simplest of habits all the way up to the acquisition oflanguage (Skinner, 1957). Skinner’s operant learning methods are stilldirectly applied to this day in such paradigms as token economies oninpatient units as well as behavioral interventions with children, suchas “time outs.”One of the first researchers to apply behavioristic principles to clinicalapplications was Mary Cover Jones, Watson’s assistant in the LittleAlbert experiment. She reasoned that if conditioning could be used toinduce a phobia, perhaps it could be used to undo a phobia as well(Jones, 1924). For example, she reduced fear in a three-year-old boywho was afraid of fuzzy white objects by gradually bringing a rabbitin a cage closer and closer to the boy while he ate so that he eventuallywas able to touch it. Other early clinical applications include Pavlovianextinguishing of bedwetting (Mowrer & Mowrer, 1938) and the developmentof progressive relaxation techniques (Jacobson, 1929), whichwere applied to a wide variety of physical and mental conditions, includinghypertension, insomnia, and phobias.While there are many behavior therapies that are heralded as theforerunners for current practices (such as Wolpe’s systematic desensitizationor Beck’s cognitive therapy, described below), one of the first behaviortherapies widely administered to clients was assertion training.Developed by Andrew Salter, assertion training was designed to assistclients to overcome their inhibitions, which were widely considered theetiological basis for neurosis (Salter, 1949). Salter’s work was highly influential,even if little recognized outside behavior therapy circles. Hiswork in developing a behavior therapy was the basis for more highlydeveloped assertiveness training programs, including the widely usedclient-oriented book Your Perfect Right (Alberti & Emmons, 2008). Assertiontraining remains a critical component of many CBT protocols.Like many of the early developers of CBT, Joseph Wolpe was a psychiatristoriginally trained as a psychoanalyst. Wolpe then became interestedin finding ways to apply behavioristic principles to humans(Glass & Arnkoff, 1992). Working in his native country of South Africa,he began with de-conditioning experiments on cats and then appliedhis findings to humans, developing one of the earliest behavior therapiesknown as systematic desensitization (Wolpe, 1958). This approach,using what Wolpe called reciprocal inhibition, centered on exposure tofeared stimuli through use of imaginal imagery, which would then bealternated with relaxing imagery. The theory held that the relaxationresponse would become coupled with the target imagery in place ofthe fear response, under the belief that incompatible physiological responseswould allow for the transfer of new associations. Systematicdesensitization was used to treat phobias, social anxiety, generalized
CONTEMPORARY COGNITIVE BEHAV IOR THERAPY 427
anxiety, stuttering, impotence, and other disorders. This approach became
highly influential, setting the stage for manualization of BT as
well as disseminating the use of exposure techniques. More recent
evidence has shown that systematic desensitization did not appear to
require the relaxation component, thus pointing toward the exposure
component as the active ingredient. These findings invalidated Wolpe’s
original theory, but supported the systematic application of exposure
(Marks, 1987).
正在翻譯中..
![](//zhcntimg.ilovetranslation.com/pic/loading_3.gif?v=b9814dd30c1d7c59_8619)