by Arthur M. Nezu, Ph.D. ABPP, Member, ABBP Board of Directors

The specialty of Behavioral Psychology emphasizes an experimental-clinical approach to the application of behavioral and cognitive sciences to understanding human behavior and developing interventions to enhance the human condition. Behavioral psychologists engage in research, education, training, and clinical practice regarding a wide range of problems and populations. The distinct focus of behavioral psychology is twofold: (a) its strong reliance on an empirical approach; and (b) its theoretical grounding in learning theories, broadly defined, including respondent conditioning, operant learning, social learning, cognitive sciences, and information processing models.

Behavioral Psychology has its theoretical roots in the fields of experimental analysis of behavior, behavior therapy, and cognitive therapy. Currently, there are four sub-areas of Behavioral Psychology which share theoretical foundations in learning theory and a common approach to case conceptualization. These include applied behavior analysis, behavior therapy, cognitive-behavior therapy, and cognitive therapy. Behavior is very broadly defined to include overt actions, as well as private phenomena, such as cognitions, affect, emotions, and physiological events.

The knowledge base of Behavioral Psychology is derived from a wide range of areas, including experimental, cognitive, developmental, physiological, and social psychology. The knowledge core common to all four sub-areas of Behavioral Psychology includes the full spectrum of learning theories, human development, biological bases of behavior, cognitive aspects of behavior, affective aspects of behavior, psychopathology, principles of measurement, ethics, clinical decision making, ethnic and cultural diversity issues, research methods, and group and single-subject experimental designs. Behavioral psychology is especially also concerned with how the various behavioral, cognitive, affective, biological, and social factors interact and impact each other.

The American Board of Behavioral Psychology can certify psychologists in Behavioral Psychology, with a concentration in one of the above four designated sub-areas, as an affiliated board of the American Board of Professional Psychology. Practitioners of applied behavior analysis can be certified by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board, Inc.® Cognitive therapists can also be certified by the Academy of Cognitive Therapy.

Populations

Behavioral psychologists serve a wide range of populations, including children, adolescents, adults, and older adults. Behavioral procedures have been successfully implemented with individuals, couples, groups, families, classrooms, and organizations, as well as in a variety of settings (e.g., homes, schools, clinics, hospitals, workplaces, correctional facilities, communities).

Problems/Issues

Behavioral Psychology has been applied to a wide range of problems which include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Anxiety disorders (e.g., obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder)
2. Depressive disorders (e.g., unipolar depression, bipolar disorder, dysthymic disorder)
3. Personality disorders (e.g., borderline personality disorder)
4. Substance abuse (e.g., alcoholism, tobacco addiction, drug abuse)
5. Health-related problems (e.g., sleep disorders, eating disorders, weight control, pain, distress associated with chronic illness)
6. Childhood disorders (e.g., conduct disorder, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder)
7. Pervasive developmental disorders (e.g., autism, behavioral problems, language problems, social skill deficits)
8. Violence and aggressive behavior (e.g., criminal behavior, sex offending)
9. Developmental disabilities (e.g., adaptive behavior, behavior problems, language difficulties)
10. Academic performance
11. Relationship problems (e.g., sexual dysfunction, marital difficulties)
12. Schizophrenia (e.g., skill deficits, psychotic behavior)
13. Community psychological enhancement and safety issues (e.g., wearing seat belts)

Procedures

Empiricism is a hallmark of Behavioral Psychology consequently, it relies heavily on those assessment and intervention procedures that have been found to be scientifically supported.

Beyond the use of traditional psychological assessment procedures, such as self-report inventories and rating scales, Behavioral Psychology has developed a variety of behavioral assessment procedures that emphasize measuring overt behavior and observable phenomena (e.g., direct observation and recording of the rate, frequency, duration, latency, intensity, and/or magnitude of behaviors and cognitions). These methods are used to determine the nature and parameters of a problem in order to develop individualized treatment protocols, as well as during and after treatment in order to evaluate the efficacy of such interventions.

A large cadre of specific behavioral and cognitive interventions exist, most of them developed along the various traditional learning paradigms. These include, but are not limited to the following:

1. Classical conditioning approaches (e.g, systematic desensitization, gradual exposure)
2. Operant approaches (e.g., differential reinforcement, functional analysis)
3. Social learning approaches (e.g., behavioral rehearsal, modeling)
4. Cognitive therapy approaches (e.g., cognitive restructuring, schema modification)

Other behavioral approaches focus on skills training (e.g., assertiveness training; behavioral activation, social problem-solving therapy), whereas still others may be considered as Astress management@ strategies (e.g., autogenic training, progressive muscle relaxation, visualization).

In addition to the assessment and treatment of individual and group problems, behavioral psychologists actively engage in research, training, and consultation.

Visit Dr. Nezu's website at http://www.nezupsych.com/index.html.