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Related Experiment Videos

Labeling bias and attitudes toward behavior modification revisited.

R C Katz1, H Cacciapaglia, K Cabral

  • 1Psychology Department, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA 95211, USA. rkatz@uop.edu

Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry
|September 13, 2000
PubMed
Summary

Labeling behavior modification as "humanistic educative therapy" did not impact college students' perceptions compared to "behavior modification." This suggests increased public acceptance of behavioral treatments over time.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Behavioral Science
  • Clinical Psychology

Background:

  • A 1977 study found that labeling behavior modification procedures as "humanistic education" led to more favorable ratings than calling them "behavior modification."
  • This suggested that behavioral terminology might be perceived as dehumanizing, potentially reducing acceptance and utilization of effective treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To replicate the 1977 Woolfolk et al. study with a contemporary student population.
  • To investigate whether labeling bias still affects attitudes toward behavior modification techniques.

Main Methods:

  • 144 undergraduate students viewed a 10-minute videotape of a therapist treating an autistic child using behavior modification procedures.
  • One group was told the procedures were "humanistic educative therapy," while the other group was informed they were "behavior modification."

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  • Participants rated the procedures and the therapist's qualities after viewing.

    • Main Results:

    • No significant difference was found in the evaluations of the videotaped procedures between the "humanistic educative therapy" and "behavior modification" conditions.
    • Both groups perceived the procedures and the therapist favorably, regardless of the terminology used.

    Conclusions:

    • Negative attitudes towards behavior modification appear to have diminished over the past two decades.
    • There is now wider public acceptance of behavioral treatments compared to the time of the original study.
    • The potential for labeling bias to hinder the adoption of behavioral interventions seems to have decreased.