Classical conditioning as the basis for the effective treatment of tinnitus-related distress

In this paper the history of the emergence of psychological treatments based on the scientist-practitioner model, such as cognitive-behavior therapy, is described. This historical perspective serves to highlight the potential underlying theoretical bases of such approaches. It is argued that the behavioral position need not be abandoned in order to justify the use of so-called cognitive approaches. Indeed, the behaviorist position, far from having outlived its usefulness, remains an important explanatory concept of human behavior and emotion. This theoretical position may also hold the key to identifying features which are shared in common by tinnitus retraining therapy and cognitive-behavior therapy, and which might be responsible for the efficacy of these approaches. Studies are required in which the basic mechanisms responsible for individual responses to tinnitus are identified in order to develop better approaches to assist people to cope with tinnitus.