Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 23, 2026

06:57
Modeling Verbal Behavior Deficits with the Stimulus Control Ratio Equation, SCoRE
Published on: May 14, 2019
Dysfunctional control by client verbal behavior: The context of reason-giving
The Analysis of Verbal Behavior
|April 6, 2012
Summary
Radical behaviorism explains how dysfunctional reason-giving in psychopathology can be treated. A therapy called comprehensive distancing helps weaken verbal control, facilitating positive therapeutic change.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Behavioral Science
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Dysfunctional reason-giving is a key factor in adult psychopathology.
- Radical behaviorism offers a framework for understanding the verbal-social contingencies maintaining maladaptive behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To interpret dysfunctional reason-giving in adult psychopathology from a radical behavioral perspective.
- To describe a contextual approach to psychotherapy, comprehensive distancing, for weakening dysfunctional verbal control.
Main Methods:
- Review of verbal-social contingencies supporting reason-giving.
- Brief description of comprehensive distancing therapy.
- Presentation of data on therapeutic process.
Main Results:
- Comprehensive distancing was found to facilitate therapeutic change.
- The therapeutic process aligns with a behavioral analysis of reason-giving.
Conclusions:
- Comprehensive distancing is a promising therapeutic approach for psychopathology related to dysfunctional reason-giving.
- Further research into radical behavioral approaches to psychotherapy is warranted.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy
Cognitive-behavioral therapies (CBTs) are grounded in the belief that our thoughts profoundly influence our emotions and actions. Advocates of CBT emphasize three core assumptions: first, that cognitions are identifiable and measurable; second, that they are central to psychological functioning; and third, that irrational or maladaptive beliefs can be replaced with rational and adaptive ones. This transformative approach to therapy has paved the way for specific models such as Albert Ellis's...
Fundamental Attribution Error
According to some social psychologists, people tend to overemphasize internal factors as explanations—or attributions—for the behavior of other people. They tend to assume that the behavior of another person is a trait of that person, and to underestimate the power of the situation on the behavior of others. They tend to fail to recognize when the behavior of another is due to situational variables, and thus to the person’s state. This erroneous assumption is called the fundamental attribution...
Causes of Social Behavior II: Cognitive Processes
Cognitive processes affect social behavior by guiding how individuals perceive, interpret, and respond to social stimuli. These mental processes enable individuals to assess others' behaviors, attribute causes to their actions, and form expectations based on past experiences.Causes of Behavior and Social JudgmentsIndividuals determine the causes of others' behaviors by distinguishing between personal traits and external circumstances. For example, if a friend frequently arrives late, an...
Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping
People can go to great lengths to protect their self-image and present themselves in ways that they want others to see them. Sociologist Erving Goffman presented the idea that a person is like an actor on a stage. Calling his theory dramaturgy, Goffman believed that we use “impression management” to present ourselves to others as we hope to be perceived. Each situation is a new scene, and individuals perform different roles depending on who is present (Goffman, 1959). Think about the way you...
Beck's Cognitive Therapy
Cognitive therapy is a psychological approach designed to address distortions in thinking, which can lead to negative emotions and unrealistic beliefs. These cognitive distortions often influence how individuals interpret and respond to situations, exacerbating emotional distress. Below are some prevalent cognitive distortions, their characteristics, and examples of how they manifest in thought processes.
Arbitrary Inference
Arbitrary inference involves making conclusions without sufficient...
Arbitrary Inference
Arbitrary inference involves making conclusions without sufficient...
Self-Discrepancy Theory
One influential perspective on what motivates people's behavior is detailed in Tory Higgin's self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987). He proposed that people hold disagreeing internal representations of themselves that lead to different emotional states.

