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Related Experiment Videos

Commentary: the cognitivist oversell and comments on symposium contributions

J Wolpe1

  • 1Department of Psychology, Pepperdine University, Graduate School of Education and Psychology, Culver City, CA 90310.

Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry
|June 1, 1993
PubMed
Summary

Cognitive therapy is often ineffective for fears rooted in conditioning, not just mistaken beliefs. Behavior therapy techniques, particularly deconditioning, offer superior results for many maladaptive fears and depression.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Behavioral Therapy
  • Cognitive Therapy

Background:

  • The 1980s saw cognitive approaches influence behavior therapy, positing that maladaptive fears stem from incorrect beliefs.
  • Cognitive correction was promoted as the primary method for overcoming these fears.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assert that many maladaptive fears are resistant to cognitive correction but responsive to deconditioning.
  • To challenge the overestimation of cognitive therapy outcomes by proponents.
  • To re-evaluate the efficacy of behavior therapy in treating non-psychotic depression.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of existing propositions regarding fear etiology and treatment efficacy.
  • Critique of cognitive therapy's effectiveness based on research findings.

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  • Comparison of cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) outcomes with potential behavior therapy results.

    • Main Results:

    • Numerous maladaptive fears are immune to cognitive correction but treatable by deconditioning.
    • Conditioning-based fears are more prevalent than those based on mistaken beliefs.
    • Cognitive therapy outcomes are often overestimated due to nonspecific therapeutic effects (competing emotions).

    Conclusions:

    • Cognitive-behavior therapy's performance in a major research project was inferior, challenging its role as the primary treatment for depression.
    • Full utilization of behavior therapy resources could yield significantly better therapeutic outcomes.
    • Deconditioning remains a vital and effective component of behavior therapy.