Behavioral Learning Principles Research Articles

Diabetes and Behavioral Learning Principles: Often Neglected yet Well-Known and Empirically Validated Means of Optimizing Diabetes Care Behavior.

Managing diabetes is known to be invasive, pervasive, and unrelenting, making adherence to the treatment regimen difficult to accomplish. Ongoing clinical and research efforts have attempted to address the struggles faced by youth and adults with diabetes. Recent research supports the integration of behavioral interventions into clinical practice to assist patients and families with the goal of improving health outcomes. Empirically supported and well-documented behavioral learning principles, particularly positive reinforcement, are often underutilized in modern diabetes care. We posit that most diabetes care providers are aware of these principles. However, the constraints of today's medical systems have become significant barriers to purposefully and consistently applying them to promote improved diabetes care. We provide a brief overview of basic behavioral principles and common barriers to implementation, discuss relevant interventions, and present several examples of applications in clinical settings. We conclude with recommendations to raise awareness regarding the importance of consistently integrating relevant behavioral learning principles and interventions into diabetes care settings.

Comparing the Effectiveness of On-Line versus In-Person Caregiver Education and Training for Behavioral Regulation in Families of Children with FASD.

Different formats for delivering parent education designed to improve the functioning of children with FASD were evaluated. Participants were randomly assigned to a treatment condition: (1) Community Standard/Informational Packet, (2) Group Workshops, and (3) Internet Training. Overall satisfaction was high for all formats but the Workshop group received higher ratings on usefulness, understandability, amount, overall satisfaction, and willingness to recommend than did the Community group and higher ratings than did the Internet group on amount of information and overall satisfaction. All three groups improved in their knowledge of behavioral learning principles but only the Internet and Workshop groups made significant gains in knowledge of FAS and advocacy. Improved behavior was only found in the Workshop and Community conditions. The results suggest all forms of parent education have some benefits but the child's degree of alcohol-related impairment, severity of behavioral symptoms, and overall goals of the intervention may influence optimal choice.

Theory and theory-driven practices of Activity Based Intervention.

There is nothing so practical as a good theory. ~Kurt Lewin (1951) Activity Based Intervention (ABI) is approach used in early childhood programs to address the special needs of young and their families. Bricker and others have described ABI as a child-directed and naturalistic teaching strategy occurring in a context that is typical for young children, like their homes and community settings such as a preschool classroom (Bricker & Woods Cripe, 1992; Bricker with Pretti-Frontczak, & McComas, 1998; Pretti- Frontczak & Bricker, 2004). ABI addresses the developmental and educational goals of young by encouraging child participation in meaningful daily activities using behavioral learning principles. Four elements of ABI are: * development of goals for that are functional and can be generalized across settings, events, people, and time; * implementation of activities to address goals that are child-directed, routine, and planned; * child experiences consequences and timely feedback that are integral to the intervention; and * child experiences a variety of learning opportunities to address their goals. The practice of ABI is based on a theoretical framework that has been evolving since the 1970s. In order to apply ABI effectively, it is necessary to have understanding of the underlying theory that has influenced practice. Core concepts are grounded in theory. Leonardo DaVinci is reported to have said, He who loves practice without theory is like the sailor who boards ship without a rudder and compass and never knows where he may cast. Similar to DaVinci's sailor, Interventionists need a theoretical base to guide quality practice. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the theoretical foundation of ABI, and then describe examples of theory-driven ABI practice. Theoretical Perspectives What is a theory? Sroufe, Cooper, and DeHart (1992) define theory as, an organized set of proposals about how things operate. It is attempt to summarize current observations in light of past observations and to predict future ones (p. 14). Theory is NOT a list of references, data, opinion, list of variables or constructs, diagrams, or hypotheses (Sutton & Staw, 1995). It is often difficult to reach consensus on what constitutes a theoretical contribution (DiMaggio, 1995; Whetten, 1989). Berk (1999) points out that a theory must be testable, and offer a structure for cataloging our observations. She further explains, Theories that are verified by research often serve as a sound basis for practical action. Once a theory helps us understand development, we are in a much better position to know what to do in our efforts to improve the welfare and treatment of children (Berk, 1999, p. 5). Currently, neither the fields of education nor psychology have a global theory that is capable of addressing all aspects of human behavior. Existing theories tend to focus on different aspects of child development and learning (e.g., social and cognitive). Therefore it is necessary to draw from multiple theories to assist in explaining the complexity of human behavior. One theory alone cannot explain all the mysteries and phenomena associated with the human condition. ABI has eight theoretical perspectives (Bricker & Woods Cripe, 1992; Bricker et al., 1998; Pretti-Frontczak & Bricker, 2004), which include: (a) cognitive, (b) developmental, (c) ecological, (d) learning, (e) situated cognitive learning, (f) social learning, (g) sociohistorical, and (h) transactional. What follows is a brief explanation of each theory and how the theoretical perspective applies to ABI. Cognitive The research and writings of the Swiss theorist Jean Piaget have influenced the ABI approach. His background in biology, and observations of his own children, lead way to his understanding of how human beings develop across the life span. …

Rehab rounds: Involving families in rehabilitation through behavioral family management.

Introduction by the column editors: A wide variety of family psychoeducational approaches for persons with serious and persistent mental illness have been developed and used by mental health professionals since the introduction of such approaches in the 1960s (1). From 1970 to 1975, multifamily psychoeducation was implemented for large numbers of clients and relatives at the Oxnard Mental Health Center (2) and was followed by systematic studies of multifamily therapy at the Maudsley Hospital in London in 1976 (3) and Camarillo State Hospital in California in 1978 to 1980 (4). The type of intervention that arose from this work comprised a series of educational sessions followed by training in communication and problem-solving skills. Behavioral learning principles were used to promote acquisition of knowledge, coping skills, and problem solving for families. Other procedures and variants on this theme have proliferated throughout the United States and in many other countries (5). Most of these approaches have in common an adherence to practical goals that are individualized for each family and an educational rather than a "therapeutic" slant. In an attempt to overcome the obstacles to widespread clinical use of family interventions, a variety of dissemination strategies have been tried, including academic detailing, consensus building among all stakeholders (6), and the development of modules consisting of trainers' manuals, consumers' workbooks, slide shows, and video-assisted learning (7,8). This month's column describes one of the variants of family psychoeducation-behavioral family management-and its components, illuminated by case vignettes and results of efficacy studies.

The Iatrogenic Effects of Group Intervention for Antisocial Youth: Premature Extrapolations?

Group intervention for antisocial youth has received harsh criticism in recent years. This paper reviews relevant research focused on the influence of contact with delinquent peers on the development of antisocial activity. Also reviewed are studies reporting outcomes of group intervention for antisocial youth. Although a few studies have found iatrogenic effects for group intervention with antisocial youth, the majority have not. Well-developed models of group intervention have produced substantial reductions in youth antisocial activity. We describe one such program, a family-style residential program based on behavioral learning principles, and review outcomes of this program. We conclude that treatment of antisocial youth in groups is feasible and can be effective in reducing delinquent behavior.

Depression: a behavioral formulation.

A behavioral formulation of depression emphasizes objective observation of the individual's behavior (including verbal self-reports and nonverbal expressions of feeling states) in relation to the preceding and consequential events in the interpersonal environment. Much of the inferential and theoretical speculations about depressive phenomena by psychoanalysts stem from observations of changes in a depressed person's social field and in this way are consistent with a behavioral emphasis on contingencies of reinforcement. Procedures derived from behavioral learning principles have recently been used to produce therapeutic change in depressed patients.

Misconceptions regarding Behavior Modification

The new behavior-modification technology, based primarily on behavioral learning principles, offers promise for increasing the effectiveness of social work practice. Some social workers (and others) have expressed reservations and criticisms of this approach, namely, that it is (a) not validated, (b) mechanistic, (c) atomistic, (d) manipulative and unethi- cal, (e) inconsistent with "the" casework approach, (f) limited in applicability, and (g) not really new. Each criticism is discussed as starting from a grain of truth, but as involving misconceptions which the present paper seeks to correct.