TY - JOUR
T1 - Remedying the Achilles Heel of Behavior Research and Therapy: Prescriptive Matching of Intervention and Psychopathology
AU - Acierno, Ronald E.
AU - Hersen, Michel
AU - Van Hasselt, Vincent B.
PY - 1994/9/1
Y1 - 1994/9/1
N2 - Recent calls for eclecticism in clinical practice have been fueled by the putative limitations of behavioral techniques in treating a variety of psychological problems. However, calls for such integration do not appear to be justified for two related reasons. First, the precise conditions under which behavioral interventions are and are not effective have not yet been adequately delineated. consequently, rejection of behavioral interventions in favor of relatively indiscriminate application of cognitive strategies is premature. Second, behavior therapy has as its hallmark a thorough grounding in inductive empiricism, while cognitive/dynamic theories are wholly based in deductive rationalism. As a result, wholesale acceptance of alternative theories and techniques by behaviorists is both inconsistent and retrogressive. Cognitive interventions have their place, but only when cognitive distortions have been specifically identified. Therefore, refinement of behavioral treatments into prescriptive interventions is warranted. The parameters of prescriptive behavior therapy are described in this paper.
AB - Recent calls for eclecticism in clinical practice have been fueled by the putative limitations of behavioral techniques in treating a variety of psychological problems. However, calls for such integration do not appear to be justified for two related reasons. First, the precise conditions under which behavioral interventions are and are not effective have not yet been adequately delineated. consequently, rejection of behavioral interventions in favor of relatively indiscriminate application of cognitive strategies is premature. Second, behavior therapy has as its hallmark a thorough grounding in inductive empiricism, while cognitive/dynamic theories are wholly based in deductive rationalism. As a result, wholesale acceptance of alternative theories and techniques by behaviorists is both inconsistent and retrogressive. Cognitive interventions have their place, but only when cognitive distortions have been specifically identified. Therefore, refinement of behavioral treatments into prescriptive interventions is warranted. The parameters of prescriptive behavior therapy are described in this paper.
KW - Behavior Therapy
KW - Cognitive Therapy
KW - Mental Disorders
KW - Personality Assessment
KW - Prescriptions
UR - https://nsuworks.nova.edu/cps_facarticles/708
UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0005-7916(94)90018-3
U2 - 10.1016/0005-7916(94)90018-3
DO - 10.1016/0005-7916(94)90018-3
M3 - Article
C2 - 7852600
SN - 0005-7916
VL - 25
JO - Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry
JF - Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry
ER -