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OPERANT CONDITIONING AND RULE APPLICATION IN CHANGING COUNSELOR INTERVIEWBEHAVIOR
Abstract
Complex verbal behaviors such as those employed by counselors, teachers, and therapists have been of particular interest to thoseinvolved in the task of training others to effectively use such behaviors. Despite considerable discussion in recent years regardingthe applications of learning theory to psychotherapy and counseling, little has been done to demonstrate that operant learning techniques are efficacious in the training of practitioners in counseling and psychotherapy, or indeed, practitioners in any field. Two recent studies attempted to evaluate the application of operant learning techniques to problems of developing counselor verbal skills (Lee, 1968) (Heller-vik, 1968). Both authors concluded from their data that a rather complex capability, confrontive behavior, can be established in moderately sophisticated counselor trainees through use of operant techniques. Both studies used a "shaping" process, with blinking lights being employed as a feedback reinforcement for successive approximations to the desired behaviors. Removal of the flashing light contingency was followed by a marked immediate reduction in frequency of the desired behavior.
Subject Area
Educational psychology
Recommended Citation
ENGLER, JOHN PETER, "OPERANT CONDITIONING AND RULE APPLICATION IN CHANGING COUNSELOR INTERVIEWBEHAVIOR" (1972). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI7227391.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI7227391