ABSTRACT
Behaviourism set out to be 'a purely objective, experimental branch of natural science. Its goal was to explain, predict and control behaviour. The main mechanisms of behavioural learning are classical conditioning, operant conditioning and social learning theory. Behavioural models have had extensive applications to control or influence behaviour. Cognitive behavioural therapy is the most common modern approach. It applies principles of learning to personal difficulties, including emotional problems. As the name implies, the approach combines cognitive therapy with behavioural learning principles. Faulty thought patterns are seen to underlie many problems of behaviour and emotion, including depression and anxiety. Therapy is directed at identifying and changing these faulty cognitions, using the principles of learning – systematic reinforcement and stimulus-response. In experimental studies, cognitive behavioural therapy has been found to show the most promising results for many problems of mental health. The person directing the modification is the expert, always in the method and sometimes in the behaviour that should be achieved.
