PSYC 4020 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Stimulus Control
Document Summary
Overt behaviors- are actions that other people can directly observe. Covert behaviors- are private behaviors, things we do that others cannot directly observe, however we usually are aware of them ourselves when we engage in them: three categories of covert behavior; cognitions (thinking, expecting, attributing, believing, and imagining) Physiological responses- heart rate, muscle tension: covert behaviours are inferred from individuals overt behaviors, the person can talk about their covert behaviors or we could infer them from their overt behaviors. Overt behavior, cognition, emotion, and physiological responses are modes of reasoning that are assessed and treated in behavior therapy. Traits are personality characteristics and are inferred from behaviors. However behaviorists rather use behaviors to describe the person. Because the advantage is that behavioral description are more precise and they preserve the clients individuality. Behavioural descriptions are also detailed enough to design a treatment plan for the unique problem. Clients describe themselves in traits but therapists translate them into behaviour descriptions.
