The Effects Of Reinforcement On Treating Disorders And...

The use of reinforcement has been shown in multiple studies in treating disorders such as anxiety and substance use. It is most commonly used during behavioral cognitive therapy to change people s way of thinking and actions. The outcomes of reinforcement in these treatments have shown an overall positive effect with the disorder being shown at a lesser degree or disappearing completely. Reinforcement is described as the process by which a stimulus increases the probability that a preceding behavior will occur again according to the Essentials of Understanding Psychology, 10th Edition, by Robert Feldman. Different researchers have used varying techniques of reinforcement to best suit a subject or experiment. There is positive†¦show more content†¦Through thorough research, I have found that reinforcement in actuality has been known to better adjust an individual s behavior in a positive light when it comes to treating disorders. Most commonly reinforcement has helped address effectively social and behavioral issues. An anxiety disorder is described as the occurrence of anxiety without an obvious external cause that affects daily functioning. It occurs in four major forms panic disorder, phobic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. In a research study by Phillip Kendall in 1994, an investigation on psychosocial treatment with forty-seven children aged nine to thirteen with anxiety disorders was done. Kendall felt this particular study was important because adults were mostly likely to seek help for the child who behaves aggressively while overlooks the child that showed inadequate social skills. Mostly due to the fact that children were normally anxious about several aspects of life and saw anxiousness as part of a regular function in their children. Though anxiety is a natural process in children it becomes a serious issue when it negatively impacts a child development and in turns causes psychological distress for the child as they progress into adulthood. I n Kendall s study, he compared a sixteen session cognitive-behavioral treatment group with a