The behaviourist model is scientific as it is based on empirical evidence and because the data that it uses is observable, measurable, recordable, but most importantly it is quantifiable. Behaviourists also believe that abnormal behaviour is learnt through classical conditioning and maintained through operant conditioning. Treatment involves trying to unlearn old maladaptive behaviours and learn new adaptive ones. There are many examples of treatment. Systematic desensitisation introduces you to what you fear gradually, flooding is a more vigorous approach and aversive treatment pars us something you fear with something you like.
One strength of this model is that it is scientific therefore producing useful data. It is also seen as a pragmatic approach as it doesn’t involve delving into your past and learning about yourself, making it easy treatment. However critics would say that this may lead to “symptom substitution”. With reference to symptoms, Eysenck (1960) thought it was sufficient to remove a persons symps at it doesn’t find the cause of the real problem, therefore wekaneing the model.The approach doesn’t criticise people for being psychologically unwell as it simply describes behaviour as being maladaptive and learnt, but this blurs the distinction between what is meant by normal or abnormal. Another weakness of this model is that it is described as following Ratomorphic psychology (Cohen 1958) because it assumes continuity between species and therefore extrapolates from e.g. rats to humans. Arguably humans thought processes are believed to be more complex than a rats, this raises an ethical issue because in the process humans are dehumanised. Humanistic psychologists would also criticise this saying we alone have language, self awareness and free will, which make us qualitatively different from other species making it inappropriate to use a method involved with rats.
On the other hand behavioural therapies have been very successful with certain kinds of disorders such as phobias. They are more applicable to disorders with easily identifiable behavioural symptoms. The behavioural model exaggerates the importance of environmental factors in causing disorders and minimises the role caused by genetic factors. As a result it is of little value in explaining disorders such as schizophrenia which is likely to have a genetic basis. Another area of concern has been the token economy programs (TEP) used as treatment. This involves the reinforcement of appropriate behaviour through the use of tokens that can be exchanged for privileges. The problem wit this technique is that it arguably dehumanises a patient as it takes away their power and gives it to the staff. Another problem is that patents behaviour may not generalise outside the hospital setting, although in real life people are motivated to do things because of rewards e.g work for money.
In conclusion the behavioural model is oversimplified and rather narrow on the scope as it is useful in only treating minor disorders. On the basis of the available evidence, it seems that only a small fraction of mental disorders depend to any great extent on the patient’s conditioning history.
