Behaviorism, also known as behavioral psychology, is a theory of learning based on the idea that all behaviors are acquired through conditioning. Conditioning occurs through interaction with the environment. Behaviorists believe that our responses to environmental stimuli shape our actions.

Basic Assumptions. All behavior is learned from the environment: Behaviorism emphasizes the role of environmental factors in influencing behavior, to the near exclusion of innate or inherited factors.

Behaviorism is primarily concerned with observable behavior, as opposed to internal events like thinking and emotion. Skinner proposed that the way humans learn behavior is much the same as the way the rats learned to press a lever.

The social learning theory of Bandura emphasizes the importance of observing and modeling the behaviors, attitudes, and emotional reactions of others.

Social learning theory (Albert Bandura) posits that learning is a cognitive process that takes place in a social context and can occur purely through observation or direct instruction, even in the absence of motor reproduction or direct reinforcement.

Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) started as the Social Learning Theory (SLT) in the 1960s by Albert Bandura. It developed into the SCT in 1986 and posits that learning occurs in a social context with a dynamic and reciprocal interaction of the person, environment, and behavior.

The theories help social workers better understand complex human behaviors and social environments, which influence their clients’ lives and problems. A good grasp of theory helps guide social workers by providing them with a sense of direction, purpose and control by using research-based scientific evidence in theory.

Why is Social Work Systems Theory Important? It is valuable for a social worker to be able to piece together a family’s story by accessing or understanding all the separate parts of that family, or system. By doing this, they may gain a better understanding of the whole system in which the client lives.

Social roles are of vital importance in the context of health and social care. Psychological theories inform understanding of mental disorders. Moreover, these also enhance the understanding of relationships in health and social care.

The behaviourist approach is used in a health and social care setting to do similar things as the health care services. The main aim of this is to change and shape the individual’s behaviour to understand that there is a way in overcoming the difficult behaviour.

A wide range of perspectives is covered which can then be applied to many different health and social care settings. The link between physical and mental states has long been demonstrated and an understanding of psychology can therefore make a fundamental difference to the health and wellbeing of individuals.

The basic part of the psychodynamic approach is that much of our behaviour is driven by unconscious forces. It is important when working within health and social care settings to understand challenging behaviour.

The psychodynamic approach includes all the theories in psychology that see human functioning based upon the interaction of drives and forces within the person, particularly unconscious, and between the different structures of the personality. Freud’s psychoanalysis is both a theory and therapy.

Psychodynamic approaches refer to psychotherapeutic techniques that derive from Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theory. These approaches focus on unconscious processes as they are manifested in the patient’s current behavior.

Some examples of behaviors and their explanations using psychodynamic perspective include: Obsessive hand washing could be linked to a trauma in childhood that now causes this behavior. Nail-biting may be caused by an anxiety inducing childhood event. Hoarding behaviors could be a result of childhood trauma.

Psychodynamic therapy focuses on the psychological roots of emotional suffering. Its hallmarks are self-reflection and self-examination, and the use of the relationship between therapist and patient as a window into problematic relationship patterns in the patient’s life.

According to psychodynamic theory, behavior is influenced by unconscious thought. Once vulnerable or painful feelings are processed, the defense mechanisms reduce or resolve….Accessing the Unconscious

• Denial.
• Repression.
• Rationalization.