Conditioning Methods vs Psychotherapeutic Methods (CBT)
How does one determine if a method is psychotherapeutic or conditioning? I will use Operant Conditioning, Counter Conditioning, and CBT as comparisons.
In brief, Operant Conditioning is a conditioning method; Counter Conditioning is a conditioning method that is considered a psychotherapeutic method because it recognizes emotions driving behaviors; CBT is a psychotherapeutic method.
NOTE: The following information is not intended to teach methods, or to compare the validity of methods. It is intended to encourage you to determine if techniques and approaches in mainstream dog training fall under the conditioning or psychotherapeutic realm, from a psychology perspective.
The headings (Bold and Italics) represent factors, or elements, that can help to determine if the method is Conditioning or Psychotherapeutic.
Reinforcements: A reinforcement is a tool (tangible or intangible) applied reactively to support and encourage an act, behavior, or thought pattern. Conditioning methods relies on a reinforcement to achieve a goal. This reinforcement could be in the form of a treat, praise, toy, pat, click, verbal word (ie – “yes”). Although, reinforcement implies reactive in nature, the reinforcement can morph into a proactive tool to encourage a behavior (ie – hold up a treat and the dog automatically “Sits”). Depending on the stage in the program with CBT, a reinforcer, in the form of cognitive exercises may be applied proactively during challenging situations and can act as an intrinsic reward.
Rewards: Rewards are a form, or type, of reinforcement. With Conditioning methods, commonly rewards are the same as the reinforcement, although they can vary depending on the situation, dog, trainer, etc. They can also include intangible rewards, such as getting out of the vehicle, which is followed by a reward such as a treat, which is required because the reward is the transferable element to other situations. With CBT the rewards are “inherent”. They naturally exist in the day-to-day life of the dog. They offer opportunities to apply cognitive exercises that practice resetting the brain. The reward is determined by the dog, and is, therefore, proactive in nature. The human recognizes these opportunities to apply exercises that hone cognitive skills. For example, getting out of the vehicle is decided by the dog, and provides an opportunity to strengthen cognitive exercises. There is no need to provide an additional reward.
Transferable Element: All methods require a transferable element. If the reward acts as the transferable element to different areas or situations, it is a Conditioning method. With Operant Conditioning, it is transferred forward and applied to teach and encourage expected behavior. With Counter Conditioning it acts as the reinforcer, in the form of an associative element, allowing the dog to connect a positive with a “negative” stimulus to change perception of the stimuli. With CBT, the transferable element is the dog’s ability to reset, process, and decision make. At this stage, reinforcers (in the form of exercises) are either applied proactively, or are not longer required. If they cannot be applied proactively, we abort plan and return to strengthening the exercises.
Proactive vs Reactive Approaches: Conditioning methods use reinforcements which are reactive in nature. As discussed, if the method uses reactive reinforcements, it is Conditioning. Conditioning trainers commonly can answer the question, “What do I do when my dog does X behavior?” Conditioning methods apply rewards in a reactive nature. The reward can be shown to the dog proactively to encourage listening or focus (reinforcement), and then given as a reward after the behavior is shown. CBT is proactive in nature, meaning it is designed to prevent thought patterns that lead to unwanted behaviors. This is not done by suppressing the emotions, but, rather, through skills that allow the subject to change their perception (not necessarily of the stimulus, but of their need to panic), to self-regulate, and/or make better decisions. CBT does not provide solutions to correct behavior, but, rather, aims to prevent the behavior.
Repetitive Element: All methods require a repetitive element. With Conditioning methods, it is recommended to repeatedly give the reinforcement or reward at comfortable times to solidify it as a positive element before transferring forward to more challenging situations. Counter Conditioning uses the associative element while repeatedly introducing the negative stimulus, a technique known as “desensitization”. In this case, the repetitive elements are the reinforcement and the stimulus. With CBT, the repetitive element is the brain resetting, processing, and making decisions. This action may be self-induced by the dog, or, if required, the exercises may be applied proactively.
Stimuli: It is common for behaviors to be triggered by a stimulus, such as a bicycle, new area, time of day, noise, scent, movement etc. With Conditioning methods, the stimulus must be present to either reward wanted behavior, distract from the stimulus, or encourage wanted behavior. With Counter Conditioning, the stimulus must be present to associate the positive element with the negative stimulus. Counter Conditioning uses desensitization techniques, thus, again, requiring the stimulus to be present. NOTE: I am not implying that flooding is occurring. There are measures and protocols that allow for a stimulus to be present without causing fear or anxiety. The point I am making is that for the technique to be applied, the stimulus must be present. CBT works 90% (if not more) in situations where the stimulus is not present. The cognitive exercises, which practice resetting the brain, are established, practiced, repeated, and applied without the need for the stimulus to be present.
Intent and Purpose: Conditioning methods are designed to 1) teach 2) encourage/discourage behaviors or thought patterns 3) change perception of stimuli . CBT is intended to change the perceived need to 1) feel an emotion 2) do a behavior to achieve a goal 3) manage/change situations 4) follow a habit or routine.
There is no one “right method.” It is important to know the difference between methods to ensure the best method for each individual dog at the stage they are at is available to the dog through a professional certified in the method they are teaching.
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