Abstract

Behavioral modification movement tried to find out theoretical rationales for therapeutic techniques and assessments by applying learning theories to clinical phenomena. However, cognitive interpretations of human behavior have been accepted gradually in behavioral therapies because of theoretical and empirical limitations of learning theories in explaining human behaviors such as emotion and language. This study reviews early learning theories such as classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and social cognition theory which contributed to the beginning of the behavioral modification movement and major therapeutic techniques based on it. I discussed several limitations of behavioral theories argued by behavioral therapists and explained how these limitations have been overcome by recent learning theorists and behavioral therapists. Besides, I compared four possible roles of learning theories in behavior therapies and proposed prospective roles of learning theories with several representative models such as Bouton(I993)'s and Staats(l993)'s. In conclusion, one of main reasons to identify problems of behavioral therapies is the lack of communication between learning theorists and clinicians which resulted in disregarding recent development of learning theories, and the lack of integrative learning model which includes important principles and findings of various areas in psychology.