Ep33 Tools of Empowerment: Emotions and the Constructional Approach with Jonathan Amey

Atypical Behavior Analyst

Behavior Analysts know that the learner is always right, but there are cases where people start doubting this because of how disturbing some behaviors seem. It is important to always remember that the behavior is rational and makes sense regardless of how bizarre it may seem. In the Constructional Approach, no behavior is considered maladaptive. Behavior is considered always to be adaptive, although it can also often be very disturbing or costly. And therein lies one of its salient features: there are no magical procedures, no simple recipes such as “if this diagnosis, do that.” Israel Goldiamond developed the Constructional Approach and laid down a set of procedures that guides the investigation of these disturbing behaviors. TV Joe Layng added to this investigation with his work on emotions as contingency descriptors. This important work enriches and expands the contingency analysis furthering the tools available to both clinician and client.

Join us for this LIVE event with Jonathan Amey from Heart the Chart, to discuss how emotional behavior and the Constructional Approach can open up new pathways for client outcomes.

Learning Objectives:

1. Extrapolate the broad impact of emotions when it comes to contingency management and program implementation.

2. Describe the value of analyzing emotional contingencies when applying behavior principles to parent training.

3. Demonstrate ways to collect data on emotions that are effective and useful.

Take Aways- your bite-sized educational noms

- We’re all familiar with the concept of emotional responding; it looks pretty similar to an extinction burst. When we don’t come in contact with something reinforcing there is that we a chance we react “emotionally”, perhaps in hopes that the “emotion” can force the desired reinforcement to occur, but at what cost? It’s better to take a step back and respond, rather than react to the situation. Stress and anxious emotions lead to a decrease in executive functioning which can lead to poor folow through with treatment recommendations.

- Incorporating emotions into analysis can help to determine settings when caregivers are more or less likely to adhere to program recommendations. Caregivers are also competing contingencies whether they occur in their work/personal life, personal histories and backgrounds.

- Dr. Israel Goldiamond created the Constructional Logs to help his patients learn to become their own Contingency Analyst which includes “responding” to emotional descriptors, rather than “react”. By taking data on one’s emotions during situations throughout the day, a caregiver can learn how to control their “emotional responding” when things turn on their heads.

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