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Dermination of individual
specific controlling stimuli of successful behaviour: a method
in clinical practice for predicting the occurrence of mental
disorder
Bart E.E. Bruins and
Janna D. van Delden-van der Wolf
Regional Institution
for Out-patient Mental Health Care MIDDEN-HOLLAND, The Netherlands
According to the Theory of Dominant
Active Avoidance, symptoms are dysregulation due to the absence
of specific stimuli controlling successful, i.e. symptom free
behaviour. A detailed analysis of these stimuli is necessary
to understand the client's specific pattern of behaviour regulation
and dysregulation.
In therapy practice, direct analysis of the behaviour regulation
in daily leife is not possible, because the controlling stimuli
cannot be observed. A specific procedure is required. By means
of a novel interview technique, called Contrast Questioning,
the controlling stimuli of a successful response are analyzed
in detail.
A number of such molecular stimulus-response analyses provide
the data for an integral model of successful behaviour of the
client. The model specifies the controlling stimuliclasses on
a molar level of analysis.
If those controlling stimuli are absent in a situation, the behaviour
regulation will fail. The state of dysregulation causes symptoms.
By specifying the characteristics of situations lacking the controlling
stimuli, we are able to predict and control the occurrence of
the symptoms.
In this way, the Theory of Dominant Active Avoidance was tested
with hundreds of out-patient clients. The result indicates that
it offers a novel, challenging approach.
Keywords: active avoidance behaviour, symptoms, successful behaviour,
clinical practice |