Behavioral Experiment
Behavioral experiments are planned experiential activities to test the validity of a belief. They are one of the most powerful techniques available to CBT therapists. Behavioral experiments are an information gathering exercise, the purpose of which is to test the accuracy of an individual’s beliefs (about themselves, others, and the world) or to test new, more adaptive beliefs. The use of behavioral experiments in cognitive behavioral therapy mirrors the role that experiments play in other branches of science: experiments are used to gather evidence with which to test a theory.
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Introduction & Theoretical Background
Behavioural experimentation is widely regarded as the single most powerful way of changing cognitions. (Waller, 2009)
The value of behavioural experiments transcends mere exposure; such experiments allow patient and therapist to collaborate in the gathering of new information assessing the validity of non-threatening explanations of anxiety and associated symptoms. (Salkovskis, 1991)
Beliefs rarely change as a result of intellectual challenge, but only through engaging emotions and behaving in new ways that produce evidence that confirms new beliefs. (Chadwick, Birchwood, Trower, 1996)
Behavioral experiments are planned experiential activities to test the validity of a belief. They are an information gathering exercise, the purpose of which is to test the accuracy of an individual’s beliefs (about themselves, others, and the world) or to test new, more adaptive beliefs (Bennett-Levy et al., 2004). The use of behavioral experiments in cognitive behavioral therapy mirrors the role
Therapist Guidance
Step 1: Identify the target cognition
The first step in carrying out a behavioral experiment is to identify the target cognition. It is essential to identify these as precisely as possible, and to assess how strongly the individual believes in this prediction or outcome at the outset.
- Beliefs might take the form of an “if… then…” statement, such as “If I make eye contact with people they will attack me”.
- It can be helpful to explore what safety behaviours clients use to prevent negative outcomes. These can then be used to explore underlying beliefs. It can be helpful to ask “What would happen if you were in that situation and didn’t use that safety behavior?”.
- An essential step is to rate the client’s degree of conviction in the belief. This allows for later assessment of change in belief. Conviction ratings can be taken on a 0–10 or 0–100 scale.
References And Further Reading
- Beck, A. T., Rush, A. J., Shaw, B. F., Emery, G. (1979). Cognitive therapy of depression. Guilford press.
- Bennett-Levy, J., Butler, G., Fennell, M. J. V., Hackmann, A., Mueller, M., & Westbrook, D. (Eds.) (2004). The Oxford handbook of behavioural experiments. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Bennett–Levy, J. (2003). Mechanisms of change in cognitive therapy: the case of automatic thought records and behavioural experiments. Behavioural and Cognitive
- Psychotherapy, 31, 261–77.
- Chadwick, P. D. J., Birchwood, M. J., & Trower, P. (1996). Cognitive therapy for delusions, voices and paranoia. Chichester: Wiley.
- Craske, M. G., Treanor, M., Conway, C. C., Zbozinek, T., & Vervliet, B. (2014). Maximizing exposure therapy: an inhibitory learning approach. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 58, 10-23.
- Herbert, E. A., Dugas, M. J. (2018). Behavioral expeirments for intolerance of uncertainty: challenging the unknown in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 26(2), 421-436.
- Kolb, D.