The Historical origins of Applied Behavior Analysis ABA Therapy

A Quick Guide

In this article, we will learn more about ABA Therapy, a therapeutic strategy that uses learning concepts including classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and modeling to address and modify undesirable behaviors. It emphasizes the study of visible and quantifiable aspects of human behavior and ties the historical roots of ABA therapy to the rise of behaviorism in response to psychoanalytic ideas. These days, people can overcome problems like phobias, anxieties, and harmful behaviors by using ABA treatment, a recognized discipline used to treat various mental and behavioral conditions.

What is ABA Therapy?

Applied Behavior Analysis, sometimes called ABA Therapy, is an approach to therapy that targets and changes people’s unhealthy behaviors. It applies principles of learning. Such as classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and modeling to understand observable human behavior and its possible causes. Moreover, it measures the problematic behavior in question. And applies strategies to change it and tracks the progress in it throughout therapy sessions.

Historical Origins of ABA Therapy

So, where did Applied Behavioral Analysis come from? We can trace the Behavior modification approach back to the 1900s. It was a time when the psychoanalytic school of thought was popular. It emphasized concepts like the unconscious, unresolved conflicts, drives, and the role of childhood experiences in shaping who we are. In response, a new school of thought emerged called ‘Behaviorism’.

Behaviorism- An action-oriented approach to understanding & treating psychological disorders

Behaviorism took a completely different approach. It shifted its focus from abstract, vague, and unobservable concepts of psychoanalytic school to observable, concrete, and measurable aspects of human behavior. In other words, it attempted to make Psychology a ‘scientific’ study of the human mind and behavior.  

Prominent figures like John B. Watson, Ivan Pavlov, B.F Skinner, and Albert Bandura gave the major principles of learning to explain human behavior. The first experimental study on Little Albert demonstrated that the roots of phobias may lie in learned behavior. It showed how repeated pairings of two stimuli (a loud noise and a white rat) led Albert to learn to show the fear response on seeing the rat. Likewise, a lot of our fears and anxieties are learned behaviors. As they are based on the associations we have made in our minds.

Just as maladaptive behaviors are rooted in principles of learning, so is the treatment. Mary Cover Jones demonstrated how to treat phobia-like behavior in her study with a toddler, Peter. Like Albert, Peter had a fear of furry white objects e.g. rabbits. He was gradually exposed to his fear i.e. rabbits in multiple sessions. Especially when he was playing or eating his favorite food in the presence of a research assistant he liked/was comfortable with. With time, Peter overcame his fear and no longer showed a distressing response in the presence of rabbits. This was a remarkable study as it laid the foundation of the present-day strategies used to treat or manage problematic behavior.

The status of behaviorism today

Today, behavioral therapy is a recognized discipline. Its methods are used to teach intellectually disabled individuals basic skills of adaptive functioning. It also works to reduce the fears, phobias, and anxieties of people. Similarly, it teaches parents to core parenting skills and helps people overcome maladaptive health behaviors e.g. smoking, drinking alcohol, losing weight, etc.

In short, ABA therapy has a distinct style of viewing and treating mental disorders. Young children and even adults may benefit from it concerning different types of problems.

Key Takeaway

In a nutshell, ABA Therapy is a successful strategy for addressing and transforming undesirable behaviors by utilizing learning principles. When it separated from behaviorism historically, it marked an enormous change in how we interpret and address human behavior. Even in modern times, ABA therapy is a useful field that offers essential tools to assist people of all ages in managing and resolving a range of behavioral and mental health issues.

We hope the above article helped you to understand the historical origins of ABA therapy. To understand more about it, check out the related articles.