The Concept of Generalization in Behaviour Therapy

Abstract

Several writers have been interested in the extent to which behaviour therapy techniques are derived from the principles of learning. The present paper reviews this issue with respect to stimulus generalization and response generalization in behaviour therapy. Generalization has been a problem because many therapists have reported that newly learned skills and behaviours have not transferred outside the treatment situation to settings in the patients' or clients' life. Reviewing the literature on stimulus generalization it is concluded that in research on learning theory, stimulus generalization is shown to occur along a single stimulus dimension while in the behaviour therapy literature researchers often attempt to produce generalization across many stimulus dimensions simultaneously and as a result generalization may be poor. It is suggested that subsequent therapy and research should be designed so that treatment situations and generalization situations differ on as few stimulus dimensions as possible, thus maximizing the probability of generalization. With respect to response generalization it is felt that the concept is weak as an explanation for behaviour change and it may be more useful to consider that behaviours are functionally related, so that changes in behaviour A will produce changes in behaviour B or that covert responses may account for changes in untreated behaviours. Finally, a recommendation is made that therapists be more precise about the stimulus dimensions along which they wish behaviour to generalize.