Behavioral and Cognitive Learning Theories

Behavioral and Cognitive Behavioral Therapies
Institutional Affiliation

Assumptions about the Origin of the Behavioral Problems
From a cognitive behavioral perspective, three major assumptions would be made about the origin of the behavioral problems of Codrina. The first assumption is that her behavioral problems stem from negative self-schemas (Beck, 1979). These are expectations and set of beliefs that are essentially pessimistic and negative. Accordingly, it is clear that Codrina acquired negative schemas during her childhood due to the traumatic events or experiences of isolation, hunger, and scarcity. Further, since she lived in an orphanage during her childhood, it can be concluded that her parents died or rejected her. All of these are traumatic events that can cause negative schemas to an individual.  
The second assumption is that the behavioral problems stem from automatic negative thinking (cognitive triad). According to Beck, there are three major forms of helpless and critical thinking that cause depression in individuals, and these are negative thoughts about self, future and the world. They are automatic and occur spontaneously (Beck, 1979). In the situation, it is clear that Codrina has negative thoughts about herself. She views herself as worthless and a failure. She is hopeless because she believes that things will never change. In addition, before she met her husband, she was in abusive relationships with men. This caused her to lack trust for all men, and a combination of this and her childhood experiences made her believe that no one loves her.
The last assumption is that of errors in logic. Various illogical thinking processes, also referred to as distortions of thought processes would also be the origin of Codrina’s behavioral problems. They are self-defeating and result in depression and great anxiety. Accordingly, she is experiencing arbitrary interference since she draws conclusions based on irrelevant evidence. She also...