Tomas has been given a diagnosis of pain disorder. His therapist wants to focus on pain behaviors and that conditions have a positive or negative effect on the behaviors. What approach will the therapist implement?

Question

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Operant conditioning focuses on how the consequences of a behavior affect the likelihood of that behavior's occurrence in the future. In the context of treating pain disorder, the therapist aims to modify pain behaviors by reinforcing behaviors that lead to positive outcomes (e.g., increased activity, social engagement) and discouraging behaviors that lead to negative outcomes (e.g., withdrawal, inactivity). This approach is based on the principle that behaviors that are rewarded or reinforced are more likely to be repeated, while behaviors that are punished or not reinforced are less likely to be repeated.

Tomas Has Been Given a Diagnosis of Pain Disorder