Learning Foundations of Behavior Therapy : Namely from the Stand-point of its Definitions

In the present report an attempt was made to clarify the learning foundations of behavior therapy, especialy by means of the describing and discussing of its definitions. The main results were as follows: (1) In the opening years of behavior therapy, it was based on the experimentally established principles of learning or learning theory. That is, behavior therapy was inclined to identify with the application of learning theory. (2) At present, increasing in number of the clinic-oriented practicians of behavior therapy, many of them don't take a serious view of learning theory. It is, therefore, doubtful whether contemporary behavior therapy is exactly based on learning theory or not. (3) On the other hand, the Skinnerian who have used the term "behavior modification" for behavior therapy, always lay emphasis on the technology of operant behavior control. And behavior modification is regarded as the experimental methodology in operant conditioning. (4) There are a considerable number of definitions in which the distinction between behavior therapy and behavior modification is ignored and the two terms are used interchangeably. (5) Behavior therapy is one of the specific techniques of behavior modification. Or, strictly speaking, behavior modification must be separately from behavior therapy