Walking the Middle Path
Dialectical thinking replaces "either/or" thinking with this kind of thinking.
"Both/and" thinking
“If I don't get an A, I'm a total failure.”
All-or-nothing/black-and-white thinking
True or false: Validating someone means you agree with them.
False
A consequence that makes a behavior happen more often is called this.
Reinforcer
You want someone to clean up after themselves more often. Should you focus only on what they're doing wrong, or notice and reinforce when they actually clean up?
Notice and reinforce the desired behavior
True or False: Two ideas that seem opposite can both contain some truth.
True
“I know my friends think I’m annoying.” You haven't actually asked them.
Mind reading
Validation communicates that another person's feelings, thoughts, or actions do this in the situation.
Make sense/are understandable
You complete your homework and someone immediately praises your effort, making you more likely to do it again. What type of reinforcement is this?
Positive Reinforcement
Someone makes an annoying comment because they know it gets a big reaction from you. If your attention is reinforcing it, what behavior-change strategy might help?
Extinction/withholding the reinforcement
Instead of assuming you know what someone is thinking, dialectical thinking encourages you to do this.
Check your assumptions/ ask what they mean
“I’m definitely going to embarrass myself during my presentation, and everyone will laugh.”
Catastrophizing/Fortune-Telling
Your friend says, “I’m freaking out about tomorrow’s test.” Which is more validating:
A) “Relax, it's not a big deal,” or
B) “I can see why you're stressed. This test is really important to you.”
B
You put on your seat belt because the annoying warning sound stops. Because you're more likely to buckle up again, this is an example of what?
Negative Reinforcement
You stop reacting to an annoying behavior and, at first, the person does it even more. What is this temporary increase called?
Behavioral burst
Your parent says, "You need to be home by 10," and you think, "They never let me do anything!" give a more dialectical response.
"I want more freedom AND I can understand that my parent is concerned about my safety."
You get four compliments and one criticism, but spend the entire day thinking only about the criticism.
Mental Filter
You’re nervous about meeting new people and tell yourself, “This is ridiculous. I shouldn't be nervous.” What skill could replace that response?
Self-validation/nonjudgmentally acknowledging the emotion
Someone who rarely attends school first attends for one hour, then two hours, then half a day, with each improvement reinforced. What technique is being used?
Shaping
You ignore a behavior five times but finally give in on the sixth. Why might this make the behavior especially hard to stop?
Intermittent reinforcement
You failed a test and think, "I'm terrible at school." Turn this into a dialectical statement containing both acceptance AND change.
"I'm disappointed that I failed AND i can figure out went wrong and try something different next time."
“I feel stupid right now, so I must actually be stupid.”
Emotional Reasoning
Your friend is furious because their phone was taken away after they broke a rule. Give a response that validates the emotion without agreeing with the behavior.
“I can understand why you're angry about losing your phone, even though I can also understand why there was a consequence.”
Why is “negative reinforcement” not the same thing as punishment?
Negative reinforcement increases behavior by removing something unpleasant, while punishment is intended to decrease behavior
A peer is bullying you or pressuring you to do something against your values. Should you simply use extinction and ignore it? Explain.
No- Ignoring may not be enough; get help from a trusted authority/adult