Behaviorism has long considered explanations and treatment of psychopathology.
Miller and DoUard (1941) began to translate psychoanalytic into behavioral
concepts. Skinner’s Walden Two (1948), Science and Human Behavior (1953),
and Beyond Freedom and Dignity (1971) developed that approach and addressed
the conceptualization of psychopathology and its implications for case formulation
and treatment. Skinner also expanded on earlier work by offering functional
analytic approaches to explaining behavior change that might occur during
classic psychotherapy and Rogerian therapy. Functional analytic approaches to
psychopathology took off in the 1950s in areas such asmental retardation (Fuller,
1949; Lindsley, 1964a; Risley & Wolf, 1964, 1967; Wolf, Risley, Johnston,
Harris, & Allen, 1967; Wolf, Risley, & Mees, 1964), schizophrenia (Ayllon &
Michael, 1959; Lindsley, 1956, 1959, 1960, 1963; Lindsley & Skinner, 1954),
tics (Barret, 1962), and geriatrics (Lindsley, 1964b) and influenced the development
of behavior therapy (Kalish, 1981; Kanfer & Phillips, 1970; Ullmann &
Krasner, 1965; Wilson & Franks, 1982). Turkat’s (1985) volume. Behavioral
Case Formulation, was notable in illustrating the application of behavior analytic
concepts to individual case formulation and in addressing its application to a
wide range of clinical problems, such as fear, depression, personality disorders,
substance abuse, and problems of later life. This early work formed the basis of
subsequent development of functional approached to psychopathology.