Cognitive behaviorist theory

Cognitive theorists such as Seligman (1990) believe it is possible to alter a learner’s behavior by teaching him or her to perceive or think about things in a different way. They think that a learner with emotional and behavioral difficulties needs encouragement to actually change his or her perceptions, by developing the ability to think about situations in different ways.

This cognitive approach necessarily requires the learner, with the assistance of the educator, to engage in a process of analysis so that he or she can think and look at situations in different ways.

Case study

Pupil B was never chosen to be a team football captain at playtimes by his peers. He felt that this was because all the other children disliked him and so he ended up not playing at all. Pupil B was told and shown that the majority of the other children playing football were never chosen by their peers to be captain either. Pupil B learned that just because he was not chosen to be captain did not mean the other children disliked him. As a result of this additional knowledge and understanding pupil B was taught to manage his feelings. He could still really want to be captain, but it did not mean his peers disliked him and therefore was not able to be part of the whole team game.