Behavioral explanation for the Somatoform disorder
Somatoform disorders can be described as a set of physical symptoms which cannot be explained completely by a medical condition, or substance abuse. (American Psychiatric Association (2018) These symptoms could be due to maladaptive learning or reinforcement processes, according to the behavioral view. For example, an individual with somatoform disorder may have learned that expressing physical symptoms brings attention and support from others, leading to the reinforcement and maintenance of these symptoms (Craske & Barlow, 2018). Negative reinforcement could also be a factor in the development or maintenance of symptoms. For example, an individual with somatoform disorder may experience relief from stress or anxiety when they engage in illness behavior, leading to the reinforcement and persistence of these behaviors (Craske & Barlow, 2018). Cont…