Question 1

Denise is undergoing therapy for social anxiety disorder. Part of the therapy involves making an effort to directly challenge the thought that she is being appraised negatively whenever she is in public. She is most likely receiving:

Accepted Answer

Denise is likely receiving cognitive therapy, which aims to challenge and change negative thought patterns that contribute to anxiety disorders. Flooding therapy involves exposing the individual to the feared situation in a controlled environment and modeling therapy involves observing and imitating positive behaviors, neither of which is mentioned in the scenario. Psychodynamic therapy may explore deeper unconscious conflicts and emotions, but it does not typically focus on challenging specific thoughts or beliefs.

Question 2

Exposing the client to the source of the phobia at full intensity is known as:

Accepted Answer

Exposing the client to the source of the phobia at full intensity is known as flooding. This technique involves immediate and direct exposure to the feared stimulus, without any gradual buildup. The goal is to help the client face and overcome their fears by realizing that the feared stimulus is not as dangerous as they may have thought.

Question 3

Which of the following therapies has become discouraged for the treatment of blood-and-injection phobias because of its increased tendency to cause fainting?

Accepted Answer

Relaxation training has become discouraged for the treatment of blood-and-injection phobias because it can increase the likelihood of fainting. This is due to the unique physiological response associated with these phobias, where blood pressure and heart rate initially increase but then drop, leading to fainting. Relaxation techniques can exacerbate this drop in blood pressure, increasing the risk of fainting.

Question 4

Several studies have shown that virtual reality (VR)exposure is just as effective as ___________ for treating phobias.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Several studies have shown that virtual reality...

Question 5

For which phobia(s)is virtual reality exposure therapy more effective than in-vivo exposure therapy?

Accepted Answer

Virtual reality exposure therapy is particularly effective for fear of flying because it can simulate the experience of flying in a controlled environment, which is difficult to replicate with in-vivo exposure.

Question 6

A purely cognitive approach as a form of treatment for a specific phobia is viewed negatively because:

Accepted Answer

Exposure therapy, which involves gradually exposing the person to the feared object or situation, has been proven to be one of the most effective treatments for specific phobias. A purely cognitive approach, which focuses solely on changing thought patterns, may not be as effective without including exposure therapy.

Question 7

Relaxation plus exposure is NOT recommended as a treatment for:

Accepted Answer

Relaxation plus exposure is not recommended for blood and injection phobia, as this type of treatment may cause the individual to faint, which can be dangerous. Other treatments, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, may be more effective for this type of phobia.

Question 8

William experienced symptoms of sudden heart palpitations, feelings of choking, dizziness, and intense fear, occurring without warning. Which of the following would be an appropriate component of an intervention for his problem?

Accepted Answer

William's symptoms are indicative of panic disorder, and an effective intervention could include cognitive therapy to address irrational fears, relaxation training to manage physical symptoms, and safely experiencing panic symptoms in a controlled environment to reduce fear of these symptoms. All these components can be part of a comprehensive treatment plan.

Question 9

Which theory suggests that phobias are more likely in individuals who are preoccupied with watching out for and avoiding possible dangers?

Accepted Answer

The cognitive theory suggests that phobias are more likely in individuals who have a cognitive tendency to watch out for and avoid possible dangers. This theory focuses on how thoughts and beliefs can influence behaviour, including the development of phobias.

Question 10

Cognitive and behavioural therapies for phobias are unified by their emphasis upon:

Accepted Answer

Cognitive and behavioural therapies for phobias emphasize direct contact with the feared situation, which is the basis of exposure therapy. The therapeutic goal is to confront and overcome the fear through gradual exposure to the source of anxiety until the phobia is extinguished. While relaxation training may be included in the treatment, it is not the central focus. Exploration of unconscious factors is associated with psychoanalytic and psychodynamic therapies, which are not typically used for phobias. Medication may be used to reduce anxiety symptoms but is not a primary treatment for phobias.

Question 11

Hillary is beginning behavioural treatment for blood-injection phobia. She is most likely to begin therapy by

Accepted Answer

The answer of Hillary is beginning behavioural treatment for blood-injection...

Question 12

In a meta-analysis of 33 randomized-controlled trials of the treatment of specific phobias, Wolitzky-Taylor et al. (2008)concluded that exposure-based treatments:

Accepted Answer

Wolitzky-Taylor et al. (2008) meta-analysis found that exposure-based treatments produced large effect sizes compared to no treatment and outperformed both placebo conditions and other psychotherapeutic treatments. Therefore, options A and B are correct. The study did not find evidence suggesting that exposure-based treatments were more effective when combined with another psychotherapeutic approach, so option C is incorrect.

Question 13

Behaviourism is to avoidance as psychoanalytic is to:

Accepted Answer

Psychoanalytic theory places a strong emphasis on the unconscious motivations behind behavior, particularly those stemming from early childhood experiences and repressed desires. Avoidance behavior is a concept more closely aligned with behaviorism, which views behavior as primarily shaped by environmental factors and learned through conditioning. Secondary gain, on the other hand, is a psychoanalytic concept that refers to the potential benefits or rewards that an individual may unconsciously derive from a particular symptom or behavior. Therefore, choice A (Secondary gain) is the best match for the psychoanalytic perspective.

Question 14

What is the goal of mindfulness and acceptance-based approaches for treating anxiety disorders?

Accepted Answer

The goal of mindfulness and acceptance-based approaches for treating anxiety disorders is to be open and accepting of anxious thoughts and feelings. This means learning to acknowledge and observe these experiences without judgment or avoidance, which can help reduce anxiety-related symptoms and distress. Options A, C, and D are not accurate descriptions of mindfulness and acceptance-based approaches.

Question 15

Systematic desensitization consists of

Accepted Answer

Systematic desensitization involves having the patient imagine a series of increasingly frightening scenes while deeply relaxed, which helps to reduce anxiety and gradually desensitize the patient to the feared stimulus. Option A is incorrect because exposing the patient to the feared stimulus at full intensity can result in overwhelming anxiety and may be counterproductive. Option B is incorrect because while teaching the patient to alter their irrational self-talk can be helpful in cognitive therapy, it is not the main focus of systematic desensitization. Option D is incorrect because while gradually exposing the patient to anxiety-provoking situations is part of exposure therapy, it is not the same as systematic desensitization which specifically includes relaxation techniques.

Question 16

Recently, flooding has been used less frequently by behaviour therapists to treat phobias because

Accepted Answer

Flooding involves exposing the patient to their phobic stimulus at full intensity for a prolonged period, which can cause extreme discomfort and distress, making it less favored in recent therapeutic practices.

Question 17

Researchers are interested to find out whether the beneficial effects of randomized-controlled trials (RTc)show to be effective in real-world clinical practices. van Ingen et al. (2009)found in their meta-analysis of 11 effectiveness studies on the treatment of anxiety disorders that:

Accepted Answer

Only the study on CBT interventions showed that they were effective and generalized to real-world clinical practice. The other interventions, IPT and modeling, were not specifically mentioned in the results of the meta-analysis.

Question 18

When about to get a needle, people with blood-and-injection phobias are encouraged to:

Accepted Answer

Tensing up, or applied tension, is a technique used to prevent fainting by increasing blood pressure, which can drop in people with blood-and-injection phobias.

Question 19

Cognitive therapy for the treatment of specific phobias is limited by the fact that

Accepted Answer

Many fears are based on real experiences and thus are not in fact irrational.

Question 20

What may be a factor in why people don't seek treatment for anxiety disorders?

Accepted Answer

Many people do not recognize the symptoms of anxiety disorders, which can prevent them from seeking treatment.

Quiz 5: Anxiety Disorders