Deck 11: Assessing Readiness and Motivation

Question 1

During the preparation stage, clients prepare for change by doing all of the following EXCEPT:

A) getting information about making changes.
B) taking small steps related to change.
C) developing ways to cope with temptations and maintain new behaviors.
D) thinking about possible goals.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

A client who has been referred to you because of her binge drinking behaviors at the college frat parties, which has led to her blacking out on several occasions, tells you that all her friends do it, that it is a normal part of the college experience, and she doesn't know why her parents are making such a big deal out of it. Which cognitive distortion is she engaging in?

A) All-or-nothing thinking
B) Emotional reasoning
C) Discounting
D) Catastrophizing

Answer 2

C

Question 3

The process of change is more _________ than ___________.

A) sequential; circular
B) circular; sequential
C) linear; circular
D) inhibiting; lasting

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The stages of change, in order, are:

A) pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance.
B) pre-contemplation, preparation, contemplation, action, and maintenance.
C) pre-contemplation, action, preparation, contemplation, and maintenance.
D) maintenance, pre-contemplation, contemplation, action, and preparation.

Question 5

All of the following are statements that might be made by clients in the contemplation stage of change EXCEPT:

A) My boss thinks that I can take on more responsibility, but I'm not sure I have the skills to manage what she requires of me.
B) I have so much going in my life right now since I've recently moved and started a new job. I might be in a better place to work on developing my social skills in six months, when I'm more settled.
C) I know that talking to my partner when I am upset might be more constructive than bottling it in and then exploding, but I wonder if it would really change anything or improve our relationship.
D) I really think that my wife is over-reacting. Sure, we have our little disagreements now and then, but I think these issues are normal and are found in every marriage.

Question 6

Mike has made a list of pros and cons and is experiencing conflict with regards to whether he should leave the security of his current job and start his own business. He is in the _____________ stage of change.

A) pre-contemplation
B) contemplation
C) preparation
D) action

Question 7

Relapse should be viewed as a ________.

A) learning experience
B) failure
C) achievement
D) reason for termination

Question 8

Which of the following is NOT one of the stages of change identified by Prochaska?

A) Pre-motivation
B) Preparation
C) Action
D) Maintenance

Question 9

All of the following are factors that influence motivation to change EXCEPT:

A) strengths, capacity, and resources.
B) theoretical orientation used.
C) hope.
D) level of stress and demands.

Question 10

The client's capacity, resources, and strengths have significant effects on _______.

A) level of motivation to change.
B) level of disclosure in the therapeutic relationship.
C) direction of change, only in a negative direction.
D) Whether the client moves through all five stages of change.

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT one of the levels of discounting?

A) The client realizes that others have changed; s/he does not think that s/he can change.
B) The client realizes that there is a problem; s/he does not believe that there is an adequate solution.
C) The client realizes that there is a problem; s/he does not think that the problem is serious.
D) The client realizes that there is a serious problem; s/he does not think that s/he should wait any longer to change.

Question 12

How would the relationship that the client has with the practitioner affect motivation to change?

A) Clients who experience practitioners as being genuine, providing regular feedback, having positive regard, and being focused on their issues tend to be more motivated to change.
B) Clients who experience practitioners as being genuine, providing regular feedback, having positive regard, and being focused on their issues tend to be less motivated to change.
C) Clients who regularly ask for feedback from the practitioner, focus on the practitioner's issues, and refrain from divulging too much information tend to be more motivated to change.
D) Clients who regularly ask for feedback from the practitioner, focus on the practitioner's issues, and refrain from divulging too much information tend to be less motivated to change.

Question 13

When assessing a client's readiness or ability to make changes from the perspective of social cognitive theory, which of the following is NOT one of the questions to be considered?

A) Does the environment support or encourage changed behavior?
B) How long will it take to make the desired change in behavior?
C) Does the person believe s/he has the capacity to make the change?
D) Is there more to be gained from making the change than from maintaining the current behavior?

Question 14

The social cognitive theory considers the impact of ___________ factors on readiness to change.

A) cognitive and social
B) interpersonal, personality, and behavioral
C) emotional, cognitive, and personal
D) environmental, personal, and behavioral

Question 15

When working with clients in the pre-contemplation stage, the practitioner should focus on all of the following EXCEPT:

A) raising awareness of the urgency of the issues.
B) raising awareness of the pain or fear that these issues might cause.
C) inviting clients to think about whether a change could improve their lives.
D) collaboratively setting goals with the client.

Question 16

Which of the following is NOT an example of a client in the action stage?

A) An obese client joins a weight-loss program and hires a personal trainer.
B) A task group that has decided to work on a particular problem asks the practitioner to help them set realistic goals.
C) A parent attends parenting classes and indicates a willingness to learn new parenting techniques after her children are removed from the home because of her harsh discipline methods.
D) A college student, who realizes that her manic episode was triggered by increased stress due to her heavy course load, reduces her course load and implements self-care strategies such as going to yoga classes and taking frequent study breaks.

Question 17

For the past several weeks, you have been working with your client on coming to terms with her mother's illness. Today, she asked if you could take a break from talking about her mother as she has been extremely stressed out about her final exams and would rather talk about those. This is an example of:

A) an increase in the level of stress and demands leading to a change in the client's willingness to engage in the therapeutic relationship.
B) a decrease in the level of stress and demands leading to a change in the client's willingness to engage in the therapeutic relationship.
C) an increase in the level of stress and demands leading to a change in motivation to address her mother's illness.
D) a decrease in the level of stress and demands leading to a change in motivation to address her mother's illness.

Question 18

Prochaska 1999) has identified ___ stages of readiness to change.

A) 3
B) 7
C) 5
D) 9

Question 19

With regards to readiness for change, skillful practitioners ___________________ before deciding how to proceed in working with clients.

A) explore clients' levels of readiness and motivation
B) work with several different clients
C) are multiculturally competent
D) explore the clients' skills and independence

Question 20

_________ serves to increase motivation and is critical to all practitioner-client relationships.

A) Love
B) Hope
C) Clarity
D) Peace

Question 21

John believes that he is incompetent and a failure. When you point out the great grade John has just received in his last essay, John states, "Well, the professor just gives good marks, and it doesn't matter the quality of your work. He probably did not even read my essay." John would be considered to have an:

A) internal power.
B) external power.
C) internal locus of control.
D) external locus of control.

Question 22

You are working with Joe, who was ordered by the court to attend therapy sessions after he was convicted of assault of a police officer. Joe tells you during the first session that the police officer who arrested him was racist and that he does NOT have a friggin' anger management problem! What stage of change is Joe at, and what would you do to move him toward the next stage of change?

Question 23

After reading this chapter, you realize that it is critical for you to have a good relationship with your clients. During the next session, you would like to assess the health of your therapeutic relationship. List 3 questions that you could pose to your client that would help you to ask for feedback from clients?

Question 24

What is the placebo effect?

A) This is the positive effect based on a person's belief in the intervention.
B) This is the positive effect based on an effective intervention.
C) This is a negative effect based on a person's belief in the intervention?
D) This is a negative side effect from an effective intervention.

Question 25

Celeste is a 10-year-old girl who is doing poorly in school. The teacher refers her to you because Celeste seems to "zone out" in class and does not complete her school work. Celeste comes from a chaotic, lower income family. There are 10 family members spanning multiple generations living in a 1 bedroom apartment. Testing results indicate a superior IQ. When Celeste arrives at your office, she is shy and tells you that she is a "good for nothing". Identify the environmental, personal, and behavioral factors that may be impacting Celeste's readiness to change, according to the social cognitive theory.

Question 26

Carlita believes that she is responsible for her actions, and that her actions have consequences. In essence, she believes that changes in her behavior will lead to desired changes in her life. She is said to have an:

A) internal power.
B) external power.
C) internal locus of control.
D) external locus of control.

Question 27

Which of the following is NOT one of the ways a practitioner may bring hope to the client?

A) The practitioner offers solutions to every problem that the client has.
B) The practitioner brings belief that the client can change.
C) The practitioner provides support and encouragement when change does not occur quickly or easily.
D) The practitioner brings experience and education that instills hope and confidence in his/her ability to help.

Question 28

Mr. T, a 45-year-old man, comes to you for help after being fired from his job of 20 years. He complains of feeling "depressed". Over the course of the first session, you find out that Mr. T has a supportive wife who works full-time. He has 3 young children, and his wife does not make enough to pay for the household expenses. You also learn that Mr. T is a part of a small church which he enjoys. What are Mr. T's strengths and limitations? How would you continue to assess for his strengths and limitations?

Question 29

Name and describe the four levels of discounting. For each level, give an example of that type of discounting and list one thing that the practitioner could do to help the client address and move past the discounting.

Question 30

Mrs. K calls your office and speaks to you for about half an hour about her interpersonal difficulties with her husband. You discuss your theoretical orientation and the interventions that you may teach her during subsequent sessions, as well as your firm belief with regard to the efficacy of therapy. Mrs. K sounds much calmer after your discussion and schedules a session for two weeks from today. Two weeks later, Mrs. K indicates in session that she has been feeling more hopeful in the past two weeks and her marital relationship has improved. This is likely an example of the:

A) motivation to change effect.
B) plaster effect.
C) placebo effect.
D) placation effect.