Question 1

Which therapeutic approach emphasizes that people are often disturbed because they are unrealistic in their belief that they should never experience rejection.

Accepted Answer

Rational-emotive behavior therapy (REBT) emphasizes that people often have irrational beliefs or demands, such as the belief that they should never experience rejection. REBT aims to help individuals identify and challenge these unrealistic beliefs, which can lead to more adaptive thoughts and behaviors.

Question 2

Dylan is a second-year undergraduate who feels so incompetent that he believes his life is worthless and hopeless. Dylan would profit the most from

Accepted Answer

Beck's cognitive therapy is focused on identifying and changing negative thought patterns and beliefs, which can be particularly helpful for individuals struggling with feelings of inferiority and worthlessness. As Dylan believes his life is worthless and hopeless, cognitive therapy could help him recognize and challenge these negative beliefs, and develop a more positive and realistic outlook on his life.

Question 3

Praising socially withdrawn children when they make eye contact with others and ignoring them after a temper tantrum best illustrates an application of

Accepted Answer

Praising socially withdrawn children when they make eye contact with others and ignoring them after a temper tantrum are examples of operant conditioning, specifically positive reinforcement and extinction. Positive reinforcement involves rewarding a behavior to increase the likelihood of it happening again, while extinction involves withholding reinforcement after an undesired behavior to decrease the likelihood of it happening again.

Question 4

Reinforcing desired behaviors and withholding reinforcement for undesired behaviors is most central to the process of

Accepted Answer

Reinforcing desired behaviors and withholding reinforcement for undesired behaviors is the core principle of behavior modification, which is a type of therapy that utilizes conditioning techniques to change maladaptive behaviors. Classical conditioning involves the pairing of neutral stimuli with stimuli that elicit reflexive responses, while light exposure therapy is a treatment for seasonal affective disorder that involves exposure to bright light. Progressive relaxation is a relaxation technique that involves tensing and relaxing different muscle groups in the body.

Question 5

Mrs. Coleman is a withdrawn schizophrenia patient. To help her become more socially active, institutional staff members give her small plastic cards whenever she talks to someone. She is allowed to exchange these cards for candy and cigarettes. Staff members are making use of

Accepted Answer

This scenario describes a token economy, where desirable behavior (in this case, social interaction) is reinforced with tokens (plastic cards) that can later be exchanged for rewards (candy and cigarettes). This is a commonly used technique in institutional settings to increase desired behaviors in patients.

Question 6

Several years after his wife's death, Mr. Stattler remains incapacitated by feelings of guilt and sadness. To reduce Mr. Stattler's depression, a therapist is actively encouraging him to stop blaming himself for not being able to prevent his wife's death. The therapist's approach is most representative of

Accepted Answer

The therapist's focus on encouraging Mr. Stattler to change his negative thought patterns of self-blame suggests a cognitive therapy approach. This type of therapy aims to help individuals identify and challenge their negative thoughts and beliefs and develop more positive and realistic ones.

Question 7

Cognitive therapists would be most likely to encourage depressed clients to

Accepted Answer

Cognitive therapists focus on helping clients identify and challenge negative thought patterns, including self-blame and negative self-talk. They would encourage clients to stop blaming themselves for circumstances outside of their control and instead focus on changing their responses and coping strategies. This can help clients feel more empowered and less helpless, which can in turn reduce depressive symptoms. Option A is more aligned with behavioral therapy, whereas option B and D are not typically recommended for clients with depression.

Question 8

"For you to think you are worthless because your boyfriend sometimes criticizes you is absurd! I know a lot of highly worthy people who often receive criticisms." This statement would most likely be made to a patient by a

Accepted Answer

Rational-emotive behavior therapy (REBT) focuses on identifying and challenging irrational beliefs and thought patterns that lead to negative emotions and behaviors. The statement in question challenges the patient's irrational belief that one's worth is determined by their partner's criticisms. Therefore, it is most likely a statement made by an REBT therapist.

Question 9

Although originally trained in Freudian techniques, Aaron Beck developed a ________ therapy for depression.

Accepted Answer

Aaron Beck developed cognitive therapy for depression, which focuses on helping individuals identify and change negative thought patterns and beliefs that contribute to their depressive symptoms. This approach is based on the idea that distorted and negative thinking can lead to negative emotions and behaviors.

Question 10

Systematic desensitization is to classical conditioning as ________ is to operant conditioning.

Accepted Answer

Systematic desensitization is a technique based on classical conditioning, where a conditioned stimulus (such as a feared object or situation) is gradually paired with a relaxation response to eventually disassociate the fear response. Similarly, a token economy is a technique based on operant conditioning, where desirable behaviors are reinforced with tokens that can be exchanged for rewards. Both techniques rely on the principles of conditioning to modify behavior.

Question 11

The approach that has helped children with autism spectrum disorder learn to function successfully in school involves

Accepted Answer

Operant conditioning techniques, such as positive reinforcement for desired behaviors, have been found to be effective in helping children with autism spectrum disorder learn and function successfully in school. Stress inoculation training and aversive conditioning are not commonly used approaches with this population, and the double-blind procedure is a research design method rather than an intervention technique.

Question 12

Critics of ________ have expressed a concern that appropriate patient behaviors will disappear following the discontinuation of a token economy.

Accepted Answer

Token economies involve giving patients tokens as a reward for appropriate behaviors, which can then be exchanged for privileges or tangible rewards. The concern is that once the token economy is discontinued, patients may stop exhibiting appropriate behaviors since they are no longer receiving immediate rewards. This is a specific concern related to behavior modification, as opposed to the other types of therapies listed.

Question 13

Proponents of behavior modification have suggested that institutionalized patients can be weaned from ________ by shifting them to other rewards common to life outside an institution.

Accepted Answer

Proponents of behavior modification have suggested that institutionalized patients can be weaned from dysfunctional behaviors by shifting them to other rewards common to life outside an institution, which is achieved through the implementation of a token economy. In a token economy, patients are rewarded with tokens for positive behaviors, which can be exchanged for desirable items or privileges within the institution or eventually used as currency in the outside world. This approach has been used successfully with a range of populations, including incarcerated individuals and those with developmental disabilities. Drug therapy, the therapeutic alliance, and a 12-step approach may be helpful interventions for certain patients, but they are not specifically focused on behavior modification through the use of alternative rewards.

Question 14

Which therapeutic approach emphasizes that people are often disturbed because of their negative interpretations of events?

Accepted Answer

Cognitive therapy emphasizes that people's negative interpretations of events can lead to psychological disturbances. It focuses on changing these negative thinking patterns to improve mental health. The other options (client-centered therapy, systematic desensitization, and light exposure therapy) do not specifically address negative interpretations of events.

Question 15

Therapists practice ________ by using positive reinforcers to reward closer and closer approximations of a desired behavior.

Accepted Answer

The use of positive reinforcement to encourage desired behaviors is a hallmark of behavior modification techniques. Free association and progressive relaxation are both psychoanalytic techniques, while unconditional positive regard is a humanistic approach to therapy.

Question 16

Which of the following is the best description of behavior modification?

Accepted Answer

Behavior modification is a psychological approach that focuses on changing behavior through controlling the consequences of those behaviors. It usually involves setting specific goals, using positive and negative reinforcement, and tracking progress. Option A is more closely related to systematic desensitization, option C is related to the technique of paraphrasing or reflecting, and option D is related to transference-focused psychotherapy.

Question 17

The assumption that thoughts intervene between events and our emotional reactions is most clearly central to

Accepted Answer

The idea that our thoughts can influence and shape our emotional reactions is a key aspect of cognitive therapies, which aim to restructure and challenge unhelpful or negative thought patterns in order to improve emotional well-being. Progressive relaxation focuses on physical tension rather than cognitive processes, while behavior modification and exposure therapies primarily focus on changing behavior rather than thought patterns.

Question 18

"The technique reduces people to puppets controlled by therapists! It doesn't respect human freedom." This criticism is most likely to be directed at

Accepted Answer

The use of a token economy to modify behavior can be seen as manipulative and controlling, as individuals are rewarded and punished for their actions in a way that may be perceived as limiting their freedom of choice.

Question 19

A token economy represents an application of the principles of

Accepted Answer

Token economy is a form of behavior modification based on the principles of operant conditioning. Tokens (or points) are given as rewards for desirable behaviors and can be exchanged for tangible items or privileges. This system aims to increase the frequency of desirable behaviors and decrease the occurrence of undesirable ones by reinforcing positive behaviors.

Question 20

Rational-emotive behavior therapies are most likely to

Accepted Answer

Rational-emotive behavior therapy (REBT) is a form of cognitive therapy that emphasizes identifying and challenging irrational and self-defeating thoughts and beliefs. Its goal is to help individuals develop rational and healthy ways of thinking to promote emotional and behavioral well-being. Thus, REBT therapists would vigorously challenge clients' self-defeating ways of thinking. Options A and B are not typically part of REBT, and option C is related to exposure therapy, not REBT.

Quiz 52: The Psychological Therapies