A psychiatric-mental health nurse is reading a journal article about obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and the theories associated with its etiology. Which aspect would the nurse expect to be described as a behavioral explanation for the disorder?

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Behavioral explanations for OCD stem from learning theory. From this viewpoint, obsessions are seen as conditioned stimuli. Through being associated with noxious events, stimuli that are usually considered neutral become anxiety provoking. The individual then engages in activities to escape or avoid the anxiety. Compulsions develop as the individual discovers behaviors that successfully reduce the obsessional anxiety. Isolation, undoing, and reaction formation are three unconscious defense mechanisms proposed by psychodynamic theory as the reason for the development of OCD symptoms.

A Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Is Reading a Journal Article About