Question 1

Behaviorists view abnormal behavior as:

Accepted Answer

Behaviorists believe that abnormal behavior is governed by the rules of learning, such as classical and operant conditioning. They do not view it as psychopathological or result of unconscious conflict, and while physiological factors may play a role, it is not the primary focus of the behaviorist perspective.

Question 2

The occurrence of a behavior in a situation other than where it was acquired is known as:

Accepted Answer

Generalization refers to the tendency to respond in the same way to different but similar stimuli or situations. It occurs when a behavior that was learned in one context is displayed in other similar contexts. Therefore, the occurrence of a behavior in a situation other than where it was acquired is an example of generalization. Discrimination refers to the ability to differentiate between stimuli or situations that are similar but have different meanings. Latent learning refers to learning that occurs without an apparent reward or reinforcement, while shaping refers to the gradual process of teaching a new behavior through reinforcing small successive steps towards the target behavior.

Question 3

The social-cognitive theory suggests that:

Accepted Answer

The social-cognitive theory suggests that individuals learn through watching the behavior of others. This includes observing and learning from role models, evaluating the outcomes of behaviors, and making decisions based on past experience and cognitive processes. The theory emphasizes the importance of cognition in behavior and suggests that individuals actively shape their behavior through their thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes.

Question 4

One of the only early behavior theorists to use a trait theory of personality was:

Accepted Answer

Eysenck was one of the only early behavior theorists to incorporate trait theory into his approach. He believed that personality was a combination of three dimensions: extraversion/introversion, neuroticism/stability, and psychoticism/superego.

Question 5

A positive reinforcer should affect behavior by:

Accepted Answer

A positive reinforcer should generally strengthen behavior by increasing the likelihood that the behavior will occur again in the future. This is achieved by presenting a pleasurable stimulus immediately after the behavior, which creates a desirable consequence that the individual seeks to repeat. The repeated occurrence of the behavior leads to learning and reinforces its association with the positive outcome.

Question 6

Behavioral therapy often leads to improvements in areas of functioning that were not directly targeted in treatment.This is known as:

Accepted Answer

Generalization is the term used to describe the transfer of treatment gains from specific targeted behaviors to other behaviors that were not directly addressed in treatment. This is a common outcome of behavioral therapy, where clients often experience improvements in various areas of functioning as a result of the skills and strategies learned in therapy. Desensitization and cognitive defusion are specific techniques used in certain types of therapy, while symptom substitution refers to the emergence of new symptoms after the resolution of primary symptoms. Therefore, D is the best choice since it specifically describes the outcome of behavioral therapy.

Question 7

When individuals attempt to evade negative or distressing private experiences, ACT therapists would call this:

Accepted Answer

Experiential avoidance refers to the behavior of attempting to avoid or escape negative or distressing private experiences, such as thoughts, emotions, memories, or physical sensations. ACT therapists focus on helping individuals accept these private experiences, rather than trying to eliminate or control them. Cognitive defusion, on the other hand, involves unhooking from unhelpful thoughts or beliefs. Deflection refers to redirecting attention from unpleasant experiences, while minimization involves downplaying or dismissing the significance of these experiences.

Question 8

Which of the following represents one of the personality dimensions of the five-factor model?

Accepted Answer

The five-factor model includes the dimensions of openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. "Extraversion" is one of these dimensions. "Reactive" and "passivity" are not dimensions of the five-factor model, and "recklessness" does not directly correspond to any of the five dimensions.

Question 9

Behavioral theory is rooted in:

Accepted Answer

Behavioral theory is based on the principles of empiricism, which emphasizes the importance of observations and experiences in shaping human behavior. This theory focuses on how individuals learn and develop behaviors through the environment and external stimuli.

Question 10

Which of the following is NOT a personality variable espoused by Costa and McCrae?

Accepted Answer

Expectancies are not a personality variable espoused by Costa and McCrae. They focus on the Big Five personality traits: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.

Question 11

Avoidance of an event that produces anxiety is:

Accepted Answer

Avoidance behavior is motivated by the desire to escape or avoid a negative stimulus or consequence, which is a form of negative reinforcement. By avoiding the anxiety-producing event, the individual feels a sense of relief and thus the behavior is reinforced.

Question 12

The acquisition of new knowledge and behavior by observing other people and events is called:

Accepted Answer

Vicarious learning, also known as observational learning, involves gaining new knowledge and behavior by observing others and events. This process is different from classical and operant conditioning, which involve direct experience with stimuli and reinforcements.

Question 13

In the 1930s, Mowrer and Mowrer used behavioral principles to create a treatment approach for bed-wetting called the:

Accepted Answer

Mowrer and Mowrer developed the bell and pad method, which involves waking the child up with an alarm when they begin to wet the bed and having them go to the bathroom. Repeated use of the alarm helps the child learn to recognize the urge to urinate and wake up to use the bathroom before wetting the bed.

Question 14

A behavioral therapist focuses on the antecedents and consequences associated with a behavior.Which approach is the therapist utilizing?

Accepted Answer

A functional analysis is a method used by behavioral therapists to identify the antecedents and consequences associated with a behavior. This information is then used to develop a plan to modify or replace the behavior. Mindfulness, cognitive defusion, and vicarious learning are all techniques commonly used in other types of therapy, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy.

Question 15

The development of systematic desensitization is credited to:

Accepted Answer

Joseph Wolpe, a South African psychiatrist and psychotherapist, is credited with the development of systematic desensitization.

Question 16

Classical conditioning is viewed as the pairing of conditioned stimuli with unconditioned stimuli and the process of learning:

Accepted Answer

Classical conditioning involves learning through the pairing of two stimuli, with one of the stimuli being presented in a correlational or contingent relationship with the other. This is the basis of the process of classical conditioning, where an organism is trained to respond to a particular stimulus in a certain way based on the pairing of stimuli. Punishment or reinforcement do not necessarily follow these stimuli, but rather the focus is on the associations between them.

Question 17

When the Society of Clinical Psychology of the American Psychological Association developed a list of the most efficacious, empirically based treatment approaches, which therapy approach dominated the list?

Accepted Answer

Behavioral therapy was found to be the most efficacious and empirically based treatment approach according to the Society of Clinical Psychology of the American Psychological Association. This approach focuses on changing maladaptive behaviors by using techniques such as reinforcement, punishment, and shaping. The approach has been shown to be effective in treating a variety of mental health issues, including anxiety disorders, depression, and substance use disorders.

Question 18

Behavioral approaches considered part of the "Third Wave" include:

Accepted Answer

The Third Wave of Behavior Therapy refers to mindfulness-based therapies, such as dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT). Rational emotive therapy and cognitive therapy are both considered part of the first wave, while multimodal therapy is part of the second wave.

Question 19

The first figure linked with the rise of behaviorism in the United States in the early 1900s was:

Accepted Answer

J.B. Watson is considered the first figure linked with the rise of behaviorism in the United States in the early 1900s. He published the article "Psychology as the Behaviorist Views It" in 1913, arguing that psychology should focus on observable behavior rather than mental processes.

Question 20

According to behavioral theory, a person would be predicted to act consistently across situations:

Accepted Answer

The behavioral theory suggests that behavior is shaped by the consequences that follow it. If behavior leads to similar consequences in different situations, a person is likely to act consistently across those situations. This is because they have learned through past experience that their behavior leads to certain outcomes, and they are motivated to continue that behavior to achieve those outcomes again. Personality traits (choice A) may be relatively stable, but they are not necessarily the main factor determining behavior in the behavioral theory. Rewards or consequences are more powerful motivators than personality traits. Increasing or decreasing rewards (choices C and D) may have some impact on behavior, but the key factor is the relationship between behavior and consequences.

Quiz 6: Behavior Therapy