Question 1

In her landmark study of a 3-year-old child named Peter, Mary Cover Jones demonstrated that:

Accepted Answer

Mary Cover Jones used classical conditioning techniques to remove Peter's fear of rabbits. She paired the presence of a rabbit with pleasant stimuli, such as food and playing with toys, which gradually reduced his fear response. This study was a significant contribution to the field of behaviorism and demonstrated the effectiveness of classical conditioning in treating phobias.

Question 2

Vivian's psychologist is using systematic desensitization to help Vivian overcome her phobia of driving over bridges. As one of the first steps in the process of systematic desensitization, Vivian's psychologist is most likely to:

Accepted Answer

In the process of systematic desensitization, the first step is typically to have the person create an anxiety hierarchy. This involves identifying a series of situations related to the phobia that produce varying levels of anxiety or fear, and ordering them from least to most anxiety-inducing. Once the hierarchy is created, the person gradually confronts each situation in a systematic and controlled way, starting with the least anxiety-inducing situation and moving on to more challenging situations as they become less fearful. This process helps to desensitize the person to the feared situation and reduce their anxiety response over time.

Question 3

After losing his job in a corporate merger, Dean developed an intense fear of crowds and crowded places. His psychologist is using systematic desensitization to help Dean overcome the fear. During the actual process of systematic desensitization, Dean:

Accepted Answer

Systematic desensitization is a form of exposure therapy that involves gradually exposing the individual to the feared object or situation while they remain relaxed. In Dean's case, he is likely developing an anxiety hierarchy with his psychologist, which is a list of gradually more anxiety-provoking situations involving crowds. He will then practice deep relaxation techniques while imagining each of these situations, starting with the least anxiety-provoking and gradually working up to the most anxiety-provoking. This process helps to retrain his brain to associate crowds with relaxation rather than fear. The other options (B, C, and D) do not accurately describe the process of systematic desensitization.

Question 4

Pamela's psychologist is using systematic desensitization to help Pamela overcome intense anxiety about thunderstorms and threatening weather. As part of the process, Pamela creates an anxiety hierarchy that includes a:

Accepted Answer

An anxiety hierarchy is a list of scenes or situations that trigger anxiety, arranged from least to most anxiety-provoking. This helps the individual gradually confront and overcome their fear in a structured and controlled manner. Option A and B are not necessary for creating an anxiety hierarchy, and option D is not relevant to the process of systematic desensitization.

Question 5

The basic assumption of behavior therapy is that:

Accepted Answer

Behavior therapy is based on the assumption that behavior is learned, including both adaptive and maladaptive behaviors. The goal of behavior therapy is to replace maladaptive behaviors with more adaptive ones through techniques such as reinforcement, modeling, and systematic desensitization. Faulty patterns of thinking are addressed in cognitive therapy, unspoken family rules in family therapy, and the nondirective approach with unconditional positive regard and empathy is associated with person-centered therapy.

Question 6

One potential problem with insight-oriented therapies, such as psychoanalysis and client-centered therapy, is that:

Accepted Answer

Insight-oriented therapies often focus on gaining an understanding of the cause behind maladaptive behaviors, but this does not necessarily translate to more adaptive and healthier behaviors. In order to produce meaningful changes in behavior and emotional functioning, additional interventions may be necessary, such as cognitive-behavioral techniques or exposure therapy.

Question 7

In contrast to insight-oriented therapies, behavior therapy focuses on:

Accepted Answer

Behavior therapy focuses on changing maladaptive behaviors through techniques such as operant conditioning, classical conditioning, and modeling. The goal is to unlearn problematic behaviors and replace them with more adaptive ones, rather than delving into deeper, underlying psychological conflicts as insight-oriented therapies do.

Question 8

Exposure therapy is:

Accepted Answer

Exposure therapy is a well-established therapy that combines behavioral and cognitive techniques to effectively treat anxiety disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder, and phobias. It involves gradually exposing the client to situations or stimuli that trigger their anxiety or fear, with the goal of helping them learn to tolerate and cope with these feelings. This therapy has been extensively researched and has a strong evidence base for its effectiveness.

Question 9

The process of learning a new conditioned response that is incompatible with a previously learned response is called _____ and is based on the principles of _____.

Accepted Answer

Counterconditioning is the process of replacing an unwanted conditioned response with a new response that is more desirable or compatible. This is accomplished through classical conditioning principles, such as pairing the conditioned stimulus with a new and positive unconditioned stimulus.

Question 10

An anxiety hierarchy is a:

Accepted Answer

An anxiety hierarchy is a structured list of specific anxiety-producing situations. The list is arranged from least to most anxiety-provoking and is related to the person's fear or phobia. This hierarchy is used in exposure therapy to gradually expose the person to their feared situations in a controlled and safe manner. Choice A is too broad and includes all anxiety-provoking situations, while choice B focuses only on symptoms and not situations. Choice D is not accurate and not related to anxiety hierarchy.

Question 11

As part of the treatment strategy that Mary Cover Jones used, she had 3-year-old Peter:

Accepted Answer

Mary Cover Jones used systematic desensitization, a behavior therapy technique that involves gradually introducing the feared object or situation in a controlled manner. Part of this technique involves the use of a hierarchy of increasingly anxiety-provoking stimuli. In the case of Peter and his fear of rabbits, observing other children holding and petting a tame rabbit would be a lower-level stimuli that would gradually help him overcome his fear. Therefore, choice D (observe other children holding and petting a tame rabbit) is the best option.

Question 12

In treating a 3-year-old child named Peter, Mary Cover Jones:

Accepted Answer

Mary Cover Jones used classical conditioning to condition a response that was incompatible with Peter's previously learned response of fear in the presence of a tame rabbit. She paired the rabbit with a positive experience (such as giving him his favorite foods) to replace the fear response with a new response of pleasure and comfort. This is known as counterconditioning.

Question 13

When Meredith was 12 years old, she had to endure a very painful dental procedure. Ever since, she has had an intense fear of going to the dentist. Which of the following techniques is most likely to help her overcome her fear of going to the dentist?

Accepted Answer

Systematic desensitization is a technique used in behavior therapy to help individuals overcome phobias and other anxiety disorders. It involves graduated exposure to the feared object or situation while practicing relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing or progressive muscle relaxation. In this case, Meredith could gradually be exposed to dental procedures while practicing relaxation techniques to help her overcome her fear. Contingency management and rational-emotive therapy are not appropriate for treating specific phobias, and EMDR is typically used to treat trauma-related symptoms rather than phobias.

Question 14

In the 1920s, the famous case of Little Albert demonstrated that:

Accepted Answer

Little Albert was a young boy who was classically conditioned to fear a white lab rat by pairing it with a loud noise. This experiment demonstrated that strong negative emotional reactions, such as fear, could be classically conditioned.

Question 15

Which of the following is NOT part of the basic steps that are involved in systematic desensitization?

Accepted Answer

Token or point systems are not typically used in systematic desensitization. Instead, the patient is encouraged and rewarded for progress made during the therapy session.

Question 16

Which techniques did Mary Cover Jones use in her successful treatment of a 3-year-old boy named Peter who had a phobia of rabbits?

Accepted Answer

Mary Cover Jones used observational learning and counterconditioning in her successful treatment of Peter's phobia of rabbits. She gradually exposed Peter to a rabbit while he was engaged in enjoyable activities (counterconditioning) and modeled calm behavior in the presence of the rabbit (observational learning). Through repeated exposures, Peter's fear response was replaced with a positive response to the rabbit.

Question 17

Developed by South African psychiatrist Joseph Wolpe in the 1950s, _____ involves learning a new conditioned response (relaxation) that is incompatible with or inhibits the old conditioned response (fear and anxiety).

Accepted Answer

The technique described in the question is systematic desensitization, which was developed by Joseph Wolpe in the 1950s. Contingency management is a behavioral technique used to reinforce desirable behaviors and discourage undesirable ones, while eye movement desensitization reprocessing (EMDR) is a therapy used to treat trauma and involves the use of eye movements. Rational-emotive therapy is a form of cognitive behavioral therapy that focuses on changing irrational beliefs.

Question 18

When Gary found out that his new job required some air travel, he sought the help of a clinical psychologist to deal with his intense fear of flying. The clinical psychologist suggested using a procedure called systematic desensitization. As the first step in the process of systematic desensitization, the clinical psychologist:

Accepted Answer

The first step in the process of systematic desensitization involves training the person in a relaxation technique such as progressive relaxation. This allows the person to learn how to stay calm and relaxed even in anxiety-provoking situations, such as being on an airplane. Option A involves exploring for possible causes of fear, which is not a part of the initial step of systematic desensitization. Option B involves confronting the irrationality of fear, which may not be helpful initially. Option C involves visualizing a negative experience, which is not a part of the initial step of systematic desensitization.

Question 19

Systematic desensitization is based on the same premise as:

Accepted Answer

Systematic desensitization is a form of counterconditioning, which aims to replace a negative response (such as fear or anxiety) with a positive one through gradual exposure to the feared stimulus. A) Aversive conditioning is a completely different approach that seeks to discourage a negative behavior through punishment or unpleasant consequences. B) The token economy is a behavior modification technique that rewards desired behaviors with tokens or points that can be traded for privileges or rewards. C) Contingency management refers to a set of behavioral interventions that use principles of reinforcement and punishment to change behavior.

Question 20

Mary Cover Jones is regarded by many psychologists as the:

Accepted Answer

Mary Cover Jones is best known for her pioneering work in the use of behavioral techniques in therapy. She conducted one of the earliest studies in behavior therapy, in which she successfully used a technique known as systematic desensitization to eliminate a young boy's fear of rabbits. This helped lay the foundation for subsequent developments in the field of behavior therapy.

Quiz 14: Section 2: Therapies