A person begins exhibiting early symptoms of schizophrenia-for example, hearing voices. Family members decide to discuss the voices with the person to try to understand what is going on. This action by family members should:

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According to the behavioral viewpoint, discussing the symptoms with the person may reinforce the behavior and make it more likely to occur in the future. This is known as the principle of operant conditioning, where behaviors that are followed by positive outcomes are more likely to be repeated. However, the cognitive viewpoint would argue that discussing the symptoms with the person could potentially help them to better understand and cope with their experiences, leading to a reduction in symptoms over time. Overall, it's difficult to predict with certainty what effect discussing the symptoms will have, but based on the principle of operant conditioning, it's possible that it could make the symptoms worse over time.

A Person Begins Exhibiting Early Symptoms of Schizophrenia-For Example, Hearing