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Chapter 9- Behavior Therapy
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MULTIPLE-CHOICE TEST ITEMS
1. Behavior therapy is associated with all but one of the following:
a. empirically supported treatments.
b. functional analysis of behavior.
c. a philosophical view of human behavior.
d. a comprehensive assessment process.
e. operant conditioning.
2. Behavior therapy assumes that:
a. behavior is the result of unconscious forces.
b. behavior is the result of free choices.
c. behavior is determined by psychic energy.
d. behavior is learned.
3. Behavior therapy is characterized by:
a. a focus on overt specific behavior.
b. a formulation of precise treatment goals.
c. the design of an appropriate treatment plan.
d. the objective assessment of the results of therapy.
e. all of these.
4. Behavior therapy is based on:
a. applying the experimental method to the therapeutic process.
b. a systematic set of concepts.
c. a well-developed theory of personality.
d. the principle of self-actualization.
5. Michael believes that he will be able to improve his public speaking skills after completing a
speech course at school. Based on social-cognitive theory, one might observe that Michael is not
lacking in:
a. arrogance and grandiosity.
b. intelligence.
c. self-efficacy.
d. cognitive functioning.
6. The main goal of behavior therapy is:
a. fostering self-actualization.
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b. expanding self-understanding and insight.
c. assisting clients in making value judgments concerning their behavior.
d. eliminating maladaptive learning and providing for more effective learning.
7. Which is not true of the relationship between therapist and client in behavior therapy?
a. The therapist is solely responsible for setting treatment goals.
b. The relationship is considered collaborative.
c. Therapist and client work together in a warm and flexible manner.
d. The therapeutic relationship is an important factor in treatment outcomes.
8. What is the function of the behavior therapist?
a. to provide modeling for the client
b. to provide a collaborative therapeutic environment
c. to assess specific behavior problems
d. to provide reinforcement for clients
e. all of these.
9. Which of the following interventions is not associated with the third wave of behavior therapy?
a. dialectical behavior therapy
b. relaxation training
c. acceptance and commitment therapy
d. mindfulness based cognitive therapy
10. Which of the following is not true regarding behavior therapy?
a. The client must be an active participant.
b. The client is merely passive while the therapist uses techniques.
c. Therapy cannot be imposed on unwilling clients.
d. Both therapist and client need to work together for common goals.
11. All of the following are true about social skills training except:
a. It is a psychoeducational approach to interpersonal growth.
b. It involves modeling and reinforcement techniques.
c. It uses role playing exercises to simulate social situations.
d. It requires clients to engage in catharsis.
12. Which anxiety reduction technique involves creating a hierarchy of the client’s fearful experiences?
a. assertive training
b. operant conditioning
c. systematic desensitization
d. social reinforcement
e. stress inoculation
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13. Behavior therapists look to the current environmental events that maintain problem behaviors
and help clients produce behavior change by changing environmental events, through a process
called:
a. functional assessment.
b. motivational interviewing.
c. mindfulness-based stress reduction.
d. reorientation.
e. biofeedback.
14. Behavior therapy is suited for:
a. individual therapy.
b. group therapy.
c. institutions and clinics.
d. classroom learning situations.
e. all of these.
15. In the ABC model, the A stands for:
a. arbitrary behaviors
b. antecedents
c. actions
d. assessment
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16. Which statement is not true?
a. Behavioral and humanistic approaches cannot be reconciled.
b. Current behavior therapy is grounded on a deterministic view of persons.
c. Behavioral methods can be used to attain humanistic ends.
d. Contemporary behavior therapy focuses on how people are determined by their social and cultural
environments.
e. Contemporary behavior therapy is increasingly concerned with behavioral control.
17. Which of the following is not a basic characteristic of behavior therapy?
a. Treatment goals are specific and concrete.
b. It is grounded in learning theory.
c. Many specific techniques are supported by research.
d. The therapist is manipulative and controlling.
e. Emphasis is given to observing overt behaviors.
18. Who has done most of the work in the area of modeling?
a. Joseph Wolpe
b. Hans Eysenck
c. E. Jacobson
d. Arnold Lazarus
e. Albert Bandura
19. B. F. Skinner is associated with which of the following trends in the behavioral approach?
a. classical conditioning
b. operant conditioning
c. multimodal therapy
d. dialectical behavior therapy
e. relaxation training
20. Which of the following is not true about how behavior therapists function in the therapeutic setting?
a. They use techniques such as summarizing, reflection, clarification, and open-ended questioning.
b. They focus on specific aspects of problems.
c. They systematically assess for information about all aspects of the problem.
d. They serve as a model for the client.
e. All of these are true.
21. Phil has been in behavior therapy to address his fear of heights. The treatment will not be
considered complete until:
a. Phil transfers what he learns in therapy to his everyday life and takes actual steps to
confront his fear.
b. Phil agrees to take up sky diving as a hobby.
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c. Phil has absolutely no fear of heights, which may be measured by his willingness to move
to one of the top floors of a skyscraper.
d. Phil acknowledges his fear.
22. What is not a part of the steps in a self-directed change program?
a. exploration of one’s family constellation
b. selection of specific goals
c. self-monitoring
d. self-reinforcement procedures
e. working out a plan for change
23. Which of the following is not one of the seven major areas of personality functioning described by the
acronym “BASIC ID”?
a. behavior
b. cognition
c. interpersonal relationships
d. aspirations
e. sensation
24. Which of the following is true about “technical eclecticism” in multimodal therapy?
a. Therapists borrow techniques exclusively from the social learning model.
b. Therapists use techniques from various theoretical models without subscribing to the theory.
c. The client is fit into a predetermined treatment.
d. It is considered confusing to the client.
e. It essentially gives therapists permission to use techniques and strategies in a haphazard and sloppy
manner.
25. In terms of ethical accountability, behavior therapy:
a. does not address this issue.
b. provides a basis for responsible practice.
c. offers a greater chance of abusing interventions than do other approaches.
d. makes use of techniques that have questionable validity.
e. is the only ethical form of therapy today.
26. Which of the following behavior therapists is credited with developing the social cognitive learning
model, doing much work on observational learning and modeling, and writing about self-efficacy?
a. Bandura
b. Linehan
c. Wolpe
d. Jacobson
e. Skinner
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27. Which of the following distinguishes the cognitive trend in behavior therapy from the trends of
classical and operant conditioning?
a. a focus on experimental analysis
b. a focus on evaluating therapeutic procedures
c. the integration of thoughts and feelings in the process of behavior change
d. the integration of mindfulness approaches as a basic part of any treatment procedure
e. a tendency to draw from the experiential approaches as a way to build a relationships
28. Multimodal therapy is a therapeutic approach that is grounded on:
a. cognitive behavior therapy.
b. social learning theory.
c. applied behavior analysis.
d. operant conditioning.
e. dialectical behavior therapy
29. Haley has difficulty turning down dates and consistently allows men to take advantage of her.
A behavioral intervention that may help Haley establish appropriate boundaries with others and
speak up for herself is:
a. stress inoculation training.
b. anger management.
c. assertion training.
d. EMDR.
e. In vivo flooding.
30. Which of the following clinical strategies is not necessarily employed during assertion training?
a. feedback
b. modeling
c. social reinforcement
d. homework assignments
e. relaxation
31. Which of the following would not be considered a feature of a good self-contract?
a. It emphasizes the positive.
b. It is a verbal agreement between client and therapist.
c. It is clear and specific.
d. It is based on realistic change goals.
e. It includes a balance of appropriate rewards and sanctions.
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32. A limitation of behavior therapy is:
a. the overemphasis on feeling and the neglect of cognition.
b. the overemphasis upon insight.
c. the lack of empirical research validating its techniques.
d. the need for long-term treatment to effect change.
e. none of these
33. During the second wave of behavior therapy, therapists:
a. continued to emphasize empirically supported treatments.
b. increased their focus on the role of emotion in behavior change.
c. adopted a stronger biological perspective.
d. applied behavior therapy principles to prevention of disease and illness.
e. all of these
34. When practicing mindfulness:
a. clients learn to focus on one thing at a time and to bring their attention back to the present
moment when distractions arise.
b. clients develop an attitude of curiosity and compassion to present experience.
c. clients learn how to be aware of themselves without being judgmental.
d. clients train themselves to intentionally focus on their present experience while at the same
time achieving a distance from it.
e. all of these.
35. Wolpe’s systematic desensitization is based on the principles of:
a. classical conditioning.
b. operant conditioning.
c. modeling.
d. motivational interviewing.
e. cognitive therapy.
36. The situation in which behaviors are influenced by the consequences that follow them is:
a. classical conditioning.
b. operant conditioning.
c. modeling.
d. flooding.
37. Skinner’s view of shaping behavior is based on the principle of:
a. classical conditioning.
b. operant conditioning.
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c. reciprocal inhibition.
d. acceptance.
38. _____________involves the removal of unpleasant stimuli from a situation once a certain behavior has
occurred.
a. Negative reinforcement
b. Positive reinforcement
c. Punishment
d. Systematic desensitization
e. Flooding
39. In dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), skills are taught in four modules. Which among the
following is not one of the modules listed in the text?
a. mindfulness
b. interpersonal effectiveness
c. emotional regulation
d. distress tolerance
e. relapse prevention
40. _________ is a key pioneer of clinical behavior therapy because of his broadening of its conceptual
bases and development of multimodal therapy.
a. Albert Bandura.
b. Joseph Wolpe.
c. B.F. Skinner.
d. Arnold Lazarus.
e. Alan Kazdin.
41. All of the following are characteristics of the behavioral approaches except:
a. Behavior therapy relies on the principles and procedures of the scientific method.
b. Behavior therapy specifies treatment goals in concrete and objective terms.
c. Behavior therapy focuses on the client’s current problems and the factors influencing them.
d. Behavior therapy employs the same procedures to every client with a particular dysfunctional
behavior.
42. In conducting a behavioral assessment, the client’s functioning is taken into account in which area(s)?
a. emotional dimensions
b. cognitive dimensions
c. behavioral dimensions
d. interpersonal dimensions
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e. all of these
43. What would be the most accurate way of describing mindfulness-based stress reduction
(MBSR) to a friend or colleague?
a. MBSR consists of the notion that much of our distress and suffering results from
continually wanting things to be different from how they actually are.
b. MBSR aims to assist people in learning how to live more fully in the present rather than
ruminating about the past or being overly concerned about the future.
c. MBSR does not actively teach cognitive modification techniques, nor does it label certain
cognitions as “dysfunctional,” because this is not consistent with the nonjudgmental
attitude one strives to cultivate in mindfulness practice.
d. The approach adopted in the MBSR program is to develop the capacity for sustained
directed attention through formal meditation practice.
e. All of these.
44. Behavior therapists tend to:
a. be active and directive.
b. function as consultants.
c. function as problem solvers.
d. all of these
45. All of the following are steps in the use of systematic desensitization except for:
a. hypnosis.
b. relaxation training.
c. the development of an anxiety hierarchy.
d. psychoeducation.
46. Techniques used in mindfulness-based stress reduction therapy include all but:
a. yoga.
b. flooding.
c. body scan meditation.
d. a present-focused orientation.
47. Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) integrates techniques from:
a. multimodal therapy and mindfulness.
b. mindfulness-based stress reduction and cognitive behavior therapy.
c. motivational interviewing and mindfulness.
d. Yoga, systematic desensitization, and mindfulness.
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48. Self-management strategies include:
a. self-monitoring.
b. self-award.
c. self-contracting.
d. stimulus control.
e. all of these
49. If your client wanted to change a behavior, for instance, learning to control smoking, drinking, or
eating, which behavioral technique would be most appropriate to employ?
a. systematic desensitization
b. self-management
c. assertion training
d. punishment
50. Techniques that differentiate behavioral group therapy from other models of group work include all
but:
a. conducting behavioral assessment.
b. collaboratively forming precise treatment goals.
c. a time-limited intervention.
d. providing members with feedback regarding their therapeutic progress.
51. In acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), another way to describe the term “acceptance”
is:
a. resignation.
b. nonjudgmental awareness.
c. tolerance.
d. approval.
52. Lazarus argues in favor of:
a. technical eclecticism.
b. positive punishment.
c. zen-based techniques.
d. strict adherence to treatment manuals to ensure standardization.
e. theoretical integration
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53. Sergio is co-leading a social skills group for children with Aspergers. He and his co-leader
must collect data on group members’ progress:
a. before the group starts and at the end of the group, but not during the group.
b. before, during, and after all interventions.
c. only at the last group session.
d. only if the group members’ parents request it.
54. The premise of the exposure-based therapies is that anxiety is reduced through:
a. extinction of a maladaptive response to a feared stimulus.
b. habituation.
c. pairing a feared stimulus with a competing, calming response.
d. progressive muscle relaxation.
e. negative reinforcement.
55. In group settings, behavior therapists provide all of the following except:
a. modeling.
b. teaching of new skills.
c. little direct feedback.
d. directive support of clients.
56. The key principle in applied behavior analysis is:
a. to use the least aversive means to change behavior.
b. to use positive and negative punishment to change behavior.
c. in vivo desensitization.
d. all of these.
57. In vivo flooding consists of:
a. brief and graduated series of exposures to feared events.
b. intense and prolonged exposure to the actual anxiety-producing stimuli.
c. imagined exposure to fearful experiences paired with muscle relaxation.
d. guided use of mindfulness techniques.
58. EMDR is typically used to help clients:
a. restructure their cognitions regarding traumatic events.
b. explore repressed unconscious material from early childhood.
c. facilitate the client’s expression of personal needs while in relationship with others.
d. reduce anxiety related to specific phobias.
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59. Third-generation behavior therapies have been developed that center around five interrelated
core themes. Which of these is not one of the core themes?
a. an expanded view of psychological health
b. a broad view of acceptable outcomes in therapy
c. acceptance
d. a more precise focus on psychopathology
e. creating a life worth living
60. Which is not true of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)?
a. The approach was formulated for treating borderline personality disorders.
b. DBT emphasizes the importance of the client/therapist relationship.
c. DBT incorporates mindfulness training and Zen practices.
d. DBT is a blend of Adlerian concepts and behavioral techniques.
e. DBT relies on empirical data to support its effectiveness.
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TRUE–FALSE TEST ITEMS
Decide if the following statements are “more true” or “more false” from the perspective of the behavior
therapy approach.
1. Albert Bandura is credited with originally developing the progressive relaxation procedure.
2. Systematic desensitization typically includes the use of relaxation procedures.
3. Some counselors feel behavior therapy is too focused on symptoms and not causes of problems.
4. Modeling is a form of systematic desensitization.
5. Behavior therapy has been successfully used with developmentally delayed clients.
6. Modeling methods have been used in treating people with snake phobias and in teaching new
behaviors to socially disturbed children.
7. A trend in contemporary behavior therapy is the increased emphasis on the role of thinking and “self-
talk” as a factor in behavior.
8. Some researchers believe that fear of flying may be due primarily to claustrophobia.
9. A behavior therapist makes use of the technique of open-ended questioning for the purpose of
obtaining important information related to the client’s problem.
10. Albert Bandura is directly responsible for promoting the “third wave” of behavior therapy.
11. Mindfulness involves judgment and careful evaluation of one’s thoughts.
12. Multimodal therapy encourages its practitioners to fit their procedures to the needs of the client by
borrowing techniques from many other approaches.
13. Behavior therapy has been shown to be effective in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular
disease.
14. There is no place for the role of thinking process and attitudes in contemporary behavior therapy.
15. Behavior therapy has undergone important changes and has expanded considerably.
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16. Dialectical behavior therapy integrates behavioral techniques with psychoanalytic concepts and
mindfulness training of Eastern psychological and spiritual practices.
17. Behavior therapists believe that insight is not a necessary condition for behavior change to occur.
8. Multimodal therapy does not fit well with the goals and aspirations of managed care.
19. The basic therapeutic conditions stressed by person-centered therapists can be integrated into a
behavioral framework.
20. Evidence-based procedures are a part of both behavior therapy and cognitive behavior therapy.
21. Dialectical behavior therapy requires both individual and group treatment.
22. Behavior therapy groups employ a long-term treatment model.
23. Acceptance and commitment therapy is not a mindfulness based approach.
24. Both Linehan and Lazurus emphasize the importance of the therapeutic relationship in behavioral
treatments.
25. There is little empirical support for ACT.