7- Types of Psychotherapy

Source: https://app.lecturio.com/#/lecture/c/7526/9026/32968

Correct Answer: B. Reducing symptoms by modifying observable behaviors

Explanation:
Behavioral therapy focuses on observable behavior change using techniques such as reinforcement, relaxation, and exposure, rather than insight or unconscious processes.

Which of the following best describes the primary goal of behavioral therapy?

A. Increasing insight into unconscious conflicts
B. Reducing symptoms by modifying observable behaviors
C. Exploring early childhood experiences
D. Strengthening ego defenses through interpretation

Correct Answer: C. Classical conditioning

Explanation:
Classical conditioning involves pairing a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus until it evokes a conditioned response (Pavlov’s dog).

A neutral stimulus repeatedly paired with food eventually elicits salivation in a dog. This learning process is known as:

A. Operant conditioning
B. Negative reinforcement
C. Classical conditioning
D. Habituation

Correct Answer: B. Learning through reinforcement or punishment of behavior

Explanation:
Operant conditioning involves learning based on consequences, including positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, or punishment (e.g., Skinner’s box).

Which of the following best characterizes operant conditioning?

A. Learning through association between two stimuli
B. Learning through reinforcement or punishment of behavior
C. Learning by repeated imagined exposure
D. Learning through unconscious conflict resolution

Correct Answer: C. Systematic desensitization

Explanation:
Systematic desensitization combines gradual exposure to feared stimuli with relaxation techniques to reduce anxiety.

A patient with a dog phobia is gradually exposed to images of dogs while practicing relaxation techniques. This approach is called:

A. Flooding
B. Implosion
C. Systematic desensitization
D. Aversion therapy

Correct Answer: C. Implosion is imaginal exposure, flooding is in vivo exposure

Explanation:

• Implosion = imaginal flooding (intense imagined exposure)

• Flooding = in vivo flooding (direct real-life exposure)
  Neither involves gradual exposure or relaxation.

Which of the following correctly differentiates implosion from flooding?

A. Implosion is in vivo exposure, flooding is imaginal exposure
B. Implosion involves punishment, flooding involves reinforcement
C. Implosion is imaginal exposure, flooding is in vivo exposure
D. Both involve gradual exposure with relaxation

Correct Answer: C. Aversion therapy

Explanation:
Aversion therapy pairs a negative stimulus with an unwanted behavior to create an unpleasant response. Disulfiram causes acetaldehyde buildup, leading to nausea when alcohol is consumed.

An alcoholic patient is given disulfiram and experiences severe nausea after consuming alcohol. This is an example of:

A. Negative reinforcement
B. Token economy
C. Aversion therapy
D. Systematic desensitization

Correct Answer: B. Token economy

Explanation:
A token economy uses positive reinforcement to encourage desired behaviors, commonly used on inpatient psychiatric units.

A hospitalized patient with schizophrenia earns points for showering and grooming, which can later be exchanged for privileges. This technique is known as:

A. Biofeedback
B. Token economy
C. Contingency management
D. Implosion

Correct Answer: B. Biofeedback

Explanation:
Biofeedback uses physiological monitoring (e.g., heart rate, muscle tension) to help patients regulate bodily responses. Visualization may be used but is not required.

Which therapy provides patients with real-time physiological data to help them learn voluntary control over bodily processes?

A. CBT
B. Biofeedback
C. Supportive psychotherapy
D. Motivational interviewing

Correct Answer: B. Manual-driven and time-limited

Explanation:
CBT is a structured, time-limited, manual-based therapy developed by Aaron Beck and supported by strong empirical evidence.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is best described as:

A. Insight-oriented and open-ended
B. Manual-driven and time-limited
C. Primarily focused on unconscious processes
D. Most effective for patients with low motivation

Correct Answer: C. A motivated patient who can monitor their own thoughts

Explanation:
CBT is most effective for motivated, self-observant, problem-solving patients.

Which patient is MOST likely to benefit from CBT?

A. A highly disorganized patient with acute psychosis
B. A patient unwilling to reflect on thoughts
C. A motivated patient who can monitor their own thoughts
D. A patient seeking insight into childhood trauma

Correct Answer: B. Here-and-now interpersonal relationships

Explanation:
IPT is a manual-driven therapy focusing on current relationships and four key problem areas: grief, disputes, role transitions, and interpersonal deficits.

Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) primarily focuses on:

A. Early childhood experiences
B. Here-and-now interpersonal relationships
C. Cognitive restructuring
D. Behavioral reinforcement

Correct Answer: B. Confronting resistance directly

Explanation:
Motivational interviewing accepts and rolls with resistance rather than confronting it directly.

Which of the following is NOT a core principle of motivational interviewing?

A. Expressing empathy
B. Confronting resistance directly
C. Supporting self-efficacy
D. Identifying discrepancies between values and behavior

Correct Answer: B. Precontemplation → contemplation → preparation → action → maintenance

Explanation:
The stages of change model includes precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance, with relapse possible at any stage.

The stages of change model MOST accurately includes:

A. Motivation → relapse → precontemplation
B. Precontemplation → contemplation → preparation → action → maintenance
C. Insight → action → reinforcement
D. Exposure → habituation → extinction

Correct Answer: C. Borderline personality disorder

Explanation:
DBT, developed by Marsha Linehan, targets borderline personality disorder, focusing on reducing self-harm and hospitalizations.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) was specifically developed to treat:

A. Major depressive disorder
B. Schizophrenia
C. Borderline personality disorder
D. Bipolar disorder

Correct Answer: C. Cognitive restructuring

Explanation:
Cognitive restructuring is a core CBT technique, not a DBT skill module.

Which of the following is NOT one of the four core DBT skill modules?

A. Mindfulness
B. Distress tolerance
C. Cognitive restructuring
D. Interpersonal effectiveness

Correct Answer: C. Advice, reassurance, and strengthening coping mechanisms

Explanation:
Supportive psychotherapy is active and strength-based, focusing on coping and emotional support, often during life crises.

Supportive psychotherapy primarily involves:

A. Interpretation of unconscious conflict
B. Neutral therapist stance
C. Advice, reassurance, and strengthening coping mechanisms
D. Exposure to feared stimuli

Correct Answer: B. Immediate peer feedback

Explanation:
Group therapy offers peer support, normalization, and feedback, helping patients feel less isolated.

Which is a key advantage of group therapy over individual therapy?

A. Greater confidentiality
B. Immediate peer feedback
C. Focus on unconscious conflicts
D. Reduced therapist involvement

Correct Answer: C. Triangulation

Explanation:
Triangulation occurs when two family members form an alliance against a third, often increasing dysfunction.

In family therapy, a situation where two family members align against a third is called:

A. Enmeshment
B. Boundary diffusion
C. Triangulation
D. Role transition

Correct Answer: B. Sexual and communication problems

Explanation:
Marital therapy focuses on communication, intimacy, and conflict resolution, often using conjoint sessions.

Marital therapy is particularly useful for addressing:

A. Psychotic disorders
B. Sexual and communication problems
C. Acute mania
D. Severe cognitive impairment

Correct Answer: B. Learning and deconditioning

Explanation:
Behavioral therapy is grounded in learning theory, which holds that behaviors are acquired through conditioning and can be unlearned through deconditioning.

In behavioral theory, the concept that maladaptive behaviors can be learned and later unlearned is best described as:

A. Cognitive restructuring
B. Learning and deconditioning
C. Insight-oriented therapy
D. Psychodynamic interpretation

Correct Answer: C. Positive reinforcement adds a rewarding stimulus

Explanation:

• Positive reinforcement = adding a rewarding stimulus

• Negative reinforcement = removing an unpleasant stimulus
  Punishment is a separate concept.

Which of the following best distinguishes positive reinforcement from negative reinforcement?

A. Positive reinforcement removes an unpleasant stimulus
B. Negative reinforcement adds a pleasant stimulus
C. Positive reinforcement adds a rewarding stimulus
D. Negative reinforcement involves punishment

Correct Answer: C. Relaxation techniques paired with exposure

Explanation:
Systematic desensitization uniquely pairs graduated exposure with relaxation, reducing anxiety through counterconditioning.

The defining feature that differentiates systematic desensitization from other exposure therapies is the use of:

A. Immediate in vivo exposure
B. Imaginal exposure only
C. Relaxation techniques paired with exposure
D. Punishment-based conditioning

Correct Answer: B. Heart rate and blood pressure

Explanation:
Biofeedback provides real-time physiological data such as heart rate, blood pressure, muscle tension, or skin conductance to help patients regulate bodily responses.

Which of the following physiological measures is MOST commonly used in biofeedback?

A. Serum cortisol
B. Heart rate and blood pressure
C. EEG during sleep
D. Genetic markers

Correct Answer: C. Biofeedback-assisted visualization

Explanation:
In biofeedback, mental imagery (e.g., visualizing arterial dilation) is often combined with physiological feedback to help control symptoms like migraines.

A patient with migraines is instructed to imagine the dilation of cranial arteries during pain episodes. This technique is an example of:

A. Guided imagery alone
B. Cognitive restructuring
C. Biofeedback-assisted visualization
D. Aversion therapy

Correct Answer: C. A normal part of the cycle of change

Explanation:
Relapse is considered a normal and expected part of the stages-of-change cycle, not a failure.

In motivational interviewing, relapse is best understood as:

A. A treatment failure
B. Evidence of resistance
C. A normal part of the cycle of change
D. An indication for confrontation

Correct Answer: C. Observe interpersonal dynamics and transference

Explanation:
Group therapy allows therapists to observe real-time interactions, including transference and interpersonal patterns, and intervene accordingly.

An important therapeutic advantage of group therapy is that the therapist can:

A. Avoid emotional reactions
B. Eliminate transference
C. Observe interpersonal dynamics and transference
D. Focus only on psychoeducation

Correct Answer: C. Alcoholics Anonymous

Explanation:
12-step programs, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), are classic and widely used forms of group therapy.

Which of the following is a classic example of group therapy?

A. Cognitive processing therapy
B. Dialectical behavior therapy
C. Alcoholics Anonymous
D. Motivational interviewing

Correct Answer: B. Separate therapists for each partner plus conjoint sessions

Explanation:
Collaborative therapy often includes individual therapists for each partner, alongside joint marital sessions, to address both personal and relational issues.

In collaborative marital therapy, treatment most commonly involves:

A. Only conjoint sessions with one therapist
B. Separate therapists for each partner plus conjoint sessions
C. Group therapy with other couples
D. Individual therapy only