Deck 53: Evaluating Psychotherapies

Question 1

After performing a meta-analysis of some 475 psychotherapy outcome studies, researchers reported that

A) evidence supports the efficacy of psychotherapy.
B) psychotherapy is no more effective than talking to a friend.
C) psychotherapy harms just as many people as it helps.
D) it is impossible to measure the effectiveness of psychotherapy.

Answer 1

evidence supports the efficacy of psychotherapy.

Question 2

Before 1950, the main mental health providers were

A) psychologists.
B) paraprofessionals.
C) psychiatrists.
D) the clergy.

Answer 2

psychiatrists.

Question 3

By overestimating the actual benefits of their psychotherapeutic treatment, clients are most likely attempting to satisfy their need for

A) a token economy.
B) free association.
C) self-justification.
D) light exposure therapy.

Answer 3

self-justification.

Question 4

Which approach would attempt to minimize psychological disorders by working to alleviate the conditions that cause child abuse and illiteracy in society?

A) biomedical therapy
B) counterconditioning
C) preventive mental health
D) token economy

Question 5

Among the common ingredients of the psychotherapies is

A) the offer of a therapeutic relationship.
B) the expectation among clients that the therapy will prove helpful.
C) the chance to develop a fresh perspective on oneself and the world.
D) all of these are common ingredients.

Question 6

Psychologists who advocate a ________ approach to mental health contend that many psychological disorders could be prevented by changing the disturbed individual's ________.

A) biomedical; diet
B) family; behavior
C) humanistic; feelings
D) preventive; environment

Question 7

The most effective psychotherapists are those who

A) employ personality tests to accurately diagnose their clients' difficulties.
B) have had many years of experience practicing psychotherapy.
C) establish an empathic, caring relationship with their clients.
D) discourage clients from using antianxiety or antidepressant drugs.

Question 8

Which of the following factors is NOT a therapeutically effective component of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing?

A) reliving traumatic memories
B) rapidly moving one's eyes
C) a relaxing therapeutic environment
D) patients' anticipation that the treatment will work

Question 9

Light exposure therapy has proven useful as a form of treatment for people suffering from

A) bulimia.
B) a seasonal pattern of major depressive disorder.
C) schizophrenia.
D) dissociative identity disorder.

Question 10

Unusual emotions tend to return to their average state. This phenomenon is called

A) regression toward the mean.
B) resistance.
C) counterconditioning.
D) systematic desensitization.

Question 11

Immigrants from Asia would most likely experience difficulty as clients of American psychotherapists who emphasize the value of

A) marital fidelity.
B) individualism.
C) forgiveness.
D) humility.

Question 12

The results of outcome research on the effectiveness of different psychotherapies reveal that

A) no single type of therapy is consistently superior.
B) behavior therapies are most effective in treating specific problems, such as phobias.
C) cognitive therapies are most effective in treating depressed emotions.
D) all of these statements are true.

Question 13

A person can derive benefits from psychotherapy simply by believing in it. This illustrates the importance of

A) spontaneous recovery.
B) the placebo effect.
C) the transference effect.
D) interpretation.

Question 14

The effectiveness of psychotherapy has been assessed both through clients' perspectives and through controlled research studies. What have such assessments found?

A) Clients' perceptions and controlled studies alike strongly affirm the effectiveness of psychotherapy.
B) Whereas clients' perceptions strongly affirm the effectiveness of psychotherapy, studies point to more modest results.
C) Whereas studies strongly affirm the effectiveness of psychotherapy, many clients feel dissatisfied with their progress.
D) Clients' perceptions and controlled studies alike paint a very mixed picture of the effectiveness of psychotherapy.

Question 15

Preventive mental health attempts to reduce the likelihood of psychological disorders by

A) enabling more people to see professional psychotherapists.
B) encouraging depressed people to take more personal responsibility for their own problems.
C) establishing programs to wipe out poverty and other demoralizing situations.
D) emphasizing the importance of using an eclectic approach to therapy.

Question 16

When people's symptoms of psychological distress are at their worst, whatever they do to try to alleviate the condition is likely to be followed by improvement rather than further deterioration. This is best explained in terms of

A) systematic desensitization.
B) the therapeutic alliance.
C) counterconditioning.
D) regression toward the mean.

Question 17

Students who receive unusually low scores on their first psychology test can reasonably anticipate ________ scores on their second psychology test.

A) even lower
B) equally low
C) somewhat higher
D) very high

Question 18

Psychological disorders that researchers believe are learned, such as phobias, are most likely to be treated with

A) meta-analysis.
B) psychotherapy.
C) aversive conditioning.
D) psychoanalysis.

Question 19

Which form of therapy is MOST likely to be successful in treating depression?

A) behavior modification
B) psychoanalysis
C) cognitive therapy
D) humanistic therapy

Question 20

Ron is a 22-year-old mechanic who suffers from claustrophobia. The most effective way to treat Ron's problem would involve ________ therapy.

A) cognitive
B) psychoanalytic
C) client-centered
D) behavior

Question 21

Rapidly moving one's eyes while recalling traumatic experiences is most descriptive of

A) systematic desensitization.
B) rTMS.
C) virtual reality exposure therapy.
D) EMDR.

Question 22

The placebo effect typically leads us to ________ the effectiveness of therapy, and regression toward the mean typically leads us to ________ the effectiveness of therapy.

A) overestimate; underestimate
B) underestimate; overestimate
C) overestimate; overestimate
D) underestimate; underestimate

Question 23

Therapists' perceptions of the effectiveness of psychotherapy are more likely to be overly positive because

A) clients justify entering therapy by emphasizing their financial well-being.
B) clients justify leaving therapy by emphasizing their psychological well-being.
C) clients justify entering therapy by emphasizing their psychological well-being.
D) clients justify leaving therapy by emphasizing their financial well-being.

Question 24

Although Shawn felt terribly depressed when he began psychotherapy, he was much happier by the time he had completed therapy. It would be reasonable to attribute some of his improvement to

A) systematic desensitization.
B) the double-blind technique.
C) transference.
D) regression toward the mean.

Question 25

The placebo effect refers to

A) relief from symptoms without psychotherapy.
B) the alleviation of depression and anxiety by means of aerobic exercise.
C) the use of drugs in the therapeutic treatment of psychological disorders.
D) the beneficial consequences of merely expecting that a treatment will be effective.

Question 26

In one massive experiment, potentially delinquent boys were assigned to a 5-year treatment program that included professional counseling and family assistance. Many years later, Joan McCord's investigation of this program's effectiveness revealed that

A) clients who received the special treatment subsequently had fewer incidents of juvenile delinquency.
B) clients typically underestimated the truly positive effects of this program on their own lives.
C) only the therapists who were involved in the program could accurately gauge its effectiveness.
D) clients' accounts of the program's effectiveness were often misleading and overly positive.

Question 27

Hans Eysenck launched a spirited debate regarding the effectiveness of psychotherapy because he found that it appeared to be

A) too expensive and time-consuming.
B) less beneficial than drug therapy.
C) helpful only for those with relatively mild disorders.
D) no more beneficial than no treatment at all.

Question 28

Unusual ESP subjects who defy chance when first tested nearly always lose their "psychic powers" when retested. This decline is best explained in terms of

A) rTMS.
B) progression relaxation.
C) regression toward the mean.
D) the placebo effect.

Question 29

Behavioral conditioning therapies have achieved especially favorable results in the treatment of

A) bipolar disorders.
B) tardive dyskinesia.
C) phobias.
D) major depressive disorder.

Question 30

People often enter psychotherapy during a period of crisis in their lives. This helps us understand why they

A) prefer behavior therapies over other forms of treatment.
B) seldom block anxiety-laden thoughts from consciousness.
C) tend to overestimate the effectiveness of their psychotherapy.
D) claim to receive the most effective treatment from highly experienced clinicians.

Question 31

Regression toward the mean refers to the tendency for

A) negative feelings to generalize from old relationships to new relationships.
B) unusual events to be followed by more ordinary events.
C) different therapeutic treatments to yield similar outcomes.
D) pessimistic thinking to trigger maladaptive emotions.

Question 32

Clients often stay in touch with their psychotherapists only if satisfied with the treatment they received. This helps us understand why therapists

A) typically take an eclectic approach to therapy.
B) prefer client-centered therapy over other forms of treatment.
C) interpret patients' transference early in the course of therapy.
D) tend to overestimate the effectiveness of psychotherapy.

Question 33

Psychodynamic therapy has been found to be especially successful in the treatment of

A) depression.
B) sexual disorders.
C) obsessive-compulsive disorder.
D) posttraumatic stress disorder.

Question 34

New studies confirm the effectiveness of ________ in coping with posttraumatic stress disorder.

A) client-centered therapy
B) psychodynamic therapy
C) cognitive-behavioral therapy
D) electroconvulsive therapy

Question 35

There is little or no scientific support for the therapeutic effectiveness of

A) systematic desensitization.
B) aversive conditioning.
C) rebirthing therapies.
D) cognitive-behavioral therapy.

Question 36

The best outcome studies for evaluating the effectiveness of psychotherapy typically use

A) virtual reality.
B) token economies.
C) randomized clinical trials.
D) rTMS.

Question 37

Research has shown that clients' level of satisfaction with psychotherapy

A) is unrelated to the level of training and experience of their therapists.
B) depends on whether they received individual treatment or group therapy.
C) depends on whether they were treated by a cognitive therapist or a behavior therapist.
D) depends on whether they were treated by a psychiatrist, psychologist, or social worker.

Question 38

Meta-analysis refers to

A) a procedure for statistically combining the results of many different studies.
B) the use of a variety of therapeutic techniques in the treatment of a single client.
C) counseling and treatment of troubled individuals by friends, family, and other nonprofessionals.
D) the technique of simply rephrasing much of what a client says during the course of therapy.

Question 39

Colette received a surprisingly high grade on her first biology test. She failed to perform as well on her second test, even though she studied equally for both tests. Which of the following best explains Colette's deteriorating pattern of performance?

A) the placebo effect
B) systematic desensitization
C) meta-analysis
D) regression toward the mean

Question 40

Clinical decision making that integrates the best available research with clinical expertise and an understanding of patient characteristics best illustrates

A) EMDR.
B) meta-analysis.
C) long-term potentiation.
D) evidence-based practice.

Question 41

Dr. Judd is convinced that psychological disorders result largely from stressful social situations rather than from disturbances within the individual personality. Dr. Judd's belief is most consistent with the assumptions that underlie

A) psychoanalysis.
B) psychosurgery.
C) drug therapy.
D) preventive mental health.

Question 42

Although Albert Ellis and Allen Bergin disagree about the value of self-sacrifice and marital fidelity, as professional therapists they both agree that

A) psychotherapists should not reveal their personal values to clients.
B) personal values do not affect professional assessments of therapeutic outcomes.
C) psychological research should not be used to inform therapists' values.
D) psychotherapists' personal values influence their practice of therapy.

Question 43

Identifying and eliminating the socially stressful conditions that contribute to psychological disorders is of most central interest to the advocates of

A) systematic desensitization.
B) the biomedical therapies.
C) preventive mental health.
D) cognitive-behavioral therapy.

Question 44

A common ingredient underlying the success of diverse psychotherapies is the

A) professional training and experience of the therapist.
B) escape from real-life pressures offered by psychotherapy.
C) length of time the client spends in psychotherapy.
D) client's expectation that psychotherapy will make things better.

Question 45

Kammy vividly imagines being abused by her own mother while her therapist triggers eye movements by waving a finger in front of Kammy's eyes. The therapist is apparently using a technique known as

A) EMDR.
B) transference.
C) meta-analysis.
D) virtual reality exposure therapy.

Question 46

Most combat-stressed veterans do not later exhibit posttraumatic stress disorder. This best illustrates

A) resistance.
B) resilience.
C) transference.
D) unconditional positive regard.

Question 47

In one experiment, Asian-American clients were more likely to perceive counselor empathy if their counselor

A) encouraged free association.
B) used an eclectic approach.
C) shared the clients' cultural values.
D) practiced systematic desensitization.

Question 48

Many professionals outside the field of psychology are prepared to offer psychotherapy in the process of completing a graduate program in

A) law.
B) anthropology.
C) social work.
D) philosophy.

Question 49

Light exposure therapy sparks activity in a brain region that influences

A) the body's arousal.
B) tardive dyskinesia.
C) animal magnetism.
D) transference.

Question 50

Dr. Miller prescribes drugs for the treatment of chronic depression, and she encourages rest and relaxation training for clients suffering from excessive anxiety. It is most likely that Dr. Miller is a

A) clinical social worker.
B) cognitive therapist.
C) psychiatrist.
D) client-centered therapist.

Question 51

By earning a client's trust, empathic and caring therapists promote

A) neurogenesis.
B) the therapeutic alliance.
C) an eclectic approach.
D) the double-blind technique.

Question 52

Light exposure therapy was developed to relieve symptoms of

A) anxiety.
B) eating disorders.
C) depression.
D) alcohol use disorder.

Question 53

The personal strength that enables people to cope with stress and recover from adversity is called

A) resilience.
B) individualism.
C) resistance.
D) spontaneous recovery.

Question 54

Mr. Gotanda mistakenly believed that a single intake interview in which he simply described his numerous symptoms to a therapist was a treatment for his distress. His immediate relief from many of his symptoms following this session best illustrates

A) systematic desensitization.
B) unconditional positive regard.
C) transference.
D) the placebo effect.

Question 55

The therapeutic alliance refers to

A) the transference of feelings from earlier relationships to client-therapist interactions.
B) a form of therapy conducted with groups rather than individuals.
C) a bond of trust and mutual understanding between a therapist and client.
D) a program developed by the American Psychological Association to advance evidence-based practice.

Question 56

Clients who are mindful of others' expectations may have trouble relating to therapies that encourage them to think only of their own well-being. This would be especially true for ________ clients in North America who have come from ________ countries.

A) male; European
B) female; European
C) male; Asian
D) female; Asian

Question 57

Psychologists with a Ph.D. or Psy.D. who specialize in the practice of psychotherapy are typically

A) psychopharmacologists.
B) clinical psychologists.
C) psychoanalysts.
D) psychiatrists.

Question 58

Bolstering parents' and teachers' skills at nurturing children's achievement and resulting self-esteem best illustrates

A) virtual reality exposure therapy.
B) meta-analysis.
C) counterconditioning.
D) preventive mental health.

Question 59

The value of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing is in part due to the effectiveness of

A) physical exercise.
B) meta-analysis.
C) exposure therapy.
D) the double-blind technique.