Deck 4: Existential Therapies

Question 1

Which of the following existential theorists has systematized an existential-integrative therapy?

A)Kirk Schneider
B)Irvin Yalom
C)James Bugental
D)Rollo May

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The central task of the existential psychotherapist is to:

A)formulate a meaningful treatment plan that has measurable goals.
B)explore the client's history to identify absurd patterns of living.
C)facilitate the client's ability to work through difficult choices.
D)understand the other person's subjective experience as deeply as possible.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

In the second exchange,the therapist is doing which of the following?

A)Forcing patient-as-object
B)Forcing patient-as-subject
C)Refusing role as object-curer
D)Refusing role as subject-curer

Answer 3

B

Question 4

A reality therapist would be most interested in increasing a client's:

A)self-awareness.
B)responsibility.
C)social interest.
D)congruence between self and experience.

Question 5

A therapist describes her client's presenting problems as follows: "He lives with a profound sense of emptiness and lack of fulfillment.He tends to go along with society,instead of creating his own personal course of action." The therapist's orientation is most likely to be:

A)experiential.
B)psychodynamic.
C)person-centered.
D)existential.

Question 6

All of the following are American existentialists EXCEPT:

A)James Bugental.
B)Ernst Keen.
C)H.Ellenberger.
D)Medard Boss.

Question 7

Existential therapists view transference as:

A)a result of the patient's objectification of themselves.
B)an aspect of the patient that has been closed off.
C)the patient's genuine reaction to the therapist.
D)stemming from the immediacy of the I-Thou experience.

Question 8

An existentially informed search for meaning involves which of the following issues?

A)A careful exploration of our past
B)Adopting the values of one's culture
C)Increasing our awareness of our personal values
D)Minimizing the guilt and anxiety that go with freedom

Question 9

One central philosophical notion that guides the work of existential psychotherapy is that:

A)choices both define and redefine who we are in the world.
B)the human condition is essentially one of maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain.
C)personal freedom and responsibility are essentially too much for most people to handle.
D)life's uncertainty renders nearly all choices insignificant.

Question 10

The phenomenological method focuses on all of the following EXCEPT:

A)perception of experience.
B)immediacy of experience.
C)meaning of experience.
D)origins of experience.

Question 11

Lisa's mother just died,and Lisa is now acutely aware that at some unknown point in time she will also die.Lisa is experiencing:

A)existential anxiety.
B)existential displacement.
C)neurotic anxiety.
D)neurotic displacement.

Question 12

Bonita is a healthy adult.Her existential therapist is most likely to suggest that:

A)she is spontaneous with others.
B)her three levels of existence are in balance.
C)she is authentic.
D)she is genuine.

Question 13

According to the textbook authors,existential therapists believe that __________ is the source of psychopathology,and ________ is the route to problem resolution.

A)nonbeing; courage to be
B)lying; honesty
C)anxiety; transcendence of finiteness
D)bad faith; the search for meaning

Question 14

Arturo believes that his classmates consider him to be quite jovial.Although he does not necessarily feel that way all the time,around his classmates he consciously exhibits behavior to convey a jovial disposition.This is an example of what existentialists would call:

A)being-for-others.
B)being-with-others.
C)Eigenwelt.
D)existential displacement.

Question 15

In the first exchange,the therapist is doing which of the following?

A)Forcing patient-as-object
B)Forcing patient-as-subject
C)Refusing role as object-curer
D)Refusing role as subject-curer

Question 16

As the ultimate contingency,death makes life:

A)meaningless.
B)absurd.
C)meaningful and significant.
D)irrelevant to the tasks of therapy.

Question 17

Which of the following is LEAST likely in existential therapy?

A)Emphasizing techniques
B)Encouraging patients to enter an authentic therapeutic relationship
C)Having authenticity as a treatment goal
D)Having clients experience their own subjectivity
The next three questions refer to the following dialogue
Patient: "Maybe I'll stop coming."
Therapist: "It's certainly your choice."
P: "What do you think I should do?"
T: "What do you want to do?"
P: "I want to get better."
T: "I don't blame you."

Question 18

Two of the leading European existentialists were:

A)Lugwig Binswanger and Medard Boss.
B)James Bugental and Irvin Yalom.
C)Rollo May and Medard Boss.
D)Irvin Yalom and Lugwig Binswanger.

Question 19

The existential perspective regards aloneness as:

A)a pathological sign that requires clinical attention.
B)a central feature of the human condition.
C)the source of all anxiety.
D)a symptom of a neurotic and meaningless life.

Question 20

According to the text authors,the defining characteristic of the existential human condition is:

A)authenticity.
B)finiteness.
C)genuineness.
D)reality.

Question 21

In which of the following therapies does the client raise consciousness by expressing freely and honestly whatever they are experiencing in the present and eventually changing from an egocentric experience to more authentic dialogue?

A)Adlerian therapy
B)Existential therapies
C)Interpersonal therapies
D)Psychoanalysis

Question 22

According to existential therapy's view of intimacy,all too many people feel safe to relate only to objectified others and are able to enter only which of the following types of relationships?

A)I - it
B)I - thou
C)It - it
D)It - thou

Question 23

Existential confrontation differs from psychoanalytic confrontation in that existentialists:

A)focus on the client's experience of the world in the here-and-now .
B)clarify choices that clients continually confront in their therapy and lives.
C)don't only reflect the client's experience,but also reveal their own experience of the client.
D)identify and emphasize new alternatives for being.

Question 24

In existential therapy,critical choice points in which a client is faced with deciding whether to risk changing a fundamental aspect of existence is called:

A)existential anxiety.
B)kairos.
C)"the moment of decision."
D)umwelt.

Question 25

An existential therapist is most likely to work with:

A)a couple.
B)a group.
C)an individual.
D)both A and C.

Question 26

"Bad faith" is a concept that refers to:
A)when a person fails to follow the norms of our social group.

A)being true only to one own experience and values.
B)the failure to live authentically in freedom and with responsibility.
C)choosing to exercise one's freedom selfishly or aggressively.

Question 27

The lyric of a Whitney Houston song,"I have nothing if I don't have you," is an example of:

A)being-for-others.
B)being-with-others.
C)existential anxiety from the finiteness of rejection.
D)existential displacement.

Question 28

Regarding anxiety and defenses,which of the following therapies considers anxiety to be a natural consequence of becoming conscious of non-being?

A)Reality therapy
B)Existential therapies
C)Interpersonal therapies
D)Psychoanalysis

Question 29

For psychoanalysts,anxiety is the result of ______________,while it is the result of _____________ for existentialists.

A)the death instinct; being-for-others
B)defense mechanisms; lying
C)sexuality; being
D)instinctual drives; awareness of ultimate concerns

Question 30

Doreen was afraid she would be sick if she went to see her Research Methodology professor.She was instructed by her logotherapist to be sick when she walked into her professor's office.With detachment she entered her professor's office and found that when she intended that which she feared,she had more control over her anxiety than she anticipated.This is an example of:

A)de-reflection.
B)paradoxical intention.
C)right activity.
D)wrong activity.

Question 31

In contrast to other therapy systems,existential therapy:

A)has a well-defined set of methods that are the same for each client.
B)does not regard the person of the therapist as important to the therapy process.
C)relies almost entirely on other therapy systems for its methods.
D)attempts to increase the relatedness of clients.

Question 32

The existential theory known as logotherapy was developed by:

A)Rollo May.
B)Medard Boss.
C)Ludwig Binswanger.
D)Victor Frankl.

Question 33

According to Yalom,defense mechanisms originate from:

A)awareness of inner conflict.
B)awareness of our limitations.
C)anxiety about ultimate concerns.
D)anxiety about being-for-oneself.

Question 34

Existentialists refer to the source of a client's personal direction,meaning,and identity as:

A)being-for-oneself.
B)courage to be.
C)intentionality.
D)good faith.

Question 35

In the second exchange,the patient is doing which of the following?

A)Trying to get therapist into role of subject who objectifies patient.
B)Trying to get therapist into role of object who subjectifies patient.
C)Trying to get therapist to fulfill expectations to cure patient.
D)Trying to maintain role as therapist's object.

Question 36

Which of the following therapeutic approaches would most likely assert that defenses are conscious forms of lying?

A)Existential therapy
B)Experiential therapy
C)Reality therapy
D)Psychoanalytic therapy

Question 37

Existential guilt is the result of:

A)violating perceived social norms.
B)being-with-others.
C)inauthenticity.
D)intentionality.

Question 38

The main goal of existential therapy is:

A)being-for-oneself.
B)authenticity.
C)being-with-others.
D)existence.

Question 39

In contrast to psychoanalytic confrontation,when using confrontation methods existential therapists are likely to:

A)reflect the client's experience and disclose their own experience of the client.
B)use paradoxical intention to help the client develop an attitude of self-detachment.
C)use de-reflection to help the client focus on more positive aspects of life.
D)emphasize choices the client has in responding to the therapist's feedback.

Question 40

For existentialists,an authentic existence is best characterized as:

A)being-in-nature.
B)being-with-others.
C)being-for-oneself.
D)an openness to all three levels of existence.

Question 41

According to existential theory,all of the following statements are characteristic of control EXCEPT:

A)attempting to control another is the most violent thing we can do to another.
B)desire to control others is in part to pretend our basic security comes from being on top of things.
C)struggles over interpersonal control are frequently struggles over whose defenses will dominate the relationship.
D)to control another is to objectify that person.

Question 42

Glasser's (1984)control theory asserts that the human brain regulates human behavior in order to fulfill which of the following needs?

A)Belonging and power
B)Enjoyment and freedom
C)Physical survival needs
D)All of the above

Question 43

With respect to the ideal individual,which of the following therapies would most likely say that the only value a person must follow to become authentic is to be honest?

A)Adlerian therapy
B)Existential therapies
C)Interpersonal therapies
D)Psychoanalysis

Question 44

Which statement is most characteristic of existential theory regarding hostility?

A)Hostility is found in the ulterior transactions between individuals who have decided that they or others are not OK.
B)Hostility is the worst expression of the belief that self-interest can be of higher value than social interest.
C)Problems with hostility are boundary problems.
D)To experience hostility is to experience the threat of non-being.

Question 45

Since we can never enter directly the experience of the other,we can never fully know what the other is attempting to communicate.This belief would most likely to be posited by which of the following therapists?

A)An Adlerian therapist
B)An existential therapist
C)An interpersonal therapist
D)A psychoanalyst

Question 46

The logotherapy technique of de-reflection encourages the client to:

A)focus intensively on feelings instead of thoughts and beliefs.
B)step back and listen to the meaning-language they use to describe their problems.
C)think about something other than the identified problem.
D)think about themselves and their problems as frequently as possible.

Question 47

With respect to meaning in life,which of the following therapies would most likely say that the issue is NOT to discover meaning in life but rather to create meaning out of our lives?

A)Adlerian therapy
B)Existential therapies
C)Interpersonal therapies
D)Psychoanalysis

Question 48

Glasser has asserted that mental illness is the product of:

A)inauthentic coping strategies that avoid nonbeing.
B)strategies used to deny reality and avoid responsibility.
C)a lack of self-control.
D)adverse and traumatic past experiences which interfere with adaptive behavior in the present.

Question 49

The developer of reality therapy,William Glasser,derived many of his principles of therapy from:

A)Fritz Perls and Gestalt therapy.
B)Heinz Kohut and self psychology.
C)Helmuth Kaiser and existential therapies.
D)Victor Frankl and logotherapy.

Question 50

According to existential therapies,meaning in life is characterized by all of the following statements EXCEPT:

A)meaning is found in work and love.
B)the answer is that life is not a question,it is an ongoing process to be experienced.
C)the issue is not to discover meaning in life but rather to create meaning out of our life.
D)the meaning of our existence emerges out of what we choose to stand for.

Question 51

The primary distinction between a success identity and failure identity is that:

A)a success identity is based on achievement,while a failure identity comes from seeking too much pleasure.
B)a failure identity is derived from a lack of belonging,while a success identity can wield power responsibly.
C)a failure identity avoids responsibility and reality,while a success identity takes responsibility and can respond to reality as it is.
D)a success identity can control how reality is perceived,while a failure identity is distressed by reality as it is.

Question 52

Which of the following statements would be most characteristic of an existential therapy view of responsibility?

A)Clients must accept that they are responsible for shaping their own lives as well as for the impact of their lifestyle on society.
B)The hope is that once clients accept that their basic lifestyles were self-selected,they will be free to choose a more constructive existence.
C)There is no freedom and no choice,and therefore no responsibility.
D)"We are condemned to be free."

Question 53

The central concern in reality therapy is:

A)responsibility.
B)meaning.
C)authenticity.
D)neurotic avoidance.

Question 54

Which of the following therapies would most likely say that the therapist's unconditional positive regard and positive reinforcement may increase a patient's social-esteem,but risks forcing the patient to remain a pigeon of others?

A)Adlerian therapy
B)Existential therapies
C)Interpersonal therapies
D)Psychoanalysis

Question 55

With respect to responsibility,which of the following therapies would most likely say that in the process of choosing to be more authentic,clients are faced with the anxiety of being responsible for who they become?

A)Adlerian therapy
B)Existential therapies
C)Interpersonal therapies
D)Psychoanalysis

Question 56

The text authors characterize reality therapy as a combination of:

A)psychoanalytic and existential therapies.
B)person-centered and behavior therapies.
C)cognitive and existential therapies.
D)existential and behavior therapies.

Question 57

Glasser locates the basis of a failure identity in:

A)a devitalized need for belonging.
B)inadequate love or feelings of worthlessness in childhood.
C)an unwillingness to take responsibility for present behavior.
D)the dark side of everyday reality.

Question 58

Paradoxical intention was first introduced as a therapeutic intervention by:

A)Fritz Perls.
B)Victor Frankl.
C)Irvin Yalom.
D)Medard Boss.

Question 59

Paradoxical intention encourages a client to:

A)exaggerate a specific symptom.
B)do the opposite of what they would have chosen to do.
C)do the very things that they fear.
D)find positive meanings in difficult situations.

Question 60

Regarding the issue of adjustment versus transcendence,existential therapy would most likely say which of the following?

A)Alienation is the condition of the mature person as long as society remains insane.
B)Healthy people are committed to helping society transcend its present level of functioning in order to become a more perfect social system.
C)The forces that need to be transcended are not those of society,but rather those of self- destructive life scripts.
D)The only way a life based on adjustment might be healthy is if the society a person is adjusting to is basically honest.

Question 61

Criticism of _______ therapy along the lines of "let them demonstrate that such approaches result in greater authenticity than alternative approaches,including the placebo effect of expecting patients to be more open and honest" would most likely be advanced from a _________ perspective.

A)existential; behavioral
B)psychoanalytic; existential
C)humanistic; existential
D)behavioral; integrative

Question 62

Meta-analysis has shown that paradoxical interventions are more effective than other methods with:

A)complex trauma patients.
B)clients with mild neuroses or adjustment disorders.
C)clients with more severe psychopathology and high resistance.
D)clients in the preparation or action stages of change.

Question 63

After a client has made value judgments about their behavior and identified what they want to change,a reality therapist would then:

A)reinforce the client's choice by expressing his or her own value judgments.
B)help the client develop and commit to specific but realistic behavioral change plans.
C)explore how the client might fail to put their choice into action and confront the client with excuses he or she may use.
D)set up a contingency contract with clear reinforcements and punishments in place to follow success or failure.

Question 64

The textbook authors conclude their review of the existential therapies by noting that:

A)they have a very promising future as an independent therapy system because of their rich contribution of distinctly human concepts.
B)they have exerted a vitalizing influence on the practice of psychotherapy,but their future as an independent system of therapy is equivocal.
C)existential therapies are nothing more than a diffuse philosophical approach which will likely suffer a decline of interest in the age of managed care.
D)paradoxically,the demand for existential therapies will very likely increase in direct proportion to the accelerated pace of the information age and technological revolution.

Question 65

Which of the following is LEAST likely to be part of reality therapy?

A)Consciousness raising about intrapsychic conflicts and the basis for past failures
B)Focus on evaluation of present behavior and strengths
C)Emphasis on taking responsibility for present and future behavior
D)Emphasis on therapist confrontation and client value judgments

Question 66

In reality therapy,the therapeutic relationship can best be described as:

A)highly empathic and unconditionally accepting.
B)personal,warm,and insistent about facing reality.
C)neutral with strong encouragement of client's to make value judgments.
D)highly confrontive and marked by numerous therapist judgments about responsible behavior.

Question 67

The essential process of change in reality therapy is:

A)responsible catharsis.
B)consciousness raising about taking responsibility.
C)responsible and constructive stimulus control.
D)responsible choice.

Question 68

Meta-analytic reviews of the efficacy of paradoxical interventions have shown that:

A)they are generally inferior to typical treatment interventions.
B)they are generally as effective as non-paradoxical interventions.
C)they are generally superior to non-paradoxical interventions.
D)there are no outcome studies to either support or reject their efficacy.

Question 69

Criticism of __________ therapy along the lines of "the scientific method is the most honest method we have,and there is nothing in the scientific method that says a phenomenological description of patients following different forms of therapy can't be compared.There is a need to participate in the shared honesty of scientific comparisons for all therapies" would most likely be advanced from a _________ perspective.

A)psychoanalytic; behavioral
B)humanistic; existential
C)existential; integrative
D)behavioral; integrative

Question 70

In your work as a reality therapist with a 14-year-old conduct-disordered adolescent,all she seems to do is complain profanely about the "raw deal" she has gotten from her parents,siblings,teachers,and the police.She is quite invested in blaming others for her current situation.In addition to attempting to establish a personal and supportive therapeutic relationship,what would you want to do next?

A)Help her make a plan for changing her behavior and committing to it.
B)Explore her past experiences of having gotten a raw deal and what that has meant to her.
C)Confront her with value judgments about her behavior and its likelihood of continued failure.
D)Help her to evaluate her present behavior and decide whether it is hurting herself and/or others.

Question 71

Kade presents for therapy with intense feelings of depression and suicide ideation.His reality therapist is most likely to:

A)probe the contemporary basis for his depression and suicide ideation.
B)explore early losses,possible childhood trauma and other past difficulties.
C)refer him for a psychiatric evaluation since it is realistic to hypothesize a biological component to depression.
D)explore what he is doing to make himself depressed or what's keeping him from killing himself.

Question 72

Regarding outcome research on existential psychotherapies,the current research literature has revealed:

A)their relative success compared to no treatment and other therapies.
B)that existential therapies are more effective than traditional psychoanalysis,but less effective than behavioral therapy for some kinds of problems.
C)that existential therapies are more effective for adolescents,college age students and young adults than any other therapy.
D)no controlled research or meta-analytic studies to evaluate its effectiveness.

Question 73

Emphasizing that choice is the key process of change,"choice theory" replaced which therapy?

A)Adlerian therapy
B)Existential therapy
C)Reality therapy
D)Logo therapy