Exposure Therapy & Response Prevention Flashcards
7 cards from real CBT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Exposure Therapy & Response Prevention flashcards as text
In ERP for OCD, what does 'response prevention' specifically refer to?
Answer: Refraining from performing compulsions during or after exposure
Response prevention means the client deliberately refrains from engaging in compulsive behaviors after confronting the feared stimulus, allowing habituation or inhibitory learning to occur.
Which term describes the phenomenon where anxiety peaks and then naturally declines during a prolonged exposure exercise?
Answer: Within-session habituation
Within-session habituation refers to the decrease in anxiety that typically occurs when a client remains in contact with a feared stimulus long enough without performing compulsions.
A client with contamination OCD washes her hands 30 times daily. The therapist asks her to touch a doorknob and then sit for 45 minutes without washing. This best illustrates:
Answer: ERP combining situational exposure with ritual blocking
This procedure is a classic ERP intervention: the client contacts the feared stimulus (doorknob) and then refrains from the compulsive ritual (hand washing).
Inhibitory learning theory suggests that ERP works primarily because:
Answer: A new non-threatening memory trace is formed that competes with the fear memory
Inhibitory learning posits that exposure creates a new inhibitory memory that competes with the original fear memory, rather than erasing it.
Which exposure format involves the client confronting feared situations in real life rather than through imagination?
Answer: In vivo exposure
In vivo exposure involves direct, real-world contact with feared stimuli, which is generally considered the most potent form of exposure.
A therapist notices a client subtly holds his breath and tenses his muscles during exposure to avoid feeling anxious. This behavior is best described as:
Answer: Safety behavior that undermines the exposure
Safety behaviors reduce short-term distress but prevent the client from learning that the feared outcome would not have occurred without the behavior.
What is the primary rationale for starting with lower items on a fear hierarchy rather than the most feared situation?
Answer: To build initial success experiences and therapeutic alliance while reducing dropout
Beginning with less distressing items allows the client to experience early success, builds confidence, and reduces dropout risk before progressing to more challenging exposures.