During therapy, a client is taught to tense her forearm, notice the tension and then let it go. With repeated practice she learns to relax all the muscles of her body. Identify the technique and the purpose it serves in behaviour therapy.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Progressive muscular relaxation; to decrease the anxiety levels of the client
Option (1) Progressive muscular relaxation; to decrease the anxiety levels of the client — Correct. In progressive muscular relaxation, the client tenses a muscle group, notices the tension and then lets it go, until the whole body can relax. Relaxation procedures are used to lower anxiety, which raises arousal and leads to faulty behaviour.
Option (2) Systematic desensitisation; to build a hierarchy of anxiety-provoking stimuli — Incorrect. A hierarchy of feared situations belongs to systematic desensitisation, where the client faces them step by step while relaxed. The tense-and-release practice described is progressive muscular relaxation.
Option (3) Aversive conditioning; to pair the undesired response with an aversive consequence — Incorrect. The purpose given is the definition of aversive conditioning, but nothing unpleasant is paired with any response here. The client only tenses and relaxes her muscles.
Option (4) Progressive muscular relaxation; to increase the reinforcing value of a consequence — Incorrect. The technique is right but the purpose is wrong. Changing the reinforcing value of a consequence is an establishing operation, such as serving less food at tea time; relaxation aims to lower anxiety.
NCERT (2026-27): “Behavioural Techniques … “… In progressive muscular relaxation, the client is taught to contract individual muscle groups in order to give the awareness of tenseness or muscular tension. After the client has learnt to tense the muscle group such as the forearm, the client is asked to let go the tension. The client is told that the tension is what the client has at present and that s/he has to get into the opposite state. With repeated practice the client learns to relax all the muscles of the body. …” |