Kavita has an irrational fear of going to the unfamiliar places. She avoids going to enjoyable picnics and excursions due to this fear. She wants to pursue psychology for which she has to move to a metropolitan city. She is worried about her fear of new places. Finally after thinking over the present situation and her goal of pursuing psychology, she decides to take help of a psychologist who uses behavioristic approach to treat her.
According to Behavior therapy, what is the main cause of Kavita’s problem?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Faulty learning
Option (1) Genetic causes — Incorrect. Faulty genes are among the biological factors that may underlie abnormal behaviour. Behaviour therapy does not look for the cause in the body; it looks at behaviour that has been learnt.
Option (2) Intrapsychic conflicts — Incorrect. This is the cause named by psychodynamic therapy: conflicts present within the psyche of the person, which arise from unfulfilled desires and unresolved fears of childhood.
Option (3) Existential anxiety — Incorrect. Frankl called the spiritual anxieties that lead to a sense of meaninglessness existential anxiety, a neurotic anxiety of spiritual origin. The existential therapies see questions about the meaning of one’s life and existence as the cause of psychological problems.
Option (4) Faulty learning — Correct. According to behaviour therapies, psychological problems arise due to faulty learning of behaviours and cognitions: faulty conditioning patterns, faulty learning, and faulty thinking and beliefs lead to maladaptive behaviour. Kavita’s irrational fear of unfamiliar places is such a learnt, maladaptive response, and her psychologist uses the behavioural approach.
NCERT (2025-26): “Type of Therapies … 1. What is the cause, which has led to the problem? Psychodynamic therapy is of the view that intrapsychic conflicts, i.e. the conflicts that are present within the psyche of the person, are the source of psychological problems. According to behaviour therapies, psychological problems arise due to faulty learning of behaviours and cognitions. The existential therapies postulate that the questions about the meaning of one’s life and existence are the cause of psychological problems.…” “Type of Therapies … The behaviour therapy postulates that faulty conditioning patterns, faulty learning, and faulty thinking and beliefs lead to maladaptive behaviours that, in turn, lead to psychological problems.…” |