A behaviour therapist is planning treatment for Neha, who has a crippling fear of dogs. Identify the odd one out from the following:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Re-living of Neha's early childhood experiences
Option (1) Neha's present symptoms of fear — Incorrect. Behaviour therapy chooses its techniques by the symptoms of the client. A crippling fear of dogs needs one set of techniques, while anger outbursts would need another. So Neha's symptoms are part of the plan.
Option (2) Re-living of Neha's early childhood experiences — Correct. Behaviour therapy works on faulty patterns in the present. The past matters only to understand where the faulty behaviour began; it is not activated or relived. Re-living childhood belongs to the psychodynamic way of working, so this is the odd one out.
Option (3) The clinical diagnosis of Neha's fear as a phobia — Incorrect. The clinical diagnosis is the second guiding factor, along with the symptoms. Naming Neha's fear as a phobia tells the therapist which techniques suit her, so it is part of the plan.
Option (4) The factors that reinforce and maintain Neha's fear — Incorrect. Behaviour therapy is founded on finding the faulty behaviour and the factors which reinforce and maintain it, and then devising ways to change it. These maintaining factors are part of the plan.
NCERT (2026-27): “Behaviour Therapy “The clinical application of learning theory principles constitute behaviour therapy. Behaviour therapy consists of a large set of specific techniques and interventions. It is not a unified theory, which is applied irrespective of the clinical diagnosis or the symptoms present. The symptoms of the client and the clinical diagnosis are the guiding factors in the selection of the specific techniques or interventions to be applied. Treatment of phobias or excessive and crippling fears would require the use of one set of techniques while that of anger outbursts would require another. A depressed client would be treated differently from a client who is anxious. The foundation of behaviour therapy is on formulating dysfunctional or faulty behaviours, the factors which reinforce and maintain these behaviours, and devising methods by which they can be changed.” |