Behavior Therapy is associated with which psychologist and what is its aim?

Behavior Therapy is associated with which psychologist and what is its aim?

• A. Carl Jung; Dream interpretation.
• B. B.F. Skinner; Learned behavior; Eliminate negative behaviors and replace with positive ones through conditioning and reinforcement.
• C. Carl Rogers; Client-centered therapy.
• D. Sigmund Freud; Unconscious conflicts.

Answer: (B)

Behavior therapy focuses on changing actions by altering the environmental consequences that shape them. It relies on operant conditioning to increase desirable behaviors and decrease undesired ones through reinforcement, punishment, or extinction, often using shaping and reinforcement schedules. The aim is to reduce problematic behaviors and teach new, adaptive ones by directly modifying behavior rather than exploring hidden motives or inner conflicts. Other approaches center on internal processes or self-views rather than observable behavior: dream interpretation is linked to psychoanalytic/analytic traditions; client-centered therapy emphasizes the therapist’s empathy and unconditional positive regard to support self-directed growth; and Freud’s psychoanalysis focuses on uncovering unconscious conflicts.

Behavior therapy focuses on changing actions by altering the environmental consequences that shape them. It relies on operant conditioning to increase desirable behaviors and decrease undesired ones through reinforcement, punishment, or extinction, often using shaping and reinforcement schedules. The aim is to reduce problematic behaviors and teach new, adaptive ones by directly modifying behavior rather than exploring hidden motives or inner conflicts.

Other approaches center on internal processes or self-views rather than observable behavior: dream interpretation is linked to psychoanalytic/analytic traditions; client-centered therapy emphasizes the therapist’s empathy and unconditional positive regard to support self-directed growth; and Freud’s psychoanalysis focuses on uncovering unconscious conflicts.