Lamont's Therapist Helps Him Construct a List of Fear-Producing Situations

question 174

Multiple Choice

Lamont's therapist helps him construct a list of fear-producing situations involving heights.His therapist then teaches Lamont exercises that produce deep relaxation.Once Lamont is relaxed,he attempts the first time on the list,which is "standing on a chair." The first item is repeated until Lamont feels no anxiety.He then proceeds to the second item "climbing a small stepladder." During the next six weeks,this procedure continues until Lamont performs the last item of "flying in an airplane." Lamont and his therapist are using

• A) aversive conditioning.
• B) systematic desensitization.
• C) rational-emotive behavior therapy.
• D) rational confrontation.

---

Definitions:

Anchoring and Adjustment Heuristic

A cognitive bias that describes the common human tendency to rely too heavily on the first piece of information offered (the "anchor") when making decisions.

Representativeness Heuristic

A mental shortcut people use where the likelihood of an object belonging to a particular category is assessed based on how typical that object is thought to be of the category.

Availability Heuristic

A cognitive bias that causes people to overestimate the likelihood of events based on their ability to recall similar instances.

Escalation Heuristic

A cognitive bias or decision-making process where individuals increase their commitment to a previously taken course of action beyond the level that is justified by the current situation.