Habit & Behavior Modification Flashcards

Which reinforcement schedule produces the most resistance to extinction in habit formation?

Answer: Variable ratio reinforcement

Variable ratio reinforcement creates the strongest habits because the unpredictable reward timing keeps the behavior highly persistent.

In hypnotic habit modification, what is 'cue restructuring'?

Answer: Changing the meaning or response to existing habit triggers

Cue restructuring reframes or alters the client's response to existing triggers rather than trying to remove all environmental cues.

A client wants to stop nail biting. Which hypnotic technique uses an incompatible replacement behavior?

Answer: Suggesting the client clench their fist when the urge arises

Habit reversal training uses a competing response (like fist clenching) that is physically incompatible with the unwanted behavior.

What does 'implementation intention' mean in the context of behavioral hypnotherapy?

Answer: An if-then plan specifying when and where a new behavior will occur

Implementation intentions are specific if-then plans (e.g., 'When I feel stressed, I will take three deep breaths') that bridge the gap between intention and action.

Which stage of the Transtheoretical Model is a client in if they say 'I've been jogging every morning for two months now'?

Answer: Maintenance

A client sustaining a behavior for longer than six months is in the Maintenance stage; two months of consistent action places them solidly in Maintenance territory after the initial Action phase.

In Ericksonian hypnotherapy, 'seeding' a behavior change refers to:

Answer: Planting early suggestions indirectly before formal induction

Seeding involves introducing ideas subtly before the formal hypnotic work so the unconscious mind begins processing the change in advance.

Which cognitive distortion most commonly underlies habitual procrastination targeted in hypnotherapy?

Answer: Catastrophizing about the difficulty of a task

Catastrophizing — overestimating how difficult, painful, or unpleasant a task will be — is the primary cognitive distortion driving procrastination.