Habit & Behavior Modification Flashcards
7 cards from real BCH practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Habit & Behavior Modification flashcards as text
Which approach best addresses a habit that serves a 'secondary gain' for the client?
Answer: Identifying and meeting the underlying need through healthier alternatives before removing the habit
Secondary gain habits persist because they meet a genuine psychological need; the need must be addressed with a healthier alternative or the habit will return.
A client undergoing hypnotherapy for chronic hair pulling (trichotillomania) is best treated with which combination?
Answer: Habit reversal training, stimulus control, and hypnotic relaxation and urge management
Evidence-based treatment for body-focused repetitive behaviors like trichotillomania combines habit reversal training, reducing triggers, and hypnotic urge management.
What does 'shaping' refer to in behavioral approaches integrated with hypnotherapy?
Answer: Reinforcing successive approximations toward the target behavior
Shaping involves reinforcing small steps that progressively approximate the desired target behavior rather than waiting for the complete behavior to occur.
In hypnotic work, 'anchoring a resource state' for habit change means:
Answer: Connecting a physical gesture or word to a strong positive internal state for later recall
Resource anchoring attaches a positive internal state (confidence, calm) to a physical cue so the client can re-access that state when facing habit triggers.
When a client successfully quits smoking but begins overeating shortly after, this is an example of:
Answer: Symptom substitution
Symptom substitution occurs when an unaddressed underlying need shifts expression from one habit to a new one after the original is removed.
Which hypnotic language pattern is most effective for reducing a client's resistance to behavior change suggestions?
Answer: Permissive language with presuppositions of success ('As you find yourself beginning to...')
Permissive language with embedded presuppositions bypasses resistance by implying the change is already beginning rather than demanding it occur.
A BCH client wants to establish an exercise habit. According to habit formation research, approximately how many days of consistent repetition does it take for a behavior to become automatic?
Answer: 66 days on average (range 18–254)
Research by Phillippa Lally found that habit automaticity developed on average after 66 days, with a wide range of 18 to 254 days depending on the person and behavior.