Behavioral Modification Techniques Flashcards

A bariatric client says, "I want to lose weight, but I love eating out with friends." According to motivational interviewing, what is this an example of?

Answer: Ambivalence

Holding two conflicting motivations at once is ambivalence, the central target of motivational interviewing.

Which self-monitoring practice is most strongly associated with sustained weight loss after bariatric surgery?

Answer: Consistent food journaling

Regular food logging increases awareness of intake and is one of the strongest behavioral predictors of long-term weight maintenance.

A client repeatedly eats when bored in the evening. Which behavioral technique directly targets the environmental trigger?

Answer: Stimulus control

Stimulus control modifies cues in the environment, such as removing snacks from view, to reduce triggered eating.

In the Transtheoretical Model, a client who scheduled bariatric surgery and started attending nutrition classes is in which stage of change?

Answer: Preparation

Taking concrete steps toward change within the next month, like scheduling surgery, defines the preparation stage.

Which counselor response best exemplifies a reflective listening statement to a client who says, "I blew my diet again this weekend"?

Answer: "It sounds like you're frustrated with how the weekend went."

Reflective listening mirrors the client's feeling or meaning without judgment, advice, or reassurance.

A client rewards herself with a manicure after each week of meeting her exercise goal. This is an example of which behavioral principle?

Answer: Positive reinforcement

Adding a pleasant consequence to increase a desired behavior is positive reinforcement.

Which goal statement best follows SMART goal criteria for a post-bariatric client?

Answer: "Walk 20 minutes after dinner, five days a week, for the next month."

The goal is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound, meeting all SMART criteria.

A client believes, "If I eat one cookie, the whole day is ruined." Which cognitive distortion is this?

Answer: All-or-nothing thinking

Viewing a single lapse as total failure reflects all-or-nothing (dichotomous) thinking.

Which technique asks clients to delay eating for 10 minutes when a craving strikes and observe the urge without acting on it?

Answer: Urge surfing

Urge surfing is a mindfulness-based technique of riding out a craving until it naturally subsides.

In relapse prevention counseling, a single episode of overeating that does not return the client to old patterns is best labeled a:

Answer: Lapse

A lapse is a brief, single slip, distinguished from a relapse, which is a full return to prior behavior.

A counselor asks a client, "On a scale of 0 to 10, how confident are you that you can follow your meal plan this week?" This tool primarily assesses:

Answer: Self-efficacy

Confidence rulers measure self-efficacy, the client's belief in their ability to perform the behavior.

Which strategy best addresses mindless eating in front of the television?

Answer: Restricting all meals and snacks to the kitchen table

Limiting eating to one designated location is a stimulus-control strategy that breaks the TV-eating association.

A client agrees in writing to attend all support group meetings for a month, with a specified consequence if she misses. This technique is called:

Answer: Behavioral contracting

A behavioral contract is a written agreement specifying target behaviors and consequences.

Which approach is most consistent with motivational interviewing when a client resists tracking meals?

Answer: Exploring the client's own reasons for and against tracking

Motivational interviewing evokes the client's own motivations rather than imposing directives or warnings.

A post-surgical client eats rapidly and experiences dumping syndrome. Which behavioral strategy directly targets eating pace?

Answer: Putting utensils down between bites

Setting utensils down between bites slows eating pace, reducing overload of the small pouch.

Which of the following is an example of covert antecedent to problem eating that a counselor should help a client identify?

Answer: Feeling lonely on weekend evenings

Covert antecedents are internal states like emotions, unlike visible environmental cues such as food displays.

A counselor teaches a client to replace "I'm a failure at dieting" with "I had a difficult day and can restart at my next meal." This technique is:

Answer: Cognitive restructuring

Identifying and replacing maladaptive thoughts with balanced alternatives is cognitive restructuring.

Breaking the goal of "exercise regularly" into first walking 5 minutes daily, then 10, then 20, illustrates which behavioral principle?

Answer: Shaping

Shaping reinforces successive approximations toward a target behavior.

Which counselor action best supports a client experiencing weight-loss plateau frustration six months after surgery?

Answer: Reviewing non-scale victories and reinforcing adherence behaviors

Shifting focus to behavior-based and non-scale successes maintains motivation during expected plateaus.

A client who night-eats keeps a log revealing the behavior follows evening arguments with her spouse. Identifying this pattern is part of which process?

Answer: Functional analysis of behavior

Functional analysis identifies the antecedents, behaviors, and consequences that maintain a habit.