CNC Behavior Change & Client Communication 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A client consistently cancels appointments and says they are 'too busy' to meal prep. Which behavior change strategy is MOST appropriate?
- Dismiss the client for non-compliance
- Explore barriers and co-create a simplified meal prep plan (Correct answer)
- Assign stricter homework to enforce accountability
- Refer the client to a therapist immediately
Correct answer: Explore barriers and co-create a simplified meal prep plan
Exploring barriers and collaboratively designing solutions addresses the root cause of non-compliance and supports sustainable behavior change.
Question 2: Which communication technique involves reflecting back what a client has said to confirm understanding?
- Psychoeducation
- Confrontation
- Reflective listening (Correct answer)
- Directive counseling
Correct answer: Reflective listening
Reflective listening involves paraphrasing or mirroring a client's words to demonstrate understanding and encourage elaboration.
Question 3: A client in the Contemplation stage of the Transtheoretical Model is BEST described as:
- Unaware that a problem exists
- Thinking about changing within the next 6 months (Correct answer)
- Actively practicing new behaviors
- Maintaining a behavior change for over 6 months
Correct answer: Thinking about changing within the next 6 months
Contemplation is characterized by awareness of a problem and intention to change within the next six months, but no action has been taken yet.
Question 4: Self-efficacy, as defined by Bandura, refers to a person's:
- Desire to please their nutrition coach
- Belief in their ability to perform a specific behavior successfully (Correct answer)
- Genetic predisposition to healthy habits
- Motivation based on external rewards
Correct answer: Belief in their ability to perform a specific behavior successfully
Bandura's self-efficacy is the individual's confidence in their capacity to execute a behavior needed to produce a specific outcome.
Question 5: Which of the following BEST represents an open-ended question a nutrition coach might ask?
- Did you eat breakfast today?
- Are you following your meal plan?
- What challenges did you face with your nutrition this week? (Correct answer)
- Did you drink 8 glasses of water yesterday?
Correct answer: What challenges did you face with your nutrition this week?
Open-ended questions invite elaborate responses and deeper reflection, unlike yes/no questions.
Question 6: A client says, 'I want to eat healthier, but I just love junk food.' This statement is an example of:
- Change talk
- Sustain talk
- Ambivalence (Correct answer)
- Resistance
Correct answer: Ambivalence
Ambivalence is the simultaneous desire to change and desire to maintain the current behavior, often expressed as conflicting statements.
Question 7: When a client successfully completes a small nutrition goal, a coach reinforcing that success is applying which principle?
- Classical conditioning
- Positive reinforcement (Correct answer)
- Negative punishment
- Habituation
Correct answer: Positive reinforcement
Positive reinforcement involves providing a rewarding response to a desired behavior, increasing the likelihood it will be repeated.
CNC Behavior Change & Client Communication 2
A client consistently cancels appointments and says they are 'too busy' to meal prep.
Which behavior change strategy is MOST appropriate?