Human Behavior & Social Environment Flashcards

A woman who harbors intense resentment toward her mother-in-law treats her with exaggerated sweetness and constant praise. Which defense mechanism is most evident?

Answer: Reaction formation

Reaction formation involves expressing the opposite of an unacceptable feeling.

A teenager with strong aggressive impulses channels them into competitive boxing training. This is an example of:

Answer: Sublimation

Sublimation transforms unacceptable impulses into socially acceptable activities.

An immigrant client maintains her native language and traditions while also participating actively in mainstream U.S. culture. In Berry's acculturation model, this strategy is called:

Answer: Integration

Integration means keeping one's heritage culture while also engaging with the host culture.

A social worker recognizes that a Black lesbian client's experience of discrimination cannot be understood by examining race, gender, or sexual orientation separately. This reflects which concept?

Answer: Intersectionality

Intersectionality, coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw, describes how overlapping identities create unique experiences of oppression.

A child begins hitting peers after repeatedly watching an older sibling be rewarded for aggressive behavior. Which theory best explains this?

Answer: Social learning theory

Bandura's social learning theory holds that behavior is learned through observing and modeling others, including vicarious reinforcement.

A client's anxiety disappears whenever he skips social events, so he skips them more often. In operant conditioning terms, avoidance is being maintained by:

Answer: Negative reinforcement

Negative reinforcement strengthens a behavior by removing an unpleasant stimulus.

Two clients from very different backgrounds both achieve stable housing, one through job training and the other through family support. Which systems theory concept does this illustrate?

Answer: Equifinality

Equifinality means the same end state can be reached through different paths.