Test Bank For Theories of Counseling and
Psychotherapy: A Case Approach by Nancy L.
Murdock
,Chapter 1: Theory Is a Good Thing
Chapter 2: Psychoanalysis
Chapter 3: Neoanalytic Approaches
Chapter 4: Individual Psychology
Chapter 5: Person-Centered Therapy
Chapter 6: Existential Therapy
Chapter 7: Gestalt Therapy
Chapter 8: Behavior Therapy
Chapter 9: Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy
Chapter 10: Cognitive Therapy
Chapter 11: Reality Therapy
Chapter 12: Feminist Therapy
Chapter 13: Family Systems Theory
Chapter 14: Solution-Focused Therapy
Chapter 15: Narrative Therapy
Chapter 16: Mindfulness Approaches
Chapter 17: Conclusion
,Chapter 1: Theory Is a Good Thing
1. A counselor is presented with a client who describes their problems using vague,
everyday language. According to the text, what is the primary role of theory in this
situation?
A. To provide a set of rigid techniques that must be applied regardless of the client's
language
B. To interpret the client’s presentation into a consistent and coherent structure
C. To replace the client's subjective experience with a more objective, biological reality
D. To allow the counselor to operate on "automatic pilot" to save mental energy
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Clients rarely present their problems in theoretical terms. The counselor’s
job is to use theory to interpret the client’s language and symptoms into a
consistent, coherent structure that guides intervention and prevents the counselor
from becoming overwhelmed by the perceived chaos of the client’s story.
2. Which of the following best describes the "downside" of using theoretical
schemas as a counselor?
A. Schemas increase the speed at which a counselor can process client information.
B. Schemas allow counselors to communicate more effectively with other professionals.
C. Schemas may lead to tunnel vision, causing the counselor to ignore data that does not
fit the theory.
D. Schemas are purely academic and have no impact on the counselor’s actual perception
of the client.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: While schemas (professional theories) make information processing more
efficient, they can also bias perceptions. Counselors may quickly identify
information consistent with their theory while inadvertently ignoring or forgetting
information that contradicts it, leading to a restricted view of the client.
3. In the context of the "scientist-practitioner" model, how should a full-time
clinician who does not conduct formal research approach their work?
A. By focusing exclusively on clinical intuition rather than empirical findings
, B. By adopting a "scientific attitude," which includes evaluating research and maintaining a
critical, evaluative stance toward their own practice
C. By recognizing that science and practice are two separate domains that cannot be
integrated
D. By strictly following only those theories that have been published within the last five
years
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The scientist-practitioner model for clinicians does not necessarily
require conducting original research. Instead, it involves approaching clinical work
with a scientific attitude: being willing to read, evaluate, and apply relevant
research while maintaining a critical and evaluative stance toward one's own clinical
methods.
4. A theory that explains a wide range of human behaviors using the fewest possible
constructs and the simplest explanations is said to possess which characteristic?
A. Stimulation
B. Precision
C. Practicality
D. Parsimony
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Parsimony, or simplicity, is the principle that the simplest explanation
that can accurately account for the data is the best one. A parsimonious theory
avoids unnecessary complexity while still maintaining its explanatory power.
5. What was the most significant impact of Hans Eysenck’s 1952 study on the
counseling profession?
A. It proved once and for all that psychoanalysis is the most effective form of therapy.
B. It established the "Dodo bird verdict," stating that all therapies are equal.
C. It challenged the profession to produce empirical evidence to support the effectiveness
of psychotherapy.
D. It resulted in the immediate banning of eclectic approaches to counseling.
Correct Answer: C
Psychotherapy: A Case Approach by Nancy L.
Murdock
,Chapter 1: Theory Is a Good Thing
Chapter 2: Psychoanalysis
Chapter 3: Neoanalytic Approaches
Chapter 4: Individual Psychology
Chapter 5: Person-Centered Therapy
Chapter 6: Existential Therapy
Chapter 7: Gestalt Therapy
Chapter 8: Behavior Therapy
Chapter 9: Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy
Chapter 10: Cognitive Therapy
Chapter 11: Reality Therapy
Chapter 12: Feminist Therapy
Chapter 13: Family Systems Theory
Chapter 14: Solution-Focused Therapy
Chapter 15: Narrative Therapy
Chapter 16: Mindfulness Approaches
Chapter 17: Conclusion
,Chapter 1: Theory Is a Good Thing
1. A counselor is presented with a client who describes their problems using vague,
everyday language. According to the text, what is the primary role of theory in this
situation?
A. To provide a set of rigid techniques that must be applied regardless of the client's
language
B. To interpret the client’s presentation into a consistent and coherent structure
C. To replace the client's subjective experience with a more objective, biological reality
D. To allow the counselor to operate on "automatic pilot" to save mental energy
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Clients rarely present their problems in theoretical terms. The counselor’s
job is to use theory to interpret the client’s language and symptoms into a
consistent, coherent structure that guides intervention and prevents the counselor
from becoming overwhelmed by the perceived chaos of the client’s story.
2. Which of the following best describes the "downside" of using theoretical
schemas as a counselor?
A. Schemas increase the speed at which a counselor can process client information.
B. Schemas allow counselors to communicate more effectively with other professionals.
C. Schemas may lead to tunnel vision, causing the counselor to ignore data that does not
fit the theory.
D. Schemas are purely academic and have no impact on the counselor’s actual perception
of the client.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: While schemas (professional theories) make information processing more
efficient, they can also bias perceptions. Counselors may quickly identify
information consistent with their theory while inadvertently ignoring or forgetting
information that contradicts it, leading to a restricted view of the client.
3. In the context of the "scientist-practitioner" model, how should a full-time
clinician who does not conduct formal research approach their work?
A. By focusing exclusively on clinical intuition rather than empirical findings
, B. By adopting a "scientific attitude," which includes evaluating research and maintaining a
critical, evaluative stance toward their own practice
C. By recognizing that science and practice are two separate domains that cannot be
integrated
D. By strictly following only those theories that have been published within the last five
years
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The scientist-practitioner model for clinicians does not necessarily
require conducting original research. Instead, it involves approaching clinical work
with a scientific attitude: being willing to read, evaluate, and apply relevant
research while maintaining a critical and evaluative stance toward one's own clinical
methods.
4. A theory that explains a wide range of human behaviors using the fewest possible
constructs and the simplest explanations is said to possess which characteristic?
A. Stimulation
B. Precision
C. Practicality
D. Parsimony
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Parsimony, or simplicity, is the principle that the simplest explanation
that can accurately account for the data is the best one. A parsimonious theory
avoids unnecessary complexity while still maintaining its explanatory power.
5. What was the most significant impact of Hans Eysenck’s 1952 study on the
counseling profession?
A. It proved once and for all that psychoanalysis is the most effective form of therapy.
B. It established the "Dodo bird verdict," stating that all therapies are equal.
C. It challenged the profession to produce empirical evidence to support the effectiveness
of psychotherapy.
D. It resulted in the immediate banning of eclectic approaches to counseling.
Correct Answer: C
