THE NATIONAL COUNSELING EXAM,
PRACTICE EXAM AND STUDY GUIDE 2025
WITH ACTUAL CORRECT QUESTIONS AND
VERIFIED DETAILED ANSWERS
|FREQUENTLY TESTED QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS|ALREADY GRADED
A+|NEWEST|GUARANTEED PASS|LATEST
UPDATE
Who considered one of the most influential social learning theorists?
Albert Bandura (the Bobo doll experiment)
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
Modern term for a form of behavior modification that uses shaping techniques to mold a
desired behavior or response. Based upon Skinner's operant conditioning
Neo-behaviorism
Bridges the gap between behaviorism and cognitive theories of learning
Purposive behavior
Behavior that is directed toward some goal and that terminates when the goal is attained.
drive-reduction theory
approach to motivation that assumes behavior arises from physiological needs that cause
internal drives to push the organism to satisfy the need and reduce tension and arousal
positive reinforcement
Increasing behaviors by presenting positive stimuli, such as food. A positive reinforcer is any
stimulus that, when presented after a response, strengthens the response.
negative reinforcement
1|Page
,Increasing behaviors by stopping or reducing negative stimuli, such as shock. A negative
reinforcer is any stimulus that, when removed after a response, strengthens the response.
(Note: negative reinforcement is not punishment.)
punishment
an event that tends to decrease the behavior that it follows
Who developed Stress inoculation training and CBM?
Meichenbaum
Dollard and Miller
learning theory
What is Learning Theory (Dollard and Miller)
The study of the circumstances under which a response and a cue stimulus become connected
4 elements of behavior according to Dollard and Miller
drive
cue
response
reinforcement
(Learning Theory)
What is reciprocal inhibition?
Eliciting a new response that decreases the strength of a habitual response (making a sad
person smile by making a funny face)(Wolpe)
What are the 4 major areas of contemporary behavior therapy
1. Classical conditioning - what happens prior to learning that creates a response through
pairing (like Pavlov's dog)
2. Operant conditioning - learning which behaviors are influenced mainly by the consequences
that follow (Skinner)
3. Social cognitive approach - learning behavior through environmental influences
4. Cognitive behavior therapy - aka behavioral therapy
Most commonly used method of behavior therapy; teach client how to relax, identify problem,
create hierarchy of anxiety-producing situations, combine hierarchy and relaxing exercises
Systematic Desensitization (Wolpe)
2|Page
,Cognitive Therapy Theorists
A.T. Beck, Judith Beck, Donald Meichenbaum (CBM)
Who was one of the first theorists to recognize the role of beliefs in controlling and changing
thoughts, emotions, and actions?
George Kelly
Cognitive Therapy is based on the rationale that...
the way people feels and behave is determined by how they perceive and structure their
experience
4 levels of cognition
1. Automatic thoughts - situation and emotion dependent
2. Immediate beliefs - often reflect extreme and absolute rules and attitudes that shape
automatic thoughts
3. Core beliefs - central ideas about ourselves that underlie many of our automatic cognition
and inform our immediate beliefs
4. Schemas - the way a mind thinks, worldview
Cognitive Distortion (Beck, CBT)
Systematic errors in reasoning from faulty assumptions and misconceptions
Arbitrary Inferences (Beck, CBT)
(Beck's CBT) making conclusions without the basis of supporting evidence
selective abstraction (Beck, CBT)
A cognitive distortion that involves forming conclusions based on an isolated detail of an event.
magnification and minimization (Beck, CBT)
blowing a negative event out of proportion (magnification) while ignoring relevant positive
events (minimization), Beck CBT
labeling and mislabeling (Beck, CBT)
portraying one's identity on the basis of imperfections and mistakes made in the past and
allowing them to define one's true identity (Beck, CBT)
dichotomous thinking (Beck, CBT)
black and white thinking (Beck, CBT)
3|Page
, What is the "first wave" of behavioral therapy?
Behavior therapy
What is the "second wave" of behavioral therapy?
CBT
What is the "third wave" of behavioral therapy?
Mindfulness and ACT
Combines CBT with attachment, Gestalt, object relations, and constructivist theories. Looks at
present actions triggering self-defeating patterns from childhood.
Schema Therapy (Young)
A model endorsing technical eclecticism; uses procedures drawn from various sources without
necessarily subscribing to the theories behind these techniques; developed by Arnold Lazarus.
Multimodal therapy (Lazarus)
BASIC ID (Lazarus, Multimodal)
Behavior
Attitude
Sensation
Imagery
Cognition
Interpersonal
Drugs
Variable schedules (average) are more effective than...
Fixed schedules (specific)
Ratio schedules (#) are more effective than...
Interval schedules (time)
Ratio Schedules are based on ______________ and interval schedules are based on
___________________.
number, time
Reality Therapy Theorists
William Glasser, Robert Wubbolding
4|Page
PRACTICE EXAM AND STUDY GUIDE 2025
WITH ACTUAL CORRECT QUESTIONS AND
VERIFIED DETAILED ANSWERS
|FREQUENTLY TESTED QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS|ALREADY GRADED
A+|NEWEST|GUARANTEED PASS|LATEST
UPDATE
Who considered one of the most influential social learning theorists?
Albert Bandura (the Bobo doll experiment)
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
Modern term for a form of behavior modification that uses shaping techniques to mold a
desired behavior or response. Based upon Skinner's operant conditioning
Neo-behaviorism
Bridges the gap between behaviorism and cognitive theories of learning
Purposive behavior
Behavior that is directed toward some goal and that terminates when the goal is attained.
drive-reduction theory
approach to motivation that assumes behavior arises from physiological needs that cause
internal drives to push the organism to satisfy the need and reduce tension and arousal
positive reinforcement
Increasing behaviors by presenting positive stimuli, such as food. A positive reinforcer is any
stimulus that, when presented after a response, strengthens the response.
negative reinforcement
1|Page
,Increasing behaviors by stopping or reducing negative stimuli, such as shock. A negative
reinforcer is any stimulus that, when removed after a response, strengthens the response.
(Note: negative reinforcement is not punishment.)
punishment
an event that tends to decrease the behavior that it follows
Who developed Stress inoculation training and CBM?
Meichenbaum
Dollard and Miller
learning theory
What is Learning Theory (Dollard and Miller)
The study of the circumstances under which a response and a cue stimulus become connected
4 elements of behavior according to Dollard and Miller
drive
cue
response
reinforcement
(Learning Theory)
What is reciprocal inhibition?
Eliciting a new response that decreases the strength of a habitual response (making a sad
person smile by making a funny face)(Wolpe)
What are the 4 major areas of contemporary behavior therapy
1. Classical conditioning - what happens prior to learning that creates a response through
pairing (like Pavlov's dog)
2. Operant conditioning - learning which behaviors are influenced mainly by the consequences
that follow (Skinner)
3. Social cognitive approach - learning behavior through environmental influences
4. Cognitive behavior therapy - aka behavioral therapy
Most commonly used method of behavior therapy; teach client how to relax, identify problem,
create hierarchy of anxiety-producing situations, combine hierarchy and relaxing exercises
Systematic Desensitization (Wolpe)
2|Page
,Cognitive Therapy Theorists
A.T. Beck, Judith Beck, Donald Meichenbaum (CBM)
Who was one of the first theorists to recognize the role of beliefs in controlling and changing
thoughts, emotions, and actions?
George Kelly
Cognitive Therapy is based on the rationale that...
the way people feels and behave is determined by how they perceive and structure their
experience
4 levels of cognition
1. Automatic thoughts - situation and emotion dependent
2. Immediate beliefs - often reflect extreme and absolute rules and attitudes that shape
automatic thoughts
3. Core beliefs - central ideas about ourselves that underlie many of our automatic cognition
and inform our immediate beliefs
4. Schemas - the way a mind thinks, worldview
Cognitive Distortion (Beck, CBT)
Systematic errors in reasoning from faulty assumptions and misconceptions
Arbitrary Inferences (Beck, CBT)
(Beck's CBT) making conclusions without the basis of supporting evidence
selective abstraction (Beck, CBT)
A cognitive distortion that involves forming conclusions based on an isolated detail of an event.
magnification and minimization (Beck, CBT)
blowing a negative event out of proportion (magnification) while ignoring relevant positive
events (minimization), Beck CBT
labeling and mislabeling (Beck, CBT)
portraying one's identity on the basis of imperfections and mistakes made in the past and
allowing them to define one's true identity (Beck, CBT)
dichotomous thinking (Beck, CBT)
black and white thinking (Beck, CBT)
3|Page
, What is the "first wave" of behavioral therapy?
Behavior therapy
What is the "second wave" of behavioral therapy?
CBT
What is the "third wave" of behavioral therapy?
Mindfulness and ACT
Combines CBT with attachment, Gestalt, object relations, and constructivist theories. Looks at
present actions triggering self-defeating patterns from childhood.
Schema Therapy (Young)
A model endorsing technical eclecticism; uses procedures drawn from various sources without
necessarily subscribing to the theories behind these techniques; developed by Arnold Lazarus.
Multimodal therapy (Lazarus)
BASIC ID (Lazarus, Multimodal)
Behavior
Attitude
Sensation
Imagery
Cognition
Interpersonal
Drugs
Variable schedules (average) are more effective than...
Fixed schedules (specific)
Ratio schedules (#) are more effective than...
Interval schedules (time)
Ratio Schedules are based on ______________ and interval schedules are based on
___________________.
number, time
Reality Therapy Theorists
William Glasser, Robert Wubbolding
4|Page
