Comp Exam Allient Questions With
Correct Detailed Answers
Bowen Major Historical Figures - ANSWER- Murray Bowen (1st worked with
schizophrenia and then saw the importance of kids/parent relationships & influence of
extended family members)
Bowen Underlying Philosophy - ANSWER- Togetherness vs. Individuation; The family is
an emotional unit that regulates development/behavior of its members
Bowen: Differentiation - ANSWER- The ability to separate thought and emotion and to
act mindfully rather than in reaction. Differentiation of Self is the leadership principle for
improvement in all human systems, according to Bowen theory.
Bowen: 2 Main Points - ANSWER- 1) Stress and anxiety increase togetherness
pressures and symptoms of all kinds are more likely to emerge.
2)Family Psychotherapy done with individual members or with family group is directed
toward decreasing anxiety and increasing differentiation of self in the family unit.
Bowen: Multigenerational Transmission Process - ANSWER- Describes how the level of
differentiation and the intensity of unresolved attachment to the past is a product of the
multigenerational family history
Bowen: Nuclear Family Emotional Process - ANSWER- The nuclear family manages
differentiation and anxiety with conflict, distance, over and underfunctioning reciprocity,
which at extremes can lead to dysfunction in a spouse, and child focus.
Bowen: Sibling Position - ANSWER- Describes how certain functional characteristics of
personality are shaped by a person's position in the sibling order
Bowen: Emotional Cutoff - ANSWER- The pattern of dealing with unresolved
attachment to the past by cutoff and the long-term consequences of doing so. (Low
differentiation and unresolved issues)
Bowen: Triangles - ANSWER- A two-person dyad becomes unstable once anxiety
increases. Then, one or both members of the dyad usually pulls in a third person to
relieve some of the pressure.
Bowen: Family Projection - ANSWER- Parents in a nuclear family focus anxiety on a
child and the child develops problems. Parents then usually attempt to get the child to
change or they ask an expert to "fix" the child. Experienced Bowen family systems
,consultants report that when parents can instead manage their own anxiety and resolve
their own relationship issues, the functioning of the child automatically improves.
Bowen: Emotional Process in Society - ANSWER- The tendency of people within a
society to be more anxious and unstable at certain times than others. Environmental
stressors like overpopulation, scarcity of natural resources, epidemics, economic forces,
and lack of skills for living in a diverse world are all potential stressors that contribute to
a regression in society.
Bowen: Emotional Function of Belief - ANSWER- Bowen began but never completed his
effort to describe this concept of spiritual phenomena as the 9th concept in his theory
Bowen: How Change Occurs - ANSWER- Change occurs in the family emotional
system when anxiety goes down, or one of its members assumes responsibility for their
part in the patterns, changes their part, and deals with the reactions without distancing
or counter attacking. The differentiating one becomes the family leader.
Bowen: Interventions - ANSWER- ● Genogram (both assessment and change tool)
● Plan for intense situations (when things get hot, what are we going to do-thinking;
process questions)
● Process questions--thinking questions: "What do you think about this?" "How does
that work?'
● Detriangulating one-on-one relationships, one person with the other two in the triangle
● Educating clients about the concepts of the model
● Decrease emotional reactivity-increase thoughtful responses
● Therapist as a calm self and calm part of a triangle with the clients
● Coaching for changing own patterns in family of origin
4 sub-concepts (ways people manage anxiety; none of these are bad by themselves-it's
when one is used to exclusion of others or excessively that it can become problematic
for a system): - ANSWER- ○ Conflict
○ Dysfunction in person
○ Triangulation
○ Distance
Bowen: Role of the Therapist - ANSWER- *Differentiated-maintain the ability to
recognize and reduce reactivity
*Calm/Non-Anxious Presence
*Therapist is part of the system (non-anxious and differentiated)
*Coach
*Educator
*Expert-not a collaborator
Bowen: Fusion - ANSWER- A high a degree of fusion or attachment reflects a high
degree of sensitivity of people to each other and when sufficiently intense takes one of
,two forms: "I can't do without you" or "I can't stand to be around you." - Usually, low
differentiation, high anxiety for intertwined people/families
Object Relations, Attachment and Psychodynamic: Major Figures - ANSWER- *Freud,
Erik Erikson, Nathan Ackerman
(psychodynamic),
* Object relations: Scharff & Scharff, Jung
* Attachment theory: Bowlby
Object Relations: Philosophy - ANSWER- The theory holds that the infant's experience
in relationship with the mother, or primary caregiver, is the primary determinant of
personality formation and that the infant's need for attachment is the motivating factor in
the development of the infantile self.
Object Relations: Splitting - ANSWER- This occurs when a person (especially a child)
can't keep two contradictory thoughts or feelings in mind at the same time, and
therefore keeps the conflicting feelings apart and focuses on just one of them
Object Relations: Object Constancy - ANSWER- The capacity to recognize and tolerate
loving and hostile feelings toward the same object; the capacity to keep feelings
centered on a specific object; and the capacity to value an object for attributes other
than its function of satisfying needs
Object Relations: Projective Identification - ANSWER- The unconscious transfer of
one's desires or emotions to another person (unconsciously projecting our split parts
onto someone else to see them as all "good" or "bad")
Object Relations: Internal Objects - ANSWER- Mental images of self and others built
from
experience and expectation
Object Relations: Relationship Dances - ANSWER- Strong/Weak, Depressed/Cheerful -
The Yin-Yang of relationships
Object Relations: Repression - ANSWER- The process of keeping the rejected object
out of our awareness
Object Relations: Goals of Therapy - ANSWER- *To expand the family's capacity to
nurture one another
*To master life cycles, offer empathic communication and behavior, to recognize and
rework defensive projective identifications, and enable family autonomy
*Healthy attachment and growth in the family
Object Relations: Interventions - ANSWER- *Listening/Showing Empathy
*Interpretations (especially of projections)
*Family of origin work
, *Creating a safe, nurturing/holding environment
Object Relations: Role of Therapist - ANSWER- Listener, Expert, Interpreter
CBT: Historical Figures - ANSWER- Norman Epstein, Aaron Beck, B F Skinner, Richard
Stuart, Ivan Pavlov, Albert Bandura, Albert Ellis, John B Watson, Neil Jacobson, Gerald
Jones, Arnold Lazarus, Robert Liberman, Donald Meichenbaum, Gerald Patterson,
Joseph Wolpe
CBT: Case Conceptualization - ANSWER- Baseline Assessment
*Gaining information about the undesired behavior while establishing a baseline of
functioning
Intervention
*Implementing techniques to alleviate undesired behavior
Extinction
*Highlights the elimination of the undesired behavior and explored identified problem
solving skills
CBT: Main Concepts - ANSWER- ● Classical Conditioning: First described by Ivan
Pavlov, a Russian physiologist Involves placing a neutral signal before a reflex. Focuses
on involuntary, automatic behaviors.
● Operant Conditioning: First described by B. F. Skinner, an American psychologist
Involves applying reinforcement or punishment after a behavior. Focuses on
strengthening or weakening voluntary behaviors.
● Reinforcement: Positive and Negative - Positive is adding something to increase a
response and Negative is taking something away to increase a response
● Primary and Secondary Reinforcements: Primary reinforcers are biological. Food,
drink, and pleasure are the principal examples of primary reinforcers. But, most human
reinforcers are secondary, or conditioned. Examples include money, grades in schools,
and tokens
and Punishments: adding something aversive in order to decrease a behavior
● Extinction: When you remove something in order to decrease a behavior
● Premack Principle: activities can be used as reinforcers for behavior that is less
probable in an individual (you can play outside for 20 min if you do your homework for
30 min)
● Social-Exchange Theory
● Social-Learning Theory
● ABC Theory
● Family Schema
● Parent-Skills Training
● Behavioral Marital Therapy
CBT: Interventions - ANSWER- ● Contracting
● Functional Analysis
Correct Detailed Answers
Bowen Major Historical Figures - ANSWER- Murray Bowen (1st worked with
schizophrenia and then saw the importance of kids/parent relationships & influence of
extended family members)
Bowen Underlying Philosophy - ANSWER- Togetherness vs. Individuation; The family is
an emotional unit that regulates development/behavior of its members
Bowen: Differentiation - ANSWER- The ability to separate thought and emotion and to
act mindfully rather than in reaction. Differentiation of Self is the leadership principle for
improvement in all human systems, according to Bowen theory.
Bowen: 2 Main Points - ANSWER- 1) Stress and anxiety increase togetherness
pressures and symptoms of all kinds are more likely to emerge.
2)Family Psychotherapy done with individual members or with family group is directed
toward decreasing anxiety and increasing differentiation of self in the family unit.
Bowen: Multigenerational Transmission Process - ANSWER- Describes how the level of
differentiation and the intensity of unresolved attachment to the past is a product of the
multigenerational family history
Bowen: Nuclear Family Emotional Process - ANSWER- The nuclear family manages
differentiation and anxiety with conflict, distance, over and underfunctioning reciprocity,
which at extremes can lead to dysfunction in a spouse, and child focus.
Bowen: Sibling Position - ANSWER- Describes how certain functional characteristics of
personality are shaped by a person's position in the sibling order
Bowen: Emotional Cutoff - ANSWER- The pattern of dealing with unresolved
attachment to the past by cutoff and the long-term consequences of doing so. (Low
differentiation and unresolved issues)
Bowen: Triangles - ANSWER- A two-person dyad becomes unstable once anxiety
increases. Then, one or both members of the dyad usually pulls in a third person to
relieve some of the pressure.
Bowen: Family Projection - ANSWER- Parents in a nuclear family focus anxiety on a
child and the child develops problems. Parents then usually attempt to get the child to
change or they ask an expert to "fix" the child. Experienced Bowen family systems
,consultants report that when parents can instead manage their own anxiety and resolve
their own relationship issues, the functioning of the child automatically improves.
Bowen: Emotional Process in Society - ANSWER- The tendency of people within a
society to be more anxious and unstable at certain times than others. Environmental
stressors like overpopulation, scarcity of natural resources, epidemics, economic forces,
and lack of skills for living in a diverse world are all potential stressors that contribute to
a regression in society.
Bowen: Emotional Function of Belief - ANSWER- Bowen began but never completed his
effort to describe this concept of spiritual phenomena as the 9th concept in his theory
Bowen: How Change Occurs - ANSWER- Change occurs in the family emotional
system when anxiety goes down, or one of its members assumes responsibility for their
part in the patterns, changes their part, and deals with the reactions without distancing
or counter attacking. The differentiating one becomes the family leader.
Bowen: Interventions - ANSWER- ● Genogram (both assessment and change tool)
● Plan for intense situations (when things get hot, what are we going to do-thinking;
process questions)
● Process questions--thinking questions: "What do you think about this?" "How does
that work?'
● Detriangulating one-on-one relationships, one person with the other two in the triangle
● Educating clients about the concepts of the model
● Decrease emotional reactivity-increase thoughtful responses
● Therapist as a calm self and calm part of a triangle with the clients
● Coaching for changing own patterns in family of origin
4 sub-concepts (ways people manage anxiety; none of these are bad by themselves-it's
when one is used to exclusion of others or excessively that it can become problematic
for a system): - ANSWER- ○ Conflict
○ Dysfunction in person
○ Triangulation
○ Distance
Bowen: Role of the Therapist - ANSWER- *Differentiated-maintain the ability to
recognize and reduce reactivity
*Calm/Non-Anxious Presence
*Therapist is part of the system (non-anxious and differentiated)
*Coach
*Educator
*Expert-not a collaborator
Bowen: Fusion - ANSWER- A high a degree of fusion or attachment reflects a high
degree of sensitivity of people to each other and when sufficiently intense takes one of
,two forms: "I can't do without you" or "I can't stand to be around you." - Usually, low
differentiation, high anxiety for intertwined people/families
Object Relations, Attachment and Psychodynamic: Major Figures - ANSWER- *Freud,
Erik Erikson, Nathan Ackerman
(psychodynamic),
* Object relations: Scharff & Scharff, Jung
* Attachment theory: Bowlby
Object Relations: Philosophy - ANSWER- The theory holds that the infant's experience
in relationship with the mother, or primary caregiver, is the primary determinant of
personality formation and that the infant's need for attachment is the motivating factor in
the development of the infantile self.
Object Relations: Splitting - ANSWER- This occurs when a person (especially a child)
can't keep two contradictory thoughts or feelings in mind at the same time, and
therefore keeps the conflicting feelings apart and focuses on just one of them
Object Relations: Object Constancy - ANSWER- The capacity to recognize and tolerate
loving and hostile feelings toward the same object; the capacity to keep feelings
centered on a specific object; and the capacity to value an object for attributes other
than its function of satisfying needs
Object Relations: Projective Identification - ANSWER- The unconscious transfer of
one's desires or emotions to another person (unconsciously projecting our split parts
onto someone else to see them as all "good" or "bad")
Object Relations: Internal Objects - ANSWER- Mental images of self and others built
from
experience and expectation
Object Relations: Relationship Dances - ANSWER- Strong/Weak, Depressed/Cheerful -
The Yin-Yang of relationships
Object Relations: Repression - ANSWER- The process of keeping the rejected object
out of our awareness
Object Relations: Goals of Therapy - ANSWER- *To expand the family's capacity to
nurture one another
*To master life cycles, offer empathic communication and behavior, to recognize and
rework defensive projective identifications, and enable family autonomy
*Healthy attachment and growth in the family
Object Relations: Interventions - ANSWER- *Listening/Showing Empathy
*Interpretations (especially of projections)
*Family of origin work
, *Creating a safe, nurturing/holding environment
Object Relations: Role of Therapist - ANSWER- Listener, Expert, Interpreter
CBT: Historical Figures - ANSWER- Norman Epstein, Aaron Beck, B F Skinner, Richard
Stuart, Ivan Pavlov, Albert Bandura, Albert Ellis, John B Watson, Neil Jacobson, Gerald
Jones, Arnold Lazarus, Robert Liberman, Donald Meichenbaum, Gerald Patterson,
Joseph Wolpe
CBT: Case Conceptualization - ANSWER- Baseline Assessment
*Gaining information about the undesired behavior while establishing a baseline of
functioning
Intervention
*Implementing techniques to alleviate undesired behavior
Extinction
*Highlights the elimination of the undesired behavior and explored identified problem
solving skills
CBT: Main Concepts - ANSWER- ● Classical Conditioning: First described by Ivan
Pavlov, a Russian physiologist Involves placing a neutral signal before a reflex. Focuses
on involuntary, automatic behaviors.
● Operant Conditioning: First described by B. F. Skinner, an American psychologist
Involves applying reinforcement or punishment after a behavior. Focuses on
strengthening or weakening voluntary behaviors.
● Reinforcement: Positive and Negative - Positive is adding something to increase a
response and Negative is taking something away to increase a response
● Primary and Secondary Reinforcements: Primary reinforcers are biological. Food,
drink, and pleasure are the principal examples of primary reinforcers. But, most human
reinforcers are secondary, or conditioned. Examples include money, grades in schools,
and tokens
and Punishments: adding something aversive in order to decrease a behavior
● Extinction: When you remove something in order to decrease a behavior
● Premack Principle: activities can be used as reinforcers for behavior that is less
probable in an individual (you can play outside for 20 min if you do your homework for
30 min)
● Social-Exchange Theory
● Social-Learning Theory
● ABC Theory
● Family Schema
● Parent-Skills Training
● Behavioral Marital Therapy
CBT: Interventions - ANSWER- ● Contracting
● Functional Analysis
