NCE Practice Test Questions
1. According to Vygotsky, tasks that are too difficult for children to do alone
but possible with help represent:
A) The preoperational stage
B) The zone of proximal development
C) Scaffolding technique
D) Cognitive dissonance
ANSWER: B) The zone of proximal development
2. Which of the following is NOT a behavioral therapy?
A) Systematic desensitization
B) Flooding
C) Unconditional positive regard
D) Token economy
ANSWER: C) Unconditional positive regard
3. The primary goal of existential therapy is to:
A) Challenge irrational beliefs
B) Find meaning in life
C) Resolve unconscious conflicts
D) Modify behavioral patterns
ANSWER: B) Find meaning in life
4. The bond of confidence and mutual understanding between therapist and
client is called:
A) Transference
B) Rapport
C) Therapeutic alliance
D) Empathic connection
ANSWER: C) Therapeutic alliance
,5. An apparent treatment success due to patient's expectations rather than the
treatment itself is called:
A) The Hawthorne effect
B) The halo effect
C) The placebo effect
D) Spontaneous remission
ANSWER: C) The placebo effect
6. In REBT therapy, the therapist uses logical arguments to challenge a
client's:
A) Defense mechanisms
B) Unrealistic beliefs or expectations
C) Childhood memories
D) Family dynamics
ANSWER: B) Unrealistic beliefs or expectations
7. Negative reinforcement _______ behavior by _______ a reinforcer; positive
reinforcement _______ behavior by _______ a reinforcer:
A) Decreases, adding; increases, removing
B) Increases, removing; increases, adding
C) Increases, adding; increases, removing
D) Decreases, removing; decreases, adding
ANSWER: B) Increases, taking away; increases, adding
8. A "V" code in the DSM is:
A) A severe mental disorder requiring hospitalization
B) The focus of treatment not attributable to a specific mental condition
C) A personality disorder classification
D) An anxiety disorder subtype
ANSWER: B) The focus of treatment not attributable to a specific mental
condition
,9. A child who throws food and is told to sit on the stairs for five minutes is
experiencing:
A) Negative reinforcement
B) Positive punishment
C) Time-out
D) Response cost
ANSWER: C) Time-out
10. When a client jokingly talks about killing himself, the counselor should
assess:
A) The client's childhood trauma
B) Whether the client has a suicide plan and means to commit suicide
C) The client's family history of mental illness
D) Whether the client is seeking attention
ANSWER: B) Whether the client has a suicide plan and the means to commit
suicide
11. A confounded study is one in which:
A) The results are statistically significant
B) There are undesirable variables as part of the experiment
C) The sample size is too small
D) The hypothesis is proven false
ANSWER: B) There are undesirable variables as part of the experiment
12. What type of reliability should a counselor look for when ensuring a test
provides the same scores when retaken a month later?
A) Split-half reliability
B) Inter-rater reliability
C) Test-retest reliability
D) Internal consistency
ANSWER: C) Test-retest reliability
, 13. A dog trained to stop at a duck call but not at a goose call demonstrates:
A) Stimulus generalization
B) Stimulus discrimination
C) Classical conditioning
D) Operant extinction
ANSWER: B) Stimulus discrimination
14. When a family's two children and mother gang up on the father, this family
is likely:
A) Enmeshed
B) Disengaged
C) Triangulated
D) Differentiated
ANSWER: C) Triangulated
15. A hypothesis is:
A) A proven fact
B) A testable prediction
C) A research conclusion
D) A theoretical framework
ANSWER: B) A testable prediction
16. A marriage and family counselor who creates a signed contract between
mother and daughter for specific behaviors is using:
A) Token economy
B) Quid pro quo
C) Systematic desensitization
D) Paradoxical intention
ANSWER: B) Quid pro quo
17. A person with a t-score of 40:
1. According to Vygotsky, tasks that are too difficult for children to do alone
but possible with help represent:
A) The preoperational stage
B) The zone of proximal development
C) Scaffolding technique
D) Cognitive dissonance
ANSWER: B) The zone of proximal development
2. Which of the following is NOT a behavioral therapy?
A) Systematic desensitization
B) Flooding
C) Unconditional positive regard
D) Token economy
ANSWER: C) Unconditional positive regard
3. The primary goal of existential therapy is to:
A) Challenge irrational beliefs
B) Find meaning in life
C) Resolve unconscious conflicts
D) Modify behavioral patterns
ANSWER: B) Find meaning in life
4. The bond of confidence and mutual understanding between therapist and
client is called:
A) Transference
B) Rapport
C) Therapeutic alliance
D) Empathic connection
ANSWER: C) Therapeutic alliance
,5. An apparent treatment success due to patient's expectations rather than the
treatment itself is called:
A) The Hawthorne effect
B) The halo effect
C) The placebo effect
D) Spontaneous remission
ANSWER: C) The placebo effect
6. In REBT therapy, the therapist uses logical arguments to challenge a
client's:
A) Defense mechanisms
B) Unrealistic beliefs or expectations
C) Childhood memories
D) Family dynamics
ANSWER: B) Unrealistic beliefs or expectations
7. Negative reinforcement _______ behavior by _______ a reinforcer; positive
reinforcement _______ behavior by _______ a reinforcer:
A) Decreases, adding; increases, removing
B) Increases, removing; increases, adding
C) Increases, adding; increases, removing
D) Decreases, removing; decreases, adding
ANSWER: B) Increases, taking away; increases, adding
8. A "V" code in the DSM is:
A) A severe mental disorder requiring hospitalization
B) The focus of treatment not attributable to a specific mental condition
C) A personality disorder classification
D) An anxiety disorder subtype
ANSWER: B) The focus of treatment not attributable to a specific mental
condition
,9. A child who throws food and is told to sit on the stairs for five minutes is
experiencing:
A) Negative reinforcement
B) Positive punishment
C) Time-out
D) Response cost
ANSWER: C) Time-out
10. When a client jokingly talks about killing himself, the counselor should
assess:
A) The client's childhood trauma
B) Whether the client has a suicide plan and means to commit suicide
C) The client's family history of mental illness
D) Whether the client is seeking attention
ANSWER: B) Whether the client has a suicide plan and the means to commit
suicide
11. A confounded study is one in which:
A) The results are statistically significant
B) There are undesirable variables as part of the experiment
C) The sample size is too small
D) The hypothesis is proven false
ANSWER: B) There are undesirable variables as part of the experiment
12. What type of reliability should a counselor look for when ensuring a test
provides the same scores when retaken a month later?
A) Split-half reliability
B) Inter-rater reliability
C) Test-retest reliability
D) Internal consistency
ANSWER: C) Test-retest reliability
, 13. A dog trained to stop at a duck call but not at a goose call demonstrates:
A) Stimulus generalization
B) Stimulus discrimination
C) Classical conditioning
D) Operant extinction
ANSWER: B) Stimulus discrimination
14. When a family's two children and mother gang up on the father, this family
is likely:
A) Enmeshed
B) Disengaged
C) Triangulated
D) Differentiated
ANSWER: C) Triangulated
15. A hypothesis is:
A) A proven fact
B) A testable prediction
C) A research conclusion
D) A theoretical framework
ANSWER: B) A testable prediction
16. A marriage and family counselor who creates a signed contract between
mother and daughter for specific behaviors is using:
A) Token economy
B) Quid pro quo
C) Systematic desensitization
D) Paradoxical intention
ANSWER: B) Quid pro quo
17. A person with a t-score of 40:
