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Melinda Dang

AP Psychology 1

April 1, 2009

Chapter 17 FRQs

1. Geraldo, a college sophomore, is so fearful of asking woman out that he hasn’t had a date

in over three years. He has recently contacted a psychotherapist for help in overcoming

his fear. Describe how a behavior therapist would treat Geraldo’s problem differently

from the way a psychoanalyst would (at least 2 differences).

Psychotherapy is an emotionally charged, confiding interaction between a trained


therapist and someone who suffers from psychological difficulties. There are many types of
therapies but psychotherapists often find success using an eclectic approach, which is an
approach to psychotherapy that, depending on the client’s problems, uses techniques from
various forms of therapy. Geraldo’s therapist will most likely use psychoanalysis, Freud’s
therapeutic technique the uses free associations, resistances, dreams, and transferences – with
the therapist’s interpretations with them to be released allowing the patient to gain self-
insight. Resistance is the blocking from consciousness of anxiety-laden material. For
instance, Geraldo may have experienced something in his past that explains his current
reluctance to talk to a woman. His analyst will want to explore these sensitive areas, making
Geraldo aware of them and then interpreting their underlying meaning. The analyst’s
interpretation notes possible meaning and promotes further insight. Geraldo’s reluctance to
talk to a woman may be an outcome of rejection in the past. Transference is the patient’s
transfer to analyst of emotions linked with other relationships. These emotions may still
affect Geraldo now.
A behavior therapist practices behavior therapy which is therapy that applies
learning principles to the elimination of unwanted behaviors. In order to conquer Geraldo’s
current problem, the therapist may employ counterconditioning, which is a procedure that
conditions new responses to stimuli that trigger unwanted behaviors. This procedure includes
both systematic desensitization and aversive conditioning. In Geraldo’s case, systematic
desensitization is a type of counterconditioning that associates a pleasant relaxed state with
gradually increasing anxiety-triggering stimuli. Systematic desensitization is an exposure
therapy that exposes people to things they avoid. So the therapist will train Geraldo to relax-
progressive relaxation- and allow him to imagine himself in an anxiety causing scene. After
several therapy sessions, Geraldo will have practiced different situations that will raise his
self confidence. Aversive conditioning is used to associate an unpleasant state with an
unwanted behavior which would not apply to Geraldo with his problem.
The main differences between psychotherapy and behavior therapy is that
psychotherapy tries to find previous causes of Geraldo’s problems that could be in his dreams
or his own confessions. Behavior therapy identifies the cause of anxiety and then proceeds to
condition the desired response.
2. Discuss how social and biological factors have an impact on each of the following in the

individual. Include at least one example for social and one for biological.

• Body weight

• Perception

• Alcoholism

• Extraversion

• Schizophrenia

Body weight can be affected by stress, as can anything else. Stress would be a social
factor that could impact body weight. Stress affects sleeping habits and health habits,
these in turn can affect one’s weight. For instance, if someone is stressed, they may begin
to smoke, smoking then affects the health of the individual and one of the side effects is
weight gain. Also, when stressed, someone’s sleep pattern may be affected, usually when
someone is sleep deprived, their metabolism slows down, this also causes weight gain.
Biologically, there are some factors that can affect weight gain. Depending on your own
background, different cultures have different ideas of body and eating habits. For
instance, some people tend to eat dinner earlier than others, technically, eating later
makes weight gain greater for that individual. The amount of fat cells one has depends on
their genetic predisposition, early childhood eating patterns, and other patterns. Once
these fat cells in crease, the never disappear, they only shrink. Therefore, someone born
with more fat cells may gain weight easier than someone born with less. Also everyone’s
set point for weight changes, therefore, it’s difficult for some people to maintain weight
while it is effortless for someone else.
Perception on life can be affected socially and biologically. Biologically,
personality development happens during our childhood. For instance, temperance is a
heritable trait. We have similar personalities as our parents; however nurture plays a
much bigger role on one’s perception/personality in life. Socially, the people you hang
out with and the way you were raised as a child will affect your perception. Attachment
patterns in your childhood could make one either more optimistic or more pessimistic.
Hanging out with pessimistic teenagers can also affect one’s perception on life.
Alcoholism and it’s likelihood increases if someone has a family member who is
alcoholic. Socially, peer pressure and other things can affect your likelihood to start
drinking. Social support also plays an important role.
Extraversion should be affected more by social factors. Or at least, more by
childhood environmental factors. For instance, the attachment of children can often
predict their future personality or extraversion.
Schizophrenia can be affected biologically; if there are a group of twins and one
twin develops schizophrenia, the chances of the other developing the same disorder is
more likely. Socially, repressed feelings and other stress factors to an extent can aid to the
cause of this disorder.

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