A therapist tells a client that all troubling thoughts and feelings are learned, and that they can therefore be overcome by setting up appropriate contingencies in the client's environment. This therapist is a(n)
A) empiricist.
B) rationalist.
C) atomist.
D) dualist.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The therapist's belief that troubling thoughts and feelings are learned and can be overcome by manipulating environmental contingencies aligns with empiricism. Empiricism is the theory that all knowledge is derived from sense-experience, emphasizing the role of experience and evidence, especially sensory perception, in the formation of ideas, over the notion of innate ideas or traditions. This approach is common in behavioral therapies, which focus on changing behavior through altering environmental factors.

A Therapist Tells a Client That All Troubling Thoughts and Feelings