Which approach to psychological disorders is most closely related to Maintenance Factor 1?

• A. Psychodynamic.
• B. Behaviorist.
• C. Trait.
• D. Humanistic.

Answer: (B)

The behaviorist approach to psychological disorders focuses on the idea that behaviors are learned and can be modified through reinforcement and punishment. Maintenance Factor 1 refers to the mechanisms by which symptoms of a psychological disorder are sustained over time. In the behaviorist perspective, these symptoms are often seen as a result of learned behaviors that are reinforced in a particular environment.

For instance, a behaviorist would analyze how certain behaviors associated with a disorder persist due to the consequences they produce. If a person's maladaptive behavior (like avoidance in social anxiety) is reinforced by escaping an uncomfortable situation, it can lead to the maintenance of that disorder. The behaviorist approach emphasizes the importance of observable behaviors and the environmental factors that shape them, making it particularly relevant when discussing how disorders are maintained over time.

This aligns well with Maintenance Factor 1, as it directly addresses how certain learned behaviors can keep psychological disorders active. Other approaches, like psychodynamic and humanistic, focus more on internal processes or individual growth, respectively, and while they have their merits, they do not directly address the behavioral maintenance of disorders in the same way the behaviorist approach does.