What term describes therapies that treat anxieties by exposing individuals to feared situations, either in imagination or real life?

• A. Exposure therapies
• B. Aversive conditioning
• C. Token economy
• D. Family therapy

Answer: (A)

Exposure therapies involve guiding individuals to confront feared situations or cues, either through imagination or in real life, with the goal of reducing fear. By repeatedly encountering the trigger without the expected negative outcome, anxiety diminishes through habituation and extinction, making the situation feel less intimidating over time. This approach is used to treat phobias, panic, OCD (with exposure and response prevention), and other anxiety disorders because the core process is learning that the feared cue is not dangerous or no longer demands avoidance. Other options reflect different strategies: aversive conditioning pairs an unpleasant stimulus with an undesirable behavior to discourage it; a token economy uses rewards to shape behavior; and family therapy focuses on dynamics within the family rather than exposure-based anxiety treatment.