A process of eliminating anxiety by pairing the anxiety-evoking situation with a relaxing response.

• A. Systematic Desensitization
• B. Transference
• C. Eclectic Therapy
• D. Nuclear Family

Answer: (A)

This item tests a behavioral technique where anxiety is reduced by pairing the anxiety-evoking situation with a relaxing response. Systematic desensitization combines relaxation training with a graded exposure to the feared stimulus, creating a new, calmer association. As a person works through a hierarchy of feared situations, the relaxing response becomes linked to each step, eventually replacing the anxious reaction and allowing approach without the previous distress. This approach draws on classical conditioning—the relaxation response becomes the conditioned response that counteracts fear.

Transference involves projecting feelings onto the therapist, not a method for reducing anxiety through pairing with relaxation. Eclectic therapy refers to using a mix of approaches rather than a specific technique of pairing anxiety with relaxation. Nuclear family describes a family unit and is not a therapy method.