Which technique is designed to break down complex tasks into smaller steps and reinforce progress toward a larger goal?

Which technique is designed to break down complex tasks into smaller steps and reinforce progress toward a larger goal?

• A. Graded Task Assignment
• B. Diversion
• C. Exposure Therapy
• D. Chaining

Answer: (A)

The key idea is to take a big, daunting goal and make it approachable by dividing it into small, doable steps, with reinforcement as each step is mastered. This structured progression helps build confidence and momentum toward the overall objective, reducing overwhelm and clarifying how progress is earned. Graded task assignment specifically uses this approach: start with tasks the client can do, gradually increase difficulty, and reward each milestone to reinforce continued effort toward the larger goal. Diversion focuses on redirecting attention away from distress, not on building toward a long-term goal through a stepwise plan. Exposure therapy centers on gradually confronting feared situations to reduce avoidance, rather than breaking tasks into progressive steps with reinforcement. Chaining links individual behaviors into a sequence to complete a task, but it concentrates on the order of actions rather than a graded reinforcement structure toward a broader objective.

The key idea is to take a big, daunting goal and make it approachable by dividing it into small, doable steps, with reinforcement as each step is mastered. This structured progression helps build confidence and momentum toward the overall objective, reducing overwhelm and clarifying how progress is earned. Graded task assignment specifically uses this approach: start with tasks the client can do, gradually increase difficulty, and reward each milestone to reinforce continued effort toward the larger goal.

Diversion focuses on redirecting attention away from distress, not on building toward a long-term goal through a stepwise plan. Exposure therapy centers on gradually confronting feared situations to reduce avoidance, rather than breaking tasks into progressive steps with reinforcement. Chaining links individual behaviors into a sequence to complete a task, but it concentrates on the order of actions rather than a graded reinforcement structure toward a broader objective.