Which paradoxical intervention involves describing a negative behavior in an even more negative light through exaggeration?

Which paradoxical intervention involves describing a negative behavior in an even more negative light through exaggeration?

• A. Relabeling
• B. Positioning
• C. Time out
• D. Extinction

Answer: (B)

Paradoxical interventions often use exaggeration to shift how a problem is viewed. Describing a negative behavior in an even more negative light, in a deliberate overstatement, is a positioning move. By asking the client to articulate the behavior in a hyperbolic way, the therapist helps the client see the issue as less threatening or more absurd, which lowers defensiveness and opens space for change. This differs from simply relabeling, which changes the label or interpretation without the same exaggerated framing; and from time out or extinction, which are behavioral consequences aimed at reducing behavior frequency rather than altering perception through exaggeration.

Paradoxical interventions often use exaggeration to shift how a problem is viewed. Describing a negative behavior in an even more negative light, in a deliberate overstatement, is a positioning move. By asking the client to articulate the behavior in a hyperbolic way, the therapist helps the client see the issue as less threatening or more absurd, which lowers defensiveness and opens space for change. This differs from simply relabeling, which changes the label or interpretation without the same exaggerated framing; and from time out or extinction, which are behavioral consequences aimed at reducing behavior frequency rather than altering perception through exaggeration.