Final answer:
The primary goal of behavior therapy is to reduce or eliminate maladaptive behavior, focusing on changing negative behaviors through practical and action-oriented approaches.
Step-by-step explanation:
The primary goal of behavior therapy is to reduce or eliminate maladaptive behavior. This form of therapy focuses on changing unhelpful or negative behaviors that can be detrimental to the individual's mental health and daily functioning. Unlike other approaches that may aim to uncover unconscious conflicts or increase self-awareness, behavior therapy is practical and action-oriented, emphasizing the role of learning in the development and modification of behavior. Cognitive-behavioral therapists, in particular, consider both cognitive processes and behaviors when conducting psychotherapy.
Among the multiple choices provided, the correct answer is A. reduce or eliminate maladaptive behavior. Behavior therapists use various techniques, such as conditioning, to help clients change undesirable behaviors and improve their psychological well-being. Techniques such as dream analysis and understanding unconscious mind, largely associated with psychoanalytic theory and Freud, are not the focus of behavior therapy. Similarly, while being sensitive to cultural and contextual needs of the client is important across all therapeutic approaches, it is not the primary goal of behavior therapy.