In exposure and response prevention (ERP) for OCD, what does 'response prevention' refer to?

• A. Preventing the individual from engaging in compulsive rituals in response to exposure.
• B. Preventing exposure to feared stimuli.
• C. Preventing any form of coping.
• D. Preventing thoughts from occurring.

Answer: (A)

In ERP, response prevention means withholding the compulsive ritual that a person typically performs after being exposed to a feared cue. The exposure raises anxiety, but if the ritual is not allowed, the person learns that distress can decrease on its own and that the feared outcome may not be as catastrophic as imagined. This breaks the cycle between trigger and compulsion, leading to habituation and changing the belief that relief only comes from performing the ritual. The other options don’t fit because ERP involves exposure, not blocking exposure; it’s about not engaging in compulsions rather than stopping all coping; and it doesn’t aim to prevent thoughts themselves, but to prevent acting on them with rituals.