Which statement compares cognitive-behavioral approach with PBIS?

• A. PBIS targets individual thoughts.
• B. CB targets school-wide systems.
• C. Cognitive-behavioral targets individual thoughts/skills; PBIS changes school-wide systems and environment to reduce problem behavior.
• D. CB and PBIS are identical.

Answer: (C)

The main idea tested is how cognitive-behavioral approaches differ from PBIS in scope and focus. Cognitive-behavioral methods work by helping an individual student change internal thoughts, beliefs, and skills—teaching coping strategies, problem-solving, and social skills to manage behavior. PBIS, on the other hand, is a school-wide framework that aims to prevent problems by altering the environment and routines, establishing universal supports, and using data to drive decisions across the whole school.

The statement that correctly captures this distinction says that cognitive-behavioral targets individual thoughts and skills, while PBIS changes school-wide systems and environmental conditions to reduce problem behavior. This reflects the difference between targeting the person’s cognition and skills versus changing the school context and supports.

The other options misstate the relationship: PBIS is not about targeting individual thoughts; CBIS is not primarily about school-wide systems; and the two approaches are not identical, since they operate at different levels and with different mechanisms.