To answer this question, you need to understand the recent trend in psychotherapy research. Let's go through each option to understand why it is correct or incorrect:
Option A) Smaller components of therapy instead of overall improvement - This option is correct. A recent trend in psychotherapy research is for researchers to concentrate more on smaller components of therapy, such as specific techniques or interventions, rather than solely focusing on overall improvement. This shift allows researchers to investigate the effectiveness of individual elements of therapy and understand how they contribute to overall treatment outcomes.
Option B) Effects of relaxation - This option is incorrect. While the effects of relaxation techniques may be studied in psychotherapy research, it is not the primary focus of the recent trend mentioned in the question.
Option C) Reinforcement and punishment effects - This option is incorrect. While reinforcement and punishment effects may be studied in psychotherapy research, it is not the primary focus of the recent trend mentioned in the question.
Option D) Events of later childhood - This option is incorrect. While events of later childhood may be studied in psychotherapy research, it is not the primary focus of the recent trend mentioned in the question.
The correct answer is A) smaller components of therapy instead of overall improvement. This option is correct because it describes the recent trend in psychotherapy research to concentrate more on smaller components of therapy rather than overall improvement.