Existentialists focus primarily on which aspect of experience?

• A. the client's perception in the here and now
• B. unconscious drives and past conflicts
• C. behavioral outcomes and reinforcement
• D. cognitive schemas and assumptions

Answer: (A)

Existentialists focus on the lived, present experience—the here and now—and on how a person creates meaning through choices in that moment. In this approach, what matters is how the individual perceives and engages with their world right now, including the sense of freedom, responsibility, and authenticity that comes with making deliberate choices. It isn’t about hidden drives, past conflicts, or automatic behavior patterns; it’s about the felt experience of being alive and the meaning someone assigns to it in the present.

This is why the present, here-and-now perspective is the best fit. The other options point to different theoretical traditions: unconscious drives and past conflicts align with psychodynamic theories; behavioral outcomes and reinforcement come from behaviorist or learning-based approaches; cognitive schemas and assumptions correspond to cognitive theory.