Glossary
Paradoxical instructions
What are paradoxical instructions?
Paradoxical instructions ask someone to engage in a form of an unwanted behavior with the aim of reducing their motivation to do it.
How the technique is defined
This is a descriptive category, not a recommendation to increase harmful behavior. The appropriateness of a particular clinical procedure depends on condition-specific evidence and professional assessment; the taxonomy does not establish a universal suppression mechanism.
Illustrative example
A hypothetical instruction might ask someone to tap a finger deliberately for a short period when finger tapping is the unwanted behavior. This illustrates the reversal in the instruction; it is not evidence that the exercise reduces tapping.
Paradoxical instructions and clinical uses
The original BCT Taxonomy v1 definitions identify this as technique 11.4. Clinical examples, such as paradoxical intention in insomnia, need their own evidence; the name alone does not show that asking someone to stay awake will improve sleep. The taxonomy was developed to describe intervention content; it does not establish how effective this technique is for a particular person or setting.