Abnormal Psychology Test #2 Study Guide with Answers TRUE/FALSE 1.
Most people with mental disorders behave in a highly irrational or dangerous manner. ANS:
2.
People who are strange, weird, or bizarre have a mental disorder. ANS:
3.
T
Most mental disorders have both psychological and biological causes. ANS:
11.
F
Every human being experiences at least mild versions of the feelings and behaviors that are found in mental disorders. ANS:
10.
T
Normal behaviors can be categorized as distinctly different from abnormal behaviors. ANS:
9.
T
Abnormal behaviors and feelings are often exaggerations of normal states. ANS:
8.
T
Ideas about what are normal and abnormal vary over time and across cultures. ANS:
7.
F
There can be no universal definition of abnormality. ANS:
6.
F
Emotional distress is always a sign of abnormality. ANS:
5.
F
People with mental disorders are strange, unusual, and noticeably different than other people. ANS:
4.
F
T
If a disorder can be treated with medication, that disorder must be caused by a physical problem.
ANS: 12.
Every emotional and behavior has both a psychological and a biological aspect. ANS:
13.
T
A classification system is only useful when its categories are reliable and valid. ANS:
16.
T
A classification system is only useful when its categories consistently and accurately fit the phenomena being classified. ANS:
15.
T
Cognitive therapy is based on the belief that problematic emotions and behaviors can be changed by modifying problematic thoughts. ANS:
14.
F
T
The main advantage of personality questionnaires is that they assess deeper, less observable emotional and personality patterns. ANS:
F
MULTIPLE CHOICE 1.
What subfield of psychology is devoted to the study of psychological disorders? a. community psychology b. social psychology c. abnormal psychology d. health psychology ANS:
2.
John makes an appointment with a therapist to discuss a problem he’s been having. John must have a psychological disorder according to which of the following definitions? a. irrational/dangerous b. help seeking c. emotional distress d. deviance ANS:
3.
C
B
What is the connection between irrational or dangerous behavior and mental disorders? a. Most people with mental disorders behave in a highly irrational or dangerous manner. b. Self-destructive behaviors, which are irrational and dangerous, are
c. d.
common in most mental disorders. The majority of people with mental disorders are not dangerous and they are not highly irrational. Most violent crimes, which are irrational and dangerous, are committed by mental ill people.
ANS: 4.
Which type of disorder typically involves little or no emotional distress for the person with the disorder? a. anxiety disorders b. mood disorders c. personality disorders d. somatoform disorders ANS:
5.
D
Marvin is feeling so depressed that he is having trouble making it to work and when he is there, he rarely completes his tasks with the degree of attention that they require. In addition, his wife has started complaining because Marvin is no longer interested in doing things with her, the kids, or their friends. Which definition of abnormality best fits for Marvin? a. dangerous b. deviant c. help seeking d. impairment ANS:
8.
B
Which definition of abnormality is considered to be the best? a. deviant b. help seeking c. irrational/dangerous d. significant impairment ANS:
7.
C
Which of the following provides a better definition of abnormality than the others? a. deviant b. emotional distress c. help seeking d. irrational/dangerous ANS:
6.
C
D
In the U.S., a man would be considered abnormal if he believes he is possessed by a spirit that causes him to shout and laugh uncontrollably, but in some cultures he would be considered abnormal. This example demonstrates: a. cultural sensitivity
b. c. d.
cultural relativism historical relativism historical reductionism
ANS: 9.
Which phrase is NOT an accurate ending to the following sentence? The definition of mental disorder given in the DSM-IV-TR: a. contains many undefined phrases. b. focuses mostly on the criteria of distress and impairment. c. is close to Wakefield’s definition of mental illness. d. applies to very few people. ANS:
10.
b.
12% 26%
c.
48%
d.
70%
ANS:
B
The moral treatment movement began at what time, led by what person? a. 17th century, Dix b. Renaissance, King Henry VIII c. 18th & 19th centuries, Pinel d. 20th century, Freud ANS:
13.
C
What percentage of Americans meet DSM criteria for a mental disorder at some time in their life? a. Greek and Roman times b. Renaissance c. 18th and 19 th centuries d. 20th century ANS:
12.
D
What percentage of Americans meet DSM criteria for a mental disorder at some time in their life? a.
11.
B
C
Which of the following is NOT true about the deinstitutionalization movement in the United States? a. It began in the 1960s. b. Hospital conditions dramatically improved. c. It was partly driven by new psychiatric medications. d. It led to an increase in hospitalized patients. ANS:
D
14.
For many years during childhood, Claudia was abused by her father. As an adult, she developed posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Claudia’s childhood abuse was most likely: a. a precipitating cause of the PTSD. b. a predisposing cause of the PTSD. c. the stress in the diathesis-stress explanation for the PTSD. d. the stress in the diathesis-stress explanation for the PTSD. ANS:
15.
Both biology and psychology are involved in the manifestation and form of a disorder. This belief is consistent with the: a. biopsychosocial model b. humanistic model c. medical model d. psychodynamic model ANS:
16.
A
What is the name of the movement advocating that mental disorders should be covered by health insurance on par with physical disorders? a. fee-for-service movement b. equality in health movement c. mental health parity d. psychologists for insurance ANS:
19.
B
Which of the following is NOT true about defense mechanisms (according to Freud’s theory)? a. They are a sign of pathology. b. They are used to reduce anxiety caused by emotional conflict. c. They are a strategy used by the ego to manage tensions. d. They are unconscious and automatic. ANS:
18.
A
Mental contents that are outside of awareness are in the: a. preconscious b. unconscious c. conscious d. working memory ANS:
17.
B
C
Which theoretical approach focuses on the importance of family dynamics in understanding and treating mental disorders? a. sociocultural b. object-relations
c. d.
self-psychology family systems
ANS: 20.
What part of the nervous system is involved in the “fight or flight” response? a. central nervous system b. somatic nervous system c. sympathetic division d. parasympathetic division ANS:
21.
b. c. d.
increase serotonin decrease serotonin increase serotonin and dopamine decrease serotonin and norepinephrine
ANS:
D
Which of the following statements is NOT true about classifying abnormality? a. The different categories of psychopathology are known as diagnoses. b. Assessment is the process of gathering information in order to make is diagnosis. c. d.
Diagnosis involves distinguishing different syndromes from each other. The word diagnosis comes from Greek roots meaning “the same problem.”
ANS: 25.
A
The most common current biological treatment for psychological disorders is: a. electroconvulsive therapy b. insulin coma c. lobotomy d. psychotropic medication ANS:
24.
B
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors have what effect in the synaptic cleft? a.
23.
C
Chemicals that carry messages between neurons are called: a. hormones b. neurotransmitters c. receptors d. synapses ANS:
22.
D
D
Which of the following is NOT an advantage of classification? a. Classification of mental disorders is useful even if the classification system
b. c. d.
is not reliable or valid. Classification allows professionals to communicate more clearly and effectively about their work. Classification facilitates decisions about which treatments are most likely to be helpful for disorders. Classification facilitates research on the causes of disorders.
ANS: 26.
Which of the following is NOT true about mental health professionals? a. Psychologists in many states are seeking the right to prescribe psychotropic drugs. b. c. d.
Nurses may specialize in psychopathology and become psychiatric nurses. Psychiatrists have doctoral degrees in the academic discipline of psychology. Mental health professionals from any discipline can train to become psychoanalysts.
ANS: 27.
C
What approach to classification is used in the DSM system? a. b. c. d.
categorical dimensional prototypal standardized
ANS: 30.
B
Why is it harder to reliably diagnose mental disorders than to reliably diagnose a medical problem like strep throat? a. Mental disorders are more complex and difficult to understand. b. There are no methods for evaluating mental disorders. c. There are no objective biological markers for mental disorders. d. Mental disorders have multiple causes. ANS:
29.
C
_______ relates to the consistency of a classification system, and ______ refers to the system’s accuracy. a. Assessment; diagnosis b. Reliability; validity c. Validity; reliability d. Variability; precision ANS:
28.
A
A
Who was the French psychiatrist who initiated the “moral treatment” movement?
a. b. c. d.
Sigmund Freud Emil Kraepelin Philippe Pinel Thomas Szasz
ANS: 31.
Which of the following is true about the classification of mental disorders? a. The first DSM was an expansion of the psychiatric section of the ICD. b. Each edition of the DSM has included fewer and fewer diagnostic categories. c.
The first DSM was published in 1932; 6 editions have been published since then.
d.
The current edition of DSM is DSM-VI-TR.
ANS: 32.
b.
2 3
c.
4
d.
5
ANS:
B
A disorder such as panic disorder, which involves unpleasant and unwanted forms of anxiety, distress, and impairment, is considered a _____ disorder and would be diagnosed on Axis ___. a. personality; I c. symptom; I b. personality; II d. symptom; II ANS:
35.
D
A diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder would be made on: a. Axis I b. Axis II c. Axis III d. Axis IV ANS:
34.
A
According to the DSM-IV-TR classification system, a complete diagnosis involves an evaluation of a person on how many different axes? a.
33.
C
C
Axis III includes: a. disorders characterized by unpleasant and unwelcome forms of distress and/or impairment. b. stressors in the person’s life that may affect the diagnosis, prognosis, or treatment of their disorders. c. a rating made by the clinician of the person’s overall current level of
functioning. d.
medical conditions that may be relevant to the diagnosis or treatment of their disorders.
ANS: 36.
Which of the following is an accurate pairing? a. Axis I: personality disorders b. Axis III: global functioning c. Axis V: medical conditions d. Axis IV: life stressors ANS:
37.
B
Which assessment method involves the clinician asking a brief series of questions in order to determine whether a client has major problems with cognitive functions and orientation to reality? a. unstructured interview b. psychological test c. biological test d. mental status exam ANS:
40.
A
A psychologist talks to a woman in order to gather clinical information about her. This psychologist is using which assessment method? a. physical exam b. interview c. test d. observation ANS:
39.
D
Axis V is useful for all of the following reasons EXCEPT: a. It acknowledges life stressors that may impact the person’s Axis I or II diagnosis. b. It provides an indication of how severely the individual is affected by his diagnoses. c. It can be used to monitor the person’s progress over the course of treatment. d. It can provide diagnostic information such as decline in functioning over time. ANS:
38.
D
D
A psychologist asks a client to draw pictures of himself and his family. This is an example of what form of assessment? a. Observation
b. c. d.
Projective test Personality questionnaire Cognitive test
ANS: 41.
B
Why would a clinical psychologist want to administer an intelligence test as part of an assessment of psychopathology? a. One disorder in DSM-IV-TR (mental retardation) is defined by very low intelligence. b. Knowledge of IQ aids in the diagnosis of disorders like learning disabilities. c. d.
Knowledge of IQ is helpful for understanding a person’s overall functioning. All of the above
ANS:
D
COMPLETION 1.
An individual nerve cell is called a __________. ANS:
2.
The different categories of psychopathology are known as ________. ANS:
3.
DSM
________ is the consistency of a test or category system or the raters using them. ANS:
5.
diagnoses
The most widely accepted classification system in the mental health field is the ______ system. ANS:
4.
neuron
reliability
_______ is the accuracy of a test or category system or the raters using them. ANS:
validity
