Deck 16: Approaches to Treatment and Therapy

Question 1

When a therapist strongly believes in the prevalence of certain problems or disorders, how might this bias toward a particular diagnosis end up harming his or her clients?

Answer 1

A good answer will include the following key points.
- Inappropriate or coercive influence can create new problems for the client.
- They may so zealously believe in the prevalence of certain problems or disorders that they actually induce the client to produce the symptoms they are looking for.
- Therapist influence, and sometimes outright coercion, is a likely reason for the huge numbers of people who were diagnosed with multiple personality disorder in the 1980s and 1990s and for an epidemic of recovered memories of sexual abuse during this period.

Question 2

Your textbook discusses the results of several PET-scan studies involving people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Among those who were taking the SSRI Prozac, the metabolism of glucose in a critical part of the brain decreased, suggesting that the drug was having a beneficial effect by "calming" that area. How did this effect compare to the patients who were receiving cognitive-behaviour therapy and no medicine? What does this result suggest?

Answer 2

A good answer will include the following key points.
- Exactly the same brain changes occurred in patients who were getting cognitive-behaviour therapy and no medication.
- This suggests that both the medical and the psychological therapies had similar effects.

Question 3

Deidre is trying to convince Amanda to seek psychotherapy for her anxiety. Deidre tells Amanda that Amanda has nothing to lose. Amanda has taken psychology courses, however, and describes four ways in which psychotherapy can actually be harmful. What four points does Amanda list for Deidre?

Answer 3

A good answer will include the following key points.
- The use of empirically unsupported techniques can be potentially dangerous.
- Prejudice or biased treatment on the part of the therapist can make the client feel ignored, disrespected, and devalued.
- Inappropriate or coercive influence can create new problems for the client.
- Unethical behaviour on the part of the therapist can be harmful to the client.

Question 4

Explain what is meant by the "justification of effort" effect in regard to psychotherapy.

Question 5

What is the placebo effect and what role does it play in the effectiveness of antidepressants?

Question 6

_______ involves providing a nonjudgmental setting in which to discuss issues while providing the client with unconditional positive regard.

A) Existential therapy
B) Client-centred therapy
C) Rational emotive behaviour therapy
D) Modern psychodynamic therapy

Question 7

This class of drugs is primarily used to manage heart irregularities and hypertension, but it is also sometimes used to relieve acute anxiety.

A) tricyclics
B) beta blockers
C) MAOIs
D) neuroleptics

Question 8

A family therapist would be most likely to agree that:

A) family members need to be taught to provide one another with unconditional positive regard.
B) efforts to isolate and treat one member of a family, without the other family members, are doomed.
C) behavioural records and skills training are necessary tools to heal the wounded member of a family.
D) problems in a family can usually be traced to a single, troubled individual.

Question 9

Antipsychotic drugs are also known as:

A) tricyclics.
B) monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs).
C) neuroleptics.
D) serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

Question 10

Which of the following is generally more important than the specific technique a therapist uses in determining the success of psychotherapy?

A) how long the therapy lasts
B) the insight that the therapy provides the client
C) the bond between the therapist and the client
D) whether the therapist and client are matched by gender

Question 11

Tranquilizers are often prescribed by physicians for patients who complain of panic and anxiety, but they are not considered the treatment of choice for extended periods. What problems are associated with the use of tranquilizers to treat anxiety-related disorders?

Question 12

How does systematic desensitization make use of the principles of classical conditioning to help people with phobias?

Question 13

Describe the role of the therapeutic alliance in successful therapy.

Question 14

After a long period of controlled trials, the FDA approves a drug for the treatment of school-aged boys with ADHD. After it is approved, doctors are permitted to prescribe it:

A) only for school-aged boys with a diagnosis of ADHD.
B) for anyone diagnosed with ADHD.
C) for other conditions, but only to school-aged boys.
D) for other conditions and to populations other than school-aged boys.

Question 15

Dr. Klein conducted a study on the effects of a new antidepressant on a group of 40 university-aged women of European descent, and found that 80% reported a reduction in depressive symptoms in the 6-week study. What are three reasons to be cautious before concluding that this drug is a good choice for doctors to prescribe to all types of depressed patients?

Question 16

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires controlled trials that last for a few weeks or, at most, a few months to test the effects of drugs used in the treatment of psychological disorders. What concerns are raised by the limited time period for these trials?

Question 17

Which symptoms of schizophrenia are reduced by antipsychotic medications? Which symptoms are resistant to antipsychotic medication?

Question 18

Which of the following therapists developed rational emotive behaviour therapy?

A) B. F. Skinner
B) Aaron Beck
C) Albert Ellis
D) Irvin Yalom

Question 19

Who would likely benefit most from taking lithium carbonate?

A) Zara, who is near death from starving herself
B) Jonathan, who swings from mania to thoughts of suicide
C) Josué, who has hallucinations and delusions
D) Barbara, who experiences excessive worry and anxiety

Question 20

Electroconvulsive therapy and transcranial magnetic stimulation are primarily used to treat:

A) anxiety.
B) psychosis.
C) major depression.
D) obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Question 21

After seeing her therapist for a month, Kenya feels that they share a bond based on mutual understanding that is helping her work through her problems. This bond is referred to as:

A) unconditional positive regard.
B) the therapeutic alliance.
C) the scientist-practitioner gap.
D) the client-therapist relationship.

Question 22

Who of the following was a humanist therapist?

A) Carl Rogers
B) Aaron Beck
C) Albert Ellis
D) Sigmund Freud

Question 23

A neurological disorder called tardive dyskinesia is a serious side effect associated with the use of:

A) antidepressants.
B) tranquilizers.
C) lithium carbonate.
D) antipsychotics.

Question 24

Antipsychotic drugs offer little relief from which of the following symptoms of schizophrenia?

A) emotional flatness
B) agitation
C) delusions
D) hallucinations

Question 25

Antipsychotic drugs are also known as:

A) tricyclics.
B) monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs).
C) neuroleptics.
D) serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

Question 26

Which of the following would likely be the most useful in reducing a patient's agitation, delusions, and hallucinations?

A) an antipsychotic drug
B) a tranquilizer
C) lithium carbonate
D) an antidepressant

Question 27

One immediate side effect of antipsychotic drugs is:

A) sudden dementia.
B) ADHD.
C) extreme weight gain.
D) aggressiveness.

Question 28

In his first year of college, Ronald began to behave irrationally and hear voices that were not really there. A psychiatrist diagnosed him as having schizophrenia and prescribed a drug to reduce the psychosis Ronald was experiencing. The intended effect of the drug is likely to:

A) elevate the levels of norepinephrine and serotonin in the brain.
B) block or reduce the sensitivity of dopamine receptors.
C) increase dopamine activity in the brain.
D) block the reuptake of norepinephrine by neurons.

Question 29

The primary goal of _______ is to find meaning in life and accept inevitable losses.

A) cognitive therapy
B) humanist therapy
C) existential therapy
D) behaviour therapy

Question 30

At this time, _________________ explanations and treatments for mental disorders are dominant.

A) humanist
B) biological
C) behavioural
D) psychodynamic

Question 31

Which of the following drugs is a first-generation neuroleptic drug?

A) Clozaril
B) Risperdal
C) Zyprexa
D) Thorazine

Question 32

Systematic desensitization for the treatment of phobias is a type of:

A) psychodynamic therapy.
B) behaviour therapy.
C) cognitive therapy.
D) humanist therapy.

Question 33

In addition to depression, antidepressant drugs are also used in the treatment of:

A) bipolar disorder.
B) anxiety.
C) delusions.
D) schizophrenia.

Question 34

Cognitive therapy's greatest success has been in the treatment of:

A) schizophrenia.
B) antisocial personality disorder.
C) dissociative identity disorder.
D) depression.

Question 35

In many ways, the scientist-practitioner gap centres around which of the following questions?

A) Can the effectiveness of psychotherapy be studied scientifically?
B) Should therapists be allowed to use their patients in scientific experiments?
C) Should psychology researchers all be required to be trained as therapists?
D) Should therapists be required to use a control group when treating patients?

Question 36

Which of the following drugs is a second-generation neuroleptic drug?

A) Elavil
B) Clozaril
C) Thorazine
D) Haldol

Question 37

Many people respond positively to a new drug just because of the enthusiasm surrounding it and their own expectations that the drug will make them feel better. This phenomenon is called the:

A) placebo effect.
B) novelty bias.
C) therapeutic window.
D) publication bias.

Question 38

Antipsychotic drugs offer little relief from which of the following symptoms of schizophrenia?

A) emotional flatness
B) agitation
C) delusions
D) hallucinations

Question 39

Which of the following is an element of psychodynamic therapy?

A) transference
B) counterconditioning
C) unconditional positive regard
D) flooding

Question 40

Which of the following drugs is a first-generation neuroleptic drug?

A) Clozaril
B) Risperdal
C) Zyprexa
D) Thorazine

Question 41

A drug that elevates the levels of norepinephrine and serotonin in the brain by blocking an enzyme that deactivates these neurotransmitters would most likely be used to treat:

A) psychosis.
B) dissociative identity disorder.
C) bipolar disorder.
D) depression.

Question 42

The tendency for journals to publish studies that have positive findings, rather than negative or ambiguous results, is called:

A) confirmation bias.
B) overreaching bias.
C) publication bias.
D) enterprise bias.

Question 43

Many people respond positively to a new drug just because of the enthusiasm surrounding it and their own expectations that the drug will make them feel better. This phenomenon is called the:

A) placebo effect.
B) novelty bias.
C) therapeutic window.
D) publication bias.

Question 44

Suppose a new drug is developed that increases the activity of the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain. This drug is most likely to:

A) be calming and reduce anxiety.
B) reduce psychotic episodes.
C) reduce feelings of sadness and improve mood.
D) reduce manic behaviours.

Question 45

Balthazar is being treated through a procedure in which electrodes are placed on both sides of his head and a brief current is turned on. The current triggers a seizure that lasts about a minute, causing his body to convulse. This type of treatment is known as:

A) SSRI.
B) MAO.
C) ECT.
D) PET.

Question 46

________ is a procedure used in cases of prolonged and severe major depression, in which a brief brain seizure is induced.

A) Electroencephalography
B) Magnetic resonance therapy
C) Electroconvulsive therapy
D) Positron emission tomography

Question 47

After a long period of controlled trials, the FDA approves a drug for the treatment of school-aged boys with ADHD. After it is approved, doctors are permitted to prescribe it:

A) only for school-aged boys with a diagnosis of ADHD.
B) for anyone diagnosed with ADHD.
C) for other conditions, but only to school-aged boys.
D) for other conditions and to populations other than school-aged boys.

Question 48

Antipsychotics have been shown to be ineffective for the treatment of:

A) hallucinations.
B) agitation.
C) aggressive outbursts.
D) delusions.

Question 49

Ever since she was mugged a month ago, Mona experiences acute anxiety when she leaves her apartment. Her doctor writes a prescription for a drug to temporarily reduce her anxiety, but he tells Mona that she may need to see a therapist because taking this type of drug over a long period is not the treatment of choice. What type of drug was most likely prescribed by Mona's doctor?

A) an antipsychotic
B) lithium carbonate
C) a tranquilizer
D) an antidepressant

Question 50

Antipsychotic drugs offer little relief from which of the following symptoms of schizophrenia?

A) jumbled thoughts
B) agitation
C) delusions
D) hallucinations

Question 51

In a recent study (mentioned in your textbook) regarding people with aggressive outbursts, the group that received ___________ improved the most.

A) Risperdal
B) a placebo
C) Haldol
D) MAOIs

Question 52

Who would likely benefit most from taking lithium carbonate?

A) Zara, who is near death from starving herself
B) Jonathan, who swings from mania to thoughts of suicide
C) Josué, who has hallucinations and delusions
D) Barbara, who experiences excessive worry and anxiety

Question 53

Which treatment is least likely to be used today?

A) drug therapy
B) prefrontal lobotomy
C) ECT
D) behaviour therapy

Question 54

In addition to depression, antidepressant drugs are also used in the treatment of:

A) bipolar disorder.
B) anxiety.
C) delusions.
D) schizophrenia.

Question 55

This class of drugs is primarily used to manage heart irregularities and hypertension, but it is also sometimes used to relieve acute anxiety.

A) tricyclics
B) beta blockers
C) MAOIs
D) neuroleptics

Question 56

_________, such as Valium and Xanax, increase the activity of the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA).

A) Antipsychotic drugs
B) Tranquilizers
C) Lithium carbonate drugs
D) Antidepressants

Question 57

A person may have short-term success with antipsychotic or antidepressant drugs, but at least half of patients stop taking them, often because of the ________ of the medication.

A) foul taste
B) unpleasant side effects
C) unproven effectiveness
D) societal stigma

Question 58

People suffering from bipolar disorder often are helped by taking ________, but they must be very careful with the dose they take, because too much can be toxic.

A) an antipsychotic drug
B) a tranquilizer
C) lithium carbonate
D) an antidepressant

Question 59

Electroconvulsive therapy has been used successfully to treat ________ that has not responded to other treatments, but its effects are short-lived.

A) severe anxiety
B) severe depression
C) schizophrenia
D) obsessive-compulsive disorder

Question 60

In the 1950s, Emily had a procedure done to her in which the doctor used an instrument to cut the nerve fibres connecting her prefrontal cortex to the rest of the brain. This procedure, called _____________, left her withdrawn and unable to care for herself.

A) ECT
B) deep brain surgery
C) a lobotomy
D) transcranial stimulation

Question 61

Systematic desensitization for the treatment of phobias is a type of:

A) psychodynamic therapy.
B) behaviour therapy.
C) cognitive therapy.
D) humanist therapy.

Question 62

A form of therapy that applies principles of classical and operant conditioning to help people change self-defeating or problematic behaviours is called __________ therapy.

A) psychodynamic
B) humanist
C) existential
D) behaviour

Question 63

What is the goal of the technique known as graduated exposure?

A) to uncover unconscious conflicts pertaining to a feared object
B) to understand the family dynamic that contributed to the development of a fear
C) to reverse the tendency to avoid fearful situations, objects, or upsetting memories
D) to identify irrational ways of thinking that contribute to perpetuating the fear

Question 64

When a patient comes in complaining of a headache, the therapist views the headache as the tip of a mental iceberg, with the real problem hidden in the deep unconscious. Which type of therapy would this represent?

A) psychoanalytic
B) behavioural
C) cognitive
D) existential

Question 65

Which method of treating a client with a phobia of spiders would be the most intense, if not terrifying, for the client?

A) flooding
B) graduated exposure
C) systematic desensitization
D) counterconditioning

Question 66

Psychologists who practise behavioural therapy focus on the client's:

A) unconscious anxieties.
B) relationships with parents.
C) methods of coping with inescapable realities of life.
D) current behaviour and attitudes.

Question 67

Electroconvulsive therapy and transcranial magnetic stimulation are primarily used to treat:

A) anxiety.
B) psychosis.
C) major depression.
D) obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Question 68

Which of the following is an element of psychodynamic therapy?

A) transference
B) counterconditioning
C) unconditional positive regard
D) flooding

Question 69

Systematic desensitization is based on:

A) counterconditioning.
B) operant conditioning.
C) stimulus generalization.
D) spontaneous recovery.

Question 70

A therapist's goal is to delve into the unconscious processes of his patients. He is most likely to consider himself a practitioner of:

A) client-centred therapy.
B) rational emotive therapy.
C) psychodynamic therapy.
D) existential therapy.

Question 71

Maureen is in therapy because she is very frightened of her father and feels tongue-tied around him. After a few months, she begins to feel frightened of her therapist also. According to Freud, this would be an example of:

A) object relations.
B) counterconditioning.
C) transference.
D) an existential crisis.

Question 72

________ is the process in which the client transfers unconscious emotions or reactions, such as emotional feelings about his or her parents, onto the therapist.

A) Flooding
B) Counterconditioning
C) Transference
D) Repression

Question 73

Which of the following procedures requires surgery to implant electrodes into the brain and an embedded box under the collarbone?

A) deep brain stimulation
B) electroconvulsive therapy
C) prefrontal lobotomy
D) transcranial magnetic stimulation

Question 74

The originator of the famous "talking cure" in psychology was:

A) Sigmund Freud.
B) Carl Rogers.
C) John Watson.
D) Albert Ellis.

Question 75

A therapist is interested in interpreting dreams and in having clients relate stories about their childhoods. This person is most likely to be a:

A) client-centred therapist.
B) psychodynamic therapist.
C) cognitive therapist.
D) behaviour therapist.

Question 76

The proponents of ________ therapies also refer to their methods as "depth" therapies.

A) humanist
B) psychodynamic
C) behaviour
D) cognitive

Question 77

A technique that assumes it is impossible to be relaxed and anxious at the same time is:

A) systematic desensitization.
B) skills training.
C) transference.
D) flooding.

Question 78

Researchers are now looking for new ways to stimulate the brains of severely depressed individuals. One method, called __________, involves the use of a pulsing coil held to a person's skull at the left prefrontal cortex.

A) psychosurgery
B) deep brain stimulation
C) electroconvulsive therapy
D) transcranial magnetic stimulation

Question 79

Ralph is a bright student but he procrastinates. He postpones writing term papers and gets incomplete grades from his teachers that eventually become F's. After exploring his early childhood memories with a therapist for almost a year, Ralph comes to the insight that he procrastinates as a way of expressing anger toward his parents. The treatment method used to help Ralph deal with his problem is most likely:

A) psychodynamic therapy.
B) behaviour therapy.
C) cognitive therapy.
D) humanist therapy.

Question 80

Joshua is transferred to an office located on the tenth floor of a building. The problem is that he fears heights so much that he never goes above the third floor in any building. His therapist teaches him to relax deeply while imagining himself looking out over a balcony. As therapy progresses, Joshua imagines himself on higher and higher floors. This technique is called:

A) systematic desensitization.
B) rational emotive behavioural therapy.
C) flooding.
D) transference.