Deck 1: Abnormal Psychology and Life

Question 1

Treva Throneberry vanished as a young woman and turned up in another town insisting that she was a high-school student named Brianna Stewart. Her behavior would be considered abnormal because it

A) deviated from the norm.
B) caused distress for people around her.
C) showed an attempt to fit in.
D) involved a change in location.

Answer 1

deviated from the norm.

Question 2

Patterns of behavior that deviate from the norms of society would be called

A) prosocial behavior.
B) normal behavior.
C) abnormal behavior.
D) college behavior.

Answer 2

abnormal behavior.

Question 3

Suppose you are trying to determine how much physical activity is normal. A definition of abnormal levels of physical activity based on the statistical approach would include

A) only extremely high levels of activity.
B) only extremely low levels of activity.
C) both extremely high and low levels of activity.
D) only average levels of activity.

Answer 3

both extremely high and low levels of activity.

Question 4

Different cultures have different ideas about what normal behavior is. This is a key limitation of which criterion for defining abnormal behavior?

A) deviance from the norm
B) impact on one's occupation
C) difficulties adapting to life's demands
D) experience of personal distress

Question 5

Which criterion is considered when determining whether a behavior is normal or abnormal?

A) ability to learn from mistakes
B) poor academic performance
C) experience of personal distress
D) outward appearance

Question 6

One disadvantage of the deviation-from-the-norm criterion for mental disorders is that

A) not all behaviors are maladaptive.
B) cultures differ in how they define what is normal.
C) daily problems prompt people to seek treatment.
D) statistical deviance offers clear guidelines for researchers.

Question 7

Dr. Elliot is teaching a course on different mental disorders. The course focuses on exploring scientific thought on problematic feelings, thoughts, and behaviors associated with mental disorders. The learning objectives include strategies for evaluating patients who might have a mental disorder, understanding the causes behind mental disorders, and prevention and treatment strategies for mental disorders. The title of Dr. Elliot's course is most likely

A) Abnormal Psychology.
B) Testing and Assessment.
C) Counseling Psychology.
D) Community Psychology.

Question 8

Deviance, adaptation difficulties, and personal distress are concepts used to describe

A) intellectual impairment.
B) students on probation from college.
C) abnormal behavior.
D) psychological adjustment.

Question 9

Abnormal psychology is

A) the scientific study of troublesome feelings, thoughts, and behaviors associated with mental disorders.
B) assertions about what might be abnormal emotional experience based on sociocultural norms.
C) a scientific study of how and why people become unique in ways that are potentially maladaptive.
D) focused on intrapsychic causes rather than biologic influences.

Question 10

Amanda has been severely depressed in the past year. She is constantly sad, almost to the point of numbness. She ruminates constantly about what a failure she is and how nothing she does is ever right. She finds it hard to get out of bed and get going. Which of these symptoms is an example of a cognitive symptom of Amanda's mental disorder?

A) constant sadness
B) feeling numb
C) ruminating on her failures
D) difficulty getting out of bed

Question 11

According to your text, abnormal psychology is designed to evaluate, understand, ____, and prevent mental disorders and help those who are ____.

A) predict; unable to function
B) categorize; in distress
C) categorize; unable to function
D) predict; in distress

Question 12

John is diagnosed as having a mental disorder after he was found repeatedly cutting himself. In terms of the criteria for abnormal behavior, cutting could be considered

A) deviant from the norm.
B) difficult to watch.
C) disturbing.
D) ritualistic.

Question 13

A group of emotional, cognitive, or behavioral symptoms that cause significant distress or significant problems is called a(n)

A) mental disorder.
B) deviation.
C) stressor.
D) abnormal concept.

Question 14

Which criterion for determining whether an emotion, thought, or behavior is abnormal is discussed in the textbook?

A) deviance from the norm
B) presence of depression
C) existence of a biological mechanism
D) whether it tends to run in families

Question 15

Statistical methods would be used to assess abnormality based on the criterion of

A) survival of the fittest.
B) experience of personal distress.
C) deviance from the norm.
D) difficulty adapting to life's demands.

Question 16

Your textbook describes normal behavior as behaviors that

A) we see in all people at all times.
B) we observe in particular cultures.
C) characterize most people.
D) are legal in most countries.

Question 17

Which criterion is particularly attractive to researchers because it offers clear guidelines for distinguishing between normal and abnormal behavior?

A) statistical deviance
B) cultural appropriateness
C) difficulty adapting
D) distress caused by symptoms

Question 18

Less frequent or less probable behaviors are considered to be abnormal or statistically

A) deviant.
B) significant.
C) irrelevant.
D) modifiable.

Question 19

Michael is experiencing a number of thoughts that are making it difficult for him to stay focused on his work. Although he is still able to accomplish his assigned tasks, he is very upset by the difficulties he is having. He may be classified as having a mental disorder on the basis of

A) the distress he is causing his coworkers.
B) feelings of rejection.
C) his own distress at his cognitive symptoms.
D) number of negative thoughts

Question 20

John has been reading articles posted on the web by people who say they suffer from mental disorders. He tells his friend that he is engaging in the study of abnormal psychology. According to your text, what is missing from his definition of abnormal psychology?

A) the fact that scientific study is involved
B) examining troublesome feelings associated with mental disorders
C) studying behavior that is considered abnormal
D) applying the techniques of psychology to abnormal behavior

Question 21

Bob has always been a clean-shaven, well-kept individual. Lately he has failed to shower on a regular basis, neglected his clothing, and has been uninterested in eating. It appears that Bob has begun to exhibit

A) damage to the occipital lobe.
B) maladaptive behavior.
C) suicidal tendencies.
D) personal distress.

Question 22

Dr. Jones is working with a client from a culture other than his own. He would like to use the deviation-from-the-norm criteria based on this. This would be inappropriate to use because

A) daily problems prompt people to seek treatment.
B) statistical deviance only offers guidelines for researchers.
C) cultures differ in how they define what is normal.
D) none of these are correct - this is in fact an appropriate criterion.

Question 23

According to your text, a ____ behavior is one that interferes with a person's life, including the ability to care for oneself, to have good relationships with others, and to function well at school or at work.

A) useless
B) withdrawn
C) depressed
D) maladaptive

Question 24

Defining abnormality successfully involves characterizing

A) thoughts, movements, and intentions.
B) deviance, dysfunction, and personal distress.
C) time, date, and place.
D) measures developed by each practitioner.

Question 25

One problem that mental health professionals encounter when using personal distress as a measure of maladaptive behavior is

A) establishing a cut-off point that indicates abnormality.
B) determining appropriate therapeutic guidelines.
C) combining culture and emotional response.
D) identifying a suitable theoretical framework.

Question 26

Terrance refuses to leave home due to his belief that the government is using chemicals sprayed from planes to try to harm him.. He is successfully working from home, has all of his food and other needs delivered to him, and communicates on a regular basis with friends and family, with whom he enjoys positive relationships. This illustrates the problem with the difficulties-adapting-to-life-demands criterion for diagnosing a mental disorder because people engage in

A) behaviors that harm others from birth.
B) behaviors to become self-actualizing.
C) behaviors that are normal in other cultures than their own.
D) odd behaviors that do not interfere with their daily functioning.

Question 27

One problem with interpreting the difficulty-adapting-to-life demands criterion is that

A) maladaptive behavior often results in considerable personal distress.
B) people who engage in maladaptive behavior typically seek help.
C) the criterion is too easily swayed by cultural considerations.
D) what some people consider appropriate others may see as maladaptive.

Question 28

One difficulty of using the deviation-from-the-norm criterion in determining if a behavior is abnormal is deciding

A) the statistical point at which a behavior is abnormal.
B) who will be responsible for measuring behavior.
C) the definition of maladaptive behavior.
D) which theory should serve as a framework.

Question 29

Josh is 18 and he believes that something outside of him is influencing his thoughts and that he must retrace his steps four times to keep his thoughts under his control. This behavior causes him to be fired from his job due to being late to work and failing to complete projects on time. A mental health professional would say that his behavior is abnormal because it

A) interferes with his ability to function effectively.
B) has presented quite early in life.
C) is not accepted in his culture.
D) exposes him to ridicule.

Question 30

How does the Einstein example in your text illustrate a drawback of the statistical deviance approach to defining mental disorders?

A) Deviance is always a disorder.
B) The measurement accuracy is limited.
C) Too many people have high intelligence.
D) Statistical deviance is not necessarily a disorder.

Question 31

When a mental health professional treats someone from another culture, it is important for the professional to remember that

A) a uniform approach to mental disorder may be used cross-culturally.
B) symptoms of mental disorders differ from culture to culture.
C) cultural analysis of scores is nearly impossible to perform.
D) scoring high on an intelligence score may indicate culturally biased questions.

Question 32

Emotional experience and expression are MOST clearly influenced by

A) intelligence.
B) maladaptation.
C) age.
D) culture.

Question 33

What is one problem with interpreting the difficulty-adapting-to-life demands criterion?

A) that people often do not recognize the significance of their problems.
B) the impact of nature and nurture become confused.
C) challenges in determining whether behavior really is maladaptive.
D) being too judgmental and harsh about people's private behavior.

Question 34

Which limitation does the text cite regarding the interpretation of statistical deviance from the norm?

A) Labels are typically beneficial.
B) Culture conflict is quite minimal.
C) Identification is always cut and dried.
D) There are arbitrary cutoffs.

Question 35

Suddenly disappearing from home and assuming a new identity, as Treva (discussed in your text) did, would be considered statistically

A) deviant from the norm.
B) within normal limits.
C) close to the norm.
D) irrelevant.

Question 36

Problems with the deviance from the norm approach include a(n)

A) risk of an arbitrary cut-off.
B) lack of a scientific rationale.
C) overemphasis on cultural differences.
D) insensitivity to biological factors.

Question 37

One problem with the difficulties-adapting-to-life-demands criterion in diagnosing a person as having a mental disorder is that people may engage in unusual behaviors that

A) do not harm others.
B) do not affect family members.
C) are seen as normal in other cultures.
D) do not interfere in daily functioning.

Question 38

Sasha worries about her mother's cancer so much that she cannot concentrate on her schoolwork, which causes her grades to drop. Her continual thoughts about her mother and her trouble concentrating would be considered maladaptive because she

A) deviates from the norm of her family.
B) experiences difficulties adapting to life's demands.
C) expresses personal distress to her therapist.
D) is unlikely to be helpful to her mother.

Question 39

In determining whether a behavior is abnormal, one key criterion that mental health professionals look at is

A) how long a specific behavior has occurred.
B) if a cultural bias exists within the therapeutic relationship.
C) whether the individual is experiencing sadness and irritability at the same time.
D) whether the behavior interferes with a person's ability to function effectively.

Question 40

One critical aspect of being able to understand and effectively treat mental disorders such as intimate partner violence (IPV) is the

A) need for a standard or consistent definition.
B) use of counter conditioning and reciprocal abuse.
C) willingness of the abuser to acknowledge the abuse.
D) importance of distinguishing between the person and the behavior

Question 41

A person's overall mood is also known as his or her

A) cognitive state.
B) self-esteem.
C) emotional state.
D) cognitive style.

Question 42

Research has suggested that social, political, and economic forces ____ mental health and disorders.

A) are completely unrelated to trends in
B) have shaped ideas concerning
C) are, at most, inconsistently related to
D) only influence the lower socioeconomic strata with respect to

Question 43

Research suggests that the same causal factors are responsible for anxiety-related symptoms whether those symptoms are characterized as

A) mild or moderate.
B) moderate or severe.
C) mild or severe.
D) mild, moderate, or severe.

Question 44

Your text cautions that, as you read about disorders, you may recognize that you experience some of the symptoms. For example, you may be extremely neat and organized, a quality that serves you well at school in particular, and wonder whether you have OCD. The point of the discussion is that

A) having a symptom that does not cause dysfunction is not a disorder.
B) everyone is susceptible to OCD if given enough stress.
C) OCD is entirely controlled by genetic predispositions.
D) all anxiety disorders are interchangeable.

Question 45

Which description of behavior is most consistent with a more severe mental disorder?

A) ​skipping a few classes and feeling somewhat unmotivated to study
B) unable to get out of bed, eat, or leave the house, along with a lack of energy and frequent crying
C) going to classes and making yourself studying for the next round of tests
D) ​going to classes, but having some trouble studying and wanting less contact with others

Question 46

Which professionals study mental problems to see how disorders develop and continue and how they can be prevented or alleviated?

A) counseling psychologists
B) psychopathologists
C) mentalists
D) social workers

Question 47

John's thoughts of death are causing him to lose sleep, eat poorly, and constantly worry. He expresses much concern over his current mental state, so much so that he has made an appointment to see a counselor. We would refer to his thoughts as abnormal since they

A) are statistically within expectations.
B) may cause him to experience legal problems.
C) cause him great personal distress.
D) do not meet the criteria for mental disorder.

Question 48

Experts in abnormal psychology view the abnormality of emotions, thoughts, or behaviors as

A) a clear dichotomy.
B) a matter of degree.
C) relatively unimportant.
D) solely dependent on heredity.

Question 49

Which scenario is most indicative of the individual's behavioral style?

A) Elliot tends to avoid people.
B) Shannon tends to feel nervous a lot.
C) Zoe likes to maintain an active lifestyle.
D) Brandon constantly thinks pessimistic thoughts.

Question 50

When mental health professionals say that behaviors exist on a continuum, they are describing

A) the possible magnitude of a potential problem behavior.
B) how they believe a disorder developed.
C) how many similar behaviors exist in a population.
D) the extent to which nature and nurture affect the behavior.

Question 51

An important consideration when evaluating the anxiety and stress levels of an individual is

A) how much of the stress is created by the individual.
B) the amount of impairment in daily functioning.
C) whether the individual can label his or her emotions.
D) the individual's levels of isolation.

Question 52

​In East Asian cultures, expression of ____ is considered more acceptable than is expression of ____.

A) ​pride in self; anger
B) ​anger; pride in self
C) ​self-criticism; anger
D) ​anger; self-criticism

Question 53

Lorenzo has been worried about his grades for about three months. In particular, he often thinks that everyone in class is doing better than he is and that if he asks a question, he will appear stupid. This is an example of Lorenzo's

A) cognitive style.
B) behavioral goals.
C) emotional state.
D) alter ego.

Question 54

Which method of defining abnormality has the advantages of being the hallmark of many disorders and of being easy for most individuals to report?

A) deviance from the norm
B) cultural relativism
C) difficulties with adaptation
D) experience of personal distress

Question 55

Using deviance from the norm as a criterion for abnormality requires an understanding of

A) normality as an all or nothing phenomenon.
B) how to determine the reliability and validity of an assessment.
C) a person's alter ego.
D) normality as a continuum.

Question 56

As you read the textbook you will undoubtedly identify with some of the symptoms and disorders that are presented. This

A) most likely indicates that you have a mental disorder.
B) does not necessarily mean that you have a mental disorder.
C) indicates abnormal behavior that should be evaluated immediately.
D) confirms that a high percentage of the population suffers from mental disorders.

Question 57

Which mental disorder is characterized by avoidance behaviors, intense anxiety, and clinically significant impairment in functioning?

A) social anxiety disorder
B) bipolar disorder
C) dissociation disorder
D) antisocial personality disorder

Question 58

A standard or consistent definition of intimate partner violence (IPV) is important because individuals who are physically violent against a partner may

A) differ from those who are emotionally or sexually violent.
B) be similar to those who are emotionally or sexually violent.
C) engage in primarily adaptive and prosocial behaviors
D) impede our understanding of abnormal psychology.

Question 59

Which statement illustrates the individual's cognitive style?

A) Elliot tends to avoid people.
B) Shannon tends to feel nervous a lot.
C) Zoe likes to maintain an active lifestyle.
D) Brandon constantly thinks pessimistic thoughts.

Question 60

When a mental health clinician describes an individual's emotional state, the clinician is referring to

A) overall mood.
B) avoidance behavior.
C) cognitive outlook.
D) emotional tendencies.

Question 61

Which individual played a key role in the movement to change the deplorable conditions found in asylums?

A) Hippocrates
B) Aristotle
C) William James
D) Philippe Pinel

Question 62

The development of medical concepts among Egyptians and Greeks helped to

A) replace supernatural theories with natural ones.
B) restore normal brain function through exorcism.
C) provide a rationale for the dissection of human cadavers.
D) defer the treatment of mental disorders to clergy.

Question 63

Paracelsus introduced the notion of psychic or mental causes for abnormal behavior and posed a treatment that would become known as

A) behaviorism.
B) hypnosis.
C) asylums.
D) tarantism.

Question 64

If you were a person living in the times of ancient Egypt and developed a mental disorder, what sort of treatment would you be most likely to receive?

A) a stay in an asylum
B) rest and abstinence from alcohol
C) bleeding and purging
D) exorcism

Question 65

Which treatment involves cutting a hole in a person's skull to help release a harmful spirit?

A) exorcism
B) excision
C) trephination
D) tumorization

Question 66

During a time of economic hardship, what would you expect to be emphasized with regard to mental disorders?

A) sociocultural causes of mental disorders
B) environmental causes of mental disorders
C) psychological treatments for mental disorders
D) biological treatments for mental disorders

Question 67

Throughout Greece and Rome, physicians emphasized a ____ approach to learning about the causes of abnormal behavior.

A) theoretical
B) spiritual
C) scientific
D) theological

Question 68

The asylums created during the European Renaissance were generally

A) highly therapeutic with first rate treatment for the day.
B) lacking in treatment with poor living conditions.
C) about the same as the monasteries of the time.
D) only for the wealthy and therefore quite luxurious

Question 69

If you were to travel in time to meet Philippe Pinel and ask him what his life's work involved, he would probably tell you,

A) "to rid the world of supernatural approaches to treating mental disorders."
B) "to promote mental health through exorcism and religiosity."
C) "to create more humane conditions in mental hospitals."
D) "to integrate biological methods into the treatment of mental disorder."

Question 70

The Middle Ages had continued scientific progress in the Middle East while post-Roman empire Europe

A) discovered many natural drug substances.
B) returned to supernatural theories.
C) was polarized between humane treatment and torture.
D) reverted to Neanderthal morphology.

Question 71

During the European Renaissance period, treatment for abnormality

A) continued on a dismal path of superstition and torture.
B) sought a total abandonment of the concept.
C) often portrayed insanity.
D) saw a return of natural and scientific approaches.

Question 72

Magic, noisemaking, incantations, prayer, flogging, starvation, and medicinal techniques or potions all play a role in the practice of

A) trephination.
B) analysis.
C) exorcism.
D) maladaptation.

Question 73

During the ____, episodes of mass madness such as tarantism were reported in Europe.

A) Middle Ages
B) Stone Ages
C) Enlightenment
D) Reform Movement

Question 74

During the Renaissance, Europeans with mental disorders might be treated

A) with psychogenicism
B) using lycanthropy
C) in asylums
D) by tarantism

Question 75

One possible cause of mass hysteria is the

A) lack of emotional stability.
B) lack of feelings such as fear and panic.
C) ingestion of fungi on food.
D) belief that a person with mental disorders is holy

Question 76

Early attempts at treating abnormal behavior have a predominant belief in

A) the mind-brain connection.
B) rejuvenation and experimentation.
C) how community elders diagnosed that disorder.
D) the supernatural.

Question 77

During the Renaissance, ____ were places set aside for people with mental disorders.

A) asylums
B) refuges
C) hospitals
D) prisons

Question 78

In Europe, treatment during the Middle Ages focused on

A) confinement and exorcism.
B) early forms of talk therapy.
C) healthy exercise and eating.
D) psychosurgery.

Question 79

Hippocrates asserted that mental disorders were caused by

A) demons or evil spirits.
B) personal weakness.
C) brain disorders.
D) lack of faith.

Question 80

Which individual, known as the father of modern medicine, believed that brain dysfunction, not demons and evil spirits, was the cause of abnormal behavior?

A) Socrates
B) Hippocrates
C) Plato
D) Bhutto