Deck 16: Psychological Disorders

Question 1

According to Aaron Beck, depressed people tend to have a cognitive triad of negative beliefs about the past, present, and future.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Insanity is both a psychological diagnostic category and a legal term that refers to a defendant's presumed state of mind at the time a crime was committed.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Some researchers speculate that anxiety disorders may be caused by an autonomic nervous system that overreacts to perceived threats.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Though his theory is controversial, research results have provided support for the vast majority of Freud's ideas about the causes of anxiety.

Question 5

Difficulty concentrating and making decisions are motivational symptoms of depression.

Question 6

The discovery of the cause of the disease general paresis was significant because it represented the first time that a psychological disorder had an identifiable physical cause.

Question 7

If left untreated, depression typically lasts between 5 and 10 months.

Question 8

The belief that abnormal behaviour is the result of supernatural forces is known as trephination.

Question 9

Specific phobias, such as the fear of dogs or heights, are considered to be one of the three major types of phobias.

Question 10

The neurotransmitters responsible for the symptoms of mania appear to be different from those responsible for clinical depression.

Question 11

Dysthymia is typically more intense and doesn't last as long as major depression.

Question 12

Compulsions are repetitive, intrusive, and usually negative thoughts that are very difficult to dismiss or eliminate.

Question 13

One of the factors that typically underlie people's judgments of abnormality is how distressing a given behaviour is.

Question 14

In current cognitive explanations of panic attacks, one's exaggerated misinterpretations of normal anxiety symptoms trigger the panic attacks.

Question 15

An interpretation of anxiety disorders that concentrates on the reinforcement provided by avoidance and escape behaviours is borrowing from the principles of operant conditioning.

Question 16

The reliability of a diagnostic system refers to how the diagnostic categories accurately capture the essential features of the various disorders.

Question 17

One of the primary motives for suicide appears to be to manipulate other people into doing what the suicidal person wants.

Question 18

Competency pertains to a legal defendant's ability to understand the nature of the legal proceedings, while insanity pertains to the defendant's state of mind at the time of the crime.

Question 19

Antisocial personality disorder is a collection of symptoms characterized by serious instability in behaviour, emotion, identity, and interpersonal relationships.

Question 20

Peter Lewinsohn's learning theory proposes that depression is caused by such factors as a loss, a punishing event, or a rapid decrease in environmental reinforcement.

Question 21

The example that homosexuality was officially considered a form of mental illness until 1973 demonstrates the role that ___________ play(s) in defining abnormality.

A)biology
B)cultural expectations
C)harmfulness
D)impairment

Question 22

Which of the following statistics concerning psychological disorders is NOT accurate?

A)Psychological disorders are the second leading cause of disability, exceeding physical illnesses and accidents.
B)Each year, more than a million students withdraw from universities in North America because of emotional problems.
C)Psychological disorders are one of the leading causes of criminal activity.
D)Medications used to treat anxiety and depression are among the most frequently prescribed drugs in North America.

Question 23

The trauma-dissociation theory is used to account for the development of schizophrenia.

Question 24

The demonological perspective on abnormal behaviour assumes that psychological disorders are caused by

A)distorted thinking
B)physical abnormalities
C)dysfunctional environments
D)supernatural forces

Question 25

People who held the demonological perspective on psychological disorders would sometimes treat abnormal behaviours by chiselling a small hole in the head of the individual in an attempt to release the evil spirit trapped inside. This procedure was called

A)therapeutic chiselling
B)trephination
C)primitive psychological surgery
D)spirit elimination

Question 26

The dopamine hypothesis asserts that the symptoms of schizophrenia are related to the underactivity of this neurotransmitter.

Question 27

The social causation hypothesis argues that schizophrenia is caused by the increased levels of stress to which lower-income people are exposed.

Question 28

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder is the most commonly diagnosed childhood disorder.

Question 29

Delusions are to false beliefs as hallucinations are to false perceptions.

Question 30

The text defines abnormal behaviour as containing all of the following elements EXCEPT

A)it is psychologically determined
B)it is personally distressing
C)it is personally dysfunctional
D)it is culturally deviant

Question 31

A person alive during the Middle Ages most likely held which of the following views on abnormal behaviour?

A)Psychological disorders are caused by supernatural forces.
B)Psychological disorders are caused by disease.
C)Psychological disorders are caused by stressful environments.
D)Psychological disorders are caused by physical and psychological vulnerabilities.

Question 32

The fact that people with psychological disorders usually experience suffering that is long-lasting or disproportionate to the situation best demonstrates how people often make judgments about abnormal behaviours based on the amount of ____________.

A)deviance
B)dysfunction
C)distress
D)distinction

Question 33

When looking at the historical evolution of attitudes towards psychological disorders, general paresis is a disease with great significance because it

A)provided the first evidence of a psychological disorder with a biological cause
B)showed how psychological factors can produce actual physical abnormalities
C)provided the first evidence supporting the vulnerability-stress model
D)demonstrated how psychological factors can create physical symptoms that have no identifiable biological cause

Question 34

Schizophrenics with Type I symptoms show a better prognosis than do schizophrenics with Type II symptoms.

Question 35

Cannibalism has been practiced in many countries around the world but would be considered extraordinarily pathological in North America. This would be an example of how ___________ is part of the criteria for defining what is abnormal.

A)dysfunction
B)the personal values of a given diagnostician
C)distinctive
D)violates social norms

Question 36

All of the following were mentioned as one of the three Ds that typically influence judgments regarding abnormal behaviour EXCEPT

A)distressing
B)dysfunctional
C)deviance
D)distinctive

Question 37

Alzheimer's disease is the leading cause of dementia in the elderly.

Question 38

A recent immigrant to Canada has been having some difficulties with everyday life, and after some initial hesitation, decides to see a therapist for some assistance. After the interview, the therapist makes a particular diagnosis and is discussing the case with a colleague when the colleague raises some concerns. She points out that the therapist may need to reconsider his diagnosis because the behaviours involved are much more common and are even considered "normal" in the country from which the person came. This example highlights the importance of _______ in defining abnormality.

A)the expectations of the culture the person currently lives
B)the expectations of the person's culture of origin
C)statistical deviation from the norm
D)harmfulness

Question 39

The first historical demonstration of a psychological disorder with a clear biological cause was _____________.

A)glove anaesthesia
B)agoraphobia
C)general paresis
D)insanity

Question 40

Ross and co-workers at the University of British Columbia reported that the limbic input to the frontal cortex was weaker in criminal psychopaths than in non-criminal psychopaths.

Question 41

Rosenhan conducted a study in which he and several colleagues got themselves admitted to mental institutions and once they were in the hospitals, they acted normally. The results from this study revealed that

A)they were quickly identified as mentally healthy individuals and asked to leave
B)diagnostic labels appeared to greatly influence how their normal behaviour was interpreted
C)just being in this type of environment served to create some of the initial symptoms of psychological disorders
D)this methodology was effective for allowing them to study the abnormal behaviours of other people in the institution

Question 42

Which of the following was NOT one of the problems with the categorical system used by the DSM-IV-TR?

A)People who received the same diagnosis may share only certain symptoms, and look different from one another.
B)It was not particularly reliable.
C)The system did not capture the differences in the severity of symptoms.
D)The system did not capture symptoms that were adaptively important but not severe enough to meet the behavioural criteria for a disorder.

Question 43

An explanation for the demonstration that personal and situational factors can interact with one another is found in the _______________.

A)example of general paresis
B)learned helplessness theory
C)trauma-dissociation theory
D)vulnerability-stress model

Question 44

Which of the following statements is most consistent with the psychodynamic perspective of depression?

A)Psychological disorders are caused by unresolved psychological conflicts.
B)Psychological disorders are caused by an overemphasis on individuality and self-control.
C)Psychological disorders are caused by incongruence between self-perceptions and experience.
D)Psychological disorders are caused by cultural and social factors.

Question 45

All of the following were discussed as potential limitations of the use of diagnostic systems such as the DSM-5 EXCEPT

A)there is a decrease in the reliability and validity of the assessment of mental disorders
B)people diagnosed with a disorder may identify with it and thus make the symptoms worse
C)someone with a psychiatric diagnosis may be treated differently by others
D)a psychiatric label may make it difficult to objectively view a person's behaviour

Question 46

A clinical psychologist is using a particular diagnostic classification system to diagnose a psychological disorder. She finds that her system yields consistent results but, unfortunately, it does not appear to be accurately assessing the disorder in which she is interested. This would mean that her classification system is

A)valid but not reliable
B)reliable but not valid
C)both reliable and valid
D)neither reliable nor valid

Question 47

When treating a person with a psychological disorder, a therapist makes the assumption that the person's difficulties stem in large part from his extreme and inappropriate use of defence mechanisms such as repression. This therapist most likely identifies with the ___________ perspective of psychological disorders.

A)cognitive
B)behavioural
C)sociocultural
D)psychodynamic

Question 48

If we say that a diagnostic classification system, such as the DSM-5, is reliable, this specifically means that

A)it can accurately distinguish between different disorders
B)it is accurately assessing the disorders it is intended to
C)it is a valid system
D)it is a consistent system

Question 49

The first evidence that psychological disorders may be caused by a physiological disorder came in the 1800s with the identification of a physical condition, resulted in bizarre behaviour called ________________.

A)trephination
B)general paresis
C)paranoia
D)hysteria

Question 50

The ability of a diagnostic classification system to effectively differentiate between various disorders and to accurately capture the essential features of these disorders is most relevant to which of the following qualities?

A)Reliability
B)Consistency
C)Validity
D)Stability

Question 51

Biological, psychological, or environmental predispositions can combine with current or recent events to produce psychological disorders called ___________.

A)stressors
B)handicaps
C)vulnerabilities
D)traumatic events

Question 52

Someone who has psychologically caused problems of consciousness and self-identification, such as amnesia, would be classified as falling into which of the different major diagnostic categories?

A)Somatic symptom disorders
B)Schizophrenic and other psychotic disorders
C)Dissociative disorders
D)Anxiety disorders

Question 53

Two siblings can grow up in identical environments and as adults, one develops a psychological disorder and the other does not. Psychologists have taken biological, psychological, and environmental factors and explored how these factors relate to each other in order to explain the above situation. This is called the

A)vulnerability-stress model
B)predisposition-dysfunction model
C)reliably-valid model
D)psychodynamic model

Question 54

Maladaptive and self-defeating thought patterns are most central to the ____________ perspective of psychological disorders.

A)humanistic
B)cognitive
C)sociocultural
D)behavioural

Question 55

Sara lost both of her parents when she was a young child. Primarily because of this historical event, she develops an anxiety disorder when she learns that the life of her best friend is threatened by cancer. This example provides the best illustration of

A)learned helplessness
B)the vulnerability-stress model
C)the demonological perspective
D)the trauma dissociation model

Question 56

Regarding a diagnostic classification system for psychological disorders, reliability means that clinicians using the classification system should show high levels of agreement in their diagnostic classifications, whereas, if the categories accurately capture the essential features of the disorders, this is called ______________.

A)validity
B)accuracy
C)consistency
D)verifiability

Question 57

In the vulnerability-stress model of psychological disorders, vulnerabilities

A)can be biological factors
B)can be biological or psychological factors
C)can be environmental factors
D)can be biological, psychological, or environmental factors

Question 58

Negative perceptions in both the people being diagnosed and in others can be generated as one of the detrimental effects of ______________.

A)personality disorders
B)developmental disorders
C)psychiatric labelling
D)comorbidity

Question 59

When considering the term "insanity," it is important to remember that

A)it is an Axis II disorder that has substantial overlap with other Axis I and Axis II disorders
B)while it has strong reliability, its validity has not yet been fully established
C)it refers to a defendant's state of mind at the time of a trial, not when the crime was committed
D)it is a legal term, not a psychological term

Question 60

The newly introduced DSM-5 improved upon the DSM-IV-TR by adding what type of measurement system to the diagnosis?

A)Dimensional
B)Categorical
C)Diagnostic
D)Analytic

Question 61

When a defendant is on trial for murder and they plead insanity as a defence, this means

A)the diagnosis fits the DSM-5 criterion
B)they were impaired enough at the time of the murder to not understand or control their actions
C)they are currently traumatized by their actions and are not capable of standing trial
D)the vulnerability-stress model would indicate they were not responsible for their actions at the time of the murder

Question 62

Because of fearing a panic attack in public, people who have panic disorder will often also develop _____________.

A)social anxiety
B)agoraphobia
C)posttraumatic stress disorder
D)generalized anxiety disorder

Question 63

A is strong and intense fear that is evoked in response to a particular situation is called _____________.

A)a phobia
B)generalized anxiety disorder
C)post-traumatic stress disorder
D)panic disorder

Question 64

A key difference between generalized anxiety disorder and a phobia is that

A)a phobia usually only includes the cognitive component of anxiety
B)a phobia is triggered by a specific object or situation
C)the anxiety associated with generalized anxiety disorder is significantly more intense
D)a phobia is an Axis I disorder, while generalized anxiety disorder is an Axis II disorder

Question 65

Lucas is accused of a particularly violent murder. His attorney is arguing to the judge that Lucas cannot be tried for the crime because he cannot understand the nature of the charges against him as he is currently _______________.

A)distraught
B)mentally stable
C)incompetent
D)insane

Question 66

When Minnie was a little girl, her neighbour's pony was struck by lightning and killed. Minnie's fear of lightning increased over the years. At first she would stop whatever she was doing and go home if a storm arose. Then, she would not leave the house if it looked like a storm was brewing. When there was lightning, Minnie hid under the table in the dining room because it was sturdy. Minnie is to the point now that she will not leave her house in case it were to start lightning, even when storms are not in the forecast. What kind of problem does Minnie most likely have?

A)Phobic disorder
B)Panic disorder
C)Generalized anxiety disorder
D)Adjustment disorder

Question 67

According to the text, the most common types of phobias in Western society are

A)animal phobias, environmental phobias, and situational phobias
B)situational phobias, animal phobias, and agoraphobia
C)animal phobias, social phobia, and specific phobias
D)agoraphobia, social phobia, and specific phobias

Question 68

The legal term "competency" refers to a person's state of mind at a trial or hearing, while the term ______________ is concerned with a person's mental state at the time a crime was committed.

A)"insanity"
B)"well-being"
C)"adequacy"
D)"cognition"

Question 69

Stacey tends to worry a lot. She is frequently thinking about how other people may think less of her or may do things that will embarrass or humiliate her. These thoughts serve to keep Stacey anxious a great deal of the time and best demonstrate the ____________ component of anxiety.

A)physiological
B)cognitive
C)behavioural
D)environmental

Question 70

Panic disorder is different from generalized anxiety disorder in that with panic disorder, the feelings of anxiety are usually more intense and are _____________.

A)quite predictable
B)infrequent
C)typical
D)unpredictable

Question 71

Someone who avoids social situations and refrains from speaking in class because of social anxiety is demonstrating the _______________ component of anxiety.

A)cognitive
B)environmental
C)physiological
D)behavioural

Question 72

The term "competency" is most concerned with

A)the severity of the disorder(s) with which a person has been diagnosed
B)whether a person can meaningfully appreciate the wrongfulness of their acts at the time of a crime
C)a person's current state of mind at the time of a trial or hearing
D)a person's state of mind at the time of a crime

Question 73

Sarah has an upcoming exam that may determine the direction her career will take. Her anxiety level has never been as high as it has been the last few weeks. In this case, Sarah is NOT diagnosed with an anxiety disorder because ________________.

A)the frequency and intensity of the anxiety is in proportion to the perceived threat
B)the intensity but not the frequency of the anxiety is out of proportion to the perceived threat
C)the frequency but not the intensity of the anxiety is out of proportion to the perceived threat
D)the frequency and intensity of the anxiety are not a direct result of the perceived threat

Question 74

Pat's frequent and intense fears of open and public places are out of proportions to the actual situations and are interfering with Pat's daily life. Pat's disorder most closely conforms to

A)acrophobia
B)social phobia
C)generalized anxiety disorder
D)agoraphobia

Question 75

Someone who is afraid to leave their house because they are afraid of being in public places would most likely be diagnosed as having

A)generalized anxiety disorder
B)agoraphobia
C)environmental phobia
D)social phobia

Question 76

A chronic state of diffuse or "free-floating" anxiety is most central to the psychological disorder called

A)generalized anxiety disorder
B)panic disorder
C)social phobia
D)agoraphobia

Question 77

Roger is tense and anxious almost every day. Though he is frequently worried and often has the sense that something bad is about to happen, he can't relate his anxiety to any particular situation or setting. He has difficulty getting restful sleep at night and often takes antacids for his upset stomach. Roger would most likely be diagnosed as having

A)obsessive-compulsive disorder
B)panic disorder
C)generalized anxiety disorder
D)posttraumatic stress disorder

Question 78

The major difference between panic disorder and phobic disorder is

A)panic disorder lasts longer than phobic disorder
B)the anxiety associated with panic disorder is more intense than the anxiety associated with phobic disorder
C)the anxiety associated with panic disorder is not tied to a specific stimulus, unlike with phobic disorder
D)recovery from panic disorder is less likely than recovery from phobic disorder

Question 79

Jason is sitting in class listening to a lecture when suddenly, for no apparent reason, he starts to become very anxious and tense. His heart begins pounding, his breathing becomes short, and he starts to sweat profusely. After a few minutes, his mind begins racing with thoughts that he might be dying. Jason randomly suffers from an attack like this about three times a month. Assuming that there is no physical abnormality that is responsible for these symptoms, Jason would most likely be diagnosed as having

A)social phobia
B)agoraphobia
C)panic disorder
D)generalized anxiety disorder

Question 80

Which of the following would be classified as part of the physiological component of anxiety?

A)Thoughts about being embarrassed or humiliated
B)A feeling of the inability to cope with a situation
C)Increased heart rate and sweaty palms
D)Avoidance of particular social situations