Deck 15: Personality Psychopathology

Question 1

In his study of personality disorders, Armand is likely to find that ____.

A) personality disorders are one of the most common reasons that individuals seek psychotherapy
B) diagnosing personality disorders is difficult
C) personality disorders are relatively uncommon in the general population
D) it is more common for men than for women to be diagnosed with personality disorders

Answer 1

B

Question 2

What is one of the five key personality dimensions of traits used to identify a personality disorder?

A) intelligence
B) agreeableness
C) impulsivity
D) compulsivity

Answer 2

B

Question 3

While Penny is undergoing chemotherapy to treat her leukemia, she depends totally on her daughter to care for her, drive her to appointments, do her shopping, cleaning, and other household chores. According to the DSM-5, does Penny meet the criteria for dependent personality disorder?

A) Yes, because she is dependent on others and is unable to take care of her own responsibilities.
B) No, not if the dependence is a temporary condition rather than pervasive.
C) Maybe; the answer depends on whether one takes a categorical or taxometric approach to diagnosing personality disorders.
D) No, Penny appears to exhibit traits of avoidant personality disorder, not dependent personality disorder.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Murray is diagnosed with a distinct personality disorder type. Which behavior cluster, as described in the DSM-5, is likely to characterize Murray?

A) He is emotional and dramatic, often acting erratically
B) He shows impulsive actions that result in the need to release tension.
C) He shows unwarranted suspiciousness and reluctance to trust others.
D) He lacks self-confidence and is subordinate to those close to him.

Question 5

Women are more likely than men to be diagnosed with which personality disorder?

A) antisocial
B) borderline
C) obsessive-compulsive
D) schizotypal

Question 6

One reason that a diagnosis of personality disorders is challenging to make is that ____.

A) the symptoms are subtle
B) the stigma for clients is so great that most therapists don't want to diagnose them
C) people with personality disorders often seek out therapy for other problems, which confounds diagnosis
D) cultures vary in social behaviors, and may lead to biases in diagnosis

Question 7

Felix has been diagnosed with major depression. His psychologist has noted that he also demonstrates an exaggerated sense of self-importance and lack of empathy. According to the DSM-5, which statement concerning Felix is accurate ?

A) Felix will probably be assigned a depression diagnosis with anger issues.
B) Felix will probably be assigned a personality disorder diagnosis that encompasses depression symptoms.
C) Felix will probably be diagnosed with major depressive disorder and provided with life skills training.
D) Felix will probably be diagnosed with both major depressive disorder and a personality disorder.

Question 8

Culture and ethnicity present challenges for diagnosing personality disorders because ____.

A) in their effort to avoid being culturally biased, therapists could miss certain symptoms
B) expressions of personality in one culture may differ from those in another culture
C) norms overlap in most cultures, and ethnicity is difficult to determine
D) diagnostic differences are rarely due to actual cultural differences

Question 9

What weakness has been identified with using a sole categorical approach to diagnosing personality disorders?

A) Categorical diagnoses are based on arbitrary diagnosis thresholds and use an all-or-nothing classification.
B) Diagnosticians show low reliability in being able to diagnose whether a client has a personality disorder.
C) Personality disorders seem to be based on professional opinion.
D) The boundaries used to determine normal personality features make it too difficult to distinguish between appropriate and pathological levels of personality traits

Question 10

Dr. Drake has diagnosed a person with a personality disorder using the DSM-5 criteria. We can assume that the ____

A) diagnosis is based on ratings on the levels of personality functioning scale, personality disorder types, and personality trait domains
B) diagnosis made was incremental; that is, the individual was rated as having mild to severe forms of a disorder
C) diagnosed person's symptoms began after the age of 18
D) diagnosed person's symptoms affect other people but not necessarily the individual or his or her social and occupational functioning

Question 11

A personality disorder diagnosis must include a(n) ____.

A) temporary, but not long-term, disruption in the ability to function normally
B) inflexible personality that causes significant functional impairment
C) preceding childhood or adolescent disorder
D) accompanying medical condition

Question 12

Nguyen is writing a report on the personality disorder that has been studied most thoroughly. What is this disorder?

A) antisocial personality disorder
B) borderline personality disorder
C) obsessive-compulsive personality disorder
D) dependent personality disorder

Question 13

According to available statistics, what is the prevalence of personality disorders based on those seeking treatment at hospitals and outpatient clinics?

A) 2-6 percent
B) 5-15 percent
C) 13-19 percent
D) 20-25 percent

Question 14

The two diagnostic paths in the DSM-5 for personality disorders are ____ and ____.

A) personality trait domains; personality disorder types
B) Axis I; Axis II
C) introversion; borderline
D) cognitions; behaviors

Question 15

Consider an adult whose pattern of personality traits is quite inflexible and has been stable since adolescence. The person's behavior does not reflect another disorder and causes neither subjective distress nor impairments in social functioning. Can the person be diagnosed with a personality disorder?

A) Yes, the pattern of traits must simply begin in adolescence.
B) No, there must be an impairment in the capacity for effective functioning.
C) No, the personality pattern must reflect another disorder.
D) Yes, the pattern of traits must simply be inflexible and stable.

Question 16

Dr. Smith specializes in working with clients who have personality disorders. According to the DSM-5, to make a diagnosis, his clients must have ____.

A) an impairment or problem that is unstable across time and situation
B) the presence of another mental disorder or a general medical condition
C) limited functioning that may be restricted to a specific episode of physical illness
D) a significant impairment or adaptive failure in a sense of self and ability to engage interpersonally

Question 17

Research on the inheritance of antisocial personality disorder suggests that ____.

A) heredity predicts personality but only in situations where twins are reared in the same family environment
B) the contributions of heredity and environment interact
C) heredity is unimportant but living in the same family environment is strongly related to personality similarity
D) heredity predicts personality but not personality disorders

Question 18

Dr. Salizar says, "People with these disorders function well enough so that they may not need therapy, and they rarely seek help themselves. However, their patterns of behavior are longstanding and are so rigid that they greatly impair their social functioning or cause subjective distress." Dr. Salizar is most likely describing ____.

A) anxiety disorders
B) institutional disorders
C) somatoform disorders
D) personality disorders

Question 19

A psychologist would likely state that "DSM-5 criteria for diagnosing ____ include intense fluctuations in mood, self-image, and interpersonal relationships."

A) paranoid personality disorder
B) borderline personality disorder
C) narcissistic personality disorder
D) histrionic personality disorder

Question 20

Which type of disorders are best characterized by inflexible, longstanding, and maladaptive personality traits that cause significant functional impairment, subjective distress, or a combination of both?

A) institutional
B) anxiety
C) personality
D) somatoform

Question 21

"My neighbor is suspicious of everyone, always holds grudges, and is hypersensitive to any criticism. He is moody, trusts no one, and he never changes his mind. His wife says he has always been this way." What DSM-5 personality type or personality trait description does this best illustrate?

A) paranoid
B) schizoid
C) borderline
D) compulsive

Question 22

Which list most characterizes the disinhibition trait domain?

A) impulsivity, distractibility, recklessness, irresponsibility
B) perfectionism, perseveration, rigidity, orderliness, risk aversion
C) unusual perceptions, unusual beliefs, eccentricity, cognitive dysregulation
D) callousness, manipulativeness, grandiose narcissism, histrionism, hostility

Question 23

Dr. Williamson says, "The central feature of this personality disorder is the extreme changes in mood leading to stormy interpersonal relationships. Chronic feelings of emptiness and boredom may lead to suicidal gestures. Women are three times more likely to be diagnosed than men." What disorder is being described?

A) avoidant personality disorder
B) obsessive-compulsive personality disorder
C) borderline personality disorder
D) antisocial personality disorder

Question 24

Albert, a 25-year-old, lacks affection and is unwilling to participate in family activities. He has few hobbies other than building model airplanes, surfing the Internet on his computer, and reading. He has been withdrawn-but not depressed-since childhood, not really wanting to be in a relationship with anyone. He has many "strange" ideas, and often engages in "strange" behavior. Albert best illustrates which personality disorder type or personality disorder trait domain description?

A) schizotypal
B) avoidant
C) aggressiveness
D) antisocial

Question 25

Research shows the strongest genetic relationship between schizophrenia and which personality disorder type or personality disorder trait domain?

A) schizotypal
B) dependent
C) borderline
D) avoidant

Question 26

Vagueness, digressions, and odd ideas are key symptoms in ____

A) dependent trait domain
B) antisocial personality disorder
C) obsessive-compulsive personality disorder
D) schizotypal personality disorder

Question 27

Which statement about borderline personality disorder is accurate?

A) Individuals with borderline personality disorder exhibit a strong sense of purpose.
B) Individuals with borderline personality disorder never experience auditory hallucinations.
C) Most of the literature about borderline personality disorder comes from the cognitive-behavioral perspective.
D) Biological factors may be responsible for the emotional volatility observed in individuals with borderline personality disorder.

Question 28

A psychologist is interviewing a refugee to this country who is unfamiliar with the majority culture here. In his former country, this person was spied on by the government and was the victim of robberies and assaults. He is suspicious of most people in authority and does not trust their motives Which personality disorder might a psychologist suspect of this refugee, given that he did not know the history?

A) borderline
B) obsessive-compulsive
C) paranoid
D) schizotypal

Question 29

People are often attracted to Christine because she is flamboyant and emotionally very expressive. She rarely, however, develops any long-term relationships, because people experience her as shallow and self-centered. What personality disorder or trait description would mos t fit Christine?

A) obsessive-compulsive
B) antagonism
C) schizotypy
D) antisocial

Question 30

The DSM-5 alternative personality model allows two different routes to diagnosis of personality disorders. One way is through ____.

A) moderate impairment in two key domains of personality function
B) differential diagnosis into a specific category
C) treatment with medication and psychoanalysis
D) co-occurrence with other personality disorders

Question 31

The DSM-5 alternative diagnosis system for personality disorders looks at four key areas related to personal and interpersonal personality function. What is one of these key areas?

A) identity
B) agreeableness
C) sympathy
D) neuroticism

Question 32

Deena received an "extremely descriptive" rating for the antagonism personality trait domain as identified in the DSM-5. She is attention-seeking and egocentric. She displays little emotion but is charming. What part of Deena's personality profile is unusual ?

A) It is unusual for those with the antagonism personality trait to be charming.
B) It is unusual for those with the antagonism personality trait to display little emotion.
C) It is unusual for those with the antagonism personality trait to be attention-seekers.
D) It is unusual for those with the antagonism personality trait to be egocentric.

Question 33

Shawn is diagnosed with schizotypal personality disorder. Research would suggest that his family ____.

A) abused him when he was a child
B) is full of men with antisocial personality disorder
C) could some people with schizophrenia based on a potential genetic link
D) engaged in substance abuse and comes from the lower socioeconomic classes

Question 34

One longitudinal study by Gao and colleagues (2010) on antisocial personality disorder indicated that children studied at the age of three who showed ____ were more likely to have a criminal record in early adulthood.

A) anger issues
B) poor fear conditioning
C) high anxiety
D) higher emotional processing

Question 35

The key feature of borderline personality disorder involves ____.

A) shifts from normal to psychotic functioning
B) intense fluctuations in mood, self-image, and interpersonal relationships
C) a tendency to have paranoid delusions that are identical to those of schizophrenics
D) a need for acceptance by authorities and criticism from family members

Question 36

A therapist is looking over a list of typical cognitions associated with antisocial personality disorder. How doe Beck et al. (1990) refer to them?

A) societal values
B) predatory strategy
C) sensation seeking
D) gratification principles

Question 37

Two different clinicians diagnosed the same client with two different personality disorders. How does Reed (2010) explain this?

A) The clinicians have different training.
B) The symptoms probably overlap in both disorders.
C) The client behaved differently with each clinician.
D) The clinicians have different levels of experience.

Question 38

Dr. Abdul says, "My client has feelings of inferiority that must be denied. Therefore, he devalues others and thinks himself superior to everyone else. Our therapy sessions are monologues where he recounts his successes and everyone else's stupidity. And yet if I interrupt even once, he takes great offense." Dr. Abdul's client is likely to be assessed on a scaled continuum as "extremely descriptive" on which personality disorder trait domain?

A) antagonism
B) borderline
C) schizotypy
D) negative emotionality

Question 39

A man is described as lacking in empathy, exploitative of others, arrogant, exaggerated in his own sense of self-importance, and constantly overestimating his talents and power over others. This description best reflects which personality disorder trait domain?

A) borderline
B) obsessive-compulsive
C) introversion
D) antagonism

Question 40

The treatment of choice for persons suffering from borderline personality disorder is ____.

A) dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
B) medication
C) a combination of psychotherapy and medication
D) participation in a support group

Question 41

According to Beck and associates (1990), treatment for antisocial personality disorder should emphasize ____.

A) that the object-splitting that occurred in the person's childhood is irreversible
B) that therapists build rapport with the clients to guide them away from self-interest
C) that the person's inability to label emotions accurately is based on past experiences
D) two factors: autonomic arousal and imitation of models whose emotions were poorly controlled

Question 42

Fragile self-concept and faulty self-identity are two explanations for which personality disorder?

A) antisocial
B) obsessive-compulsive
C) avoidant
D) borderline

Question 43

Charlene's parents have been concerned about her for quite some time. After her recent suicide attempt, they sought professional help. They told the therapist that Charlene often goes into uncontrollable rages for no apparent reason. She has intense fluctuations in her mood, self-image, and interpersonal relationship, being extremely friendly one minute, then mean and hostile the next. She sometimes hears voices, although she's aware they are imaginary. What is the most likely diagnosis for Charlene?

A) schizotypal personality disorder
B) avoidant personality disorder
C) borderline personality disorder
D) schizophrenia