Question 1

____________ are observable indicators (e.g., crying) of psychopathology, whereas _________ are subjective indicators (e.g., self-reports of sadness).&#10;A) Signs; symptoms&#10;B) Disorders; syndromes&#10;C) Compulsions; symptoms&#10;D) Syndromes; signs

Accepted Answer

Signs are observable indicators, such as crying, that can be seen by others, while symptoms are subjective indicators, such as feelings of sadness, that are reported by the individual experiencing them.

Question 2

Which of the following is one of the four criteria Robins and Guze outlined for the validity of a psychiatric diagnosis:&#10;A) A valid diagnosis must offer information regarding natural history including course and outcome.&#10;B) A valid diagnosis must offer information regarding the prevalence of a disorder in first-degree relatives of probands.&#10;C) A valid diagnosis includes data from psychological, biological, and laboratory tests&#10;D) All the above are criteria for a valid diagnosis.

Accepted Answer

Robins and Guze proposed a method for establishing the validity of psychiatric diagnoses that includes all the options listed: information on natural history, prevalence in relatives, and data from various tests.

Question 3

One limitation of the Robins and Guze (1970) approach to construct validation is its exclusive emphasis on what type of validity?&#10;A) Internal validity&#10;B) External validity&#10;C) Construct validity&#10;D) Ecological validity

Accepted Answer

B

Question 4

Which of the following is true of psychiatric diagnoses:&#10;A) Psychiatric diagnoses pigeonhole individuals.&#10;B) Psychiatric diagnoses are unreliable.&#10;C) Psychiatric diagnoses may reduce stigma.&#10;D) None of the above.

Accepted Answer

Psychiatric diagnoses can help in reducing stigma by providing a clear explanation for an individual's symptoms, which can lead to understanding and empathy from others. It also helps in guiding treatment and support.

Question 5

The _____________ model defines a disorder based on the relative infrequency with which a condition occurs in the general population.&#10;A) Subjective-distress&#10;B) Biological&#10;C) Statistical&#10;D) Phenotypic

Accepted Answer

The statistical model defines a disorder based on how uncommon the condition is in the general population, using statistical norms to determine what is considered abnormal.

Question 6

A lack of theoretical agnosticism is a criticism of which document(s) of psychiatric classification?&#10;A) DSM-I and DSM-II&#10;B) DSM-III&#10;C) ICD 10&#10;D) DSM-5

Accepted Answer

The DSM-I and DSM-II were criticized for their lack of theoretical agnosticism because they were heavily influenced by psychoanalytic theory, which limited their applicability across different theoretical orientations.

Question 7

The introduction of standardized diagnostic criteria, algorithms and hierarchical exclusion rules into the DSM-III led to what?&#10;A) Criticisms as the &#34;Chinese menu&#34; approach to psychiatric diagnoses&#10;B) Decreased subjectivity of diagnoses&#10;C) Increased interrater reliability of psychiatric diagnoses&#10;D) All of the above

Accepted Answer

The introduction of standardized diagnostic criteria, algorithms, and hierarchical exclusion rules in the DSM-III aimed to improve the reliability and validity of psychiatric diagnoses. This approach led to criticisms for being too rigid or simplistic, often referred to as the "Chinese menu" approach, where clinicians pick symptoms from a list. Despite the criticisms, these changes significantly decreased the subjectivity of diagnoses by providing clear criteria and increased the interrater reliability, meaning that different clinicians were more likely to agree on the same diagnosis for a given patient.

Question 8

In the ________ approach to diagnosis, the signs and symptoms are neither necessary nor sufficient for a diagnosis.&#10;A) Monothetic&#10;B) Hierarchical&#10;C) Polythetic&#10;D) Biological

Accepted Answer

In the polythetic approach to diagnosis, a certain number of criteria from a list must be met for a diagnosis, but no single symptom is essential. This means that different patients may meet the diagnostic criteria through different combinations of symptoms, making the signs and symptoms neither necessary nor sufficient on their own for a diagnosis.

Question 9

DSM-IV and DSM-5 have been extensively criticized for which of the following?&#10;A) Comorbidity&#10;B) Medicalization of normality&#10;C) Categorical classification of disorders&#10;D) All of the above

Accepted Answer

The DSM-IV and DSM-5 have faced criticism for various reasons, including the issue of comorbidity (the occurrence of more than one disorder in the same person), the medicalization of behaviors and conditions that might be considered normal variations in human behavior, and the categorical classification of disorders, which some argue is too rigid and does not account for the spectrum of mental health issues.

Question 10

Which of the following is true about a dimensional approach to psychiatric diagnoses?&#10;A) The approach has been adopted by the DSM-5.&#10;B) Personality dimensions capture the full variance in psychiatric disorders.&#10;C) The approach may be limited due to the neglected distinction between basic tendencies and characteristic adaptations.&#10;D) None of the above.

Accepted Answer

The dimensional approach may be limited because it often does not adequately distinguish between basic tendencies (inherent traits) and characteristic adaptations (contextual behaviors and thoughts).

Deck 1: Diagnosis: Conceptual Issues and Controversies