Question 1

After watching her sister's fearful response to the sight of a spider,Kerri became intensely fearful of spiders.This best illustrates that a specific phobia can be learned through

Accepted Answer

Kerri's intense fear of spiders was learned through observational learning, which occurs when an individual watches the fear response of someone else and then acquires the fear themselves. In this case, Kerri watched her sister's fearful response to spiders and subsequently developed her own fear of spiders.

Question 2

Fear-learning experiences can traumatize the brain by creating fear circuits within the

Accepted Answer

The amygdala is a part of the brain that is critical for processing emotions, particularly fear. Fear-learning experiences can create fear circuits within the amygdala that become overactive, leading to anxiety and trauma-related disorders. The thalamus, hypothalamus, and anterior cingulate cortex are involved in various aspects of emotional processing, but not specifically in fear learning and memory formation.

Question 3

It is easy to condition but hard to extinguish fears of the types of stimuli that threatened our ancestors.This fact is best explained from a ________ perspective.

Accepted Answer

The biological perspective emphasizes the role of genetics, brain structure and function, and hormonal influences in behavior and mental processes, which could explain why fears of stimuli that threatened our ancestors are difficult to extinguish. Learning and psychoanalytic perspectives may also provide some explanation, but they do not focus on the biological factors that contribute to our fears. The epigenetic perspective studies how environmental factors interact with gene expression, but it is not directly relevant to the difficulty of extinguishing ancestral fears.

Question 4

Which of the following disorders is classified as a mood disorder?

Accepted Answer

Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder characterized by cycling changes in mood from extreme highs (mania) to extreme lows (depression). Learned helplessness, negative explanatory styles, and self-defeating beliefs are all related to cognitive and behavioral approaches to therapy, rather than mood disorders.

Question 5

A learning theory would emphasize that ________ leads those with an obsessive-compulsive disorder to frequently repeat their compulsive behaviors.

Accepted Answer

A learning theory would focus on the idea that reinforcement, either positive or negative, encourages the repetition of a behavior. In the case of those with obsessive-compulsive disorder, repeated performance of compulsive behaviors may provide temporary relief or reduce anxiety, leading to reinforcement and ultimately the perpetuation of the behavior.

Question 6

Major depressive disorder is said to occur when signs of depression last at least

Accepted Answer

According to the DSM-5, the symptoms of major depressive disorder must occur for at least two weeks to meet the criteria for diagnosis.

Question 7

Warren is obsessed with thoughts of being harmed and feels compelled to repeatedly check and recheck the already locked doors and windows of his house.A therapist suggests that his compulsive checking has become so persistent because it temporarily relieves his anxiety.This suggestion highlights the impact of ________ on Warren's compulsive behavior.

Accepted Answer

The therapist's suggestion that Warren's compulsive checking behavior is temporarily relieved by the act of checking highlights the impact of reinforcement on his behavior. The relief of anxiety serves as a reinforcing consequence that increases the likelihood of Warren engaging in the behavior again in the future.

Question 8

According to Professor Kang,fear responses pave neural pathways that are more readily activated by later anxiety-producing experiences.The professor's suggestion most directly reflects a ________ perspective.

Accepted Answer

The professor's suggestion reflects a biological perspective because it discusses how fear responses create neural pathways in the brain, which is a biological process involving the nervous system and brain function.

Question 9

Feelings of worthlessness are most likely to be associated with

Accepted Answer

Feelings of worthlessness are a common symptom of major depressive disorder. Mania is associated with elevated or irritable mood, panic disorder is characterized by panic attacks and intense fear, and phobias involve excessive fear of a particular object or situation.

Question 10

Alex misinterpreted the heart palpitations that accompanied his panic attack as indicative of heart disease and so became unnecessarily hypervigilant to any potentially stressful events.This best illustrates the importance of ________ in anxiety disorders.

Accepted Answer

The scenario presented in the question highlights the role of cognitive processes in anxiety disorders, as Alex's interpretation of his physical symptoms led to unnecessary hypervigilance and anxiety. Other anxiety disorders may also be perpetuated by cognitive biases or irrational thoughts.

Question 11

According to the DSM-5,one of the five major symptoms of major depressive disorder is

Accepted Answer

One of the five major symptoms of major depressive disorder according to the DSM-5 is problems thinking, concentrating, and making decisions. This can manifest as difficulty with memory or indecisiveness.

Question 12

The process of reinforcement leads those with obsessive-compulsive disorder to frequently repeat their compulsive behaviors.This is an example of

Accepted Answer

The described process is an example of conditioning, specifically positive reinforcement. When an individual with OCD engages in compulsive behaviors, they often experience temporary relief from their anxiety, which reinforces their behavior and increases the likelihood of them repeating the behavior in the future.

Question 13

Psychological disorders characterized by emotional extremes are called

Accepted Answer

Mood disorders are characterized by emotional extremes, such as depression or bipolar disorder. Obsessive-compulsive disorders are characterized by persistent, intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviors. Explanatory styles and rumination refer to patterns of negative thinking and processing, but do not necessarily involve emotional extremes.

Question 14

Research indicates that

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that certain genetic factors may contribute to an individual's susceptibility to anxiety disorders, OCD, and PTSD.

Question 15

Some genes influence anxiety disorders by regulating levels of neurotransmitters such as ________,which influences activity in the brain's alarm center.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Some genes influence anxiety disorders by regulating...

Question 16

Although World War II air raids were extremely traumatic for those who experienced them,few of these people developed lasting phobic reactions to overhead planes.This fact is best explained from a ________ perspective.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Although World War II air raids were...

Question 17

Those who emphasize the ways in which people learn disordered behavior have suggested that compulsive behaviors are

Accepted Answer

Those who emphasize the ways in which people learn disordered behavior suggest that compulsive behaviors are reinforced by anxiety reduction. This means that individuals engage in these behaviors because they have learned that they can reduce their anxiety by doing so. This reinforcement, in turn, strengthens the compulsive behavior and makes it more difficult to break.

Question 18

After lab-reared monkeys saw their parents fearfully avoid reaching for food located near a snake,the younger monkeys developed a strong fear of snakes.The younger monkeys' fear of snakes best illustrated the impact of

Accepted Answer

The younger monkeys developing a fear of snakes after observing their parents' fearful behavior demonstrates the impact of learning through observation, or social learning. This is a form of associative learning, where the monkeys associated the presence of snakes with fear due to observing their parents' behavior. Conditioning (choice A) is also a form of associative learning, but it involves learning through the pairing of stimuli and responses, which is not the case in this scenario. Repression (choice C) refers to the unconscious blocking of memories or emotions, which is not relevant to this scenario. Epigenetics (choice D) refers to the study of how gene expression can be influenced by environmental factors, but it is also not applicable in this scenario.

Question 19

A therapist suggests that Mr.Broshi continues to bite his fingernails because this behavior often reduced his feelings of anxiety in the past.The therapist's suggestion most clearly an example of

Accepted Answer

The therapist's suggestion that Mr. Broshi continues to bite his fingernails because it reduced his feelings of anxiety in the past is an example of reinforcement. Reinforcement occurs when a behavior is strengthened or maintained by its consequences, and in this case, biting his fingernails reduced Mr. Broshi's anxiety in the past, making it more likely that he will continue to engage in this behavior in the future.

Question 20

Norby,an 18-year-old first-year university student,has missed almost all his classes during the past month.He spends most of his time in his bedroom,frequently not even bothering to get dressed or eat meals.He thinks his whole life has been a failure and blames himself for being a social misfit.Norby is most likely suffering from

Accepted Answer

Norby is showing symptoms of major depressive disorder, including withdrawing from social activities, having negative thoughts about himself, and experiencing a loss of interest in daily activities.

Quiz 16: Psychological Disorders