Question 1

Lately, Caroline has been plagued with the recurring thought that her mother has died. Even though she has called her mother several times each day, the minute she isn't focused on a specific task, the fear that her mother is dead nearly overwhelms her. Caroline is suffering from a(n) ________.

Accepted Answer

Caroline is experiencing a recurring thought or urge that is distressing and persistent, which is a classic symptom of an obsession. A compulsion involves a repetitive behavior or mental act that is aimed at reducing anxiety, while a hallucination involves hearing, seeing, feeling, smelling, or tasting something that is not actually present. Delusions involve having fixed false beliefs that are not based on reality. None of these conditions fit the symptoms described in the scenario.

Question 2

Anxiety disorders tend to ________.

Accepted Answer

Anxiety disorders have been found to have a genetic component and often run in families.

Question 3

An anxiety disorder characterized by prolonged vague, but intense, fears that are not attached to any particular object or circumstance is ________ disorder.

Accepted Answer

The description given in the question corresponds to generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), which is characterized by excessive and uncontrollable worry and anxiety about a variety of events and activities. Specific phobia is the fear of a particular object or situation, obsessive-compulsive disorder involves repetitive behaviors or thoughts, and panic disorder involves sudden and unexpected panic attacks.

Question 4

Whenever Nancy finds herself in an anxiety-evoking situation, she calms herself by engaging in elaborate superstitious behaviors that have no logical purpose. Nancy's behavior is typical of a(n) ________ disorder.

Accepted Answer

Nancy's behavior of engaging in elaborate superstitious behaviors to calm herself is a common symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This disorder is characterized by the presence of recurrent, unwanted, and intrusive thoughts, as well as repetitive behaviors or mental acts that a person feels compelled to perform in order to reduce anxiety or prevent something bad from happening. Nancy's superstitious behaviors have no logic or purpose, which is a hallmark of OCD.

Question 5

George worries about keeping his house secure while he is away. In fact, he worries so much that he's never sure whether he has locked his doors and windows so he has to go back and thoroughly check them or he is overwhelmed with anxiety. In addition, George is not satisfied checking the doors and windows just once. At last count, George had to complete his ritual check of the doors and windows exactly 37 times in a row to avoid a panic attack when he drives away. George's behavior is typical of a(n) ________.

Accepted Answer

George's behavior is typical of a compulsion, which is a repetitive behavior or mental act performed in response to an obsession to reduce anxiety or prevent harm. George's obsession is with the security of his house, and his compulsion is to check the doors and windows repeatedly.

Question 6

Most psychoanalytic theorists believe that anxiety disorders are the result of ________.

Accepted Answer

Psychoanalytic theorists believe that anxiety disorders are caused by unconscious conflict within an individual's mind. These conflicts involve repressed thoughts and feelings, unresolved childhood experiences, and other unconscious processes that manifest as anxiety symptoms.

Question 7

A severe anxiety reaction that takes place immediately, or very soon, after an extremely stressful event is known as ________ disorder.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A severe anxiety reaction that takes place...

Question 8

A young boy is attacked by a large dog. He is now terribly afraid of all large dogs. His phobia of dogs is best explained by ________ theory.

Accepted Answer

The learning theory proposes that phobias are developed through classical conditioning, where the fear response is learned through association with a negative experience or stimuli. In this case, the young boy developed a phobia of all large dogs after being attacked by one, demonstrating classical conditioning.

Question 9

An anxiety disorder in which a person feels driven to think disturbing thoughts and/or to perform senseless rituals is ________ disorder.

Accepted Answer

This statement describes the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder, in which individuals experience persistent, intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and/or engage in repetitive, ritualistic behaviors (compulsions) to try to alleviate anxiety.

Question 10

As George is driving to work one day, he finds himself singing the jingle from a radio commercial he heard the night before. For the remainder of the day, the jingle keeps "popping" back into his mind and he cannot seem to stop remembering it, no matter what he does. Technically, George is experiencing a(n) ________.

Accepted Answer

George is experiencing an obsession, which is a persistent, intrusive thought or idea that cannot be controlled or stopped. It is common for people to experience obsessions related to music or other catchy phrases that get stuck in their head.

Question 11

Jeanine does not like dirt or germs. In fact, she dislikes them so much that she washes her hands 200 to 300 times a day to make sure she does not get "infected." She has even developed a little ritual she performs each time she washes her hands to make sure she gets them thoroughly clean. She is driven to perform this hand-washing ritual after touching anything in her house, or she suffers overwhelming anxiety. Jeanine's behavior is typical of a(n) ________.

Accepted Answer

Jeanine's behavior is a compulsive behavior, as she feels driven to perform the hand-washing ritual to relieve her anxiety. This behavior is not a delusion (a false belief) or a hallucination (a false perception). It is an obsessive behavior, but the key aspect is the compulsion to perform the hand-washing ritual.

Question 12

Leo is unable to relax. He feels constantly "keyed up" and restless. His muscles are chronically tense, he is hypervigilant and apprehensive about the future, he often feels his heart pounding and he has trouble sleeping. His symptoms sound most like ________ disorder.

Accepted Answer

The symptoms described suggest generalized anxiety disorder, which is characterized by chronic or exaggerated worry and tension about everyday events and activities. Symptoms often include muscle tension and restlessness, hypervigilance, difficulty sleeping, and physical symptoms such as rapid heart rate. Panic disorder involves sudden and intense attacks of fear or discomfort, while conversion disorder involves physical symptoms without apparent medical cause. Dissociative identity disorder is characterized by the presence of two or more distinct personality states.

Question 13

George is suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder. If he tries to stop his obsessive thoughts or compulsive behaviors he is likely to experience ________.

Accepted Answer

People with obsessive-compulsive disorder often experience intense anxiety and distress when they try to resist or suppress their obsessive thoughts or compulsive behaviors. This can make it difficult for them to resist the urge to engage in these behaviors, as they often feel that doing so is the only way to alleviate their anxiety.

Question 14

An anxiety disorder in which a person becomes so preoccupied with his or her imagined ugliness that normal life is impossible is called ________ disorder.

Accepted Answer

The given description refers to body dysmorphic disorder, which is characterized by obsessive thoughts about perceived flaws in one's physical appearance, leading to significant distress and impairment in functioning. Somatization and psychosomatic disorders involve physical symptoms with no clear underlying medical cause, while a conversion disorder involves the manifestation of physical symptoms that cannot be explained by a medical condition but are instead linked to psychological factors such as stress or trauma.

Question 15

Feeling fearful but not knowing why is characteristic of ________.

Accepted Answer

Generalized anxiety disorders are characterized by excessive worry and fear about a range of situations or events, often without any specific cause or trigger. This can lead to a sense of constant anxiety and apprehension, possibly causing an individual to feel fearful without knowing exactly why. Dissociative neurosis refers to a disconnection from reality, while specific phobia describes fear and avoidance of a particular object or situation, and amnesia is a memory impairment.

Question 16

Yolanda is in love. Every waking moment she finds herself thinking of her beloved one, whether she wants to or not. She cannot keep her mind on anything else; her thoughts keep returning to visions of her newfound love and fantasies of their future together. Technically, Yolanda is suffering from a(n) ________.

Accepted Answer

Yolanda is experiencing obsessive thoughts about her new love. This is different from a compulsion, which is a repetitive behavior or action, and a delusion, which is a belief in something that is not based in reality. Affective disorders refer to mood disorders, which do not necessarily fit Yolanda's situation.

Question 17

A severe anxiety reaction that takes place long after an extremely stressful event is most likely to be ________ disorder.

Accepted Answer

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a condition that can develop after someone experiences or witnesses a traumatic or life-threatening event such as combat, natural disaster, or assault. The anxiety symptoms of PTSD can occur long after the initial event, sometimes months or years later. Specific panic disorder is characterized by recurrent panic attacks, while acute stress disorder is a short-term reaction to a traumatic event. Generalized anxiety disorder is characterized by excessive and persistent worry about everyday life events.

Question 18

Involuntary ideas that keep recurring despite the person's efforts to stop them are called ________.

Accepted Answer

Involuntary ideas that keep recurring despite the person's efforts to stop them are called obsessions.

Question 19

________ disorder comes closest to the everyday meaning attached to the word "neurotic."

Accepted Answer

Generalized anxiety disorder is characterized by excessive and persistent worry or anxiety about everyday things, events, or situations. This excessive worry is often difficult to control and interferes with daily activities, causing significant distress and impairment in social, occupational, or other areas of functioning. This aligns with the everyday understanding of neuroticism as being excessively anxious or worried.

Question 20

A repetitive, ritualistic behavior that a person feels driven to perform is called a(n) ________.

Accepted Answer

A compulsion is a repetitive, ritualistic behavior that a person feels driven to perform. This behavior is often done in response to an obsession, which is a persistent and intrusive thought or urge. An impulse is a sudden urge or desire to act, but it is not necessarily repetitive or ritualistic. A delusion is a false belief held even in the face of contrary evidence, and it is not necessarily related to repetitive behavior.

Quiz 13: Psychological Disorders