Question 1

Oscar was recently taken into custody in Idaho when he was found wandering the streets with no identification. When the police questioned him, Oscar had no idea who he was or where he lived. A check of missing persons showed that he had been missing from his home in Tennessee for the past 10 days. In this case, it is most likely that Oscar would be classified as having

Accepted Answer

Oscar's lack of knowledge about his own identity and past, as well as his wandering behavior, are consistent with symptoms of dissociative fugue.

Question 2

Simon recently walked into a hospital emergency room in Florida. He had no identification, and although he didn't appear to be hurt in anyway, he had no idea who he was or where he lived. A check of missing person reports showed that Simon had walked away from his home in Brooklyn ten days earlier. In this case, Simon's symptoms are MOST consistent with

Accepted Answer

Simon’s symptoms of traveling away from home and being unable to recall his identity are characteristic of dissociative fugue, a subtype of dissociative amnesia.

Question 3

Frank witnessed a horrible car accident but cannot remember anything about it. Frank appears to have

Accepted Answer

Dissociative amnesia is a condition where a person is unable to recall important personal information, often related to a traumatic experience, and is not caused by a physical injury or other medical condition. In this case, Frank cannot remember anything about a traumatic event, which suggests dissociative amnesia.

Question 4

Which of the following statements is NOT correct? The separate personalities that coexist in an individual with dissociative identity disorder

Accepted Answer

Individuals with dissociative identity disorder may not always be aware of the other personalities that coexist within them, and may experience amnesia for periods of time when a different personality is in control.

Question 5

The class of disorders in which people lose contact with portions of their consciousness or memory resulting in disruptions in their sense of identity is known as the

Accepted Answer

The class of disorders described matches the symptoms and diagnostic criteria of dissociative disorders.

Question 6

The class of psychological disorders characterized by people losing contact with portions of their consciousness or memory, which results in disruption in their sense of identity is

Accepted Answer

Dissociative disorders are characterized by the disruption of a person's conscious awareness and sense of identity. This can manifest in different ways, such as dissociative amnesia, dissociative identity disorder (formerly known as multiple personality disorder), and depersonalization/derealization disorder. Schizophrenic disorders are characterized by symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations, while somatoform disorders involve physical symptoms without a clear medical explanation. Mood disorders involve disturbances in a person's emotional state, such as depression or bipolar disorder.

Question 7

A "John Doe" walked into the police station and reported that he had an unusual problem. He could not remember anything about himself, not where he lived or worked or even his name. The police took him to the local hospital where he was evaluated and found to have no physical injuries. "John Doe's" symptoms are MOST consistent with

Accepted Answer

The answer of A "John Doe" walked into the police...

Question 8

Alexia started a new job on Monday morning. For the first three days she showed up in bright colors and was outgoing and extroverted. However, on Thursday she showed up in a dark suit and appeared shy and introverted. She insisted that her name was Clara, and she couldn't understand why her coworkers kept calling her Alexia. In this example, Alexia is showing symptoms that are consistent with

Accepted Answer

Alexia (now Clara) is exhibiting symptoms of dissociative identity disorder (DID), which was previously known as multiple personality disorder. DID involves a disturbance of identity where a person experiences two or more distinct personality states that may alternate in controlling their behavior. This can cause memory gaps, changes in behavior or appearance, and confusion about one's identity. The shift from Alexia to Clara and differences in behavior and appearance are consistent with DID symptoms.

Question 9

Psychogenic amnesia and fugue MOST likely result from

Accepted Answer

Psychogenic amnesia and fugue are typically caused by extreme psychological stress or trauma. There is no evidence of a specific neurotransmitter imbalance or neurotic personality predisposition. While childhood trauma may contribute to the development of psychological disorders, it is not the only cause of psychogenic amnesia and fugue.

Question 10

If your careless smoking caused your family's home to burn down, you would be MOST likely to develop which of the following psychological disorders?

Accepted Answer

The answer of If your careless smoking caused your family's...

Question 11

While a person with a dissociative ____ escapes from a stressful situation by blocking the memory out of awareness; a person with dissociative ____ combines this blocking behavior with the act of leaving the environment.

Accepted Answer

The two types of dissociative disorders mentioned in the question are dissociative amnesia and dissociative fugue. The first part of the sentence describes dissociative amnesia, where a person blocks out a memory from awareness. The second part of the sentence describes dissociative fugue, where a person not only blocks out a memory but also physically leaves the stressful environment. Therefore, the best choice is D, which includes both dissociative amnesia and dissociative fugue.

Question 12

The name for the dissociative disorder that involves the coexistence in one person of two or more largely complete, and usually very different, personalities is

Accepted Answer

Dissociative Identity Disorder, previously known as Multiple Personality Disorder, is characterized by the presence of two or more distinct personality states that recurrently take control of the individual's behavior.

Question 13

Rescue workers found Zita sitting in basement rubble after a tornado destroyed her home. Even though she doesn't appear to have suffered any physical injuries, Zita is unable to remember who she is, or anything about her personal life. In this case, it is likely that Zita would be classified as having

Accepted Answer

Zita's symptoms of memory loss about her personal identity and life, without physical injury, align with dissociative amnesia, which involves an inability to recall important personal information, usually after a traumatic event.

Question 14

Carlos recently lost his house and three members of his family in a tragic fire. He is unable to remember any of the events that occurred in the hours just before the fire. He is also unable to remember anything about the actual fire, even though he went into the house three times during the fire, attempting to rescue his wife and children. In this case, it is likely that Carlos would be classified as having

Accepted Answer

Carlos is experiencing dissociative amnesia, which is characterized by inability to recall information about a traumatic or stressful event. His inability to remember the events before and during the fire, despite actively participating in them, suggests dissociative amnesia. Panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder are anxiety disorders and do not fit the symptoms described. Dissociative fugue involves sudden travel or confusion about personal identity, which is not mentioned in the scenario.

Question 15

Chantel's four children were killed in an automobile accident, which Chantel survived. When police question her about the events surrounding the accident, Chantel is unable to remember anything. She remembers getting into her car to drive her children to school, and she remembers her trip by ambulance to the local hospital, but everything in between is a complete "blank." In this case, Chantel's symptoms are most consistent with

Accepted Answer

Chantel's inability to remember the events surrounding the accident is most consistent with dissociative amnesia, which is characterized by the inability to recall important personal information, usually triggered by a traumatic or stressful event. There is no evidence of a fugue state or panic disorder, and the limited information provided does not suggest generalized anxiety disorder.

Question 16

A woman subjected to horrible abuse from her husband suddenly loses her memory for her self, husband, and place of employment and begins a new life, with a new identity in another state. This is MOST likely a case of

Accepted Answer

The answer of A woman subjected to horrible abuse from...

Question 17

A type of dissociative disorder characterized by sudden loss of memory concerning a limited period of time, usually after a particularly stressful or traumatic event, is

Accepted Answer

Dissociative amnesia is the type of dissociative disorder characterized by sudden loss of memory concerning a limited period of time, usually after a particularly stressful or traumatic event. Dissociative fugue, on the other hand, involves sudden travel away from home or one's familiar surroundings, accompanied by amnesia for their past and confusion about their identity. Dissociative identity disorder involves the presence of two or more distinct personality states, whereas dissociative depressive disorder is not a recognized diagnosis in the DSM-5.

Question 18

The psychological disorder that involves the coexistence in one person of two or more largely complete, and usually very different, personalities is

Accepted Answer

The disorder that involves the coexistence of two or more largely complete and different personalities in one person is dissociative identity disorder, also known as multiple personality disorder. Schizophrenic disorder involves a range of symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized thinking. Dissociative fugue involves sudden and unexpected travel away from home and difficulty remembering personal identity. Dissociative amnesia involves the inability to remember important personal information.

Question 19

Which of the following statements is least accurate concerning dissociative identity disorder?

Accepted Answer

The statement "The separate personalities are usually aware of one another" is the least accurate option. In fact, one of the main features of dissociative identity disorder is the lack of awareness and communication between separate identities. Each identity tends to have its own memories, behaviors, and experiences, and they may not know about the existence of other identities. This lack of communication can cause significant distress, confusion, and impairment in daily functioning.

Question 20

Most authentic cases of multiple-personality disorder have in common a background of

Accepted Answer

The most authentic cases of multiple-personality disorder have been linked to a traumatic childhood characterized by physical, emotional, or sexual abuse. This trauma can lead to a dissociative coping mechanism in which the individual creates separate identities or personalities to deal with the pain and trauma. Overprotective parents, distorted communication patterns in the family, and reinforcement for "crazy" behavior are not the primary contributing factors to the development of multiple-personality disorder.

Quiz 27: Psychological Disorders Part 1