Question 1

A theorist who believes that psychological factors are the primary causes of abnormal functioning adheres to the _____ perspective.

Accepted Answer

The psychogenic perspective focuses on psychological factors (such as emotions, thoughts, behaviors, and traits) as the primary causes of abnormal functioning.

Question 2

Syphilis is to the somatogenic approach as _____ is to the psychogenic approach.

Accepted Answer

Hypnotism is related to the psychogenic approach as it involves psychological methods to address issues, contrasting with syphilis, which is a disease addressed by the somatogenic (physical/biological) approach.

Question 3

Friedrich Anton Mesmer became famous-or infamous-for his work with patients suffering from bodily problems with no physical basis. His patients' disorders are termed:

Accepted Answer

Mesmer's patients' disorders are termed "hysterical," which refers to physical symptoms that have no apparent physical cause, aligning with the historical context of Mesmer's work.

Question 4

Eugenics had as its goal sterilization of people with mental disorders, a policy based on the idea that mentally ill people:

Accepted Answer

Eugenics aimed to prevent people with mental disorders from passing on their genes, based on the belief that these genes were defective and should not be propagated.

Question 5

The discovery of the link between general paresis and syphilis was made by:

Accepted Answer

The answer of The discovery of the link between general...

Question 6

The fact that some people in the advanced stages of AIDS experience neurological damage that results in psychological abnormality supports which type of perspective about abnormal psychological functioning?

Accepted Answer

The somatogenic perspective suggests that abnormal psychological functioning has physical causes, such as brain damage or illness. The neurological damage experienced by people in advanced stages of AIDS leading to psychological abnormalities aligns with this perspective, as it points to a physical, or somatic, cause for the psychological issues.

Question 7

Physicians in the early to mid-1900s tried all of the following medical (biological) treatments for mental illness, EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

Electroconvulsive therapy was not used as a treatment for mental illness until the mid-20th century.

Question 8

For those who hold the somatogenic view of mental illness, the best treatment setting for those with mental disorders would be a:

Accepted Answer

The somatogenic view of mental illness posits that mental disorders have a physical, or somatic, cause. Therefore, a hospital, which is equipped to deal with physical health issues, would be considered the best treatment setting according to this perspective.

Question 9

The somatogenic treatment for mental illness that seems to have been MOST successful was the use of:

Accepted Answer

Various medications have been the most successful somatogenic treatment for mental illness, significantly improving the quality of life for many individuals with mental health issues. Medications can effectively manage symptoms of a wide range of mental illnesses, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.

Question 10

In what way did the experiments performed by Bernheim and Lièbault provide support for the psychogenic perspective of abnormality?

Accepted Answer

Bernheim and Lièbault's experiments with hypnosis demonstrated that psychological processes could induce symptoms like blindness in healthy individuals, supporting the idea that some mental disorders could have psychological rather than biological origins.

Question 11

Eugenics sterilization reflects the _____ perspective on abnormality.

Accepted Answer

Eugenics sterilization is associated with the somatogenic perspective, which focuses on biological and physical explanations for abnormal behavior, including genetic factors. Eugenics aimed to improve the genetic quality of the human population by sterilizing individuals deemed unfit, based on the belief that certain traits and disorders were hereditary.

Question 12

Hippocrates' model of mental illness can be described as:

Accepted Answer

Hippocrates' model of mental illness is described as somatogenic, meaning he believed that mental disorders had physical (somatic) causes. He is known for rejecting supernatural explanations for mental illness, instead suggesting that factors such as diet, imbalances in bodily fluids (humors), and other physical conditions could lead to mental health issues.

Question 13

Which perspective was supported by the discovery that the symptoms of hysteria (e.g., mysterious paralysis) could be induced by hypnosis?

Accepted Answer

The discovery that the symptoms of hysteria could be induced by hypnosis supported the psychogenic perspective, which suggests that mental disorders originate from psychological causes rather than physical (somatogenic) or other causes.

Question 14

Which statement LEAST supports the somatogenic view of abnormal behavior?

Accepted Answer

The somatogenic view of abnormal behavior suggests that mental disorders have a physical or biological cause. Hypnotism is a psychological technique, not a biological treatment, making it the least supportive of the somatogenic view.

Question 15

Which event in the 1950s led to improvements in biological treatments for mental disorders?

Accepted Answer

The discovery of psychotropic medications in the 1950s revolutionized the treatment of mental disorders by providing effective biological treatments for conditions such as depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder.

Question 16

An initial negative consequence of the somatogenic perspective on abnormality was that:

Accepted Answer

The answer of An initial negative consequence of the somatogenic...

Question 17

The finding that syphilis causes general paresis is important because it supports the idea that:

Accepted Answer

The discovery that syphilis, a bacterial infection, can lead to general paresis, a form of mental illness, underscores the role of organic (physical) factors in the development of some mental health conditions. This finding highlights the importance of considering biological bases in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses.

Question 18

An otherwise "normal" person under the influence of hypnotic suggestion is made to bark, sit, and fetch like a dog. The occurrence of these "abnormal" behaviors lends support to which explanation for abnormality?

Accepted Answer

Psychogenic explanations for abnormality suggest that psychological factors are the cause of abnormal behaviors. In this scenario, the hypnotic suggestion, a psychological intervention, leads to the person exhibiting behaviors that are not typical for them, supporting the psychogenic explanation.

Question 19

One factor that contributed to the decline of moral therapy was:

Accepted Answer

Moral therapy was not effective for all patients, and this contributed to its decline.

Question 20

In the first half of the 1900s, biological treatments for mental illness:

Accepted Answer

Biological treatments for mental illness largely failed in the first half of the 1900s, as they were often ineffective and sometimes harmful.

Quiz 1: Abnormal Psychology: Past and Present