Question 1

The term "schizophrenia" was coined by:

Accepted Answer

The term "schizophrenia" was coined by Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler in 1910 to describe a group of symptoms and behaviors that seemed to be related and occur together in certain patients with mental illness. Kraepelin did important work on classifying mental illness, but did not coin the term "schizophrenia." Freud is known for his work on psychoanalysis, and Binswanger was a contemporary of Bleuler's who also contributed to the understanding of schizophrenia.

Question 2

Eugen Bleuler considered an essential core sign of schizophrenia to be:

Accepted Answer

Eugen Bleuler considered breaking of associative threads, also known as loosening of associations, to be an essential core sign of schizophrenia. This refers to a disturbance in the thought processes where individuals may have difficulty linking or connecting their thoughts coherently, leading to disorganized and sometimes nonsensical speech. Dementia, paranoia, and split personality are not considered core signs of schizophrenia according to Bleuler's criteria.

Question 3

The breakdown of associative threads, according to Bleuler, would be evidenced by which of the following examples?

Accepted Answer

The breakdown of associative threads could manifest as an inability to maintain a train of thought (A), struggling to maintain attention (B), or difficulty putting thoughts into words (C). Therefore, all of the above choices illustrate a breakdown of associative threads.

Question 4

Which of the following is a reason for historically high prevalence rates of schizophrenia in the U.S.?

Accepted Answer

Historically, doctors were more likely to diagnose schizophrenia whenever hallucinations or delusions were present, leading to higher prevalence rates of the disorder in the U.S. This was not necessarily because doctors got paid more for diagnosing schizophrenia, although it may have been easier to hospitalize patients with that diagnosis.

Question 5

Quentin was recently fired from his job at a psychiatric hospital because he was found moving patients' arms and legs into odd postures and then taking bets from other staff as to how long they would hold the positions. Quentin was exploiting which aspect of schizophrenia?

Accepted Answer

Waxy flexibility is a symptom of schizophrenia characterized by the patient's body parts being easily manipulated and posed in positions they maintain for extended periods, as if their limbs were made of wax. Quentin's actions with the patients suggest he was taking advantage of this symptom for personal gain.

Question 6

The "dementia" in the term "dementia praecox" refers to

Accepted Answer

The term "dementia" in "dementia praecox" refers to progressive intellectual deterioration, as seen in the condition now known as schizophrenia. It does not necessarily refer to memory impairments or thought disorder, which are also symptoms of schizophrenia but not necessarily indicative of "dementia." AIDS-related cognitive changes are a different condition altogether.

Question 7

Mr. Hart spends long hours sitting in a chair with his arms behind his back and his left leg tucked under. No matter what is going on around him, he remains in this position. This is an example of which symptom of schizophrenia?

Accepted Answer

This is an example of catatonic immobility, which is a type of negative symptom of schizophrenia characterized by prolonged periods of inactivity and unresponsiveness to external stimuli. Waxy flexibility, another symptom of schizophrenia, refers to the tendency to maintain a certain, often bizarre, posture or position even when it is uncomfortable or strenuous to do so. Somatic passivity and inappropriate affect are not related to this scenario.

Question 8

According to some authors, the utility of distinguishing between positive and negative symptoms in schizophrenia is questioned because:

Accepted Answer

Some authors argue that positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia coexist within the same patient and may change over time, making it difficult to distinguish them as separate categories. Therefore, the utility of this distinction is questioned.

Question 9

Central to Bleuler's conceptualization of schizophrenia was

Accepted Answer

Bleuler believed that the primary deficit in schizophrenia was a disturbance in associative threads, which led to disorganized and fragmented thought processes. He labeled this disturbance as "loosening of associations" and considered it a core feature of the disorder. While negative symptoms and intellectual decline are commonly associated with schizophrenia, they were not as central to Bleuler's conceptualization as disturbed associative threads. Multiple personalities, or dissociative identity disorder, is a separate disorder altogether and not related to Bleuler's work on schizophrenia.

Question 10

The word 'dementia' in 'dementia praecox' was used by Kraepelin to refer to:

Accepted Answer

Kraepelin used the word 'dementia' in 'dementia praecox' to refer to mental enfeeblement, which is one of the key symptoms of this disorder.

Question 11

When Marsha heard that her favourite cat had been hit by a car and killed, she giggled quietly. This is an example of

Accepted Answer

Inappropriate affect refers to displaying an emotional response that is not appropriate for the situation. Laughing quietly in response to the death of a beloved pet would be considered inappropriate.

Question 12

Liddle (2000) suggests that the strongest predictor of social disability in schizophrenia is:

Accepted Answer

The answer of Liddle (2000) suggests that the strongest predictor...

Question 13

Kraepelin labelled schizophrenia "dementia praecox" to reflect his view that the main characteristic of schizophrenia is

Accepted Answer

Kraepelin believed that schizophrenia was characterized by early onset and intellectual decline, which led him to label it "dementia praecox" (or early dementia).

Question 14

A recent review by Liddle indicated that the strongest predictor of schizophrenics' social disability was:

Accepted Answer

The review by Liddle found that chronic cognitive impairment was the strongest predictor of social disability in schizophrenics, making option C the best choice. Options A, B, and D may be risk factors, but they were not identified as the strongest predictor in this particular study.

Question 15

In the first study of its kind, Canadian researcher Woogh (2001) did a case registry analysis of patients with schizophrenia and found that in-patient prevalence rates _________ while outpatient rates _________ between 1986 and 1996.

Accepted Answer

Inpatient prevalence rates substantially decreased while outpatient rates remained the same between 1986 and 1996.

Question 16

A review by Liddle (2000) found that the strongest predictor of inappropriate affect in schizophrenic patients is:

Accepted Answer

Chronic cognitive impairment is the strongest predictor of inappropriate affect in schizophrenic patients, as it directly impacts the brain's ability to process and respond to emotional stimuli appropriately.

Question 17

Dementia praecox is the early term for

Accepted Answer

Dementia praecox was a term used to describe what is now known as schizophrenia. It was used in the early 20th century to refer to a group of symptoms of psychosis that occurred in young adults. Today, the diagnosis of schizophrenia is based on a set of criteria that include positive symptoms (such as delusions and hallucinations) and negative symptoms (such as social withdrawal and lack of emotion).

Question 18

Emil Kraepelin differentiated the following two major groups of endogenous psychoses:

Accepted Answer

Emil Kraepelin differentiated the major groups of endogenous psychoses as dementia praecox and manic-depressive illness.

Question 19

A case registry analysis of data from Kingston, Ontario indicates that the prevalence rate of schizophrenia between 1986 and 1996 has:

Accepted Answer

The case registry analysis indicates that the prevalence rate of schizophrenia between 1986 and 1996 has substantially decreased.

Question 20

Recent research supports the notion that attentional difficulties are present in schizophrenia. Which of the following is an illustration of these findings?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Recent research supports the notion that attentional...

Quiz 11: Schizophrenia