Question 1

In their cognitive model of health anxiety, Salkovskis and Warwick maintain that health anxiety levels vary as a function of:

Accepted Answer

Salkovskis and Warwick's cognitive model of health anxiety suggests that anxiety levels are influenced by the perceived cost and "awfulness" of an illness, which affects how threatening the illness is perceived to be.

Question 2

Contemporary researchers focus on ________ rather than hypochondriasis per se.

Accepted Answer

Contemporary researchers have shifted from focusing on hypochondriasis to health anxiety, which is a broader term that encompasses a range of illness-related fears and behaviors. Health anxiety includes concerns about one's own health as well as worries about the health of others. Researchers are interested in understanding the underlying cognitive and emotional processes involved in health anxiety, as well as the ways in which people cope with these concerns.

Question 3

Health anxiety has been linked with the personality trait of:

Accepted Answer

Health anxiety is highly associated with neuroticism, which is a personality trait characterized by anxiety, worry, moodiness, and stress proneness. Individuals who are highly neurotic tend to focus on negative emotions and experiences, which can manifest in excessive worry or preoccupation with health concerns. Conscientiousness, psychoticism, and dependency are not closely linked to health anxiety.

Question 4

Psychoanalytic therapy tends to be the treatment of choice for dissociative disorder.

Accepted Answer

Psychoanalytic therapy is often recommended for dissociative disorders as it can help patients explore and process past traumatic experiences that may be contributing to their dissociation.

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT a factor of the Illness Attitudes Scale?

Accepted Answer

The Illness Attitudes Scale measures concerns related to health, such as worry about illness, disease conviction, and health habits, but does not directly assess coping style.

Question 6

Canadian researchers Taylor et al. (2006)conducted a twin study on the heritability of hypochondriasis (also called health anxiety). After controlling for medical morbidity, they found that health anxiety:

Accepted Answer

The answer of Canadian researchers Taylor et al. (2006)conducted a...

Question 7

Julie experienced inexplicable blindness. She visited several ophthalmologists, all of whom indicated there was no physical basis for her blindness. She most likely has:

Accepted Answer

The symptom of blindness with no physical basis suggests a conversion disorder, which is a condition in which a person experiences physical symptoms that have no underlying medical explanation. Conversion disorder is thought to be a result of psychological stress, and the symptoms often serve as a way for the person to express psychological distress.

Question 8

Hypnosis is not recommended for treatment of dissociative identity disorder.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Hypnosis is not recommended for treatment of...

Question 9

Somatoform disorders all involve:

Accepted Answer

Somatoform disorders are characterized by physical symptoms that are not fully explainable by medical conditions or substances. These physical symptoms can cause significant distress and impairment in daily functioning. Dysphoric mood, disruptions of consciousness, and hallucinations are not necessarily associated with somatoform disorders.

Question 10

Clinical case reports of five pre-teen Amish girls described common symptoms of motor deficits and severe weight loss. Organic and environmental factors were ruled out. The likely diagnosis was:

Accepted Answer

The answer of Clinical case reports of five pre-teen Amish...

Question 11

Hypochondriasis is defined as:

Accepted Answer

Hypochondriasis is a psychological disorder characterized by excessive worry or fear about having a serious illness despite having no or mild symptoms of the illness. Therefore, the fear of having an illness (choice D) is the most accurate answer.

Question 12

The somatoform and dissociative disorders are thought to be rooted in:

Accepted Answer

Somatoform and dissociative disorders are primarily linked to anxiety. These disorders often arise as a psychological way to deal with overwhelming anxiety, where the mind either manifests physical symptoms without a medical cause (somatoform disorders) or dissociates, which means detaching from reality in some way (dissociative disorders), as a defense mechanism against stress and anxiety.

Question 13

Because somatization, hypochondriasis, pain disorder, and undifferentiated somatoform disorder share features of cognitive distortions and somatic symptoms, they are listed in DSM-5 as:

Accepted Answer

DSM-5 includes a category called "somatic symptom disorders" that includes somatization disorder, hypochondriasis, pain disorder, and undifferentiated somatoform disorder. This is because these disorders share similar features such as cognitive distortions and somatic symptoms. The purpose of grouping them together is to improve diagnosis and treatment of these difficult-to-manage conditions.

Question 14

In DSM-5, somatoform disorder is referred to as:

Accepted Answer

In DSM-5, somatoform disorder is now referred to as somatic symptom disorder, which is characterized by excessive or disproportionate thoughts, feelings, and behaviors related to somatic symptoms.

Question 15

Somatoform and dissociative disorders are similar in that both:

Accepted Answer

Both somatoform and dissociative disorders often begin after a stressful experience, as stress can trigger or exacerbate these conditions.

Question 16

The somatoform and dissociative disorders:

Accepted Answer

The somatoform and dissociative disorders were previously listed as neuroses in early editions of the DSM.

Question 17

Group outbreaks of symptoms of conversion disorder, sometimes called "mass hysteria," are thought to be due to:

Accepted Answer

Group outbreaks of symptoms of conversion disorder, or "mass hysteria," are thought to be due to prolonged exposure to stress. This stress can be caused by a variety of factors, including social or cultural pressures, trauma, or anxiety-provoking events.

Question 18

Which of the following best illustrates hypochondriasis?

Accepted Answer

Hypochondriasis is a condition characterized by persistent unsubstantiated fear of having a serious illness, even in the absence of any medical evidence. A person with hypochondriasis may repeatedly seek reassurance from doctors, undergo unnecessary medical testing, and become preoccupied with bodily sensations.

Question 19

In the case study of hypochondriasis involving James V., Mr. V. scratched himself tenaciously because he was convinced that:

Accepted Answer

The answer of In the case study of hypochondriasis involving...

Question 20

Which of the following statements about Salkovskis and Warwick's cognitive model of anxiety is not true?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following statements about Salkovskis...

Quiz 7: Somatic Symptom Disorders and Dissociative Disorders