Question 1

What is generally forgotten in dissociative amnesia?

Accepted Answer

Dissociative amnesia typically involves forgetting the stressful event itself, rather than what happens before or after it.

Question 2

The major difference between conversion disorders and somatoform pain disorders is that:

Accepted Answer

The main difference between conversion disorders and somatoform pain disorder is that somatoform pain disorders involve a specific and chronic pain, whereas conversion disorders involve other types of somatic symptoms. Conversion disorders often involve symptoms such as paralysis, blindness, or seizures, while somatoform pain disorders mainly involve physical complaints and persistent pain. Therefore, option A is incorrect. Both conditions can lead to depression or anxiety, and there is no evidence to suggest that one disorder is more likely to be associated with depression than the other, so option B is also incorrect. Finally, both conversion disorders and somatoform pain disorders are thought to be related to psychological factors, and there is no clear evidence that one is more related to relieving responsibility than the other, so option D is incorrect.

Question 3

What is generally forgotten in dissociative fugue?

Accepted Answer

In dissociative fugue, individuals typically forget everything before the stressful event that triggered the fugue, including the stressful event itself. This results in a loss of memory about their identity or past.

Question 4

The father of a colicky newborn woke up one morning to find that he could not hear.His hearing loss continued until the infant outgrew that colicky stage at around 4 months of age.This father appears to have developed:

Accepted Answer

This scenario is indicative of a conversion disorder, where psychological stress or conflict is converted into physical symptoms, in this case, hearing loss, without an underlying medical cause. The timing with the infant's colicky stage suggests a psychological trigger.

Question 5

Memory loss for all or part of a stressful event is called:

Accepted Answer

Dissociative amnesia is defined as the inability to recall important personal information, usually related to a traumatic or stressful event. This can be limited to a specific period of time or can include broader gaps in memory.

Question 6

Depersonalization is MOST like

Accepted Answer

Depersonalization is a state in which an individual feels detached from their own body or experiences a sense of unreality about their surroundings. This is similar to a state of altered consciousness, where an individual's perception of reality is distorted, making choice C the best answer. Schizotypal personality disorder is characterized by eccentric behavior, odd beliefs, and social awkwardness; severe mood disturbance is most often associated with mood disorders, such as major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder; and mild social phobia is a specific anxiety disorder that involves fear or avoidance of social situations, which is different from the experience of depersonalization.

Question 7

Last year,Diane's father died very unexpectedly.Family members will frequently bring up his funeral and the events that occurred in the weeks immediately after his death.Diane does not recall any of the events family members recall.Why?

Accepted Answer

Diane's inability to recall events related to her father's funeral suggests that she is suffering from dissociative amnesia, which is a type of memory loss often caused by trauma or severe stress. It can be temporary or long-term and selective (i.e., affecting specific memories) or generalized. In this case, Diane's memory loss seems to be selective and related to the events surrounding her father's death.

Question 8

In contrast to the other dissociative disorders,depersonalization:

Accepted Answer

Depersonalization is the most common dissociative disorder and is generally experienced as a temporary feeling of being detached from one's self or surroundings. It is not typically associated with more severe disturbances in identity (such as in dissociative identity disorder) or with "aimless wandering" (such as in dissociative fugue).

Question 9

The day before his tryouts for the National Baseball League,the star recruit developed paralysis in his right arm.Because no medical cause could be found for his condition,it is likely the recruit had developed:

Accepted Answer

A conversion disorder is a condition in which a person experiences paralysis, blindness, or other neurological symptoms that cannot be medically explained. In this case, the recruit's paralysis in his right arm could be attributed to a conversion disorder, as there is no medical cause for the condition.

Question 10

Ken seems to be constantly focused on his body,and his conversations are filled with concerns about aches and pains.Last month,he had a brief pain in his stomach and was convinced it was an ulcer.When he felt slightly dizzy a week ago,he went to the Internet and determined that he must be developing Meneire's disease.Yesterday,he noticed his urine was slightly dark in color and became alarmed to the point that he insisted that his physician do a urinalysis to be sure his kidneys were functioning appropriately.Of the following,Ken is MOST likely to be diagnosed with:

Accepted Answer

Ken's preoccupation with physical symptoms and his tendency to jump to serious conclusions based on minor symptoms are indicative of hypochondriasis, also known as illness anxiety disorder. This disorder involves excessive worry and fear about having a serious illness despite reassurance from medical professionals.

Question 11

As Austin nears his final exams,he is experiencing a chronic and sharp pain in his chest.Although he visits his doctor,no medical cause can be found to explain Austin's pain.His instructors allow him to take his final exams during the following semester.Austin is MOST likely to be experiencing:

Accepted Answer

Austin's chronic and unexplained pain in the absence of any medical cause suggests a somatoform pain disorder. This disorder is characterized by the presence of physical pain or discomfort that cannot be explained medically or accounted for by a medical condition.

Question 12

Mary has been to 11 physicians in the last 2 years with a variety of serious concerns.She complains of severe PMS and excessive menstrual bleeding,debilitating migraines almost every day,blackouts several times a week,and continual numbness on the left side of her face.She has been unable to keep a job because her physical ailments prevent her from working most days of the week.Of the 11 physicians who have worked with her,none can find a cause for her chronic complaints.Of the following,Mary is MOST likely to be diagnosed with:

Accepted Answer

Mary's symptoms of severe PMS and excessive menstrual bleeding, debilitating migraines, blackouts, and continual numbness on the left side of her face are all physical symptoms with no identifiable medical cause. This suggests that Mary's symptoms may be psychosomatic and fall under the category of a somatoform disorder.

Question 13

Many people having near death experiences report "steeping out of their body and looking at it from the outside." This experience can best be classified as:

Accepted Answer

The experience of "stepping out of the body and looking at it from the outside" is a common symptom of depersonalization, which is a dissociative disorder characterized by a feeling of detachment from oneself or one's surroundings. It is not characteristic of fugue states, schizotypal behavior, or dissociative identity disorder.

Question 14

Dissociative amnesia is generally:

Accepted Answer

Dissociative amnesia is typically temporary and can last from hours to years, with most cases resolving within a few days or weeks.

Answer: B 
 There are medical conditions that can result in an amnesic episode, such as head injury, stroke, or brain tumors.

Answer: D 
 While depression can sometimes be associated with dissociative amnesia, it is not a defining feature of the disorder.

Therefore, the best choices are A and B.

Question 15

Which of the following statements about somatoform disorders is true?

Accepted Answer

Somatoform disorders involve individuals experiencing physical symptoms that are psychologically induced. While the symptoms are real and can be debilitating, they cannot be explained by any underlying medical condition or injury.

Question 16

Which of the following is the MOST likely explanation for why individuals develop conversion disorders?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following is the MOST...

Question 17

Which of the following is characterized by intensely and chronically uncomfortable conditions and is often associated with anxiety and depression?

Accepted Answer

Somatization disorder is characterized by multiple, chronic, and distressing physical symptoms that cannot be fully explained by a medical condition, often associated with anxiety and depression.

Question 18

As a group,the dissociative disorders are characterized by:

Accepted Answer

Dissociative disorders involve a disruption in normal cognitive and emotional functioning, leading to sudden alterations in memory, perception, or identity. They are not characterized by extreme mood fluctuations, physical symptoms with no physical cause, or progressive deterioration of cognitive and emotional functioning.

Question 19

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic typically associated with a conversion disorder?

Accepted Answer

Independence is not typically associated with the development of conversion disorder. In fact, it is often associated with individuals who are more dependent and have difficulty expressing their emotions. A, B, and D are commonly associated characteristics of conversion disorder.

Question 20

A difference between somatization disorder and hypochondriasis is that:

Accepted Answer

Somatization disorder and hypochondriasis are both somatic symptom disorders, but they have different symptoms. Somatization disorder involves multiple physical complaints that cannot be explained by medical conditions, while hypochondriasis involves excessive fear of having a serious illness despite reassurance from medical professionals. Hypochondriasis is not considered a milder form of somatization disorder.

Quiz 14: Abnormal Behavior