Question 1

A schizophrenic symptom is called a positive symptom if it __________.

Accepted Answer

Positive symptoms are behaviors or experiences that are not typically present in people without schizophrenia. Examples include hallucinations, delusions, and disordered thinking.

Question 2

Now that Sheila has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, the cognitive symptoms she is likely to experience include impairments in __________.

Accepted Answer

Impairments in the ability to ignore irrelevant ideas, selective attention to external stimuli, and the capacity to maintain a unified purpose or theme are all commonly experienced cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia.

Question 3

Mark often exhibits bizarre behavior: he talks in a strange language that only he can understand, he goes up to total strangers and smiles and laughs loudly at them, and sometimes he does not bathe for weeks. What subcategory of schizophrenia does Mark best fit into?

Accepted Answer

Mark's behavior is disorganized, as he exhibits bizarre and inappropriate behavior, disorganized speech, and poor personal hygiene.

Question 4

A sensory experience that is not based on actual external stimuli is called a(n) __________.

Accepted Answer

A hallucination is a sensory experience that is not based on actual external stimuli. A delusion is a false belief, and an illusion is a misinterpretation of actual external stimuli. Therefore, choice C is the best answer.

Question 5

Gregory has been recently diagnosed with schizophrenia. His primary symptoms include emotional blunting, apathy, lack of speech, and the inability to experience pleasure. These symptoms are considered __________.

Accepted Answer

These symptoms are negative symptoms of schizophrenia, which involve a decrease or absence of normal behaviors and emotions. Positive symptoms, on the other hand, involve the presence of abnormal behaviors or experiences, such as hallucinations and delusions. These symptoms are relatively common in schizophrenics and are not necessarily characteristic of those suffering from paranoia.

Question 6

Which of the following statements is true?

Accepted Answer

All three statements are true. Schizophrenia does tend to begin earlier in men than in women, with onset typically in late adolescence to early 20s for men and late 20s to early 30s for women. The rates of schizophrenia do vary by region and nation, and men often experience more severe symptoms and a worse prognosis than women.

Question 7

Which of the following could best be classified as a negative symptom of schizophrenia?

Accepted Answer

A flat affect, or lack of emotional expression, is a negative symptom of schizophrenia. Hallucinations and delusions are positive symptoms, and disorganized behavior can be either positive or negative.

Question 8

The most common mode of hallucination is __________.

Accepted Answer

Auditory hallucinations are the most common type of hallucination, especially in psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia. They often involve hearing voices that are not present.

Question 9

Which of the following is not one of the negative symptoms of schizophrenia?

Accepted Answer

Hallucinations are a positive symptom of schizophrenia, which means they involve the presence of something that should not be there (e.g. hearing voices or seeing things that aren't real). The other three options - emotional blunting, poverty of speech, and apathy - are negative symptoms, which involve the absence of something that should be there (e.g. lack of emotional expression, reduced speech output, or decreased motivation/interest in activities).

Question 10

Stacy, who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, sits frozen in particular postures for hours. During these periods she does not speak and appears to be in a stupor. This subtype of schizophrenia is referred to as __________.

Accepted Answer

The symptoms described in the question, including remaining frozen in postures for hours and appearing in a stupor, fit the criteria for catatonic subtype schizophrenia.

Question 11

A patient believes that TV newscasters are speaking exclusively to him and that if he does not watch at the correct time, the news will not air. This patient is experiencing __________.

Accepted Answer

The patient is experiencing delusions of reference, which involves thinking that everyday events or occurrences have special meaning directed at oneself. The belief that the news will not air if not watched at a specific time would fall under this category.

Question 12

Henry strongly believes that the television commercials he watches contain a coded message especially for him. This would be an example of a(n) __________.

Accepted Answer

Henry's belief that the TV commercials are specifically targeting him is a delusion of reference, which is a false belief that ordinary events or stimuli have a particular and unusual significance to the individual.

Question 13

__________ are misinterpretations of real events, whereas __________ are experiences with no real basis in external sensory stimulation.

Accepted Answer

Delusions are misinterpretations of real events, whereas hallucinations are experiences with no real basis in external sensory stimulation. Disturbances of thought (such as disorganized thinking or tangential speech) and ideas of reference (believing that random events or occurrences have personal significance or meaning) are other common symptoms of psychotic disorders, but they are not the focus of the question.

Question 14

The emotional reactions of schizophrenic patients are often found to be __________.

Accepted Answer

Schizophrenic patients often exhibit blunted affect, meaning their emotional expressions are minimal, and they can also display inappropriate affect, where their emotions do not match the context or situation. Therefore, both options b and c are correct. Schizophrenic patients are not typically found to be happier than normal (option A).

Question 15

Which of the following is not one of the positive symptoms of schizophrenia?

Accepted Answer

Emotional blunting is actually a negative symptom of schizophrenia, characterized by a lack of emotional expression and reduced ability to experience emotions. Hallucinations, delusions, and bizarre behaviors are all positive symptoms, which involve the presence of distorted or added experiences or behaviors.

Question 16

The Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler coined the term "schizophrenia" to capture the essence of a disorder involving __________.

Accepted Answer

Eugen Bleuler's term "schizophrenia" comes from the Greek words "schizo" meaning split and "phrenia" meaning mind. He used this term to describe a disorder characterized by a disintegration of mental functions, including thought, communication, and behavior. It is not related to multiple personalities or a division between good and bad selves, and while changes in behavior may occur, they are not the primary feature of the disorder.

Question 17

As Robert has started developing the symptoms of schizophrenia, he has also been having considerable difficulty focusing his attention on remembering things that he needs to do. These deficits would be best described as __________.

Accepted Answer

The deficits that Robert is experiencing, including difficulty focusing attention and remembering things, are characteristic of cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia. The other options are not appropriate as positive symptoms are characterized as excess or distortion of normal behavior, negative symptoms refer to a lack of typical behavior, and psychotic symptoms are related to delusions and hallucinations.

Question 18

Donald's parents and two brothers have been diagnosed with schizophrenia, and so he is at elevated risk for this diagnosis himself. If he develops schizophrenia, at what age range would he likely be diagnosed? When is schizophrenia typically diagnosed?

Accepted Answer

Schizophrenia is typically diagnosed in the late teens and early 20s, although it can occur in individuals as young as 12 and as old as their 40s or 50s. However, given Donald's elevated risk and family history, he may be diagnosed earlier than someone without those risk factors.

Question 19

Now that Maureen has been diagnosed with __________, she will likely have episodes in which she remains virtually motionless for long periods of time.

Accepted Answer

Catatonic schizophrenia is characterized by periods of immobility and unresponsiveness.

Question 20

Sam hears the voice of Satan telling him what to do. This symptom of schizophrenia is called a __________.

Accepted Answer

A hallucination is a sensory experience (such as seeing, hearing, or feeling something) that seems real but does not actually exist outside of the mind. In this case, Sam is hearing the voice of Satan, which is not based in reality. A delusion, on the other hand, is a false belief that persists despite evidence to the contrary. A schizoid break and disturbance of attention are not specific symptoms of schizophrenia, and negative symptoms refer to a reduction or loss of normal abilities or behaviors, such as lack of emotional expression or motivation.

Quiz 16: Psychopathology