Question 1

Depression has which of the following types of symptoms?

Accepted Answer

Depression can manifest in all of these symptoms including motivational, cognitive, and physical symptoms. Motivational symptoms include a lack of motivation, decreased interest, and a decrease in pleasure. Cognitive symptoms include negative thoughts or feelings, self-esteem issues, and difficulty focusing or making decisions. Physical symptoms include changes in appetite, sleep disturbances, and fatigue.

Question 2

While Alan is waiting in line for tickets to the show, the man behind him bumps into him. Even though the man apologizes, Alan becomes extremely upset and pushes him back. Alan is probably suffering from:

Accepted Answer

Alan's extreme reaction to being bumped suggests a hostile attributional bias, where he perceives the man's actions as intentionally hostile or disrespectful towards him, even though the man apologized. This bias can lead to increased aggression and hostility towards others, even in situations where no harm was intended.

Question 3

According to the age-crime curve, when does offending peak?

Accepted Answer

According to the age-crime curve, offending tends to peak during adolescence and then decline in young adulthood. This pattern is observed across various cultures and is thought to be influenced by factors such as increased peer influence, higher levels of sensation-seeking, and incomplete neurological development during adolescence.

Question 4

The biologically based psychological disorder characterized by impulsiveness, inattentiveness, restlessness, and inappropriately high levels of activity is called:

Accepted Answer

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a biologically based psychological disorder that is characterized by impulsiveness, inattentiveness, restlessness, and inappropriately high levels of activity. Schizophrenia is a different disorder involving hallucinations and delusions. "Nervosa" is not a specific disorder. Oppositional defiant disorder involves a persistent pattern of anger and defiance towards authority figures, but it does not necessarily involve impulsiveness or hyperactivity.

Question 5

Which of the following is a stable trait over childhood?

Accepted Answer

All of the mentioned traits—aggressiveness, impulsivity, and hyperactivity—are considered relatively stable over childhood according to developmental psychology research.

Question 6

One of the most consistent predictors of chronic delinquency (or being a life-course persistent offender) appears to be rooted in:

Accepted Answer

Numerous studies have found that children who are exposed to disorganized families with hostile, inept, or neglectful parenting are more likely to become chronic delinquents or life-course persistent offenders. These children often lack positive role models, have poor impulse control, and exhibit antisocial behavior from an early age. They are also more likely to become involved with delinquent peers and engage in delinquent behavior themselves, creating a cycle of chronic offending that persists well into adulthood.

Question 7

"Decreased enjoyment of pleasurable activities" and "low self-esteem" would be examples of what type of depressive symptoms?

Accepted Answer

These symptoms are emotional because they pertain to feelings, such as the decreased enjoyment of activities (anhedonia) and low self-esteem.

Question 8

When contrasting life-course-persistent offenders with adolescent-limited offenders, researchers agree that:

Accepted Answer

Researchers agree that both types of offenders have different causes and consequences. Life-course-persistent offenders display a pattern of antisocial behavior that begins in childhood and persists throughout adulthood, whereas adolescent-limited offenders engage in delinquent behavior only during adolescence and eventually desist. The distinction between the two types of offenders is important because they differ in their risk factors, trajectories, and intervention strategies.

Question 9

Which would be considered a cognitive symptom of depression?

Accepted Answer

Pessimism is a cognitive symptom of depression, as it involves negative thoughts and beliefs about oneself, the world, and the future. Dejection and fatigue are more related to emotional and physical symptoms, respectively. Apathy can also be a symptom of depression, but it is not specific to cognitive symptoms.

Question 10

Which of the following statements about suicide is false?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 11

Vince engaged in delinquency as a pre-adolescent and has continued to be in trouble with the law ever since. Now, as a young adult, Vince would most likely be characterized as a _____ offender.

Accepted Answer

Vince's history of delinquency starting from a young age and continuing into young adulthood suggests he fits the criteria for a life-course-persistent offender, which is characterized by a pattern of antisocial behavior that begins in childhood and continues through adulthood. This is in contrast to adolescent limited offenders, who engage in delinquent behavior during adolescence but generally desist from such behavior as they transition into adulthood. Additionally, while Vince's delinquency may be comorbid with other issues (such as substance abuse or mental health problems), these terms do not fully capture the persistent nature of his behavior. Externalizing behavior is a broader term that refers to a tendency to express negative emotions outwardly, but it is not specific to delinquency.

Question 12

One explanation for girls' greater susceptibility to internalizing problems, such as depression, emphasizes their greater orientation toward and sensitivity to interpersonal relationships. Specifically, gender differences in the level of the hormone ________ may play a role in making females both more invested in close relationships, and more vulnerable to adverse consequences of interpersonal problems.

Accepted Answer

Oxytocin is a hormone associated with social bonding and strong interpersonal relationships. Research has indicated that girls may have higher levels of oxytocin than boys, which may contribute to their greater investment in and sensitivity to relationships, as well as their increased vulnerability to negative outcomes when relationships are threatened or disrupted.

Question 13

At what point in history was violent crime among adolescents at its lowest level since 1980?

Accepted Answer

Violent crime among adolescents was at its lowest level since 1980 in 2009, following a general decline in crime rates from the mid-1990s onwards.

Question 14

The tendency to interpret ambiguous interactions with others as deliberately antagonistic is called:

Accepted Answer

Hostile attributional bias refers to the tendency to interpret ambiguous behavior from others as intentionally hostile or negative. This cognitive bias is often associated with aggression and hostile behavior towards others. A, B, and D are all unrelated conditions that do not involve this specific bias.

Question 15

Which of the following characteristics is not true for individuals high in callous-unemotional (CU) traits?

Accepted Answer

While individuals high in callous-unemotional (CU) traits are less likely to experience distress and empathize with others, and may show a blunted response to emotional and painful stimuli, it is not true that almost all adolescents who score high in CU traits are likely to be career criminals. While there is a higher likelihood of involvement in delinquent and antisocial behavior, not all individuals with CU traits go on to be career criminals.

Question 16

Which type of intervention has been effective for adolescent-limited offenders?

Accepted Answer

A combination of all of the above interventions have been found to be most effective for adolescent-limited offenders. Teaching them social skills such as resisting peer pressure and settling conflicts without aggression can help prevent delinquent behavior. Training parents to effectively monitor their children can also play an important role in preventing delinquency. Finally, making sure adolescents understand the serious consequences of their actions can help discourage delinquent behavior.

Question 17

According to self-report data, what explains why the male-to-female arrest ratio has decreased in recent years?

Accepted Answer

Girls are being arrested more frequently for behaviors that previously did not result in arrest, contributing to a decrease in the male-to-female arrest ratio.

Question 18

Some people who are delinquent as adolescents grow up to be law-abiding adults. What type of pattern is this?

Accepted Answer

The pattern described is that of the adolescent limited offender. This refers to individuals who engage in delinquent behavior during adolescence but stop as they transition into adulthood. This is in contrast to life-course persistent offenders who continue to engage in delinquent behavior into adulthood.

Question 19

According to recent research, what percent of adolescents have attempted suicide?

Accepted Answer

According to recent research, approximately 10% of females and 6% of males have attempted suicide.

Question 20

As a child, Carlos had a hard time sitting still and was highly aggressive. As an adolescent, he is extremely impulsive and is more likely to engage in delinquent behavior. Carlos probably suffers from:

Accepted Answer

Carlos's inability to sit still and high levels of aggression as a child, as well as his impulsivity and engagement in delinquent behavior as an adolescent are consistent with symptoms of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Quiz 13: Psychosocial Problems in Adolescence