Question 1

About four months ago, 16-year-old Amanda went on a drastic diet that caused her to drop from her normal weight of 120 pounds to less than 90 pounds. Although her weight is dangerously low, she continues to undereat because she thinks she looks fat. Amanda has:

Accepted Answer

Amanda's drastic diet, dangerously low weight, and distorted body image are all symptoms of anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder characterized by restrictive eating habits and an intense fear of gaining weight. Dissociative identity disorder (A) involves the presence of two or more distinct personality states, somatic symptom disorder (B) involves excessive and disproportionate focus on physical symptoms, and bulimia nervosa (C) involves binge-eating followed by purging behaviors.

Question 2

People who have anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa have _____ brain activity of the neurotransmitter _____.

Accepted Answer

People with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa often have decreased brain activity of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which is associated with mood regulation and appetite control.

Question 3

Rebecca is 17 years old, weighs 86 pounds, has a BMI of 13.5, and has been hospitalized with a diagnosis of severe anorexia nervosa. Which of the following symptoms is Rebecca likely to experience?

Accepted Answer

A common symptom of severe anorexia nervosa is a disruption in the menstrual cycle, which can lead to amenorrhea (absence of menstruation). This is often due to the low levels of estrogen in the body as a result of low body weight and malnutrition. The other options (A, C, and D) are not typical symptoms of severe anorexia nervosa.

Question 4

Masahara is a young unemployed male who lives in a single room in his parent's home in Tokyo. He spends most of his time playing video games and surfing the Internet, has refused all social contact with the outside world, and has very limited interactions with his family. According to "Culture and Human Behavior: Culture-Bound Syndromes," Masahara likely has a culture-specific disorder called:

Accepted Answer

Masahara's behavior of becoming a social recluse and spending most of his time indoors is characteristic of hikikomori, a culture-specific disorder prevalent in Japan. This condition is typically seen in young people who withdraw from social interactions entirely and remain within their homes for extended periods. The phenomenon of hikikomori is embedded in the Japanese culture, and the social, economic, and familial factors associated with the condition are unique to Japanese society.

Question 5

Chloe is 19 years old, weighs 86 pounds, has a BMI of 13.9, and has been hospitalized with a diagnosis of severe anorexia nervosa. Because of her anorexia, Chloe is likely to:

Accepted Answer

Patients with severe anorexia nervosa can develop lanugo, a soft, fine body hair that helps keep them warm because of their low body weight and body fat. It is a physiological adaptation to cope with malnourishment. Choices B, C, and D are not typical consequences of anorexia nervosa. Anorexia is associated with low levels of hormones, including estrogen, decreased serotonin activity, and decreased energy levels. Rapid cycling is typically associated with bipolar disorder, not anorexia nervosa.

Question 6

_____ is an eating disorder in which the individual refuses to maintain a minimally normal body weight, is extremely afraid of gaining weight or becoming fat, and has a distorted perception about the size of his or her body.

Accepted Answer

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by extreme weight loss due to refusal to maintain a minimally normal body weight, intense fear of gaining weight, and a distorted perception of body size. Individuals with anorexia nervosa often see themselves as overweight or obese even when they are underweight.

Question 7

As noted in "Culture and Human Behavior: Culture-Bound Syndromes," psychological disorders do not always look the same in every culture. Some disorders, called _____ appear only in a single culture.

Accepted Answer

Culture-bound syndromes, also known as culture-specific disorders, are psychological disorders that only appear in a single culture or group of cultures. Schizophrenia and somatic symptom disorders are seen across cultures, while agoraphobic disorders are specific phobias that can be seen in various cultures.

Question 8

According to Culture and Human Behavior: Culture-Bound Syndromes, Western cultures have culture-bound syndromes too. One example is _____, which is common today, but was once rare and seems to have been associated with religious motives or a desire for purification in the past.

Accepted Answer

Anorexia nervosa is a culture-bound syndrome in Western cultures. It was once rare and seems to have been associated with religious motives or a desire for purification in the past.

Question 9

According to "Culture and Human Behavior: Culture-Bound Syndromes," when Chinese psychiatrist Sing Lee researched the incidence of eating disorders in Hong Kong in the early 1980s, the prevalence rate was _____, but today in Hong Kong, Japan, and other Asian countries, the incidence of these disorders has _____.

Accepted Answer

According to the article, in the early 1980s, the prevalence rate of eating disorders in Hong Kong was very low, but today in Hong Kong, Japan, and other Asian countries, the incidence of these disorders has skyrocketed.

Question 10

Lana is about the right weight for her age and height. Nevertheless, she is so preoccupied by her fear of becoming overweight that whenever she goes on an eating binge, she purges the excessive food by self-induced vomiting. It is likely that Lana has:

Accepted Answer

Lana is exhibiting the symptoms of bulimia nervosa, which is characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating followed by purging behaviors such as self-induced vomiting, laxative use or excessive exercise. It is often associated with a fear of gaining weight and body image distortion. Anorexia nervosa involves restriction of food intake and obsessive weight control behaviors, while obsessive-compulsive disorder is characterized by intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviors unrelated to eating behaviors. Agoraphobia is a fear of situations or places that might be difficult to escape from.

Question 11

Which of the following is one of the key defining features of anorexia nervosa?

Accepted Answer

All three of these factors - intense fear of becoming overweight, distorted body perception, and body weight 15% below normal - are key defining features of anorexia nervosa.

Question 12

Hiroaki is a young Japanese male who lives with his parents and has been diagnosed with a culture-specific disorder called hikkomori. According to "Culture and Human Behavior: Culture-Bound Syndromes," his symptoms are likely to include:

Accepted Answer

Hikkomori is a culture-bound syndrome in Japan characterized by extreme social withdrawal, a preoccupation with video games and Internet surfing, an inability to work or attend school, and virtually no social interactions with family or the outside world. Option A describes somatic symptom disorder, while option B describes social anxiety disorder, and option C describes pyromania.

Question 13

According to "Culture and Human Behavior: Culture-Bound Syndromes," the Japanese culture-specific disorder hikkomori is characterized by:

Accepted Answer

Hikkomori is a culture-specific syndrome in Japan characterized by extreme social withdrawal, preoccupation with video games and internet surfing, inability to work or attend school, and virtually no social interaction with family or the outside world, making option A the correct choice. The other options refer to different culture-bound syndromes.

Question 14

_____ is an eating disorder in which a normal-weight person engages in binge eating and then purges the excessive food consumption by self-induced vomiting or by the misuse of laxatives or enemas.

Accepted Answer

Bulimia nervosa is a type of eating disorder where a person eats large amounts of food (binge eating) and then tries to get rid of the food by vomiting, using laxatives or enemas, fasting, or overexercising. Unlike anorexia nervosa, people with bulimia tend to be normal weight or overweight.

Question 15

Which of the following is NOT one of the key defining features of anorexia nervosa?

Accepted Answer

One of the key defining features of anorexia nervosa is a lack of recognition or denial of the seriousness of the disorder, rather than awareness of it.

Question 16

According to "Culture and Human Behavior: Culture-Bound Syndromes," the Japanese culture-specific disorder hikkomori:

Accepted Answer

According to the article, hikikomori was once rare but has now become a social phenomenon, affecting an estimated 1 million or more young Japanese. Option A is incorrect as it overstates the number of individuals affected by the disorder. Option B is incorrect as it describes symptoms of a different disorder in a different country. Option D is partially correct but not the best choice as it only describes similarities with other disorders and does not provide a comprehensive description of hikikomori.

Question 17

Patricia has been diagnosed with bulimia nervosa. Which of the following is a key characteristic of her eating disorder?

Accepted Answer

Binge eating and purging by self-induced vomiting is a key characteristic of bulimia nervosa. The individual may feel a lack of control during the binge eating episode and then engage in purging behaviors such as vomiting, laxative abuse, or excessive exercise to compensate for the calories consumed. It is important to note that patients with bulimia nervosa may not appear underweight, so B is not the correct answer. A is incorrect as loss of appetite is not a characteristic of bulimia nervosa, while D is incorrect as patients with bulimia nervosa are usually aware that they have an eating disorder.

Question 18

Severely restricted eating and an intense fear of weight gain are to _____ as binge eating followed by self-induced vomiting are to _____.

Accepted Answer

Severely restricted eating and an intense fear of weight gain are the main symptoms of anorexia nervosa, while binge eating followed by self-induced vomiting are the main symptoms of bulimia nervosa. Therefore, option A correctly pairs the symptoms with their respective eating disorders. Options C and D are incorrect because they do not involve binge eating or purging behaviors. Option B is incorrect because it reverses the symptoms of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.

Question 19

The culture-specific disorder hikkomori has symptoms in common with:

Accepted Answer

Hikikomori shares symptoms with several Western disorders such as social anxiety disorder, depression, generalized anxiety disorder, and agoraphobia. While it is a culture-specific disorder, its symptoms resemble those of other mental health conditions recognized globally.

Question 20

Which of the following is NOT one of the factors thought to contribute to eating disorders?

Accepted Answer

Family interaction patterns that focus on unconditional positive regard and acceptance of each person's individuality are not thought to contribute to the development of eating disorders. Factors such as cultural attitudes toward thinness, genetics, environmental stressors, and family dynamics involving criticism or modeling of disordered eating are commonly cited as contributors to eating disorders. A chemical imbalance in levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin may also play a role in the development of eating disorders.

Quiz 13: Psychological Disorders