Question 1

Anxiety disorders,OCD,and PTSD are thought to reflect

Accepted Answer

Anxiety disorders, OCD, and PTSD are all believed to stem from a hyperactive danger-detection system. People with these conditions may experience excessive fear and worry in situations where others would not feel threatened. This heightened sensitivity to danger can lead to avoidant behaviors, compulsive rituals, and difficulty in managing day-to-day life.

Question 2

A person with major depressive disorder is most likely to experience

Accepted Answer

Major depressive disorder is characterized by feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and a lack of interest in usual activities. It often includes feelings of personal worthlessness or excessive guilt. Seasonal patterns of symptoms can occur in some individuals with depression, but this is not a defining feature of the disorder. Alternations between extreme hopelessness and unrealistic optimism are more characteristic of bipolar disorder. A persistent irrational fear of other people is symptomatic of social anxiety disorder.

Question 3

The number-one reason people seek mental health services is

Accepted Answer

According to research, depression is the most common reason why people seek mental health services. It is estimated that about 16 million adults in the United States struggle with depression each year. Bipolar disorder and mania are also mood disorders that can lead people to seek mental health services, but they are not as common as depression. Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder is a relatively new diagnosis and is not as prevalent as depression.

Question 4

We can more easily extinguish a fear of driving a car than a fear of holding snakes.This is best explained from a ________ perspective.

Accepted Answer

The biological perspective explains this phenomenon by suggesting that certain fears, such as fear of snakes, are evolutionarily ingrained in humans to help in survival, making them harder to extinguish compared to fears that are learned through personal experience, like driving a car.

Question 5

In people with major depressive disorder,interest in activities is ________ and agitation may be ________.

Accepted Answer

In major depressive disorder, individuals commonly experience a reduced interest in activities that were once enjoyable. This is a characteristic symptom of depression known as anhedonia. On the other hand, agitation is also sometimes seen in depression, which can manifest as restlessness, pacing, or fidgeting. Therefore, the best choice is C – reduced interest in activities and increased agitation.

Question 6

Among PTSD patients,early childhood trauma can leave ________,which are often organic molecules.These molecular tags attach to our chromosomes and turn certain genes on or off,thus creating a genetic vulnerability for PTSD.

Accepted Answer

Epigenetic marks are organic molecules that can attach to our chromosomes and turn certain genes on or off, creating a genetic vulnerability for PTSD. This vulnerability can be caused by early childhood trauma among PTSD patients.

Question 7

A traumatic experience may trigger a lasting phobia in a child with a sensitive,high-strung temperament.The same experience,however,may have no long-term impact on a child with a more relaxed temperament.This best illustrates the role of ________ in the development of phobias.

Accepted Answer

Genetic predispositions refer to a person's inherited genetic makeup that can influence the likelihood of developing certain traits or behaviors, such as a phobia. This scenario highlights how different temperaments, which can be influenced by genetics, can impact the likelihood of developing a phobia following a traumatic experience.

Question 8

Research has demonstrated that traumatic experiences can create fear circuits in the

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that the amygdala plays a crucial role in fear processing and the formation of fear memories. Traumatic experiences can create fear circuits in the amygdala, leading to increased sensitivity to fear cues and exaggerated fear responses.

Question 9

A disorder in which a person experiences two or more weeks with either depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure,in addition to five additional symptoms,is called

Accepted Answer

Major depressive disorder is characterized by a pervasive and persistent low mood and anhedonia (loss of pleasure in activities), accompanied by symptoms such as changes in appetite or sleep, fatigue, impaired concentration, and feelings of worthlessness or guilt. To meet the diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder, a person must experience at least five of these symptoms for two or more weeks, representing a change from their usual functioning. Bipolar disorder involves episodes of both depression and mania, while mania is a distinct episode characterized by a persistently elevated, irritable, or expansive mood, along with symptoms such as grandiosity, racing thoughts, and risky behavior. Anxiety disorders involve excessive and persistent worry or fear about specific situations or objects.

Question 10

At different months of the year,one survey asked Americans "Have you cried today?" The percentage who said "yes" was highest in

Accepted Answer

According to the stereotype of the holiday blues, more people may feel sad or overwhelmed during the holiday season, which includes December. This may lead to a higher percentage of people reporting crying on a given day.

Question 11

A seasonal pattern of symptoms is most likely to be a characteristic of

Accepted Answer

Seasonal patterns of symptoms, such as experiencing more symptoms of depression during the winter months, are a common characteristic of depressive disorders such as seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Learned helplessness, negative explanatory style, and rumination may also be associated with depression, but they are not typically characterized by seasonal patterns of symptoms.

Question 12

Stressful experiences can influence gene expression and thereby increase the chances of suffering a disorder such as PTSD.This best illustrates the importance of

Accepted Answer

The statement about the influence of stressful experiences on gene expression indicates the importance of epigenetic effects. These are changes in gene expression that do not involve changes to the DNA sequence itself but rather modifications to histone proteins or DNA methylation patterns that can be driven by environmental factors such as stress.

Question 13

It has been suggested that compulsive acts typically exaggerate behaviors that contributed to the survival of the human species.This idea best illustrates the ________ perspective.

Accepted Answer

The suggestion that compulsive acts are linked to behaviors that contributed to human survival is a perspective rooted in biological theory, specifically evolutionary psychology. This theory suggests that certain behaviors and traits were developed through natural selection because they increased the likelihood of survival and reproduction. Therefore, the answer is D - biological perspective.

Question 14

Anxiety disorders,OCD,and PTSD express themselves biologically as overarousal of brain areas involved in

Accepted Answer

The answer of Anxiety disorders,OCD,and PTSD express themselves biologically as...

Question 15

Which neurotransmitter heightens activity in the brain's alarm centers?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which neurotransmitter heightens activity in the brain's...

Question 16

Distress most of the time over a two-week period because of fatigue or loss of energy is most likely associated with

Accepted Answer

Distress most of the time over a two-week period because of fatigue or loss of energy is a symptom of major depressive disorder. Mania is characterized by elevated, expansive, or irritable mood and increased energy, bipolar disorder involves alternating episodes of mania and depression, and disruptive mood dysregulation disorder is characterized by severe temper outbursts and persistent irritability.

Question 17

While anxiety is a response to ________,depression is often a response to ________.

Accepted Answer

Anxiety is often a response to specific objects or events that pose a threat, while depression is often a response to past or current loss. This loss can be related to relationships, achievements, or identities, and can lead to feelings of hopelessness, sadness, and isolation. It is important to note that anxiety and depression can often occur together, and may require different types of treatment.

Question 18

Professor Pott emphasizes that normal depression serves an adaptive function by slowing people down and preventing them from engaging in life-threatening behaviors.The professor's emphasis best illustrates a ________ perspective.

Accepted Answer

The professor's emphasis on the adaptive function of depression suggests a biological perspective, as it focuses on the ways in which depression may serve a physiological purpose in regulating behavior. This perspective is distinct from social-cognitive, psychoanalytic, and conditioning perspectives, which would likely emphasize different factors and mechanisms involved in depression.

Question 19

Brain scans of people with ________ reveal elevated activity in a brain region that monitors our actions and checks for errors.

Accepted Answer

The elevated activity in a brain region that monitors actions and checks for errors is indicative of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This is because individuals with OCD tend to have intrusive thoughts that lead to repetitive behaviors, and the brain region involved in monitoring actions likely plays a role in this process. Brain scans of individuals with other anxiety disorders, such as phobias or social anxiety disorder, may show different patterns of brain activity.

Question 20

The anterior cingulate cortex,a brain region that monitors our actions and checks for errors,seems especially likely to be hyperactive in those with

Accepted Answer

The anterior cingulate cortex is known to be involved in monitoring and detecting errors, and individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder are thought to have hyperactivity in this brain region. Those with generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder may also have some level of hyperactivity in the anterior cingulate cortex, but the strongest evidence points to OCD.

Quiz 14: Psychological Disorders