Deck 17: Adjustment Disorders and Life-Cycle Transitions

Question 1

According to Daniel Levinson's social model of adult development,the "midlife crisis" involves

A)becoming less driven and more compassionate.
B)conflict between generativity and stagnation.
C)conflict between intimacy and self-absorption.
D)moving away from family and assuming an adult role.

Answer 1

becoming less driven and more compassionate.

Question 2

Erik Erikson viewed the primary life task of young adulthood to be a struggle between

A)integrity and despair.
B)role confusion and identity.
C)generativity and stagnation.
D)intimacy and self-absorption.

Answer 2

intimacy and self-absorption.

Question 3

DSM-5 groups adjustment disorders,acute stress disorders,and posttraumatic stress disorder together because all are caused by stress.What makes adjustment disorder different from the other two?

A)Adjustment disorder is a reaction to a very high degree of stressor that is not life-threatening.
B)Adjustment disorder can be a reaction to a stressor of any severity.
C)Adjustment disorder is much less severe and will always get better on its own.
D)Adjustment disorder is much more severe and requires medical interventions.

Answer 3

Adjustment disorder can be a reaction to a stressor of any severity.

Question 4

According to Erik Erikson,the last stage of psychosocial development involves the conflict between

A)identity and role confusion.
B)generativity and stagnation.
C)intimacy and self-absorption.
D)integrity and despair.

Question 5

According to Erikson's view of adult development,despair comes from

A)remaining aloof from others.
B)self-absorption.
C)the impossible desire to change the past.
D)accepting one's life cycle as inevitable.

Question 6

Which of the following characterizes Erik Erikson's conceptualization of human development?

A)Role confusion and identity are resolved by age 5.
B)Each stage involves a crisis of the healthy personality.
C)Psychosocial development is finished by young adulthood.
D)Healthy people experience little conflict during adult development.

Question 7

In what section would you find housing and economic problems listed in DSM-5?

A)causes of depression
B)financial problems
C)mental disorders
D)other conditions that may be a focus of clinical attention

Question 8

In order to meet the DSM-5 definition of an adjustment disorder,two conditions must be met: (1)clinically significant symptoms occur in response to stress,and (2)

A)these symptoms are not severe enough to be labeled a mental disorder.
B)these symptoms are severe enough to be labeled a mental disorder.
C)depression and/or anxiety must be present.
D)symptoms of identity or role confusion must co-occur.

Question 9

Donna has experienced what her therapist calls clinically significant symptoms of stress.However,they are not severe enough to warrant classification as one of the mental disorders associated with traumatic stressors.In order for her insurance carrier to pay for her therapy,the therapist must provide a diagnosis.What diagnosis will the therapist report?

A)adjustment disorder
B)acute stress disorder
C)life-cycle transition
D)posttraumatic stress disorder

Question 10

How would Erik Erikson describe the period of moratorium?

A)intimacy with a sexual partner
B)hard work and financial independence
C)uncertainty and experimentation with different roles
D)balance between independence and closeness with parents

Question 11

Which of the following is characteristic of life-cycle transitions?

A)They are the times when people move smoothly from one stage of life to another.
B)They mark the acceptance of death that comes at the end of a long life.
C)DSM-5 places them in the category of mental disorders.
D)They are times when people often struggle as they move from one life stage to the next.

Question 12

Erik Erikson suggested that diverse life-cycle transitions have ________ as a common theme.

A)growth
B)conflict
C)adjustment
D)stasis

Question 13

According to Erik Erikson,why do teens need to experiment with different roles?

A)to avoid moratorium
B)to find a unique niche in society
C)to ease their separation from their parents
D)to distract parents from their own conflicts

Question 14

You need to look up the DSM-5 definition for "partner relational problem." In what section should you look?

A)adjustment disorders
B)other conditions that may be a focus of clinical attention
C)stress disorders
D)relational and other interpersonal disorders

Question 15

Erik Erikson's major contribution to a model of psychosocial development was

A)identifying the developmental stages that occur in every human from birth to age 18.
B)ordering developmental stages in infants and toddlers.
C)recognizing that human development continues into adulthood.
D)identifying adjustment disorders as a clinically significant mental disorder.

Question 16

According to Erik Erikson,the resolution of the identity crisis typically occurs in what developmental stage?

A)childhood
B)adolescence
C)middle age
D)old age

Question 17

Adult development is characterized by

A)little change or growth.
B)a sequence of time‑limited stages.
C)coping with fairly predictable challenges.
D)a series of qualitatively different stages.

Question 18

Your professor is telling the class that people need to develop social clocks.Thinking this is an odd phrase,you look it up in your textbook and discover that it refers to

A)how people keep track of their social appointments.
B)the idea that time is a social phenomenon.
C)how people evaluate whether they are on time for age-related goals.
D)the influence that others have on peoples' ability to achieve their goals in a timely manner.

Question 19

According to Erik Erikson,when does the struggle of generativity versus stagnation occur?

A)adolescence
B)young adulthood
C)middle age
D)old age

Question 20

What struggle did Erik Erikson view as the major challenge of adolescence?

A)integrity versus despair
B)identity versus role confusion
C)generativity versus stagnation
D)intimacy versus self-absorption

Question 21

You are a family therapist in a first interview with a couple.You note a style of communication that has been seen in couples who are basically unhappily married.This indicator is their

A)expression of anger to each other.
B)tendency to blame their conflict on each other's personality.
C)tendency to blame their conflict on circumstances.
D)desire to resolve conflicts in their own favor.

Question 22

Researchers used beepers to signal adolescents and adults at various times to assess their emotional states.They found that,compared to adults,young people between the ages of 13 and 18 tend to experience

A)more stable moods than adults.
B)more intense moods than adults.
C)less intense moods than adults.
D)similar emotional experiences to adults.

Question 23

What did research by Gorchaff,John,and Helson reveal about the relationship between having children and marital satisfaction?

A)Marital satisfaction increases with each additional child born.
B)Marital satisfaction increases with the birth of children and decreases when the children leave home.
C)Marital satisfaction declines with the birth of children and rises when the children leave home.
D)The joy of having children overrides any affect on marital satisfaction.

Question 24

What question seems to summarize the conflict of adolescence as viewed by Erik Erikson?

A)"Who am I?"
B)"Is life worth living?"
C)"Is there meaning to life?"
D)"How much money can I accumulate?"

Question 25

Social scientists often see family change in terms of the ________,or the developmental course of family relationships.

A)family stages
B)family life cycle
C)psychosexual stages
D)reciprocity struggle

Question 26

An identity __________ is a young person who most likely comes from a rejecting and distant family.

A)achiever
B)forecloser
C)refuser
D)diffuser

Question 27

What treatment approach do many clinicians suggest for those experiencing distress associated with transitions to adult life?

A)psychoanalytic
B)behavioral
C)supportive and nondirective
D)challenging and confrontational

Question 28

Many consider the identity crisis to be a necessary and inevitable part of transitioning to adulthood.Nevertheless,we should remember that the way any person responds to parental authority is influenced by

A)gender.
B)mental stability.
C)culture.
D)age.

Question 29

How would we describe a teen with identity diffusion?

A)In the middle of a profound identity crisis
B)Not actively seeking new adult roles
C)Actively searching for new adult roles
D)Never questioned his childhood identity

Question 30

As a couples therapist,you know that ________ interactions predict future marital dissatisfaction.

A)intimacy struggle
B)demand and withdrawal
C)familial withdrawal
D)unbalanced parent-child

Question 31

Rebecca is a college graduate who has made decisions about her long-term goals,although her goals are quite different from her parents' expectations for her.What does research tell us about where she may be in terms of Erikson's view of development?

A)Rebecca probably is an identity achiever who is confident in social interactions.
B)Rebecca is probably in an identity moratorium and will therefore remain there until she finds a job.
C)Rebecca has probably reached a level of identity characterized by a high degree of generativity.
D)Like most college students,Rebecca has delayed the establishment of an identity,and it shows in her impulsive behavior.

Question 32

Psychologists are not so much interested in the content of family struggles as the process.One of the most consistent findings concerns ________,or social exchange of cooperation and conflict.

A)mutuality
B)remuneration
C)intimacy
D)reciprocity

Question 33

Family transitions are major changes in family life and family relationships that frequently involve

A)coping with some type of mental disorder.
B)the addition or loss of members of a family household.
C)a need to change the communication patterns within the family.
D)major changes in the personality structure of members of the family.

Question 34

Critics of Erik Erikson's views on adult psychosocial development believed that men form identities based on work and that women form identities based on________.In recent years,however,gender roles are changing for both sexes.

A)education
B)innate ability
C)relationships
D)intuition

Question 35

In 2008,approximately _____ percent of African-American youth between the ages of 16 and 24 were neither in school nor employed.

A)5
B)10
C)20
D)30

Question 36

At age 10,Joseph decided to become a priest.By age 20,he had the same goal,never having considered any other options and never having questioned his earlier decision.Which of the following terms describes Joseph's identity category?

A)identity diffusion
B)identity moratorium
C)identity achievement
D)identity foreclosure

Question 37

Marital conflict and distress tend to be associated with an increased risk for __________,especially among women.

A)depression
B)bipolar disorder
C)dissociative fugue
D)generalized anxiety

Question 38

According to ego psychologist Karen Horney,why do adolescents experience conflict with their parents?

A)They are in a developmental stage of despair.
B)They have not yet achieved a stable identity.
C)They are insecurely attached to their parents.
D)They experience competing needs with respect to their parents.

Question 39

Which of Marcia's proposed categories of identity conflicts is described as "young adults who never questioned themselves or their goals but instead proceed along the predetermined course of their childhood commitments"?

A)identity diffusion
B)identity foreclosure
C)identity moratorium
D)identity achievement

Question 40

A psychologist is trying to understand the level of cooperation and conflict evident in the social exchanges of a family.This psychologist is focusing on

A)reciprocity.
B)boundaries.
C)roles.
D)rules.

Question 41

What is one of the limitations in the use of a heritability ratio?

A)It cannot be generalized to the whole population.
B)It reflects only theoretically diverse environments.
C)Its calculation ignores environmental variance in a sample.
D)It can only be used to describe biological characteristics.

Question 42

A researcher wants to discover whether a particular behavior is caused by genetic background or by environmental factors.This can be complicated by the ________,the fact that environmental experience is itself affected by genetic background.

A)gene-environment correlation
B)nature-nurture concordance
C)evolutionary adaptation
D)genetic behavioral concordance

Question 43

Frank and Consuela are happily married,while Tyrone and Amanda are unhappily married.Both couples have been having some disputes lately.Frank and Consuela are likely to blame their disputes on ________,while Tyrone and Amanda blame their disputes on ________.

A)the other's personality / temporary circumstances
B)temporary circumstances / the other's personality
C)their children / their finances
D)their finances / their children

Question 44

Which of the following is an example of a scapegoating pattern of family relationships?

A)One family member is blamed for all the family problems.
B)One family member bullies another family member out of jealousy.
C)One family member complains of problems that are denied by other family members.
D)One family member takes on all the responsibility for solving the family's problems.

Question 45

Researchers responsible for the study of the genetic factors on divorce have been invited to share their research at a conference that you are attending.As you listen to lectures on their studies,you must remember that

A)most studies in this area are experiments that tell you very little about correlation.
B)most studies in this field are biased by conflict of interest.
C)correlational studies are the best source of information about what causes what.
D)correlational studies do not give you information about what causes what.

Question 46

McGue and Lykken found that,for divorce,the concordance rates were

A)higher for DZ twins than MZ twins.
B)higher for MZ twins than for DZ twins.
C)very similar for DZ and MZ twins.
D)impossible to calculate with any accuracy for twins.

Question 47

Why have divorce rates declined since the early 1980s?

A)The average age of the population is getting older.
B)The people most prone to divorce are less likely to get married.
C)State governments have mandated marriage counseling to reduce the divorce rates.
D)Married couples are getting along better thanks to improvements in premarital counseling.

Question 48

________ does not change the fact that mental disorders are influenced by genes,but it may help us think more broadly,creatively,and accurately about possible genetic mechanisms.

A)Biological science
B)Critical thinking
C)Psychobiology
D)Genetic research

Question 49

Out of a sample of 100 marriages occurring today,how many would be expected to end in divorce?

A)20
B)40
C)60
D)80

Question 50

Which of the following statements supports genetic influences on divorce?

A)Twins rarely divorce.
B)Divorced couples produce fewer offspring.
C)Genes influence personality traits associated with divorce.
D)Unmarried couples reproduce at lower rates than married couples.

Question 51

Some psychologists question the basic assumption made by DSM-5 that diagnoses ________ rather than ________.

A)individuals / disorders
B)relationships / individuals
C)disorders / individuals
D)individuals / relationships

Question 52

Typically,a couple or family therapist acts as an objective outsider who helps the couple to

A)identify and voice disagreements.
B)save their marriage and avoid divorce.
C)address one partner's problem behavior.
D)avoid disagreements and focus on the positive.

Question 53

What is the focus of cognitive behavioral couple therapy?

A)changing one partner's psychopathology
B)improving the couple's moment-to-moment interactions
C)talking about the marriage in individual therapy
D)changing how parents act toward their troubled child

Question 54

Based on observations of marital interactions,John Gottman classified four problematic communication styles.How would he describe the problem labeled as contempt?

A)A spouse shows disinterest in the marriage.
B)A spouse is consistently isolated and withdrawn.
C)A spouse hurls angry insults at the other spouse.
D)A spouse denies responsibility for the marital problem.

Question 55

The Premarital Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP)involves couples meeting in small groups to discuss marital relations and to learn communication skills.What has research revealed concerning the effectiveness of this program?

A)Couples that go through this program report higher marital satisfaction after three years than do couples in the control group.
B)Couples that go through this program report less marital satisfaction three years later than do couples in the control group.
C)Couples that go through this program report more satisfaction,but they also report more conflict than do the couples in the control group.
D)Couples that were randomly assigned to this program reported less marital satisfaction after three years than did couples who made the decision on their own to participate.

Question 56

In 2007,almost ________ percent of births in the United States were to unmarried women.

A)10
B)20
C)40
D)60

Question 57

John Gottman,a researcher on marital interaction,has described one pattern of problematic communication called stonewalling.How would he describe this pattern?

A)One spouse is consistently isolated and withdrawn.
B)One spouse is consistently insulting to the other spouse.
C)One spouse attacks the other's personality rather than actions.
D)One spouse denies responsibility for marital difficulties.

Question 58

Research has shown that,compared to more traditional unions,marriages in which both spouses are androgynous are

A)happier and less distressed.
B)virtually no different in regard to stress or communications.
C)less happy and more distressed.
D)less stressful initially,but the level of stress eventually rises dramatically.

Question 59

Ted and Ned are monozygotic twins in their early 40s.They are both divorced.Which of the following is a genetic factor that might have influenced both twins to divorce?

A)personality
B)economic status
C)age
D)conflict resolution style

Question 60

Systematic research on the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral couple therapy (CBCT)indicates what kind of results?

A)higher divorce rates for participating couples after 5 years
B)less effective than individual therapy for 90 percent of participating couples
C)significant improvements in about half the participating couples
D)very significant short and long term improvement for 70 percent of participating couples

Question 61

Which of the following indicates that the model of bereavement proposed by Kübler-Ross does not tell the whole story regarding how people grieve?

A)There are actually more stages than proposed by Kübler-Ross.
B)Many people do not go through the stages in the sequence proposed,and some show no signs of any of the stages.
C)Men,but not women,seem to proceed through the stages in different orders and at different speeds.
D)The bargaining stage does not occur very often because most people realize the futility of such a response.

Question 62

Which of the following is a specific form of grieving in response to the death of a loved one?

A)sadness
B)loss
C)bereavement
D)reactive depression

Question 63

How is personality affected by aging?

A)Older adults tend to be less inwardly focused than when they were younger.
B)Older adults are more stubborn,bossy,and irritable than when they were younger.
C)Older adults are greatly affected by depression and anxiety.
D)Older adults have personalities that are consistent with earlier stages of their adulthood.

Question 64

How are estrogen levels during menopause related to depression?

A)Depression depletes estrogen levels.
B)Decreased estrogen begins a long chain of biological changes that lead to depression.
C)Lower levels of estrogen lead to the symptoms of depression.
D)Estrogen levels and depression are not related.

Question 65

Your friend has been having some psychological problems,and he tells you that he and his wife are seeing a couple therapist.You are surprised that he is receiving couple therapy,since he is the one with problems.When you ask your psychology professor about this,she explains that

A)the therapist gets paid twice as much for couple therapy.
B)research suggests that an improved relationship helps in alleviating individual disorders.
C)couple therapy is less threatening than individual therapy for reluctant patients.
D)your friend's problems must actually be marital problems,not his individual problems.

Question 66

Which is one of the reasons that older people have fewer friendships?

A)They become more irritable and demanding.
B)They have lost most of the people they once cared about.
C)They become more selective in their companions.
D)They spend more time with their families.

Question 67

Many experts view the increase in suicide among older adults as not only a consequence of emotional problems,but also as a result of

A)loneliness after the loss of a spouse.
B)chronic pain,disease,or long-term illness.
C)anger caused by ageism.
D)depression and anxiety.

Question 68

What element is important in both the Bowlby and Kübler-Ross models of bereavement?

A)anger
B)bargaining
C)moratorium
D)identity crisis

Question 69

Your textbook presents the case of Mrs.J,who had great difficulty accepting the loss of her husband.Mrs.J believed her husband died due to the inadequacy of his care in a nursing home.She was experiencing great anger over this and thought about it frequently.Which of the following best describes her condition?

A)Mrs.J.was experiencing pathological depression.
B)Mrs.J's reaction was seen as normal grieving.
C)Mrs.J was diagnosed as clinically grieving.
D)Mrs.J was diagnosed with grief compounded by OCD.

Question 70

The term "ageism" refers to

A)changes as one grows older.
B)prejudice against the elderly.
C)the study of aging and the elderly.
D)the incorporation of age norms in research.

Question 71

Mrs.Pallagio's husband died at age 70.For the next year,she finds herself thinking about him constantly.Every night she talks out loud to his photo.How would a clinical psychologist describe these behaviors?

A)normal grieving
B)delusional thinking
C)abnormal obsession
D)normal obsession

Question 72

Which of the following is most accurate in regard to the rate of affective disorders in younger and in older Americans?

A)Affective disorders are more common in older adults than they are in younger adults.
B)Affective disorders are more common in younger adults than they are in older adults.
C)Younger adults and older adults experience affective disorders at about the same rate.
D)The rates are about the same for the two age groups except for older males,who have a very high rate of affective disorders.

Question 73

The emotional and social process of coping with a separation or a loss is called

A)clinical depression.
B)bereavement.
C)grief.
D)moratorium.

Question 74

Hormone (estrogen)replacement therapy during menopause is effective for reducing

A)depression.
B)infertility.
C)the risk for cancer.
D)physical symptoms.

Question 75

Which of the following individuals is most likely to suffer from osteoporosis?

A)Jill,who is 24 years old
B)Jack,who is 56 years old
C)Betty,who is 71 years old
D)Diane,who is 18 years old

Question 76

An epidemiologist has received a grant to study rates of suicide in the overall population.Which group will she find has the highest rate of completed suicides?

A)adolescents
B)young adults age 20-29
C)adults over age 30
D)adults over age 65

Question 77

The cessation of menstruation is called

A)menarche.
B)menopause.
C)moratorium.
D)maturation.

Question 78

You are a psychologist assigned to assess older individuals in a community centre.Informed by research,you will be looking for predictors of psychological well-being,such as

A)signs of Erikson's concept of integrity.
B)positive relationships.
C)comfort with living alone.
D)apprehension about retirement.

Question 79

The concept of off time loss suggests that if you had a patient who just lost a loved one,you would be most concerned about an adverse reaction if that patient had lost

A)a parent.
B)a spouse.
C)a child.
D)a close friend.

Question 80

The multidisciplinary study of aging is known as

A)ageism.
B)gerontology.
C)moratorium studies.
D)life-cycle studies.