Question 1

Evidence that many DID patients have suffered abuse as children leads some psychologists to include dissociative disorders under the umbrella of

Accepted Answer

Many DID patients have experienced trauma during their childhood, which is a defining feature of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Therefore, dissociative disorders, including DID, are often included under the umbrella of PTSD.

Question 2

Psychological disorders characterized by inflexible,enduring,and socially maladaptive behavior patterns are called ________ disorders.

Accepted Answer

The description given matches the characteristics of personality disorders, which are patterns of behavior and thinking that are inflexible, enduring, and cause impairment in social and occupational functioning. Eating disorders (A) are characterized by abnormal eating habits and distorted body image. Dissociative disorders (B) involve disruptions in consciousness, memory, or identity. Fugue (C) is a type of dissociative disorder characterized by sudden and unexpected travel away from home, inability to recall past events, and confusion about personal identity.

Question 3

Those with an avoidant personality disorder are most likely to display

Accepted Answer

Those with avoidant personality disorder have a pervasive fear of social rejection, humiliation, and criticism. They often avoid social situations or feel intense anxiety in social situations because they are convinced that they will be rejected by others. The other options listed are not typically associated with avoidant personality disorder.

Question 4

Personality disorders can be classified into three clusters.One cluster expresses anxiety and such a strong fear of rejection that it predisposes them to withdraw from society.This describes the

Accepted Answer

The description "anxiety and such a strong fear of rejection that it predisposes them to withdraw from society" is characteristic of individuals with avoidant personality disorder, which falls under Cluster C. The other personality disorders listed (antisocial, histrionic, borderline) do not share this specific trait.

Question 5

The distinctive features used to identify the three clusters of personality disorders are

Accepted Answer

The three clusters of personality disorders are identified based on their distinctive features, which are anxiety (cluster A), eccentricity (cluster B), and impulsivity (cluster C). Option A is incorrect as obsessions, compulsions, and delusions are not the defining features of any of the three clusters of personality disorders. Option B is incorrect as genetics, culture, and self-awareness are not used to identify the clusters of personality disorders. Option C is incorrect as optimism, pessimism, and perfectionism are not the defining features of any of the three clusters of personality disorders.

Question 6

Those with narcissistic personality disorder are likely to be preoccupied with

Accepted Answer

Narcissistic personality disorder is characterized by a grandiose sense of self-importance, a preoccupation with fantasies of success, power, and attractiveness, and a lack of empathy for others. Individuals with this disorder are highly invested in maintaining and enhancing their self-image, often at the expense of others. They may also have an exaggerated sense of their own abilities and achievements, and may feel entitled to special treatment or admiration from others. Therefore, the best choice is D - their own self-importance.

Question 7

Noah's therapist suggests that Noah developed a dissociative identity disorder in order to misbehave without feeling a strong sense of personal shame.The therapist's suggestion most directly reflects a ________ perspective.

Accepted Answer

The therapist's suggestion that Noah developed a dissociative identity disorder as a means of avoiding personal shame is consistent with a psychodynamic perspective. This perspective emphasizes the role of unconscious thoughts, feelings, and experiences in shaping behavior and personality, including the possibility of dissociating or splitting off parts of oneself in order to deal with overwhelming emotions.

Question 8

Exhibiting two or more distinct and alternating personalities is a symptom of a(n)

Accepted Answer

Exhibiting two or more distinct and alternating personalities is a symptom of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), which is classified as a dissociative disorder.

Question 9

Researchers have suggested that the role playing of fantasy-prone patients in response to the leading questions of therapists has often contributed to

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that therapists who suggest the possibility of multiple personalities to fantasy-prone patients can lead to the development of dissociative identity disorder, also known as multiple personality disorder. This is because patients may begin to create and act out different personalities in response to the therapist's leading questions. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are eating disorders that are not typically associated with role-playing behavior. Schizotypal personality disorder is a separate disorder that involves a pattern of odd or eccentric behavior, but is not necessarily linked to the role-playing behavior of fantasy-prone patients.

Question 10

Horace keeps to himself at work,he is quiet,and has a number of odd collections;some even call him eccentric.He seems emotionally disengaged even when others are clearly responding emotionally to a situation.Horace would be considered to have ________ personality disorder.

Accepted Answer

Horace's behavior is consistent with the symptoms of schizotypal personality disorder, which includes eccentric behavior, social isolation, and odd beliefs or thinking patterns. People with this disorder may also experience emotional detachment from others.

Question 11

A biological perspective would be LEAST helpful for explaining the

Accepted Answer

A biological perspective focuses on the physiological and genetic factors that influence behavior and mental processes. While it can explain the prevalence of schizophrenia and fluctuations in mood for bipolar disorder due to their strong biological underpinnings, and even the fear of snakes to some extent through evolutionary psychology, it is less effective in explaining the dramatic increase in reported cases of dissociative identity disorder during the 1980s. This increase is more likely attributed to cultural, diagnostic, and societal factors rather than biological changes.

Question 12

Nora's husband insisted that she go to a mental health clinic when she was unable to explain or remember her frequent absences from home,phone calls from people that she claimed she had never heard of,and check stubs from checks that she couldn't remember writing.At the clinic,Nora admitted there were long stretches of her life that were completely blank to her.Suddenly,using a different voice,facial expression,and demeanor,Nora said to the psychologist,"Don't pay any attention to that old Nora.She's just a bore.My name is Patty,and I'm a lot more fun to talk to." The psychologist suspects that Nora's symptoms are characteristic of

Accepted Answer

Nora's symptoms of memory loss, dissociation, and multiple personalities indicate dissociative identity disorder (previously known as multiple personality disorder). None of the other disorders listed present with these symptoms.

Question 13

Victor,a New York City investment broker,quit his job in a fit of rage after being accused of embezzling thousands of dollars of his clients' money.Four months later,the police discovered Victor driving a cab in Los Angeles.Victor claimed that his name was actually George Saunders,that he had always been a cab driver in Los Angeles,and that he had no knowledge of Victor.Even after he was positively identified as Victor,"George Saunders" insisted that he was someone else.Assuming that he was not faking his condition to escape arrest,Victor was probably suffering from

Accepted Answer

The behavior described in the scenario is consistent with a fugue state, which is a type of dissociative disorder characterized by sudden and unexpected travel away from home, inability to remember one's past, and confusion about personal identity. Fugue states are often triggered by extreme stress or trauma, such as the accusation of embezzlement in this case. Personality disorders, such as antisocial personality disorder, involve longstanding patterns of behavior and difficulties interacting with others, which is not demonstrated in the scenario. Dissociative identity disorder (formerly known as multiple personality disorder) involves the presence of two or more distinct identities or personalities within an individual, which is not consistent with the scenario.

Question 14

The experience of multiple personalities is most likely to be characterized by

Accepted Answer

Multiple personality disorder, now known as dissociative identity disorder, involves a fragmentation of identity in which an individual displays two or more distinct personality states or identities. These identities can vary widely in personality traits, behaviors, memories, and abilities, indicating a massive dissociation of self from ordinary consciousness.

Question 15

Connie exhibits multiple personalities.Evidence that information learned by her secondary personality influences the moods and behaviors of her primary personality would most clearly rule out the contribution of ________ to her symptoms.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Connie exhibits multiple personalities.Evidence that information learned...

Question 16

Teresa is emotionally volatile,particularly with friends and boyfriends.She is extremely dramatic about even the smallest disappointments and is sexually and behaviorally very impulsive.Teresa would be considered to have ________ personality disorder.

Accepted Answer

Teresa displays symptoms consistent with borderline personality disorder, which includes emotional instability, impulsivity, and dramatic behavior in relationships. The other options (antisocial, narcissistic, and schizotypal) do not fit the symptoms Teresa displays.

Question 17

One cluster of personality disorders marked by dramatic or impulsive behaviors is exemplified by the ________ personality disorder.

Accepted Answer

Borderline personality disorder is characterized by impulsive and unstable behavior, including unstable relationships, impulsivity, and intense mood swings. Avoidant personality disorder is marked by social inhibition and feelings of inadequacy, dissociative personality disorder involves disruptions in identity and memory, and schizotypal personality disorder involves odd or eccentric beliefs, perceptions, and behaviors.

Question 18

Professor Solera studies personality disorders and is most interested in people who are self-focused and exaggerate their own importance.Professor Solera is studying people with ________ personality disorder.

Accepted Answer

People who are self-focused and exaggerate their own importance are exhibiting traits of narcissistic personality disorder, which is characterized by a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, a need for admiration, and a lack of empathy.

Question 19

College students were asked to pretend that they were accused murderers.Under hypnosis,they typically expressed a second personality when prompted to do so by the examining psychiatrist.This most strongly suggests that dissociative identity disorder may involve

Accepted Answer

The fact that college students were able to express a second personality when prompted by the examining psychiatrist suggests that dissociative identity disorder may involve role-playing, rather than being an actual manifestation of multiple personalities. This is also supported by research showing that the diagnosis of dissociative identity disorder increased following the popularization of the disorder in media and popular culture.

Question 20

Evidence that symptoms of dissociative identity disorder are triggered by the suggestions and leading questions of therapists most clearly points out the importance of ________ in the onset of this disorder.

Accepted Answer

The fact that symptoms of dissociative identity disorder can be triggered by suggestions and leading questions of therapists indicates that the disorder may involve a certain level of role playing or suggestibility, rather than being solely driven by anxiety, repression, or childhood sexual trauma. While trauma may still be a contributing factor in the onset of dissociative identity disorder, this evidence suggests that the disorder's symptoms can also be influenced by environmental and social factors.

Quiz 16: Psychological Disorders