Question 1

Maureen is in therapy because she is very frightened of her father and feels tongue-tied around him. After a few months, she begins to feel frightened of her therapist also. According to Freud, this would be an example of:

Accepted Answer

This is an example of transference, which involves the patient transferring their emotions and feelings onto the therapist, often stemming from their previous experiences with significant others. In this case, Maureen is likely projecting the fear and discomfort she experiences with her father onto the therapist.

Question 2

The tendency for journals to publish studies that have positive findings, rather than negative or ambiguous results, is called:

Accepted Answer

Publication bias refers to the tendency for researchers, reviewers, and publishers to favor studies with statistically significant results, positive findings, or significant effects, while rejecting or ignoring studies with null, nonsignificant, or inconclusive results. This may lead to an overestimation of the effect size or significance level of a certain intervention, treatment, or phenomenon, and may result in biased conclusions, recommendations, or policies. Confirmation bias refers to the tendency for individuals to seek or interpret information in a way that confirms their preexisting beliefs, expectations, or hypotheses, while ignoring or rejecting evidence that contradicts them. Overreaching bias and enterprise bias are not commonly used terms to describe this phenomenon.

Question 3

A therapist is interested in interpreting dreams and in having clients relate stories about their childhoods. This person is most likely to be a:

Accepted Answer

The interest in interpreting dreams and exploring childhood experiences suggests a focus on unconscious processes and early life experiences, which are key components of psychodynamic therapy. Client-centered therapy is focused on the here-and-now and the client's subjective experience, while cognitive and behavior therapies are more present-focused and less concerned with exploring the past or unconscious processes.

Question 4

Which of the following procedures requires surgery to implant electrodes into the brain and an embedded box under the collarbone?

Accepted Answer

Deep brain stimulation requires surgery to implant electrodes into the brain and an embedded box under the collarbone, whereas the other procedures listed do not require this invasive surgery.

Question 5

A therapist's goal is to delve into the unconscious processes of his patients. He is most likely to consider himself a practitioner of:

Accepted Answer

Psychodynamic therapy is a therapeutic approach that aims to explore the unconscious processes of a patient in order to understand and address deep-seated psychological issues. This approach is rooted in the theories of Sigmund Freud, who believed that unconscious conflicts and repressed emotions could lead to psychological distress. A therapist practicing psychodynamic therapy would thus prioritize delving into the patient's unconscious mind and exploring the roots of their psychological issues.

Question 6

________ is a procedure used in cases of prolonged and severe major depression, in which a brief brain seizure is induced.

Accepted Answer

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a medical treatment for severe mental illness in which a small, carefully controlled amount of electrical current is passed through the brain. This results in a brief seizure. ECT can be very effective for certain mental illnesses, such as severe major depression that has not responded to other treatments.

Question 7

Researchers are now looking for new ways to stimulate the brains of severely depressed individuals. One method, called __________, involves the use of a pulsing coil held to a person's skull at the left prefrontal cortex.

Accepted Answer

The method described involves the use of a pulsing coil, which indicates the use of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), making option D the correct choice. Option A, psychosurgery, involves invasive surgical procedures and is not commonly used to treat depression. Option B, deep brain stimulation, involves the implantation of electrodes in specific areas of the brain and is typically reserved for severe cases of depression that have not responded to other treatments. Option C, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), involves inducing seizures in the brain and is typically used as a last resort when other treatments have failed. The description given in the question does not match the procedure used in ECT.

Question 8

Many people respond positively to a new drug just because of the enthusiasm surrounding it and their own expectations that the drug will make them feel better. This phenomenon is called the:

Accepted Answer

The phenomenon described refers to the placebo effect, where a person's belief in a treatment's efficacy can lead to improvement even if the treatment itself has no inherent therapeutic properties.

Question 9

A person may have short-term success with antipsychotic or antidepressant drugs, but at least half of patients stop taking them, often because of the ________ of the medication.

Accepted Answer

Unpleasant side effects are a common reason why patients stop taking antipsychotic or antidepressant drugs. Foul taste, unproven effectiveness, and societal stigma may also contribute to a patient's decision to stop taking medication, but they are not as common as unpleasant side effects.

Question 10

The proponents of ________ therapies also refer to their methods as "depth" therapies.

Accepted Answer

Psychodynamic therapies, which include Freudian psychoanalysis and other variations, focus on exploring the unconscious processes and unresolved conflicts that may be contributing to a person's problems. The term "depth" therapy refers to the idea of delving deep into these underlying issues to gain a greater understanding of oneself. Humanist therapies, such as person-centered therapy, focus more on conscious feelings and experiences, while behavior and cognitive therapies focus on changing specific behaviors or thoughts, respectively.

Question 11

Which treatment is LEAST likely to be used today?

Accepted Answer

Prefrontal lobotomy is the least likely treatment to be used today because it is an invasive surgical procedure that involves damaging certain parts of the brain. It was used in the past to treat mental illnesses but is now considered unethical and outdated. Drug therapy, ECT, and behavior therapy are all still commonly used treatments for various psychiatric disorders.

Question 12

Which of the following is an element of psychodynamic therapy?

Accepted Answer

Transference is a key element of psychodynamic therapy, which involves the patient projecting feelings and emotions onto the therapist that stem from past experiences with significant others.

Question 13

Electroconvulsive therapy and transcranial magnetic stimulation are primarily used to treat:

Accepted Answer

Electroconvulsive therapy and transcranial magnetic stimulation are primarily used to treat major depression. While they may be used in some cases to treat other mental health conditions, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, their most common and effective use is for treating major depression.

Question 14

Electroconvulsive therapy has been used successfully to treat ________ that has not responded to other treatments, but its effects are short lived.

Accepted Answer

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has been found to be effective in treating severe depression that has not responded to other treatments, but its effects are generally short term. ECT is not commonly used to treat severe anxiety, schizophrenia, or obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Question 15

When a patient comes in complaining of a headache, the therapist views the headache as the tip of a mental iceberg, with the real problem hidden in the deep unconscious. Which type of therapy would this represent?

Accepted Answer

The therapist viewing the headache as a manifestation of a deeper unconscious problem is a key principle of psychoanalytic therapy, which emphasizes exploring the unconscious mind to gain insight into psychological issues.

Question 16

In the 1950's, Emily had a procedure done to her in which the doctor used an instrument to cut the nerve fibers connecting her prefrontal cortex to the rest of the brain. This procedure, called _____________, left her withdrawn and unable to care for herself.

Accepted Answer

The procedure described in which nerve fibers connecting the prefrontal cortex to the rest of the brain are severed is a lobotomy. Option A, ECT, refers to electroconvulsive therapy, which involves passing electric current through the brain to induce seizures and is used for treating certain mental illnesses. Option B, deep brain surgery, involves implanting electrodes into specific areas of the brain and is used to manage movement disorders like Parkinson's disease. Option D, transcranial stimulation, involves using a non-invasive procedure to send magnetic signals to the brain and is used to treat depression and migraines.

Question 17

After a long period of controlled trials, the FDA approves a drug for the treatment of school-aged boys with ADHD. After it is approved, doctors are permitted to prescribe it:

Accepted Answer

The answer of After a long period of controlled trials,...

Question 18

Balthazar is being treated through a procedure in which electrodes are placed on both sides of his head and a brief current is turned on. The current triggers a seizure that lasts about a minute, causing his body to convulse. This type of treatment is known as:

Accepted Answer

The procedure described is electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), in which electrodes are placed on both sides of the head and a brief current is turned on, triggering a seizure that lasts about a minute. ECT is a form of treatment that is typically used for severe depression, particularly when other treatments have not been effective. SSRI and MAO are types of medications used to treat depression, while PET is a type of brain imaging used to study brain function.

Question 19

Ralph is a bright student but he procrastinates. He postpones writing term papers and gets incomplete grades from his teachers that eventually become F's. After exploring his early childhood memories with a therapist for almost a year, Ralph comes to the insight that he procrastinates as a way of expressing anger toward his parents. The treatment method used to help Ralph deal with his problem is most likely:

Accepted Answer

The mention of exploring childhood memories and gaining insight into the motivation behind Ralph's behavior suggests that psychodynamic therapy is being used. This type of therapy focuses on uncovering unconscious conflicts and emotional issues as a means of addressing current problems.

Question 20

The originator of the famous "talking cure" in psychology was:

Accepted Answer

The famous "talking cure" refers to psychoanalysis, which was developed by Sigmund Freud. He believed that by exploring and resolving unconscious conflicts, individuals could improve their mental health.

Quiz 16: Approaches to Treatment and Therapy