Question 1

This neurotransmitter is often disrupted in cases of schizophrenia.

Accepted Answer

Dopamine is the neurotransmitter that is often disrupted in cases of schizophrenia. Research suggests that an excess of dopamine activity in specific regions of the brain may contribute to the positive symptoms (such as delusions and hallucinations) experienced by individuals with schizophrenia. Antipsychotic medications target dopamine receptors to help alleviate these symptoms.

Question 2

Which of the following is a disorder that takes the form of a bodily ailment that has no physical cause?

Accepted Answer

Somatoform disorder is a psychological disorder in which a person experiences physical symptoms that are inconsistent with or cannot be fully explained by any underlying medical condition. This can include symptoms like pain, fatigue, and gastrointestinal problems. These physical symptoms are often caused by psychological distress and are not intentionally produced or feigned by the individual. Anxiety (A), dissociative (C), and psychophysiological (D) disorders may also involve physical symptoms, but they are not specifically characterized by bodily symptoms that have no physical cause.

Question 3

According to family pedigree and twin studies, a person is at greatest risk for developing schizophrenia __________

Accepted Answer

Having an identical twin diagnosed with schizophrenia presents the highest risk due to sharing 100% of their genes, indicating a strong genetic component to the disorder.

Question 4

When Bob noticed a pain in his thigh, he was convinced it was a sign of bone cancer. Although X-rays revealed no sign of cancer, Bob sought the opinions of a dozen other physicians who agreed with the original opinion. What psychological disorder might Bob's behavior indicate?

Accepted Answer

Bob's behavior indicates hypochondriasis, which is a psychological disorder characterized by excessive concern and fear about having a serious illness, despite no or little medical evidence to support the presence of the illness.

Question 5

The primary feature of __________ schizophrenia is severe disturbance of motor behavior.

Accepted Answer

Catatonic schizophrenia is characterized by extreme behavioral abnormalities, including stupor, mutism, rigidity, and extreme excitement. This type of schizophrenia is particularly associated with disruptions of movement and motor behavior.

Question 6

According to Walker and her colleagues, what role does stress play in the development of schizophrenia?

Accepted Answer

Walker and her colleagues suggest that stress plays a role in the development of schizophrenia by increasing the vulnerability of individuals with genetic predispositions or brain abnormalities to develop the disorder. Schizophrenics are not necessarily more stressed than non-schizophrenics, but they may be more susceptible to the negative effects of stress.

Question 7

Scans have revealed abnormally low neural activity and reduced volume in the __________ lobes of many schizophrenics.

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that individuals with schizophrenia exhibit lower neural activity and reduced volume in the frontal lobes, which are responsible for functions such as decision-making, attention, and working memory.

Question 8

Concerns about health would be of most importance to someone with __________

Accepted Answer

Hypochondriasis is a disorder characterized by excessive fear of having a serious illness or disease, despite having no or minor physical symptoms. This individual would be most concerned about their health. Conversion disorder, dissociative identity disorder, and schizophrenia are not primarily focused on concerns about physical health.

Question 9

While doing volunteer work at a mental hospital, Mary is put on a ward for adults with severe mental disorders. One patient remains in the same position for hours at a time and never talks. The doctors tell Mary this patient suffers from __________

Accepted Answer

The patient's symptoms of remaining in the same position for hours and never talking are characteristic of catatonic schizophrenia, which is a type of schizophrenia that involves abnormal movements and unresponsiveness. Depersonalization disorder involves feeling detached from one's body or surroundings, disorganized schizophrenia involves disorganized speech and behavior, and obsessive-compulsive disorder involves obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors.

Question 10

In the last six months Shelly has visited her physician ten times to complain of numerous physical symptoms. The physician has been unable to find a physical cause for her symptoms. What category of psychological disorders is the physician likely to suspect Shelly exhibits?

Accepted Answer

Shelly's numerous physical symptoms without a physical cause suggest a somatoform disorder, which is characterized by physical symptoms that cannot be explained by a medical condition. Anxiety and dissociative disorders may also involve physical symptoms, but there is no mention of other psychological symptoms that typically accompany these disorders. Psychophysiological disorders involve an interaction between psychological factors and physical symptoms, but there is no indication that Shelly's physical symptoms are related to stress or other psychological factors.

Question 11

A person who experiences rather dramatic and specific symptoms such as blindness, paralysis, deafness, or numbness of certain body parts, none of which have real physical causes, and exhibits lack of concern about the symptom will probably be diagnosed with __________

Accepted Answer

Conversion disorder involves the sudden manifestation of physical symptoms that have no underlying medical cause, and are often triggered by stressful life events. The symptoms can be quite specific and dramatic, such as blindness, paralysis, deafness, or numbness of certain body parts. Unlike with somatization disorder, individuals with conversion disorder may exhibit a lack of concern about the symptoms and may not actively seek medical attention.

Question 12

Hypochondriasis and conversion disorder are both types of __________

Accepted Answer

Hypochondriasis and conversion disorder are both types of somatoform disorders, which involve physical symptoms without a clear medical explanation. Hypochondriasis involves excessive fear and preoccupation with having a serious illness, while conversion disorder involves the development of physical symptoms that are due to psychological factors, such as stress or trauma.

Question 13

Cindy, a schizophrenia patient, often goes rigid for long periods of time. She likely has __________

Accepted Answer

Cindy's rigid behavior suggests that she has catatonic schizophrenia, which is characterized by physical immobility and other unusual behaviors.

Question 14

At present, the best explanation for what causes schizophrenia is that it is caused by __________

Accepted Answer

The best explanation for the cause of schizophrenia is an interaction of biological and experiential risk factors, including genetic factors and environmental stressors. While prenatal damage and postnatal stressors may be contributing factors, they do not fully explain the development of schizophrenia on their own.

Question 15

While engaging in combat in the Gulf War, Sammy found that his hands went numb and he sometimes couldn't move them. The doctors could not find a biological cause for Sammy's condition. Sammy likely has a(n) __________

Accepted Answer

Sammy's symptoms of numbness and loss of movement in his hands with no biological cause suggest a conversion disorder. A conversion disorder is a condition in which psychological stressors manifest as physical symptoms without a clear medical explanation. In this case, Sammy's experiences in combat likely triggered his symptoms.

Question 16

Shirley, a very healthy young woman, noticed that she had several bruises on her legs. Shirley immediately assumed that she must have leukemia, and forgot that she had walked into a table in her dark apartment the day before. Shirley likely suffers from _________

Accepted Answer

Shirley's assumption that she has leukemia based on a few bruises is indicative of hypochondriasis, which is a preoccupation and fear of having a serious illness despite little or no evidence of the illness. The other options do not fit the given scenario.

Question 17

According to research, which of the following has the highest chance of developing schizophrenia?

Accepted Answer

Research suggests that individuals with an identical twin who has schizophrenia have the highest risk of developing the disorder themselves. This is because identical twins share all of their genes, making them more biologically similar to each other than non-identical siblings or parents.

Question 18

This is the general catchall category of schizophrenia.

Accepted Answer

Undifferentiated schizophrenia is the general catchall category and is used when a patient's symptoms do not fit into one of the other subtypes (paranoid, disorganized, catatonic).

Question 19

A person who is preoccupied with every sensation of her body, worries excessively about getting ill, and continuously goes to doctors who never find anything physically wrong with her is likely to be diagnosed with __________

Accepted Answer

This person displays symptoms consistent with hypochondriasis, which is characterized by excessive preoccupation with having a serious illness despite lacking physical symptoms or medical confirmation.

Question 20

Abnormal activity in the brain's __________ system has been linked to schizophrenia.

Accepted Answer

Abnormal activity in the dopamine system in the brain has been consistently linked to the development and manifestation of schizophrenia. Elevated levels of dopamine in the mesolimbic pathway of the brain have been strongly associated with positive symptoms of schizophrenia, such as delusions and hallucinations.

Quiz 14: Psychological Disorders