Question 1

A is strong and intense fear that is evoked in response to a particular situation is called ________.

Accepted Answer

A phobia is a strong and intense fear that is evoked in response to a particular situation or object.

Question 2

When considering the term "insanity," it is important to remember that:

Accepted Answer

"Insanity" is primarily a legal term used to describe a defendant's mental state in the context of criminal responsibility, rather than a psychological diagnosis.

Question 3

A clinical psychologist is using a particular diagnostic classification system to diagnose a psychological disorder. She finds that her system yields consistent results but, unfortunately, it does not appear to be accurately assessing the disorder in which she is interested. This would mean that her classification system is:

Accepted Answer

The classification system is reliable because it yields consistent results, but it is not valid because it does not accurately assess the disorder.

Question 4

The legal term "competency" refers to a person's state of mind at a trial or hearing, while the term is concerned with a person's mental state at the time a crime was committed.

Accepted Answer

The term "insanity" is concerned with a person's mental state at the time a crime was committed, determining if they were capable of understanding their actions.

Question 5

Which of the following would be classified as part of the physiological component of anxiety?

Accepted Answer

Increased heart rate and sweaty palms are physical symptoms, which are part of the physiological component of anxiety.

Question 6

Regarding a diagnostic classification system for psychological disorders, reliability means that clinicians using the classification system should show high levels of agreement in their diagnostic classifications, whereas, if the categories accurately capture the essential features of the disorders, this is called _.

Accepted Answer

Validity refers to the extent to which the categories in a classification system accurately capture the essential features of the disorders they are intended to represent.

Question 7

The term "competency" is most concerned with:

Accepted Answer

Competency refers to a person's current mental state and their ability to understand and participate in legal proceedings, such as a trial or hearing.

Question 8

Someone who has psychologically caused problems of consciousness and self-identification, such as amnesia, would be classified as falling into which of the different major diagnostic categories?

Accepted Answer

Dissociative disorders involve problems with memory, identity, emotion, perception, behavior, and sense of self, including conditions like amnesia.

Question 9

The ability of a diagnostic classification system to effectively differentiate between various disorders and to accurately capture the essential features of these disorders is most relevant to which of the following qualities?

Accepted Answer

Validity refers to the extent to which a diagnostic system accurately measures or captures the true nature of the disorders it is intended to classify, including differentiating between different disorders.

Question 10

Sara lost both of her parents when she was a young child. Primarily because of this historical event, she develops an anxiety disorder when she learns that the life of her best friend is threatened by cancer. This example provides the best illustration of:

Accepted Answer

The vulnerability-stress model suggests that individuals have a predisposition or vulnerability to developing a disorder, which can be triggered by stressful life events. Sara's early loss of her parents is a vulnerability that, when combined with the stress of her friend's illness, leads to her anxiety disorder.

Question 11

If we say that a diagnostic classification system, such as the DSM-5, is reliable, this specifically means that:

Accepted Answer

Reliability refers to the consistency of a diagnostic system, meaning it produces the same results under consistent conditions.

Question 12

Rosenhan conducted a study in which he and several colleagues got themselves admitted to mental institutions and once they were in the hospitals, they acted normally. The results from this study revealed that:

Accepted Answer

The study showed that once labeled with a mental disorder, the normal behaviors of the pseudo-patients were interpreted through the lens of their diagnosis, highlighting the power of diagnostic labels.

Question 13

The newly introduced DSM-5 improved upon the DSM-IV-TR by adding what type of measurement system to the diagnosis?

Accepted Answer

The DSM-5 introduced a dimensional approach to diagnosis, which allows for the assessment of the severity of symptoms on a continuum, rather than just a categorical yes/no diagnosis.

Question 14

Stacey tends to worry a lot. She is frequently thinking about how other people may think less of her or may do things that will embarrass or humiliate her. These thoughts serve to keep Stacey anxious a great deal of the time and best demonstrate the ________ component of anxiety.

Accepted Answer

The cognitive component of anxiety involves the thoughts and beliefs that contribute to feelings of anxiety, such as worrying about others' perceptions and potential embarrassment.

Question 15

Someone who avoids social situations and refrains from speaking in class because of social anxiety is demonstrating the component of anxiety.

Accepted Answer

The behavioral component of anxiety involves actions or behaviors, such as avoiding social situations or refraining from speaking, as a response to anxiety.

Question 16

Lucas is accused of a particularly violent murder. His attorney is arguing to the judge that Lucas cannot be tried for the crime because he cannot understand the nature of the charges against him as he is currently _.

Accepted Answer

The legal argument being made is that Lucas is "incompetent" to stand trial, meaning he cannot understand the nature of the charges or participate in his defense.

Question 17

All of the following were discussed as potential limitations of the use of diagnostic systems such as the DSM-5 EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

The DSM-5 is designed to improve the reliability and validity of mental disorder assessments, not decrease them.

Question 18

Negative perceptions in both the people being diagnosed and in others can be generated as one of the detrimental effects of _.

Accepted Answer

Psychiatric labelling can lead to negative perceptions and stigma, affecting both those diagnosed and how others perceive them.

Question 19

Which of the following was NOT one of the problems with the categorical system used by the DSM-IV-TR?

Accepted Answer

The DSM-IV-TR was not particularly reliable, meaning that different clinicians often gave different diagnoses to the same person.

Question 20

When a defendant is on trial for murder and they plead insanity as a defence, this means

Accepted Answer

The insanity defense is based on the idea that the defendant was unable to understand or control their actions due to a severe mental disorder at the time of the crime, thus lacking the intent necessary for legal responsibility.

Quiz 16: Psychological Disorders