Question 1

Studies that have evaluated concordance rates for various mood disorders have found

Accepted Answer

Studies have found that the influence of genetic factors appears to be stronger for bipolar disorders than for unipolar disorders.

Question 2

Sarah is a 23-year-old woman whose sister has recently been diagnosed with a depressive disorder. Jacob is a 25-year-old man whose brother has recently been diagnosed with a depressive disorder. Based on studies which have investigated genetic vulnerability, you should predict that

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that there is a genetic vulnerability to depression, and having a family member with depression increases the risk of developing the disorder. Since Sarah is the younger sister of someone with depression, she is closer in age and genetic similarity, therefore at a higher risk than Jacob who is the older brother of someone with depression.

Question 3

It is safest to conclude that after 40 years of research effort, the neurochemical bases of mood disorders

Accepted Answer

The passage states that after 40 years of research effort, the neurochemical bases of mood disorders "remains mysterious." Therefore, the best choice is D.

Question 4

Suicide rates are highest among people with which of the following specific disorders?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Suicide rates are highest among people with...

Question 5

Seligman found that people with a pessimistic explanatory style are especially vulnerable to depression. These individuals tend to attribute their setbacks to ____, and draw ____ conclusions about their personal inadequacies.

Accepted Answer

Seligman found that individuals with a pessimistic explanatory style tend to internalize their setbacks as personal flaws rather than attributing them to situational factors, and draw far-reaching and global conclusions about their inadequacies.

Question 6

Bipolar disorders occur in ____ of the population.

Accepted Answer

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), bipolar disorders affect about 1% to 2% of the adult population in the United States.

Question 7

Jay has periods of elevated mood to the point of extreme euphoria and optimism that are followed by periods of depression. Jay is MOST likely to be diagnosed with a

Accepted Answer

The symptoms described in the scenario suggest bipolar disorder, as it involves cycles of extreme highs (euphoria and optimism) and lows (depression). The other answer choices do not match the symptoms described.

Question 8

Which of the following statements is MOST accurate concerning the onset of bipolar disorder?

Accepted Answer

While bipolar disorder can affect individuals of all ages, the peak age of onset is in the late teenage years (typically between 15-19 years old). The symptoms of bipolar disorder can be severe at any age of onset.

Question 9

Correlations between mood disorders and a variety of structural abnormalities in the brain suggest that reduced volume in the ____ is related to depression.

Accepted Answer

Studies have consistently found reduced volume in the hippocampus in individuals with depression. The hippocampus plays a role in regulating emotions and is also involved in learning and memory processes. Reduction in volume may lead to impaired regulation of emotions and cognitive functions, contributing to the development of depression. The other brain regions listed (amygdala, hypothalamus, and thalamus) have also been implicated in mood disorders, but there is stronger evidence for the role of the hippocampus in depression.

Question 10

Mercy suffers from depression and she spends a great deal of time each day dwelling on her depressed feelings. Research would suggest that Mercy is at increased risk of developing

Accepted Answer

Ruminating on negative feelings or depressive symptoms can increase the risk of developing unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as binge-eating habits, to deal with emotional distress.

Question 11

Darla was fired from her most recent job. Based on Seligman's investigations into the cognitive factors that might contribute to depression, Darla will be MOST prone to depression if she attributes her firing to

Accepted Answer

Seligman's theory suggests that individuals who attribute negative events to internal, stable, and global factors (such as their own lack of ability) are more prone to depression than those who attribute such events to external, unstable, and specific factors (such as a bad boss mood). Therefore, Darla is more prone to depression if she sees her firing as a reflection of her own abilities (internal) that are unlikely to change in the future (stable) and will affect all areas of her life (global).

Question 12

For people suffering from bipolar disorder, manic episodes usually

Accepted Answer

Manic episodes typically last a shorter amount of time than depressive episodes in bipolar disorder. The duration of manic episodes may range from days to weeks, while depressive episodes may last weeks to months.

Question 13

Researchers have found that bipolar disorder occurs

Accepted Answer

Bipolar disorder occurs with equal frequency in women and men, indicating that gender does not play a significant role in the likelihood of developing this condition.

Question 14

The cognitive approach to explaining the etiology of depressive disorders maintains that people who are more likely to develop depressive disorders tend to do all of the following EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

The cognitive approach to depression focuses on how negative thinking and maladaptive beliefs contribute to depression. It does not typically emphasize misinterpreting harmless situations as threatening, which is more related to anxiety disorders.

Question 15

According to Seligman people who exhibit a ____ explanatory style are especially vulnerable to depression.

Accepted Answer

Seligman identified a pessimistic explanatory style as a risk factor for depression, characterized by attributing negative events to internal, stable, and global factors. This style of thinking can cause individuals to feel helpless and hopeless in the face of challenges or setbacks.

Question 16

Recent research has revealed that depressed patients have elevated levels of

Accepted Answer

Recent research has indicated that depressed patients generally suffer from elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which can lead to a range of physical and psychological symptoms. While dopamine and serotonin are neurotransmitters that play important roles in mood regulation and other physiological functions, their levels can vary widely between individuals and are not necessarily elevated in people with depression. Similarly, while cerebrospinal fluid levels can be indicative of certain neurological conditions, they are not specifically related to depression.

Question 17

Tina has been extremely hyperactive for the past week, and she has been getting by with only three hours of sleep each night. Her thoughts seem to be racing out of control, and she is convinced that the novel she started last week will become a best seller and win a Pulitzer Prize, even though she has never had any of her writing published in the past. Tina's symptoms suggest that she is currently experiencing

Accepted Answer

Tina's extremely hyperactive behavior, racing thoughts, and grandiose belief that her novel will win a Pulitzer Prize suggest that she is experiencing a manic episode, which is a characteristic symptom of bipolar disorder. Dysthymic disorder is a chronic low-grade depression that lasts for at least two years. Generalized anxiety disorder is characterized by excessive and persistent worry and anxiety. Dissociative fugue is a dissociative disorder in which an individual experiences amnesia and sometimes even changes their identity, but Tina's symptoms do not suggest such a disorder.

Question 18

With regard to age, suicides peak in the

Accepted Answer

Suicides peak in the age group over 75 years old, reflecting issues such as isolation, loss of loved ones, and potential health problems that can increase despair in older populations.

Question 19

About what percentage of people who complete suicide suffered from some type of psychological disorder?

Accepted Answer

Research indicates that up to 90% of individuals who die by suicide have a diagnosable psychological disorder at the time of their death, highlighting the strong link between mental health issues and suicide.

Question 20

Which of the following symptoms is NOT associated with someone who has a bipolar disorder?

Accepted Answer

Hallucinations are not typically associated with bipolar disorders, but may be a symptom of other mental illnesses such as schizophrenia. The other three symptoms listed are commonly associated with bipolar disorder.

Quiz 15: Abnormal Behaviour