A blind person is referred to a clinician by an optometrist,who can find no physical evidence for the blindness.The clinician asks the patient to perform a series of visual tasks.Following the assessment,the clinician concludes that her patient is suffering from a conversion disorder.What observation would lead to this conclusion?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The fact that the patient initially performed worse than chance on the visual task indicates that there may be a psychogenic (psychological) component to their blindness. The fact that they were able to perform better than chance once they were motivated to perform correctly suggests that the blindness is not due to a physical or organic problem, but rather a conversion disorder, which is a psychological condition in which physical symptoms (such as blindness) occur as a result of psychological distress or conflict. Option A is incorrect because a chance level of performance does not necessarily indicate a conversion disorder, it could simply be due to chance. Option B is incorrect because anxiety during the task does not necessarily indicate a conversion disorder, it could simply be due to anxiety or stress related to a physical problem. Option D is incorrect because performing better than chance until given motivation to perform correctly does not necessarily indicate a conversion disorder, it could simply be due to lack of motivation or focus.

A Blind Person Is Referred to a Clinician by an Optometrist,who