Question 1

What does a concordance rate indicate

Accepted Answer

Concordance rate indicates the percentage of pairs of relatives who exhibit the same disorder. This is commonly used in the study of genetics and heritability of disorders. Therefore, option C is the correct answer. Option A refers to inter-rater reliability, option B refers to the impact of biological factors, and option D refers to the impact of psychological factors on physical health, which are not related to concordance rates.

Question 2

Cherie's children were killed in an automobile accident,which Cherie survived.When police question her about the events surrounding the accident,Cherie is unable to remember anything.She remembers getting into her car to drive her children to school,and she remembers her trip by ambulance to the local hospital,but everything in between is a complete "blank." Which disorder is most consistent with Cherie's experience

Accepted Answer

Cherie's inability to remember events surrounding the automobile accident suggests dissociative amnesia, which is characterized by memory loss often associated with a traumatic event. Anterograde amnesia involves the inability to form new memories, while dissociative fugue involves leaving one's familiar environment and assuming a new identity. Panic disorder involves recurrent panic attacks and is not consistent with Cherie's experience.

Question 3

If you presented the sentence "Quinton was thinking about the upcoming fall," which interpretation would most likely come from someone with an anxiety disorder

Accepted Answer

Individuals with anxiety disorders may interpret situations with a negative or fearful perspective, leading them to assume "fall" refers to a physical fall that could result in harm, rather than the season or an emotional state.

Question 4

What is the term used to describe the behaviour of checking your alarm clock 20 times before going to sleep

Accepted Answer

Checking an alarm clock multiple times before going to sleep is characteristic of compulsive behavior. Compulsive behavior involves repetitive actions or behaviors that a person feels compelled to perform, even if they do not make sense or serve a practical purpose. It can be a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or other mental health conditions. Obsessive behavior, as opposed to compulsive behavior, typically involves persistent, unwanted thoughts or ideas that cause anxiety or distress. "Amnesiac" and "phobic" are not applicable terms for this behavior.

Question 5

Frank witnessed a horrible car accident but cannot remember anything about it.Which disorder is associated with Frank's experience

Accepted Answer

Dissociative amnesia is a disorder that involves the inability to recall important personal information, usually related to a traumatic or stressful event. Frank's experience of witnessing a horrible car accident but being unable to remember anything about it is consistent with dissociative amnesia. Conversion disorder involves physical symptoms that cannot be explained by medical tests, psychosis-induced repression is not a recognized disorder, and dissociative fugue involves a person suddenly and unexpectedly traveling away from their home or work and being unable to remember their past.

Question 6

Trish has been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.What is the lifetime risk that her identical twin will also develop an anxiety disorder

Accepted Answer

The answer of Trish has been diagnosed with an anxiety...

Question 7

Ali has a psychological disorder,and her doctor has prescribed a drug that affects the levels of GABA in her nervous system.What type of disorder is Ali most likely being treated for,based on this information

Accepted Answer

The drug affecting the levels of GABA in Ali's nervous system indicates that she is likely being treated for an anxiety disorder. GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that helps to calm nerve activity in the brain, so by manipulating its levels, the drug is likely intended to reduce feelings of anxiety. This information does not point to any of the other listed disorders.

Question 8

Michenne was giving a presentation to her class when suddenly the roof collapsed.Michenne was not injured herself,but she watched helplessly as her classmates were pinned under mounds of rubble.She saw horrific injuries,and several of her classmates were killed in the accident.If Michenne develops symptoms of a mental disorder,what disorder is it most likely to be

Accepted Answer

Michenne witnessed a traumatic event, which puts her at risk for developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The symptoms of PTSD include intrusive thoughts or memories of the trauma, avoidance behaviors, and hyperarousal, all of which Michenne may experience after witnessing her classmates' injuries and deaths. Panic disorder, nonspecific phobia disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder may also develop after a traumatic event, but PTSD is the most likely disorder given Michenne's experience.

Question 9

Kate constantly thinks about jumping in front of an oncoming car when she is walking.The only way she seems to be able to stop these self-destructive thoughts is to recite a cheerful poem over and over to herself.Which disorder is most consistent with Kate's symptoms

Accepted Answer

Kate's repetitive thoughts and the use of a specific behavior to counteract them are consistent with the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Question 10

Approximately what proportion of the population has experienced post-traumatic stress disorder

Accepted Answer

According to the National Center for PTSD, approximately 7-8% of the population will experience PTSD at some point in their lives.

Question 11

What is a primary symptom associated with hoarding disorder

Accepted Answer

One of the primary symptoms associated with hoarding disorder is anxiety or distress associated with getting rid of items, even if they are useless, broken or of little value. Other symptoms may include extreme clutter, difficulty discarding items, indecisiveness, procrastination, and avoidance behaviors. Hoarding disorder is a mental health condition that can significantly impair daily functioning and quality of life.

Question 12

According to Seligman's concept of "preparedness," which stimuli should one develop a phobia toward most easily

Accepted Answer

Seligman's concept of "preparedness" suggests that humans are more likely to develop phobias toward stimuli that have posed real threats to survival throughout evolutionary history. Heights represent such a threat, making it easier for individuals to develop a phobia toward them compared to neutral or less threatening stimuli like rabbits, feet, or chairs.

Question 13

Ramsay is being treated for a psychological disorder.As part of her treatment program,she is taking medication that alters the activity of serotonin synapses.Which type of disorder is she likely being treated for

Accepted Answer

Medications that alter the activity of serotonin synapses are commonly used to treat anxiety disorders, including panic disorder.

Question 14

What does Seligman's concept of "preparedness" refer to

Accepted Answer

Seligman's concept of "preparedness" refers to a biological predisposition to be easily conditioned to fear certain things, due to evolutionary processes that have developed certain fears as adaptive responses to potential dangers.

Question 15

What often precedes the development of a panic disorder

Accepted Answer

Panic disorders often develop after a period of significant stress, such as the death of a loved one, divorce, or job loss.

Question 16

Abnormalities in certain neural circuits have recently been implicated in panic and obsessive-compulsive disorders.Which neurotransmitter is used in those defective circuits

Accepted Answer

The neurotransmitter implicated in panic and obsessive-compulsive disorders is serotonin, which regulates mood, social behavior, appetite, digestion, sleep, and other bodily functions. Abnormal levels or function of serotonin can cause various mental disorders including anxiety, depression, and OCD.

Question 17

How are phobic responses acquired and then maintained,according to Mowrer

Accepted Answer

Mowrer's two-factor theory suggests that phobias are acquired through classical conditioning, where an individual learns to associate a neutral stimulus with a fear response. They are then maintained through operant conditioning, as avoiding the phobic stimulus reduces fear and reinforces the phobic behavior.

Question 18

Grayson seems to be preoccupied with the possibility that he might miss an important message from someone in his family.He checks for new messages on his phone every 15 minutes.Which term best describes this checking behaviour

Accepted Answer

Grayson's behaviour of checking for new messages every 15 minutes is a repetitive and excessive act that he feels compelled to perform in order to alleviate his anxiety of possibly missing an important message. This behaviour is a classic example of a compulsion, which is a type of repetitive behaviour that a person feels driven to perform in response to an obsession or anxiety.

Question 19

Chantal has an extensive collection of comic books.In fact,her collection is so large that she uses two rooms in her house to store all of her comics.She keeps them in a series of perfectly labelled boxes.She stops at the comic book store every week to get new issues,and she decided to spend her savings on some antique comics rather than taking a vacation.Chantal's family doesn't like her collection and thinks that she wastes a lot of time and money on it.Does Chantal meet the diagnostic criteria for hoarding disorder

Accepted Answer

Hoarding disorder is characterized by persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions, regardless of their actual value. This difficulty is due to a perceived need to save the items and to distress associated with discarding them. The hoarding causes significant clutter and interferes with everyday living spaces, or it causes significant distress or impairment in functioning. Chantal's collection, while extensive, is well-organized and does not cause clutter or safety concerns in her living spaces, which does not meet the criteria for hoarding disorder as defined in the DSM.

Question 20

Jack thinks constantly about dirt and germs.He washes his hands hundreds of times a day.Which disorder is most consistent with Jack's behaviour

Accepted Answer

Jack's behavior is most consistent with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), which is characterized by recurring, unwanted thoughts, or obsessions, that lead to repetitive behaviors or compulsions, such as excessive hand washing. Phobic disorder, somatization disorder, and illness anxiety disorder do not fit with Jack's symptoms.

Quiz 15: A: Psychological Disorders