Question 1

The early asylums ________
A) were primarily warehouses for the mentally ill.
B) were designed to be places of refuge for the mentally ill.
C) were designed to treat the mentally ill with physiological treatments, such as bloodletting.
D) were similar to the places the early Greeks used for people with mental illness.

Accepted Answer

The early asylums were primarily designed as warehouses for the mentally ill, where patients were housed in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions without proper treatment or care.

Question 2

The approaches to treatment of the mentally ill during the Middle Ages in Europe are best characterized as ________
A) superstitious.
B) humane.
C) medical.
D) scientific.

Accepted Answer

During the Middle Ages in Europe, the treatment of the mentally ill was heavily influenced by superstitions and religious beliefs. Many believed that mental illness was caused by demons or possession by evil spirits, leading to practices like exorcism and confinement in unhygienic and inhumane conditions. These practices were not based on medical or scientific understanding of mental illness.

Question 3

A common treatment for mental illness during the Middle Ages in Europe was ________
A) exorcism.
B) fresh air and supportive surroundings.
C) banishment.
D) an early form of psychoanalytic dream interpretation.

Accepted Answer

Exorcism was a common treatment for mental illness during the Middle Ages in Europe, as mental illness was often seen as a sign of possession by evil spirits. Priests would perform exorcisms to try to drive out these supposed demons.

Question 4

What trend was observed during the Middle Ages in Europe?
A) Belief in theology was declining.
B) Approaches to mental disorders were becoming increasingly scientific.
C) Supernatural explanations for mental disorders grew in popularity.
D) Humane treatments were developed.

Accepted Answer

During the Middle Ages, supernatural explanations for mental disorders grew in popularity. Many believed that such disorders were the result of possession by evil spirits or divine punishment, and various treatments and therapies were developed based on these beliefs.

Question 5

People in the Middle Ages ________
A) believed that mentally ill people were witches.
B) believed that witches were mentally ill.
C) believed that mentally ill witches should be treated differently than other types of witches.
D) believed that most witches and mentally ill people were possessed by demons, but in different ways.

Accepted Answer

During the Middle Ages, most people believed that both witches and mentally ill people were possessed by demons. However, they thought that they were possessed in different ways - witches were seen as making a pact with the devil, while mentally ill people were thought to have been involuntarily possessed.

Question 6

How did early treatment of mental patients in the United States compare to that offered in Europe?
A) Treatment in the United States was more humanitarian.
B) It was comparable to that offered in Europe.
C) The techniques employed were more scientifically based than those used in Europe.
D) The treatment approaches used in the United States were more effective than those used in Europe.

Accepted Answer

Early treatment of mental patients in the United States was largely modeled after European approaches, particularly those of England and France. The methods used were similar, including institutionalization, restraints, and sometimes even invasive procedures such as lobotomies. It was not until the mid-20th century that more humane and effective treatment options, such as psychotherapy and medication, became widely available. Therefore, treatment in the United States was comparable to that offered in Europe.

Question 7

During the Middle Ages in Europe, which of the following was most likely to treat mental illness?
A) A priest
B) A physician
C) A scientist
D) A surgeon

Accepted Answer

During the Middle Ages in Europe, mental illness was often seen as a spiritual affliction rather than a medical one. Therefore, it was common for priests to be the ones treating mental illness through prayer and other religious practices. Physicians and scientists did not have a strong understanding of mental illness at this time and did not have effective treatments. Surgeons were primarily focused on physical ailments and injuries rather than mental health.

Question 8

In 1983, a large group of West Bank Palestinian girls showed signs of illness. Some thought they were poisoned, but later it was discovered that psychological factors played a key role in most cases. This incident best illustrates ________
A) St. Vitus's dance.
B) exorcism.
C) lycanthropy.
D) mass madness.

Accepted Answer

The incident described in the question best illustrates mass madness, as a large group of people (in this case, Palestinian girls) exhibited signs of illness that were not physically caused but rather influenced by psychological factors.

Question 9

Who was one of the first physicians in the early 1500s to criticize the idea that mental illness was due to demonic possession (although he did believe the moon influenced the brain)?
A) Paracelsus
B) Galen
C) Pinel
D) Hippocrates

Accepted Answer

Paracelsus was one of the first physicians in the early 1500s to criticize the idea that mental illness was due to demonic possession, although he did believe the moon influenced the brain. Galen, Hippocrates, and Pinel were all influential physicians in the history of medicine, but they did not specifically challenge the idea of demonic possession as a cause of mental illness.

Question 10

Exorcism is ________
A) still occasionally practiced today for the treatment of psychological problems, sometimes with fatal results.
B) a religious rite that is no longer used for the treatment of psychological problems.
C) a symbolic act that can still be useful in changing psychological functioning.
D) a treatment that, throughout history, was never a very popular method of treating psychological problems.

Accepted Answer

Exorcism is still occasionally practiced today for the treatment of psychological problems, sometimes with fatal results. While it may be considered a religious rite, it is not used in mainstream psychology and is not a recognized treatment for psychological disorders.

Question 11

Recent historical reviews of the literature indicate that the typical accused witch in the Middle Ages in Europe was ________
A) a person we would now consider to have a mental illness.
B) a priest who was a rival of a more powerful priest.
C) an ill-tempered, impoverished woman.
D) a person we would now consider to have mental retardation.

Accepted Answer

Recent historical reviews have indicated that the typical accused witch in the Middle Ages in Europe was an ill-tempered, impoverished woman. This was due to the social and economic circumstances of the time which made women vulnerable to accusations of witchcraft. There is no evidence to suggest that they were mentally ill or mentally retarded or priests who were rivals of more powerful priests.

Question 12

The disorder Koro, where males fear that their genitals have retracted into their body, possibly leading to death, is similar to the episodes of mass madness during the Black Death because ________
A) both demonstrated that mass madness is primarily a physiological disorder.
B) both demonstrated the effect that sociocultural stressors can have on mental functioning of large groups of people.
C) both demonstrated that the responses of other people to the person with mass madness determines whether the person will recover.
D) both demonstrated that it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to discover the cause of mass madness.

Accepted Answer

Both Koro and the episodes of mass madness during the Black Death were triggered by sociocultural stressors (fear of retribution from God and fear of contracting the deadly disease, respectively) and affected large groups of people. This suggests that mental functioning can be influenced by external factors and that there is a sociocultural component to mass madness.

Question 13

The fact that episodes of mass madness peaked at the time of the Black Death illustrates that ________
A) mass hysteria usually has a biological basis.
B) mental and physical illnesses commonly occur together.
C) phenomena that impact the society and its structure may also affect mental health.
D) mental illnesses really are caused by imbalances in the four bodily humors.

Accepted Answer

The fact that episodes of mass madness peaked at the time of the Black Death indicates that societal events and disruptions can have a significant impact on mental health. This suggests that mental health is influenced by broader social and environmental factors, rather than just biological or internal factors.

Question 14

If you visited an asylum in the 16th Century in Europe you would likely find ________
A) a place that mixed together the mentally ill, the poor, criminals, and the physically ill.
B) exorcisms being done by priests.
C) a place where people were given good food, work, and rest so they could recover.
D) mentally ill people living in conditions of filth and cruelty.

Accepted Answer

The answer of If you visited an asylum in the...

Question 15

What is lycanthropy?
A) A form of mass hysteria characterized by wild dance-like movements
B) A condition in which people believe themselves to be possessed by wolves
C) A form of mass madness seen only in men
D) A form of mass hysteria now known to have been drug-induced

Accepted Answer

Lycanthropy is a condition in which people believe themselves to be possessed by wolves, often resulting in a belief that they can transform into wolves.

Question 16

What is "mass madness"?
A) An exhibition of disordered behavior by a group of people that appears to be caused by hysteria
B) A reaction to the harsh and inhumane treatment of the mentally ill during the Middle Ages
C) A reference to the increased incidence of schizophrenia seen 16 years after a flu epidemic
D) A reaction to hallucinogenic compounds taken as part of religious rituals in ancient Egypt

Accepted Answer

Mass madness refers to a phenomenon where a group of people exhibit disordered behavior that appears to be caused by hysteria. This can include things like dancing mania, mass psychogenic illness, or other forms of group hysteria.

Question 17

What was the purpose of the early asylums?
A) To remove those who could not care for themselves from society
B) To provide exorcisms
C) To offer humanitarian treatment to those afflicted with mental illnesses
D) To offer biological approaches to the treatment of mental disorders

Accepted Answer

The early asylums were established to remove individuals who were deemed unable to care for themselves from society. This was primarily due to a societal desire to protect the rest of the population from individuals who were considered a danger to themselves or others. The focus was not on providing humane treatment or addressing the underlying causes of mental illness.

Question 18

Johann Weyer, in the early 1500s, ________
A) was a popularly accepted writer who argued that mental illness was due to demon possession.
B) was a popularly accepted writer who argued that mental illness was due to imbalances in the four humors.
C) wrote a book that was condemned by many, arguing that many witches were actually mentally ill.
D) wrote a book that was scorned by many, arguing that mental illness was due to bodily magnetism.

Accepted Answer

Johann Weyer wrote a book called "De Praestigiis Daemonum" in which he argued that many people accused of witchcraft were actually suffering from mental illness such as hysteria, depression, or schizophrenia. His views were condemned by many in the church and society at the time.

Question 19

Which statement about treatment of abnormal behavior in the Middle Ages is accurate?
A) Although the Hippocratic tradition was continued in most of Europe, Islamic countries emphasized demonology.
B) Scientific reasoning and humane treatments were valued in both European and Islamic societies.
C) Islamic forms of treatment were more humane than European approaches.
D) The Chinese emphasized prayer, the Europeans emphasized exercise, and the Islamic peoples emphasized balancing the four bodily humors.

Accepted Answer

Islamic medical practices during the Middle Ages often involved more humane treatments for the mentally ill compared to European methods, which were more likely to involve harsh treatments based on the belief in supernatural causes. Islamic physicians, influenced by the earlier Greek and Roman medical knowledge as well as their own innovations, focused on treatment through diet, medication, and therapy.

Question 20

The emergence of humanism brought about changes in all of the following except ________
A) an increase in the belief in supernatural causes of behavior.
B) scientific questioning.
C) more humane treatment.
D) fewer superstitious beliefs about demonic possession.

Accepted Answer

Humanism emphasized the potential of human beings and promoted a more rational and scientific approach to understanding the world, leading to a decrease in superstitious beliefs and an increase in rational explanation for behavior. Therefore, an increase in the belief in supernatural causes of behavior is not a change brought about by humanism.

Quiz 2: Historical and Contemporary Views of Abnormal Behavior

The early asylums ________

The approaches to treatment of the mentally ill during the Middle Ages in Europe are best characterized as ________

A common treatment for mental illness during the Middle Ages in Europe was ________

What trend was observed during the Middle Ages in Europe?

People in the Middle Ages ________

How did early treatment of mental patients in the United States compare to that offered in Europe?

During the Middle Ages in Europe, which of the following was most likely to treat mental illness?

In 1983, a large group of West Bank Palestinian girls showed signs of illness. Some thought they were poisoned, but later it was discovered that psychological factors played a key role in most cases. This incident best illustrates ________

Who was one of the first physicians in the early 1500s to criticize the idea that mental illness was due to demonic possession (although he did believe the moon influenced the brain) ?

Exorcism is ________

Recent historical reviews of the literature indicate that the typical accused witch in the Middle Ages in Europe was ________

The disorder Koro, where males fear that their genitals have retracted into their body, possibly leading to death, is similar to the episodes of mass madness during the Black Death because ________

The fact that episodes of mass madness peaked at the time of the Black Death illustrates that ________

If you visited an asylum in the 16th Century in Europe you would likely find ________

What is lycanthropy?

What is "mass madness"?

What was the purpose of the early asylums?

Johann Weyer, in the early 1500s, ________

Which statement about treatment of abnormal behavior in the Middle Ages is accurate?

The emergence of humanism brought about changes in all of the following except ________