Question 1

Jane has blackout periods where she can't remember what she did or where she was. She found clothing in her closet that she would never wear and doesn't know how it got there. When she goes to see the doctor she introduces herself as Suzy. Jane seems to be exhibiting

Accepted Answer

Jane is exhibiting symptoms of dissociative identity disorder, characterized by the presence of two or more distinct identities or personality states that control an individual's behavior at different times, leading to memory gaps and confusion about personal items.

Question 2

A doctor enters her office and greets her patient, "Good morning, Ted." The patient answers in an unfamiliar voice, "Ted has gone away." The doctor asks, "Would you like to tell me your name?" "I'm Ernie, and I don't like you!" her patient replies. This patient has

Accepted Answer

The sudden change in identity and memory loss are indicative of dissociative identity disorder. Dissociative fugue involves people forgetting their current identity and past, often accompanied by physical relocation, but does not involve the presence of multiple distinct identities. Generalized amnesia is a type of amnesia in which people forget their entire life history or a substantial portion of it. An attitude disorder is not a recognized mental disorder.

Question 3

Maggie experiences anxiety continually. Her doctor believes that the cause is associated with excessive production of

Accepted Answer

Excessive production of adrenaline is commonly associated with anxiety as it stimulates the "fight or flight" response in the body, leading to physical symptoms such as rapid heart rate, sweating, and trembling. Monoamineoxidase, dopamine, and GABA are not typically associated with excessive anxiety.

Question 4

All somatoform disorders involve

Accepted Answer

All somatoform disorders involve complaints of physical dysfunction, such as pain or other bodily sensations that cannot be fully explained by a medical condition. While anxiety and psychological factors may play a role in somatoform disorders, they do not necessarily involve the conversion of anxiety into a physical form or the transformation of anger into a physical illness. Repressed memories may be relevant in some cases, but they are not a universal feature of somatoform disorders.

Question 5

In panic disorder, biological imbalances might initially trigger an attack. However, later feelings of helplessness can increase fear. This description demonstrates the __________ biological and psychological factors in mental disorders.

Accepted Answer

The sentence describes how both biological imbalances and psychological factors, such as feelings of helplessness, interact to cause panic disorder.

Question 6

Sarah was found in New York City by her family. At first, Sarah didn't remember who she was or who they were. When they all returned to their home in Florida, Sarah couldn't remember going to New York but regained her memory of her family. Sarah demonstrates

Accepted Answer

Sarah's memory loss and sudden travel to New York are consistent with dissociative fugue. This disorder involves sudden, unexpected travel away from one's home or workplace, often accompanied by amnesia. Sarah's memory loss of her family upon being found in New York is also a characteristic of dissociative amnesia. However, she eventually regained her memory of her family, which would not be typical with dissociative identity disorder or depersonalization disorder.

Question 7

Some people with conversion disorder seem unconcerned with their symptoms, even when they experience considerable disability such as paralysis. This feature of conversion disorder has been called

Accepted Answer

The feature of being unconcerned with severe symptoms in conversion disorder is known as "la belle indifference." This term refers to the lack of emotional reaction or concern about the physical symptoms that are experienced. The term "la joie de vivre" means joy of living, which is not relevant to conversion disorder.

Question 8

Your boss knows that you are enrolled in a psychology class. He tells you that his mother-in-law has suddenly left home and traveled to another state. When the police found her, she had been living in the new town for six months. She had invented a totally false past and had no memory of her real past life. He wants to know what psychological disorder you think she is likely to be diagnosed with?

Accepted Answer

The described situation fits the diagnostic criteria of dissociative fugue, which involves sudden travel or wandering away from one's home, inability to remember past personal information, and the creation of a new identity or assuming a new identity. The individual may also exhibit confusion or agitation during an episode of dissociative fugue.

Question 9

Research has revealed that many of the people who are diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder report __________ during childhood.

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that many individuals who are diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder have reported a history of childhood abuse, particularly sexual abuse. This trauma can lead to the development of dissociative symptoms as a coping mechanism. While depression and loss of a parent can also be risk factors for dissociative disorders, they are not specific to dissociative identity disorder. Malingering, or faking symptoms for some external gain, is not considered a common cause of dissociative identity disorder.

Question 10

A man witnessed an explosion in which a co-worker died, and afterward his vision failed. After many neurological tests, doctors could find no organic basis for the man's loss of his eyesight. A psychological explanation for this is

Accepted Answer

The man's loss of vision with no organic basis suggests that it may be a conversion disorder, which is a psychological condition where a person experiences physical symptoms that have no apparent medical cause. The psychological trauma he experienced from witnessing the explosion and the death of his co-worker may have manifested as physical symptoms, such as his loss of vision.

Question 11

When it comes to explaining anxiety disorders, biological theorists' views are to __________, as learning theorists' views are to __________.

Accepted Answer

Biological theorists view anxiety disorders as being influenced by genetic factors, such as the functioning of neurotransmitters like GABA. Learning theorists, on the other hand, focus on how anxiety is learned through conditioning and reinforced through cognitive processes like thinking.

Question 12

Somatoform disorders are characterized by

Accepted Answer

Somatoform disorders involve physical symptoms without any physical cause, such as persistent pain or a belief that one has a serious disease that cannot be medically confirmed. Option A is a characteristic of mood disorders, option C is a characteristic of dissociative disorders, and option D is a characteristic of schizophrenia.

Question 13

Who would suggest that humans today are genetically predisposed to fear stimuli that may have posed a threat to their ancestors?

Accepted Answer

Evolutionary psychologists study how evolutionary processes and adaptations have shaped human behavior and cognition. This includes the idea that humans may have developed innate fears of things that posed a threat to their survival in their ancestral environment, such as snakes or heights. This idea highlights the importance of considering evolutionary history when studying human psychology.

Question 14

Patients with persistent complaints that they have physical problems like a serious disease, paralysis, or pain for which no physical cause can be found are exhibiting

Accepted Answer

Patients with persistent complaints about physical problems for which no physical cause can be found are exhibiting somatoform disorders. This is a mental disorder in which the person experiences physical symptoms that are either very distressing or interferes with their ability to function but has no identifiable physical cause. Malingering refers to the deliberate faking of symptoms for external gain, manipulation refers to using symptoms for personal gain, and anxiety may be a possible co-morbid condition but is not the primary diagnosis for this symptom presentation.

Question 15

A separation of thoughts, emotions, identity, and memory is to __________ disorders, as worrying, fear of the worst, nervousness, and an inability to relax is to __________ disorders.

Accepted Answer

Dissociative disorders involve a disruption in a person's sense of identity, memory, or consciousness, whereas anxiety disorders involve excessive or unrealistic worry, fear, or concern. The symptoms described in the second part of the sentence (worrying, fear of the worst, nervousness, inability to relax) are characteristic of anxiety disorders.

Question 16

A man leaves home one day, travels to another location, and loses all memory of his past life. He assumes a new identity that is more outgoing and less inhibited than that of his forgotten past. Time passes, and he recalls and then returns to his former life and identity. The events of the "new life" pursued when he lost his memory are completely forgotten. This man has experienced

Accepted Answer

The man in this scenario is experiencing dissociative fugue, which is a subtype of dissociative amnesia. Dissociative fugue involves suddenly traveling to a new location and adopting a new identity, often as a way to escape stress or trauma. The individual may have no memory of their past life or identity, but may eventually regain these memories and return to their former self. This is different from dissociative identity disorder, in which an individual has multiple distinct identities or personalities. It is also different from malingering, which involves deliberately feigning or exaggerating symptoms for personal gain, and depersonalization, which involves feeling detached from oneself or one's surroundings.

Question 17

Cory was driving the car when an accident occurred that killed his best friend. When Cory woke up the next morning, he couldn't remember where he was or what had happened the night before. He is most likely exhibiting

Accepted Answer

Cory's inability to remember the accident and his amnesia-like symptoms suggest dissociative amnesia, which is characterized by memory loss due to a traumatic event or stressful situation.

Question 18

Twin studies and adoption studies are methods to discover the role of __________ factors in the development of psychological disorders.

Accepted Answer

Twin studies and adoption studies are both methods that researchers use to investigate the role of biological factors in the development of psychological disorders. Twin studies involve comparing the rates of a disorder between identical twins (who share all of their genes) and fraternal twins (who share only half of their genes). Adoption studies, on the other hand, involve comparing the rates of a disorder between children who were adopted and raised apart from their biological parents (but share genes with them) and those who were adopted and raised by their biological parents (but may not share the same environment). By comparing these groups, researchers can gain insight into how much of a role genetics and environment play in the development of various disorders.

Question 19

Preston experienced times when he couldn't remember what he had done. Sometimes he found things in the house that weren't his and mail with someone else's name on it. Preston seems to be experiencing

Accepted Answer

Preston's symptoms of memory gaps and finding items and mail that don't belong to him suggest the presence of multiple identities or personalities, which is characteristic of dissociative identity disorder.

Question 20

Amnesia is frequently associated with __________ disorders.

Accepted Answer

Amnesia is most commonly associated with dissociative disorders, as it is often a symptom of dissociative amnesia, a type of dissociative disorder characterized by partial or total memory loss that is not caused by a physical injury or medical condition. Amnesia is not a typical symptom of somatoform, anxiety, or mood disorders.

Quiz 12: Psychological Disorders