Question 1

Many people incorrectly assume that schizophrenia is a synonym for another commonly discussed mental illness. Why does this mistake occur?

Accepted Answer

One of the common misconceptions about schizophrenia is that it is the same as "split personality" or dissociative identity disorder. This misconception likely arises from the literal translation of schizophrenia, which means "split mind." However, schizophrenia is actually a disorder that affects a person's perception of reality, emotions, and behavior, rather than a disorder of multiple personalities.

Question 2

Believing that the government or other people are out to get you is one way in which sufferers of schizophrenia experience their ________.

Accepted Answer

Delusions are false beliefs that are not based in reality, and are a common symptom of schizophrenia. Delusions may manifest in different ways, but in this particular example, the person believes that there is a conspiracy against them by the government or others.

Question 3

Troy feels that the legal system and his ex-wife are unfairly out to get him and are making him pay more child support than he should. One persistent belief he has is that the Director of Public Prosecutions, the police department, and his ex-wife have conspired to send the Gnarls Barkley song "Crazy" into his head. Troy clearly is suffering from ________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Troy feels that the legal system and...

Question 4

One symptom of schizophrenia is called a word ________, in which a person's verbalisations are so jumbled that they are virtually impossible to understand.

Accepted Answer

A word salad is a symptom of schizophrenia where speech is so disorganized that it becomes incoherent and difficult to understand.

Question 5

When Dr Scharf speaks to his client Charise, she only repeats what he said to her. For example, "Good morning, Charise, how are you today?" is met with a response of, "Good morning, Charise, how are you today?" This parroting of things that are said to a person is known as ________, and it is a symptom sometimes seen in those suffering from schizophrenia.

Accepted Answer

Echolalia is the parroting or repetition of words or phrases spoken by someone else, often seen in individuals with schizophrenia or other neurological or developmental disorders. Echopraxia involves the imitation or copying of movements made by others, clanging involves the use of words that sound similar or rhyme but lack meaningful connections, and neologisms refer to the creation of new words or the use of existing words in unconventional ways.

Question 6

The belief that one is Harry Potter is an example of what schizophrenic symptom?

Accepted Answer

A delusion is a firmly held false belief that persists despite evidence to the contrary. The belief that one is a fictional character like Harry Potter falls under the category of delusions in schizophrenia.

Question 7

The most severe psychological disorder is ________.

Accepted Answer

Schizophrenia is considered the most severe psychological disorder as it causes a range of symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, disordered thinking, and behavior, which significantly impact daily functioning and can result in hospitalization. It typically requires long-term medication and therapy to manage symptoms. While other disorders like autism, depression, and dissociative identity disorder can also cause significant distress and impairment, they are generally considered less severe than schizophrenia.

Question 8

Experiencing extremes in motor behaviour, or repeating phrases that have been verbalised to you, are considered ________ symptoms of schizophrenia.

Accepted Answer

Experiencing extremes in motor behaviour, such as remaining motionless or engaging in unusual body positioning or movements, is a hallmark symptom of catatonic schizophrenia.

Answer: B) disorganised 
 Repeating phrases that have been verbalised to you or exhibiting disorganised speech patterns are symptoms of disorganised schizophrenia.

Answer: Both A) catatonic and B) disorganised 
 Both of these subtypes of schizophrenia involve specific symptoms related to motor behaviour and speech patterns. It is important to note that schizophrenia is a complex disorder and may involve a range of symptoms beyond these subtypes.

Question 9

Feeling insects crawling on your skin when none are really there, or hearing voices when no one is around or no one is talking to you, would be examples of what symptom of schizophrenia?

Accepted Answer

Hallucinations are sensory experiences that are not actually occurring in reality, such as seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling, or tasting something when there is no stimulus for it. Feeling insects crawling on your skin when none are there is an example of a tactile hallucination. Hearing voices when there is no one else around or when no one is speaking to you is an example of an auditory hallucination, which is one of the most common types of hallucinations experienced by people with schizophrenia.

Question 10

Nicholas's therapist suggests that his inability to recall any specifics from the dozens of times he was sexually abused by his great-uncle results from a second personality that is protecting him. After being hypnotised, a personality called "Biff" emerges that Nicholas is unaware of. This finding is most consistent with the ________ explanation of dissociative identity disorder.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Nicholas's therapist suggests that his inability to...

Question 11

False beliefs held by a person who has no evidence to support such beliefs are known as ________.

Accepted Answer

Delusions are false beliefs held by a person who has no evidence to support such beliefs. They are common in individuals with certain mental illnesses such as schizophrenia or delusional disorder. Hallucinations, on the other hand, refer to false sensory perceptions such as seeing or hearing things that are not actually present. Obsessions and compulsions are associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and refer to persistent thoughts or urges (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions) performed to alleviate anxiety or other distressing feelings.

Question 12

The most frequent type of hallucinations involves

Accepted Answer

Hearing voices or sounds that are not real is the most common type of hallucination experienced by individuals with certain mental disorders such as schizophrenia or delusional disorder. Seeing objects or persons that are not real (visual hallucinations) is also common, but less frequent than auditory hallucinations. Experiencing taste (gustatory) or feeling objects on one's body (tactile) that are not really present are less common types of hallucinations.

Question 13

The hallucinations that those with schizophrenia experience are most likely to be ________ in nature.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The hallucinations that those with schizophrenia experience...

Question 14

Sharee is diagnosed with schizophrenia. She believes that she is a powerful person who can save the world. Sharee is experiencing ________.

Accepted Answer

Sharee is experiencing delusions of grandeur, which is a type of delusion in which a person has an exaggerated sense of their own importance or power. This is common in schizophrenia.

Question 15

Nick is admitted to a mental institution because he hears voices talking to him that no one else can hear, and he sees demons attacking him, though no one else can see anything near him. Nick's symptoms are known as ________.

Accepted Answer

Nick is experiencing hallucinations, which are perceptions that are not based in reality and are typically associated with mental illness.

Question 16

A patient in a psychiatric hospital exhibits disordered thinking, bizarre behaviour, and hallucinations. This person is probably suffering from ________.

Accepted Answer

The symptoms described are characteristic of schizophrenia, a serious mental disorder that involves significant disturbances in thought, perception, and behaviour.

Question 17

According to the authors, schizophrenia is most often confused with which other psychological disorder?

Accepted Answer

Schizophrenia is often confused with dissociative identity disorder (formerly known as multiple personality disorder) due to misconceptions about the nature of these disorders.

Question 18

Riddick constantly speaks in a manner that is hard to follow because he quickly skips from topic to topic, sometimes even within a single sentence. This is most clearly the schizophrenic symptom of ________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Riddick constantly speaks in a manner that...

Question 19

The single most controversial psychological disorder is ________.

Accepted Answer

Dissociative identity disorder (previously known as multiple personality disorder) is controversial because of disagreement among psychologists about whether it is a legitimate disorder or a product of suggestion and therapist influence. Some argue that it is very rare and only occurs in response to extreme trauma, while others believe it is more common and can be influenced by media portrayals and suggestibility during therapy.

Question 20

Schizophrenia is a disorder that results from disturbances in ________ that spill into other areas of the person's life.

Accepted Answer

Schizophrenia is primarily characterized by disturbances in thought processes, such as delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking, and abnormal speech patterns. These symptoms can spill over into affect, personality, and identity, but they are secondary to the underlying thought-related disturbances.

Quiz 16: Psychological Disorders