Question 1

Although Charlie remembered most of the main issues of the meeting, he had no recollection of the decision to eliminate the department that he headed. Which form of psychogenic amnesia would this be characteristic of?

Accepted Answer

Selective amnesia is characterized by the inability to recall specific information, while still retaining memory for other events. In this case, Charlie can remember most of the meeting but has no recollection of the decision to eliminate his department, indicating selective amnesia.

Question 2

Why has there been little systematic research conducted on dissociative amnesia and fugue?

Accepted Answer

These conditions are too rare, making it difficult to gather a large enough sample size for extensive research.

Question 3

In soap operas, characters often forget their past experience following some trauma. They don't merely forget the traumatic event, they forget who they are, where they came from - they lose almost all memory of their lives. They then move to a new place and start a new identity. This would best be described as an instance of

Accepted Answer

The description fits dissociative fugue, which is a type of dissociative amnesia where a person forgets their past, identity and may even assume a new identity in a different location after a traumatic event. Anterograde amnesia refers to the inability to form new memories after the traumatic event. Continuous amnesia is a rare form where a person is unable to recall new information as well as information from the past. Generalized amnesia refers to the overall inability to recall personal information and is often due to a medical condition or injury.

Question 4

After learning of her father's death, Sophia felt dazed and confused but still retained her sense of self. When speaking of her response to the news, she said she felt like she was in a movie watching the events happening to her. Despite this strange feeling, she understood what was happening and did the things that she needed to do. What can be said of Sophia's response to her father's death?

Accepted Answer

Sophia experienced an instance of derealization, where she felt like she was watching events happening to her as though in a movie. This is a common response to traumatic events and does not necessarily indicate a psychological disorder.

Question 5

In the study mentioned in the text, the German man who had dissociative fugue denied that he could speak German. However, he learned German-English word pairs much faster than control words. This supports that

Accepted Answer

This supports the idea that mainly episodic memory (personal experiences and specific events) is lost in dissociative fugue, while implicit memory (unconscious memory, such as skills and conditioned responses) remains intact, as evidenced by his ability to learn German-English word pairs quickly despite denying knowledge of German.

Question 6

Jeremy suffers from psychogenic amnesia. He probably

Accepted Answer

Psychogenic amnesia is a type of amnesia that is caused by psychological trauma or emotional stress rather than physical damage to the brain. In this type of amnesia, the individual usually has no physical injuries or changes to brain structure or function. They appear quite normal other than their memory loss. Therefore, Option D is the best choice.

Question 7

Which of the following has been demonstrated about the effects of psychogenic amnesias on memory?

Accepted Answer

Psychogenic amnesias typically affect explicit memory, but implicit memory (memory that affects behavior without conscious awareness) is generally intact. Episodic memory (memory of personal experiences) may be affected in some cases, but this is not always the case. Semantic memory (general knowledge and facts) is typically not affected.

Question 8

Which of the following is most suggestive of dissociative identity disorder?

Accepted Answer

Kyla's inability to recall where she had been or what she had done all day suggests memory loss or gaps in her memory which could be indicative of dissociation, a common symptom of dissociative identity disorder. The other options do not necessarily indicate dissociative identity disorder.

Question 9

Once a dissociative fugue ends, people

Accepted Answer

Once a dissociative fugue ends, individuals typically regain their pre-fugue memories but have amnesia for the events that occurred during the fugue state.

Question 10

The inability to learn new information is known as

Accepted Answer

Anterograde amnesia is the inability to form new memories or retain new information after a specific event or injury. Retrograde amnesia, on the other hand, is the loss of existing memories before the event or injury. Continuous amnesia refers to the ongoing inability to form new memories without interruption, while generalized amnesia is a rare form of memory loss that affects both retrograde and anterograde memory.

Question 11

Which of the following is most commonly true of the host identity in DID?

Accepted Answer

The host identity in DID is not the original identity. This is because the original identity has typically been overwhelmed or traumatized to the point of dissociation, leading to the development of alternate identities. The host identity is simply the alter who presents themselves as the "main" or "primary" identity in everyday life, but they are not necessarily the most well-adjusted or the first to develop.

Question 12

Dissociative identity disorder was formerly known as

Accepted Answer

Dissociative identity disorder was formerly known as multiple personality disorder.

Question 13

A person with two or more well-developed identities has the disorder called

Accepted Answer

Dissociative identity disorder (formerly known as multiple personality disorder) is characterized by the presence of two or more distinct and well-developed personalities, each with its own unique set of behaviors, memories, and perceptions. This disorder is thought to arise as a coping mechanism for individuals who have experienced severe trauma or abuse. Fugue state and localized psychogenic amnesia are related disorders that involve memory loss or disorientation, but they do not involve multiple distinct identities. Depersonalization disorder involves a persistent feeling of detachment or estrangement from oneself, but not the presence of multiple identities.

Question 14

The disorder involving the experience of sudden loss of the sense of self is

Accepted Answer

Depersonalization disorder involves a sudden feeling of detachment or estrangement from one's own body, thoughts, or emotions, resulting in a loss of sense of self. Psychogenic amnesia involves the sudden inability to recall important personal information, usually caused by a traumatic event. Disidentity disorder is not a recognized psychiatric disorder. Derealization disorder involves the experience of feeling detached from one's surroundings or a sense of unreality about one's environment, rather than a loss of sense of self.

Question 15

Assuming a new identity in a new place is characteristic of

Accepted Answer

Assuming a new identity in a new place is characteristic of dissociative fugue, in which an individual may suddenly and unexpectedly travel away from home, adopt a new identity, and have no memory of their previous life. Depersonalization disorder involves feeling detached from oneself or one's surroundings, dissociative amnesia involves a loss of memory, and dissociative identity disorder involves the presence of two or more distinct identities or personalities within an individual.

Question 16

Jill did not remember the accident happening or the following two days. What form of amnesia is this memory loss characteristic of?

Accepted Answer

Jill's memory loss is specific to a particular time period (the accident and following two days), which is characteristic of localized amnesia. Generalized amnesia would involve a loss of memory for one's entire life or a significant portion of it. Continuous amnesia would involve a constant inability to form new memories. Selective amnesia would involve a loss of memory for specific events or information, rather than a specific time period.

Question 17

Which of the following is true of opposite sex alters in DID?

Accepted Answer

Opposite sex alters are quite common in DID. Research has shown that they occur in approximately 70% of cases. While different alters may assume the role of host at different times, there is no evidence to suggest that opposite sex alters are more likely to do so. The presence of an opposite sex alter is not necessarily linked to a history of sexual abuse, as DID can develop as a result of various types of trauma.

Question 18

When a person experiences psychogenic amnesia, only one portion of memory is usually affected. Which?

Accepted Answer

Psychogenic amnesia is a type of memory loss that is triggered by a psychological or emotional trauma. It typically affects the retrieval of episodic memories, which are memories of personal experiences or events. Semantic memory, procedural memory, and perceptual memory are usually not affected.

Question 19

Gerard became amnesic, wandered away from home and assumed a completely new identity as a shoe salesman. He suffers from

Accepted Answer

Gerard's case is an example of dissociative fugue, which is a dissociative disorder characterized by sudden, unexpected travel away from home or usual place of daily activities, with an inability to recall one's past and confusion about personal identity or even the assumption of a new identity.

Question 20

Dissociation

Accepted Answer

Dissociation is a normal and common experience that many people have to varying degrees. It is not necessarily pathological or a sign that something is seriously wrong. However, dissociative disorders may involve more severe or chronic forms of dissociation that can interfere with daily functioning.

Quiz 8: Somatoform and Dissociative Disorders