Question 1

People with conversion disorder:

Accepted Answer

People with conversion disorder have difficulty accepting that their symptoms are psychologically based, and may resist treatment as a result. However, this does not necessarily mean they deny the existence of a traumatic experience, and they are generally able to differentiate between reality and fantasy. While some may be willing to receive treatment, this is not always the case.

Question 2

Mary created an illness in her younger daughter to draw attention to herself. This is known as a _____.

Accepted Answer

Factitious disorder by proxy, also known as Munchausen syndrome by proxy, involves a caregiver creating or exaggerating illness in someone else, typically a child, to gain attention or sympathy.

Question 3

Freud and his contemporaries viewed conversion symptoms as results of:

Accepted Answer

Freud and his contemporaries believed that conversion symptoms arise from repressed emotions or memories, which are transformed into physical symptoms due to the displacement of psychic energy. The conversion of the psychic energy associated with unconscious anxiety results in the creation of physical symptoms.

Question 4

Which of the following somatic symptom disorders is considered to be the most dramatic due to symptoms like, blindness, seizures, loss or hearing, and mutism?

Accepted Answer

Conversion disorder is characterized by the presence of neurological symptoms such as blindness, seizures, loss of hearing and mutism that are not supported by medical findings. These symptoms can be very dramatic and can cause the individual to seek emergency room treatment.

Question 5

Somatic symptoms and dissociative disorders are considered by some theorists to be the result of a psychological process known as _____, in which different parts of an individual's identity, memories, or consciousness split off from one another.

Accepted Answer

Dissociation is the psychological process in which different parts of an individual's identity, memories, or consciousness split off from one another. This can result in symptoms such as somatic complaints and dissociative disorders.

Question 6

Jaclyn has been complaining for several weeks that she has lost all feeling in her right hand. Her physical exam revealed no nerve damage. However, Jaclyn insists that something is wrong because she feels as though she has on a tight glove. Jaclyn is mostly experiencing _____ associated with _____ disorder.

Accepted Answer

Jaclyn is experiencing glove anesthesia, which is a common symptom of conversion disorder. Conversion disorder involves physical symptoms that cannot be explained by underlying medical conditions, and is often associated with psychological or emotional stress.

Question 7

Conversion disorder is usually characterized by:

Accepted Answer

Conversion disorder is characterized by sensory and motor deficits, such as paralysis or blindness, that cannot be explained by any underlying medical conditions or physiological causes. While pain and sexual dysfunction may also occur, they are not always present in conversion disorder. Loss of memory is more commonly associated with dissociative disorders.

Question 8

The idea that dissociation is a process in which systems of ideas are split off from consciousness but are accessible through dreams and hypnosis was conceptualized by _____.

Accepted Answer

Pierre Janet conceptualized the idea that dissociation involves the splitting off of systems of ideas from consciousness while still remaining accessible through dreams and hypnosis. Piaget was known for his work in cognitive development, Simon and Binet were both known for their contributions to intelligence testing.

Question 9

In the context of the theories of conversion disorder, which of the following best describes secondary gain?

Accepted Answer

Secondary gain refers to the benefits or rewards, often unconscious, that a person may receive as a result of their symptoms. In the case of conversion disorder, secondary gain may refer to the attention, sympathy, and care that a person receives as a result of their symptoms, which may serve to reinforce the continuation of those symptoms. Option A may be true in some cases, but it does not fully capture the concept of secondary gain. Options C and D are not accurate descriptions of secondary gain in the context of conversion disorder.

Question 10

People with conversion disorder:

Accepted Answer

Conversion disorder involves an inability to cope with distress or trauma in adaptive ways, leading to physical symptoms without a medical cause.

Question 11

It was observed during the two world wars that many soldiers would inexplicably become paralyzed or blind and therefore were unable to return to the front. Most of them seemed unconcerned about their paralysis or blindness. This phenomenon is known as _____.

Accepted Answer

The phenomenon of soldiers becoming paralyzed or blind without a physical cause and showing little concern or distress about it is known as "la belle indifference." This was observed during the two world wars and is believed to be a psychological response to extreme stress and trauma.

Question 12

In Hilgard's study on the "hidden observer" phenomenon, he argued that there are two modes of consciousness: the _____ and _____.

Accepted Answer

Hilgard argued that there are two modes of consciousness: the active mode, which is focused on the task at hand, and the receptive mode, which is open to receiving information from the environment. These two modes can coexist, with the active mode in the forefront and the receptive mode in the background, leading to the hidden observer phenomenon.

Question 13

Factitious disorders are also referred to as _____.

Accepted Answer

Factitious disorders are often referred to as Munchhausen's syndrome or Munchhausen's syndrome by proxy.

Question 14

For most people, the active mode and receptive mode:

Accepted Answer

The active mode and receptive mode work together to weave our experiences together so seamlessly that we do not notice any division between them. This is how we create a cohesive memory of an experience.

Question 15

The active mode in Hilgard's study referred to:

Accepted Answer

The active mode in Hilgard's study refers to the conscious state of mind that includes a person's conscious plans and desires and voluntary actions. This state of mind is characterized by attentive and focused awareness on a specific task or activity. It is also called the executive mode or conscious processing mode.

Question 16

_____ for conversion disorder focus on relieving the person's anxiety around the initial trauma that caused the conversion symptoms and on reducing any benefits the person is receiving from the conversion symptoms.

Accepted Answer

Behavioral treatments, such as exposure therapy and reinforcement of healthy behaviors, have been found to be effective in treating conversion disorder. These treatments focus on reducing the anxiety related to the trauma and removing any positive reinforcement the person may be receiving from the conversion symptoms. Humanistic, cognitive, and psychoanalytic treatments may also be used but are not the focus for conversion disorder.

Question 17

Candice faked her symptoms to gain medical attention. She exaggerated her symptoms to the point that exploratory surgery was conducted. Candice most likely has a _____.

Accepted Answer

Candice is exhibiting factitious disorder, specifically when an individual fakes symptoms to receive medical attention. Factitious disorder by proxy involves an individual faking or causing illness in another person, and somatic symptom disorder involves physical symptoms that are either disproportionate to or cannot be explained by medical conditions. Psychosomatic disorder involves physical symptoms that are caused by psychological factors.

Question 18

Which of the following statements is true of conversion disorder?

Accepted Answer

Conversion disorder is a condition in which a person experiences sensory or motor symptoms that appear to be caused by a neurological disorder but are not explained by a neurological disease or other medical condition. It is thought that emotional stressors can lead to a loss of brain function that can affect sensory, motor, or cognitive functioning. This is believed to result from inhibition of the circuits between the sensorimotor areas of the brain and areas involved in emotions.

Question 19

Which of the following statements is true of conversion disorder?

Accepted Answer

Conversion disorder is typically characterized by the loss or alteration of physical functioning without any underlying organic cause. The conversion symptom develops after a trauma or psychological stressor, and the physical symptoms are believed to be unconsciously produced.

Answer: C 
 Loss of bodily functioning in conversion disorder is due to subconscious processes. The physical symptoms in conversion disorder are not under voluntary control but are produced unconsciously.

Answer: D 
 Conversion disorder can involve multiple symptoms during a single episode of conversion. These may include paralysis, blindness, deafness, or seizures, and can often mimic a neurological disorder despite a lack of physical evidence of such a disorder.

Answer: B 
 Conversion disorder is relatively rare, with estimates of lifetime prevalence ranging from 0.1% to 2%. It is less common than other somatic symptom disorders such as somatic symptom disorder or illness anxiety disorder.

Question 20

Lorna found her husband dead in their bedroom. He had been shot in the chest. After this incident, Lorna has been unable to see. Most likely Lorna is exhibiting a symptom of _____ disorder.

Accepted Answer

Lorna's loss of vision is a physical symptom that has no medical explanation. This fits the criteria for conversion disorder, which involves the manifestation of physical symptoms due to psychological distress. Dissociative disorder involves a disruption in consciousness, memory, or identity, and post-traumatic stress disorder involves a persistent and distressing reaction to a traumatic event. Malingering involves intentionally feigning or exaggerating symptoms for a secondary gain, which does not seem to fit Lorna's situation.

Quiz 6: Somatic Symptom and Dissociative Disorders

People with conversion disorder:

Mary created an illness in her younger daughter to draw attention to herself. This is known as a _____.

Freud and his contemporaries viewed conversion symptoms as results of:

Which of the following somatic symptom disorders is considered to be the most dramatic due to symptoms like, blindness, seizures, loss or hearing, and mutism?

Somatic symptoms and dissociative disorders are considered by some theorists to be the result of a psychological process known as _____, in which different parts of an individual's identity, memories, or consciousness split off from one another.

Jaclyn has been complaining for several weeks that she has lost all feeling in her right hand. Her physical exam revealed no nerve damage. However, Jaclyn insists that something is wrong because she feels as though she has on a tight glove. Jaclyn is mostly experiencing _ associated with _ disorder.

Conversion disorder is usually characterized by:

The idea that dissociation is a process in which systems of ideas are split off from consciousness but are accessible through dreams and hypnosis was conceptualized by _____.

In the context of the theories of conversion disorder, which of the following best describes secondary gain?

People with conversion disorder:

It was observed during the two world wars that many soldiers would inexplicably become paralyzed or blind and therefore were unable to return to the front. Most of them seemed unconcerned about their paralysis or blindness. This phenomenon is known as _____.

In Hilgard's study on the "hidden observer" phenomenon, he argued that there are two modes of consciousness: the _ and _.

Factitious disorders are also referred to as _____.

For most people, the active mode and receptive mode:

The active mode in Hilgard's study referred to:

_____ for conversion disorder focus on relieving the person's anxiety around the initial trauma that caused the conversion symptoms and on reducing any benefits the person is receiving from the conversion symptoms.

Candice faked her symptoms to gain medical attention. She exaggerated her symptoms to the point that exploratory surgery was conducted. Candice most likely has a _____.

Which of the following statements is true of conversion disorder?

Which of the following statements is true of conversion disorder?

Lorna found her husband dead in their bedroom. He had been shot in the chest. After this incident, Lorna has been unable to see. Most likely Lorna is exhibiting a symptom of _____ disorder.