Question 1

A generalized anxiety disorder is characterized by

Accepted Answer

A generalized anxiety disorder is characterized by a continuous state of tension, apprehension, and autonomic nervous system arousal. This means that the individual is constantly worried, anxious, and experiencing physical symptoms such as sweating, rapid heartbeat, and muscle tension.

Question 2

A fundamental problem with the diagnostic labeling of psychologically disordered behaviors is that the labels often

Accepted Answer

Diagnostic labels can bias our perceptions of the labeled person, leading us to make assumptions about their behavior based solely on the label. This can lead to stigmatization and discrimination against individuals with psychological disorders.

Question 3

Rishi, a college student, complains that he feels apprehensive and fearful most of the time but doesn't know why. Without warning, his heart begins to pound, his hands get icy, and he breaks out in a cold sweat. Rishi most likely suffers from

Accepted Answer

Rishi's symptoms of feeling apprehensive and fearful most of the time, along with physical symptoms such as pounding heart, cold sweat, and icy hands, suggest that he has generalized anxiety disorder. This disorder is characterized by excessive worry and anxiety about everyday things, often with no apparent reason or cause. Bipolar disorder involves swings between periods of extreme highs (mania) and lows (depression), which are not described in Rishi's symptoms. Obsessive-compulsive disorder involves intrusive, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) that lead to repetitive behaviors (compulsions), such as excessive hand-washing or checking locks, which are not mentioned in Rishi's symptoms. A phobia involves an intense, irrational fear of a specific object, situation, or activity, which is not indicated in Rishi's symptoms.

Question 4

A deluded Scotsman, Daniel M'Naughten, tried to assassinate a government official in 1843. He was sent to a mental hospital rather than to a prison because he was judged to

Accepted Answer

M'Naughten was sent to a mental hospital rather than to a prison because he was judged to be insane. This refers to the legal concept of insanity, which typically means that an individual lacks the capacity to understand the consequences of their actions or to differentiate between right and wrong. In M'Naughten's case, he believed that the government official he tried to assassinate was part of a conspiracy against him, which suggests that he was not in touch with reality at the time of the crime.

Question 5

The DSM-5 does NOT

Accepted Answer

The DSM-5 provides a classification system for psychological disorders and reliable guidelines for diagnosing them, but it does not explain the causes of the various disorders. Additionally, the DSM-5 does include a classification for personality disorders and a very broad range of other psychological disorders.

Question 6

In comparison to generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder is characterized by periods of distress that are

Accepted Answer

Panic disorder is characterized by sudden and intense periods of distress, known as panic attacks, that usually last around 10 minutes but can vary in duration. These attacks are generally more intense than the generalized symptoms of anxiety experienced in generalized anxiety disorder.

Question 7

Maladaptive behaviors that reduce worry and fear are most indicative of

Accepted Answer

Maladaptive behaviors that reduce worry and fear are most indicative of an anxiety disorder. Bipolar disorder involves extreme mood swings, anorexia nervosa involves pathological concerns about weight and body shape, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder involves inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity.

Question 8

Clinicians diagnose the presence of a personality disorder using the ________ in the DSM-5.

Accepted Answer

The DSM-5 provides diagnostic criteria and codes for personality disorders, which clinicians use to diagnose the presence of a personality disorder.

Question 9

The DSM-5 is most clearly designed to ________ psychological disorders.

Accepted Answer

The DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition) is a classification system for psychological disorders, providing a common language and criteria for professionals to diagnose and communicate about disorders. It is not designed to explain the causes or cures of disorders, nor is it focused on prevention.

Question 10

When children are told that certain classmates have learning disabilities, they may behave in ways that inhibit the success of those students in the classroom. This best illustrates the dangers of

Accepted Answer

Self-fulfilling labels refer to the idea that if someone is labeled with a certain trait or characteristic, others may treat them in a way that reinforces that label, leading the person to exhibit more of that trait or characteristic. In the given scenario, if children are told that certain classmates have learning disabilities, they may unconsciously treat those classmates differently and inhibit their success in the classroom, leading to a self-fulfilling label.

Question 11

Some psychological disorders occur primarily in one culture. However, ________ occurs worldwide.

Accepted Answer

Schizophrenia occurs worldwide and is not limited to any specific culture or society. While cultural factors may influence the experience and expression of schizophrenia, the disorder itself is not culturally specific. Dissociative identity disorder and anorexia nervosa may have cultural variations, and susto is a culture-specific disorder found in Latin American cultures.

Question 12

Freud suggested that for those suffering a generalized anxiety disorder, the anxiety is

Accepted Answer

Freud suggested that the anxiety in generalized anxiety disorder is "free-floating," meaning it is not tied to a particular object or situation and is instead a more general sense of apprehension and unease.

Question 13

While he was studying, Matthew was suddenly overwhelmed by feelings of intense apprehension. For several minutes he felt so agitated that he could not catch his breath. Matthew was most likely suffering from

Accepted Answer

Matthew's symptoms, including feelings of apprehension and difficulty breathing, are consistent with a panic attack. Bipolar disorder involves mood swings between periods of mania and depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder involves recurring thoughts and repetitive behaviors, and a delusion involves a false belief despite evidence to the contrary. None of these conditions are necessarily associated with the sudden onset of physical symptoms.

Question 14

David Rosenham and his fellow researchers were admitted as patients into various hospitals after they falsely complained of auditory hallucinations. After hospital clinicians analyzed these patients' quite normal life histories

Accepted Answer

The clinicians interpreted the normal life histories of the pseudo-patients as evidence of psychological disorders, demonstrating the influence of diagnostic labels.

Question 15

Professor McIntosh emphasizes that depression often involves the interactive influences of self-focused rumination, rejection from others, and low serotonin levels. The professor's emphasis best illustrates

Accepted Answer

The professor's emphasis on the interactive influences of psychological and biological factors in depression is characteristic of a biopsychosocial approach. The medical model would primarily focus on biological factors and prescribe medication, while the psychoanalytic perspective would emphasize unconscious conflicts and early childhood experiences. Linkage analysis is a genetic research method, which is not directly relevant to the professor's emphasis on the causes of depression.

Question 16

The DSM-5's classification scheme is designed to

Accepted Answer

The DSM-5's classification scheme is primarily designed to facilitate agreement among diagnoses by providing a standardized system for identifying and categorizing mental disorders. This helps ensure consistency and accuracy in diagnosis across mental health professionals and settings.

Question 17

APA's diagnostic manual is used for several purposes, including

Accepted Answer

APA's diagnostic manual is used for all of these purposes, including providing descriptions of disorders, estimating how often a disorder occurs, and helping to determine who is eligible for treatment.

Question 18

After George learned that Mrs. Min suffered from schizophrenia, he mistakenly concluded that her tendencies to laugh easily and smile frequently were symptoms of her disorder. This best illustrates the

Accepted Answer

This scenario exemplifies the biasing power of diagnostic labels, as George's knowledge of Mrs. Min's diagnosis has led him to interpret her behavior as symptoms of the disorder. This highlights how diagnostic labels can shape our perceptions of people and their actions, potentially leading to incorrect assumptions or judgments. This is not a case of laypeople diagnosing disorders or shortcomings of the medical model, and the biopsychosocial approach is not directly relevant to this scenario.

Question 19

The DSM-5 is most likely to be criticized for

Accepted Answer

The DSM-5 has been criticized for expanding the definitions and criteria for mental disorders, resulting in an excessively broad range of behaviors being labeled as pathological. This has led to concerns that people may be diagnosed and treated for simply exhibiting normal human behavior or reactions to life events.

Question 20

Which of the following disorders is characterized by the most sudden and unpredictable episodes of distress?

Accepted Answer

Panic disorder is characterized by sudden and unpredictable panic attacks, which can include symptoms such as heart palpitations, sweating, trembling, or fear of dying or losing control. Social anxiety disorder involves fear or anxiety in social situations, but the onset is typically more gradual and predictable. Bipolar disorder involves alternating episodes of depression and mania, which can be intense but usually last for a longer period of time than panic attacks. Bulimia nervosa involves recurrent episodes of binge eating and purging, but does not necessarily involve sudden or unpredictable distress.

Quiz 14: Psychological Disorders