Abnormal Psychology Study Guide

Abnormal Psychology Study Guide

Multiple Choice

Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.

____1.Ongoing patterns of behavior that are different from those of most other people in your culture are best characterized as

a. / deviant.
b. / disinhibiting.
c. / dysfunctional.
d. / disorganized.
e. / dissociated.

____2.Toddlers who watch lots of TV are, at age 7, more likely than average to display symptoms of

a. / ADHD.
b. / DID.
c. / OCD.
d. / PTSD.
e. / DSM.

____3.An eye-tracking device that measures an individual's ability to focus on and follow spots of light has been used for the assessment of

a. / OCD.
b. / PTSD.
c. / DID.
d. / ADHD.
e. / DSM.

____4.Mira claims that alcohol dependence is a disease that, like pneumonia or meningitis, can be cured or prevented with proper treatment. Her belief is most clearly consistent with

a. / thebiopsychosocial approach.
b. / psychoanalytic theory.
c. / the medical model.
d. / the social-cognitive perspective.
e. / the learning perspective.

____5.The medical model of psychologically disordered behavior is most likely to be criticized for neglecting the importance of

a. / anxiety and depression.
b. / social circumstances and psychological factors.
c. / biological evolution.
d. / the DSM-IV-TR.
e. / genetically influenced abnormalities.

____6.A generalized anxiety disorder is characterized by

a. / offensive and unwanted thoughts that persistently preoccupy a person.
b. / a continuous state of tension, apprehension, and autonomic nervous system arousal.
c. / hyperactive, wildly optimistic states of emotion.
d. / alternations between extreme hopelessness and unrealistic optimism.
e. / a chronic lack of guilt feelings.

____7.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 a(n)

a. / dysthymic disorder.
b. / obsessive-compulsive disorder.
c. / generalized anxiety disorder.
d. / phobia.
e. / dissociative disorder.

____8.Which of the following disorders is characterized by the most sudden and unpredictable episodes of distress?

a. / social phobia
b. / panic disorder
c. / bipolar disorder
d. / alcohol dependence
e. / personality disorder

____9.Anxiety about being in places or situations from which escape might be difficult is indicative of

a. / an obsessive-compulsive disorder.
b. / a dysthymic disorder.
c. / schizophrenia.
d. / agoraphobia.
e. / bipolar disorder.

____10.Incapacitating efforts to avoid specific anxiety-producing situations is most indicative of certain

a. / delusions.
b. / hallucinations.
c. / phobias.
d. / obsessions.
e. / manias.

____11.An anxiety disorder characterized by unwanted repetitive thoughts and actions is called a(n)

a. / bipolar disorder.
b. / obsessive-compulsive disorder.
c. / phobia.
d. / panic disorder.
e. / dissociative disorder.

____12.Ravi brushes his teeth 18 times a day. Each time, he uses exactly 83 strokes up and 83 strokes down. After he eats, he must brush twice with two different brands of toothpaste. Ravi suffers from a(n)

a. / dysthymic disorder.
b. / obsessive-compulsive disorder.
c. / phobia.
d. / generalized anxiety disorder.
e. / bipolar disorder.

____13.Mrs. Swift is alarmed by her own intrusive and irrational thoughts that her house is contaminated by germs. Her experience best illustrates the agitating effects of

a. / a delusion.
b. / mania.
c. / an obsession.
d. / agoraphobia.
e. / panic disorder.

____14.Repeated distressing dreams and intrusive memories of an intensely fearful and life-threatening experience are symptoms most commonly associated with

a. / panic disorder.
b. / agoraphobia.
c. / generalized anxiety disorder.
d. / post-traumatic stress disorder.
e. / dysthymia.

____15.A person attacked by a fierce dog develops a fear of all dogs. This best illustrates

a. / a conversion disorder.
b. / agoraphobia.
c. / stimulus generalization.
d. / linkage analysis.
e. / somatoform disorder.

____16.Luke suffers from acrophobia, a fear of high places. Luke's therapist suggests that his reaction to heights is a generalization of the fear triggered by a childhood playground accident in which he fell off a sliding board. The therapist's suggestion reflects a ______perspective.

a. / learning
b. / psychoanalytic
c. / cognitive
d. / humanistic
e. / biological

____17.Julius is obsessed with avoiding germs and feels compelled to bathe at least 10 times every day. His therapist suggests that Julius continues his maladaptive bathing because this behavior temporarily reduced his anxiety on many past occasions. The therapist's suggestion most directly reflects a ______perspective.

a. / biological
b. / trait
c. / learning
d. / psychoanalytic
e. / humanistic

____18.A therapist suggests that Mr. Broshi continues to bite his fingernails because this behavior often reduced his feelings of anxiety in the past. The therapist's suggestion most clearly reflects a ______perspective.

a. / biological
b. / humanistic
c. / psychoanalytic
d. / learning
e. / cognitive

____19.Learning theorists have suggested that compulsive behaviors are

a. / habitual defenses against unconscious impulses.
b. / reinforced by anxiety reduction.
c. / classically conditioned habits.
d. / unconditioned responses to stress.
e. / learned through cultural stereotypes.

____20.After watching her sister's fearful response to the sight of a spider, Kerri became intensely fearful of spiders. This best illustrates that a specific phobia can be learned through

a. / reinforcement.
b. / classical conditioning.
c. / linkage analysis.
d. / observational learning.
e. / genetic predispositions.

____21.Some studies suggest that an anxiety gene affects the brain's level of the neurotransmitter

a. / dopamine.
b. / serotonin.
c. / epinephrine.
d. / acetylcholine.
e. / testosterone.

____22.During a stressful military battle, Fong suddenly went blind. When hypnotized by an army psychiatrist, his blindness vanished. Fong apparently suffered from a

a. / dissociative disorder.
b. / conversion disorder.
c. / generalized anxiety disorder.
d. / bipolar disorder.
e. / post-traumatic stress disorder.

____23.Dissociative disorders are most likely to be characterized by

a. / disruptions in conscious awareness and sense of identity.
b. / offensive and unwanted thoughts that persistently preoccupy a person.
c. / a hyperactive, wildly optimistic state of emotion.
d. / alternations between extreme hopelessness and unrealistic optimism.
e. / panic attacks caused by new, stressful situations.

____24.A sense of being separated from your body and watching yourself with a sense of detachment is a symptom of

a. / obsessive-compulsive disorder.
b. / dysthymic disorder.
c. / generalized anxiety disorder.
d. / agoraphobia.
e. / dissociation.

____25.William, an airplane pilot, is unable to remember anything of a bombing raid in which his plane was severely damaged and two crew members were killed. Because he himself suffered no physical injuries, psychologists suspect that William probably suffers from a

a. / panic disorder.
b. / dissociative disorder.
c. / phobia.
d. / generalized anxiety disorder.
e. / bipolar disorder.

____26.Several weeks after being fired from a job he had held for more than 20 years, Landon awoke one morning in a state of bewildered confusion. He had little sense of who he was and even failed to recognize his wife. Landon's experience is most indicative of

a. / panic disorder.
b. / phobia.
c. / generalized anxiety disorder.
d. / dissociative disorder.
e. / catatonia.

____27.Researchers have suggested that the role-playing of fantasy-prone patients in response to the leading questions of therapists has often contributed to

a. / obsessive-compulsive disorder.
b. / dissociative identity disorder.
c. / bipolar disorder.
d. / agoraphobia.
e. / schizophrenia.

____28.Because it is so pervasive, ______is often considered “the common cold” of psychological disorders.

a. / agoraphobia
b. / schizophrenia
c. / depression
d. / obsessive-compulsive disorder
e. / dissociation

____29.Feelings of worthlessness are most likely to be associated with

a. / mania.
b. / major depressive disorder.
c. / panic disorder.
d. / antisocial personality disorder.
e. / phobia.

____30.After several weeks of feeling apathetic and dissatisfied with his life, Mark has suddenly become extremely cheerful and so talkative he can't be interrupted. He seems to need less sleep and becomes irritated when his friends tell him to slow down. Mark's behavior is indicative of

a. / an obsessive-compulsive disorder.
b. / schizophrenia.
c. / bipolar disorder.
d. / agoraphobia.
e. / somatoform disorder.

____31.Research regarding depression indicates that

a. / depression is typically unrelated to stressful life events.
b. / depression is unlikely to be overcome without professional help.
c. / depression is associated with abnormally high levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin.
d. / with each new generation, depression is increasing in its prevalence.
e. / with each new generation, depression is decreasing in its prevalence.

____32.The incidence of major depression is greatest among those

a. / reared together with a nontwin sibling who suffers the disorder.
b. / reared apart from a fraternal twin who suffers the disorder.
c. / reared together with a fraternal twin who suffers the disorder.
d. / reared apart from an identical twin who suffers the disorder.
e. / reared together with an adopted sibling who suffers the disorder.

____33.In terms of neurotransmitter levels, depression is associated with

a. / high dopamine levels and low serotonin levels.
b. / low norepinephrine levels and high dopamine levels.
c. / high norepinephrine levels and high serotonin levels.
d. / low norepinephrine levels and low serotonin levels.
e. / high dopamine levels and high serotonin levels.

____34.Abnormally low levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin are associated with

a. / panic attacks.
b. / schizophrenia.
c. / depression.
d. / phobias.
e. / dissociative disorders.

____35.According to the social-cognitive perspective, women are more vulnerable to depression than men because they are more likely to

a. / have unrealistically optimistic goals in life.
b. / sense a lack of personal control over their lives.
c. / struggle with unresolved feelings of anger toward their mothers.
d. / experience low levels of norepinephrine.
e. / experience cyclical variations in hormone levels.

____36.A therapist believes that Chet is chronically depressed because he takes too little credit for his many achievements and assumes too much responsibility for his few failures. The therapist's interpretation reflects a ______perspective.

a. / psychoanalytic
b. / social-cognitive
c. / trait
d. / humanistic
e. / biological

____37.People who suffer chronic depression are at high risk for experiencing

a. / unrealistic optimism.
b. / reduced self-awareness.
c. / excessive levels of norepinephrine.
d. / social rejection.
e. / hallucinations and delusions.

____38.Jabar, a 25-year-old auto mechanic, thinks he is Napoleon. He further believes he is being imprisoned against his will in the mental hospital where his relatives have brought him for treatment. Jabar is most likely suffering from

a. / an obsessive-compulsive disorder.
b. / schizophrenia.
c. / a panic disorder.
d. / a dissociative identity disorder.
e. / conversion disorder.

____39.In which type of disorder is a person's speech likely to be so full of unrelated words and phrases that it could be characterized as a “word salad”?

a. / panic disorder
b. / obsessive-compulsive disorder
c. / schizophrenia
d. / dissociative disorder
e. / somatoform disorder

____40.Positive symptoms of schizophrenia are the ______of inappropriate behaviors, and negative symptoms are the ______of appropriate behaviors.

a. / reduction; absence
b. / presence; presence
c. / absence; presence
d. / presence; absence
e. / absence; reduction

____41.Schizophrenia that develops rapidly, seemingly as a reaction to stress, is called ______schizophrenia.

a. / chronic
b. / catatonic
c. / acute
d. / process
e. / disorganized

____42.Vigorous activity in the thalamus of schizophrenia patients has been found to be associated with

a. / hearing voices.
b. / flat affect.
c. / disorganized speech.
d. / repetitive rocking motions.
e. / catatonia.

____43.If an identical twin has schizophrenia, the co-twin's chances of being similarly affected are only 1 in 10 if they had different

a. / placentas.
b. / dietary supplements.
c. / educational opportunities.
d. / childhood friends.
e. / attachment styles.

____44.If identical twins share a single placenta rather than having separate placentas, their chances of being similarly affected by ______are dramatically increased.

a. / hypochondriasis
b. / schizophrenia
c. / a dissociative disorder
d. / antisocial personality disorder
e. / depression

____45.A short attention span is an early warning sign of

a. / agoraphobia.
b. / panic disorder.
c. / obsessive-compulsive disorder.
d. / schizophrenia.
e. / antisocial personality disorder.

____46.Personality disorders are best described as

a. / symptoms of distress that are not caused by biological abnormalities.
b. / disruptions in conscious awareness and sense of self-identity.
c. / patterns of delusional and disorganized thoughts and feelings.
d. / inflexible and enduring behavior patterns that impair social functioning.
e. / prolonged periods of depressed mood or elevated/manic behavior.

____47.One cluster of personality disorders marked by noticeably odd or eccentric behavior is exemplified by the ______personality disorder.

a. / avoidant
b. / narcissistic
c. / schizoid
d. / histrionic
e. / paranoid

____48.An antisocial personality disorder is most likely to be characterized by

a. / delusions of grandeur.
b. / a persistent, irrational fear of people.
c. / episodes of intense autonomic nervous system arousal.
d. / disruptions in conscious awareness and sense of identity.
e. / a lack of guilt feelings.

____49.Anthony is 32 years old, well above average in intelligence, and quite charming. He has swindled several older people out of their life savings, and he seems to have little feeling for his victims, nor does he fear the consequences of getting caught. His behavior is evidence of

a. / bipolar disorder.
b. / schizophrenia.
c. / obsessive-compulsive disorder.
d. / a personality disorder.
e. / a dissociative disorder.

____50.A World Health Organization study of 20 countries estimated that ______had the highest prevalence of mental disorders during the prior year.

a. / Japan
b. / Germany
c. / Mexico
d. / the United States
e. / the United Kingdom