Dr. Don S. ChristensenShoreline Community College

Psych 100Psychology

Exam 5

Potential Short Answer Questions

Personality (Modules 30, 31, & Lecture)

  1. In psychoanalytic theory, what are the three different levels of awareness? Briefly describe the nature or characteristics of each of these levels.
  2. What are Freud’s three personality structures? What is identification and to which personality structure does it apply?
  3. What is the primary or most fundamental ego defense mechanism? (Note: I won’t ask you to be able to recall each of the defense mechanisms but I will ask a few multiple-choice questions about them on the exam.)
  4. What is the (main) assumption underlying the use of projective tests? In other words, what do all projective tests share in common regarding how they assess personality? (Note that this question is not asking you to comment on the reliability of validity of projective tests) Describe two common projective tests.
  5. Explain how neo-Freudian theorists Horney, Adler, and Jung each departed from Freudian theory.
  6. What is self-actualization?
  7. What are four characteristics (more were presented in lecture) of Roger’s fully functioning individuals?
  8. According to text’s discussion of the theory of Carl Rogers, what three conditions are necessary for healthy growth and development?
  9. Define Roger’s concepts of self-concept and self-esteem (these concepts are covered in different modules).
  10. With which personality perspective is the MMPI associated? Explain what people mean when they say that this test is “empirically derived.”
  11. What are the “Big Five” personality factors? (If it helps, remember the acronym “OCEAN” and that Neuroticism means the same thing as Emotional Stability)
  12. In Hans Eysenck’s theory, what are the two basic dimensions of personality (presented in lecture)?
  13. Define or graphically represent what is meant by Bandura’s term of reciprocal determinism.
  14. According the Julian Rotter, how do people differ in terms of their beliefs about the amount of control they have in their lives? On average, which of these types of personalities is associated with better adjustment?
  15. Describe learned helpless and how this concept is used to explain the behaviors of humans and animals (See pages 461-462 & Figure 31.4).

Psychological Disorders (Modules 32, 33, 34, & Lecture)

  1. Cite the “three Ds” that typically underlie judgments that behavior is abnormal (presented in lecture).
  2. Describe the design and results of David Rosenhan’s study on the impact of psychiatric labeling (see page 478).
  3. Differentiate the following mood disorders: major depression, dysthymic disorder (presented in lecture), and bipolar depression.
  4. Approximately what percentage (round to the nearest whole number) of Americans has experienced a mood disorder in the past year? (See Table 32.2)
  5. Low levels of what two neurotransmitters appear to be related to depression?
  6. Describe the three components of the explanatory style that depressed people use to explain the bad events that happen to them. (See pages 487-488 and Figure 32.7)
  7. Describe the symptoms of schizophrenia.
  8. High levels of what neurotransmitter appear to be related to the symptoms of schizophrenia?
  9. Describe two common brain abnormalities that are often associated with schizophrenia. What are two possible explanations for their occurrence?
  10. Describe the basic symptoms of the following anxiety disorders: Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Phobias, and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.
  11. Differentiate between obsessions and compulsions. How are they typically related to one another?
  12. What are the essential symptoms of dissociative identity disorder? By what other more common name is this disorder known.

Treatment of Psychological Disorders (Modules 35, 36, & Lecture)

  1. What is the major therapeutic goal in psychoanalysis?
  2. Describe the psychoanalytic techniques of free association and dream analysis. Both of these tools were used by Freud to gain access to what?
  3. What is transference?
  4. Define the three important therapist attributes in Rogers’ client-centered therapy. (same answer as question 8 above)
  5. The therapeutic approaches called ______all involve behavioral techniques that treat anxiety symptoms by exposing people to the things they fear and avoid.
  6. Describe how systematic desensitization can be used to treat anxiety disorders.
  7. What is aversive conditioning?
  8. How do token economies work?
  9. How would a cognitive therapist typically attempt to treat a psychological disorder?
  10. What have studies shown about the overall effectiveness and the effects of different forms of therapy?
  11. What does research evidence suggest about the effectiveness of the following two alternative therapies: EMDR and Light Exposure Therapy?
  12. What are three “commonalities among psychotherapies” that are shared by most of the different treatment approaches?
  13. What are the three broad classes of drugs that are used to treat various psychological disorders?
  14. Describe how the drug Prozac achieves its effect on the brain.
  15. What is ECT and what psychological disorder is it still used to treat?
  16. Describe the following alternative neurostimulation therapies: Deep-Brain Stimulation and rTMS. What disorder are these two therapies currently used for?
  17. In the psychosurgery technique known as a(n) ______the frontal lobes are disconnected from the emotion-controlling centers that inner brain.
  18. List the 6 different components the Ilardi therapeutic life-style change program that has been shown to significantly lessen the effects of depression.

Revised: 10/2/2018