Disorders I
Trisha is afraid of leaving her house and if she attempts to walk outside, she has intense feelings of fear and panic. Trisha most likely would be diagnosed with which of the following types of disorders?
(A) Somatic symptom and related
(B) Obsessive-compulsive and related
(C) Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic
(D) Anxiety
(D) Anxiety
Brandon is superficially charming and skilled at exploiting people for his own gain. He is also impulsive and irresponsible, and he generally disregards social norms. Brandon would most likely be diagnosed with which of the following disorders?
(A) Antisocial personality
(B) Schizoid personality
(C) Dissociative identity
(D) Bipolar
(A) Antisocial personality
Six months ago, Caleb was involved in a serious car accident when another driver ran a stop sign and collided with Caleb’s car in an intersection. Caleb was unharmed, so he resumed driving a few weeks after the accident. He now reports experiencing severe anxiety whenever he approaches an intersection. Which of the following disorders is consistent with Caleb’s experience?
(A) Obsessive-compulsive disorder
(B) Posttraumatic stress disorder
(C) Agoraphobia
(D) Avoidant personality disorder
(B) Posttraumatic stress disorder
Dr. Ofori is helping a client who reports feeling overly stressed due to a heavy workload. Dr. Ofori believes an important first step is to help reframe the situation so that the client will see the workload as a challenge to be overcome rather than as an obstacle. This is most consistent with which treatment orientation?
(A) Cognitive
(B) Biological
(C) Behavioral
(D) Sociocultural
(A) Cognitive
Dr. Zoey believes that major depressive disorder is caused by neurotransmitter abnormalities and is most effectively treated with medication. Which of the following is a treatment approach that Dr. Zoey most likely supports?
(A) Biomedical
(B) Psychodynamic
(C) Behavioral
(D) Cognitive
(A) Biomedical
A critical component for labeling a person’s behavior as abnormal is that the behavior must exhibit which of the following?
(A) Be present in other people who have already been diagnosed with a disorder
(B) Not be under the voluntary control of the person
(C) Pose a serious threat to those around the person
(D) Interfere with some aspect of the person’s life
(D) Interfere with some aspect of the person’s life
Dora alternates between periods of extreme euphoria, when she is very talkative, overconfident, and hyperactive, and times of profound sadness, when she experiences feelings of hopelessness. Which of the following disorders is Dora most likely exhibiting?
(A) Borderline personality
(B) Major depressive
(C) Bipolar
(D) Generalized anxiety
(C) Bipolar
Janice has a strong, unreasonable fear of being embarrassed in front of strangers. When she is with others she does not know, she feels extremely insecure and worried. Janice’s problems are most consistent with which of the following disorders?
(A) Generalized anxiety
(B) Panic
(C) Obsessive-compulsive
(D) Social anxiety
(D) Social anxiety
Although Paul seems bright and capable to his parents and friends, he has been failing in school. Paul agrees to speak with a psychologist, who suggests that his problems stem from internal processes such as unrealistic expectations and negative thinking. The psychologist’s view is typical of which of the following models of behavior?
(A) Psychoanalytic
(B) Humanistic
(C) Cognitive
(D) Behavioral
(C) Cognitive
An advantage of group therapy over individual therapy is that group therapy
(A) requires less commitment from the client
(B) produces a significantly higher recovery rate
(C) produces a higher rate of spontaneous remission
(D) enables clients to realize that their problems are not unique
(D) enables clients to realize that their problems are not unique
Connie always worries that something terrible is about to happen even when her environment is secure. She constantly fidgets and never feels relaxed. Connie is most likely to be diagnosed with
(A) specific phobia
(B) panic disorder
(C) generalized anxiety disorder
(D) posttraumatic stress disorder
(C) generalized anxiety disorder
An item on a psychological test asks whether the test taker believes radio news stations are delivering special messages to the test taker that others cannot detect. Jason takes the test and answers yes to this question, because he recently detected messages to him embedded in a radio broadcast. Jason appears to be experiencing which of the following symptoms?
(A) Delusions
(B) Catatonia
(C) Visual hallucinations
(D) Flat affect
(A) Delusions
Kent continually finds himself growing anxious about germs gathering on his skin. He can only decrease his anxiety by washing his hands. Soon, however, the anxiety returns, and he washes his hands again. He repeats this cycle dozens of times each day. Kent most likely is experiencing which psychological disorder?
(A) Generalized anxiety disorder
(B) Posttraumatic stress disorder
(C) Obsessive-compulsive disorder
(D) A specific phobia
(C) Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Michael was recently diagnosed with major depression. Which of the following is most consistent with a cognitive psychologist’s explanation for the cause of Michael’s depression?
(A) A neurochemical imbalance
(B) Unconscious conflicts originating in Michael’s childhood trauma
(C) Being rewarded for defeated behaviors and punished for successes
(D) A pattern of self-defeating cycles of thinking
(D) A pattern of self-defeating cycles of thinking
Annie experiences disorganized thinking and communicates with people who do not exist. Which of the following treatments is most likely to be used to treat Annie’s problems?
(A) Cognitive behavioral therapy
(B) Psychoanalysis
(C) Antipsychotic medication
(D) Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
(C) Antipsychotic medication
Marcia avoids crowds because she is afraid that she will not be able to escape. She avoids going to movie theaters, riding in elevators, and using public transportation. Sometimes her fear is so overwhelming Marcia doesn’t leave her house. Marcia is experiencing which of the following?
(A) Generalized Anxiety Disorder
(B) Post-traumatic stress disorder
(C) Obsessive-compulsive disorder
(D) Agoraphobia
(D) Agoraphobia
The diathesis-stress approach would likely support which of the following statements about psychological disorders?
(A) Disorders are a result of the social and economic situations in which people live.
(B) Disorders are a result of unresolved, unconscious conflicts between the id and the superego.
(C) Disorders are a result of negative events that trigger irrational thoughts.
(D) Disorders are a result of predisposed, biological factors triggered by the environment.
(D) Disorders are a result of predisposed, biological factors triggered by the environment.
Which of the following examples matches the symptoms of a dissociative disorder?
(A) Aiden is in a constant state of autonomic nervous system arousal but is unable to pinpoint the source of his distress.
(B) After escaping a house fire, Raleigh experiences recurring nightmares about that day.
(C) After an argument with her boyfriend, Julie disappears from home for a week, with no memory of the argument or where she went during that time.
(D) Drew is a socially outgoing, engaging person who makes friends easily but feels no guilt for lying and exploiting the people around him.
(C) After an argument with her boyfriend, Julie disappears from home for a week, with no memory of the argument or where she went during that time.
Which of the following scenarios best demonstrates a behavioral approach to therapy?
(A) Elizabeth thinks she is never going to meet someone to date, so her therapist works with her to combat her irrational thoughts.
(B) Jason has low self-esteem, so his therapist provides unconditional positive regard to build up his selfesteem.
(C) Frank is angry at his father but directs the anger at his therapist, so his therapist helps him work through the transference.
(D) Finn has been acting out at school, so his therapist employs a token economy to reward Finn when he behaves well.
(D) Finn has been acting out at school, so his therapist employs a token economy to reward Finn when he behaves well.
When examining case studies of individuals diagnosed with dissociative disorders, which of the following have researchers found to be true?
(A) Excessive amounts of dopamine in the brain lead to symptoms associated with dissociative disorders.
(B) Dissociative disorders develop as a way for individuals to cope with trauma.
(C) Personality traits appear to be unrelated to the development of dissociative disorders.
(D) Individuals diagnosed with dissociative disorders have more vivid episodic memories than those not diagnosed with dissociative disorders.
(B) Dissociative disorders develop as a way for individuals to cope with trauma.
Carmen’s psychiatrist has prescribed a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor to help Carmen feel better. Carmen has most likely been diagnosed with what disorder?
(A) Schizophrenia
(B) Major depressive
(C) Antisocial personality
(D) Specific phobia
(B) Major depressive
Garrett is rejected by members of his friend group when they realize that he often takes advantage of them to enhance his own standing. He considers himself superior, and he overstates his abilities and his contributions to the group. Garrett is displaying behaviors most consistent with which of the following disorders?
(A) Autism spectrum
(B) Avoidant personality
(C) Narcissistic personality
(D) Schizotypal personality
(C) Narcissistic personality
Which of the following statements best explains a common criticism of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)?
(A) The DSM recommends pharmaceutical treatments for psychological disorders that may not be appropriate for all people.
(B) The DSM organizes symptoms of different disorders so they can be diagnosed effectively.
(C) The DSM features only the cognitive perspective and ignores other important psychological viewpoints.
(D) The DSM uses labels that can create lasting stigma for the person diagnosed.
(D) The DSM uses labels that can create lasting stigma for the person diagnosed.
Which of the following treatments would be most effective for someone who experiences a rapid heartbeat, lightheadedness, and nausea when speaking in public?
(A) Medication to reduce dopamine levels
(B) Interpretation of defense mechanism behaviors
(C) Systematic desensitization
(D) Aversive conditioning
(C) Systematic desensitization
Natalia regularly visits a psychologist. During one of her visits, the psychologist asked her some questions about the dreams she has been having. Based on this information, the psychologist provided some details about what might be in Natalia's unconscious mind. Which of the following types of therapy is Natalia's psychologist practicing?
(A) Psychodynamic
(B) Cognitive
(C) Humanistic
(D) Behavioral
(A) Psychodynamic