abnormal psych practice test

What factor best predicts when treatment is more or less likely to be effective? A. the nature of the client's problems B. how much therapy the client can afford C. the orientation of the therapist D. the experience of the therapist

A

What is a diagnosis? A. a description of behavior as fitting the criteria for a particular type of disorder B. an estimate of the chances of a full recovery C. a mental health professional's estimate of the impact of family conflict on a disorder D. an explanation of the etiology of a problem

A

What makes defining abnormality difficult? A. There is no one behavior that serves to make someone abnormal B. There are so many types of abnormal behavior that they can't be accurately described. C. Criteria for abnormality have yet to be developed. D. Most of us are abnormal much of the time so that we cannot tell what is normal

A

A child overhears her teacher call her a "troublemaker." This label may play a key role in the child's development of A. antisocial behavior. B. psychotic tendencies. C. ADD. D. ADHD.

A

A rhythm abnormality or disturbance is seen in people with ______________, in which most of those affected seem to be responsive to the total quantity of available light in the environment. A. seasonal affective disorder B. circadian rhythm dysfunction C. REM sleep problems D. biological clock disturbance

A

A syndrome is defined as a group of _____. A. symptoms that identify a particular disorder B. generalized symptoms that can represent many disorders C. symptoms that rule out a mental disorder D. random symptoms that do not lead to any particular diagnosis

A

According to the principles of operant conditioning, what happens when negative reinforcement is applied? A. behavior increases B. behavior decreases C. behavior is punished D. behavior remains at the same level

A

Depressed patients often walk and talk as though they are in slow motion; this quality is described by the term A. psychomotor retardation. B. hypomania. C. morbid preoccupation. D. dysphoria.

A

Emotions come to us without intention, desire, or A. effort. B. imagination. C. trust. D. perception.

A

In the term "harmful dysfunction," the word "dysfunction" refers to A. a disruption of thought, feeling, or perception. B. the inability of the person to function at work or school. C. a mental disorder. D. a set of distinguishing symptoms.

A

Melancholia is a term for A. a severe type of depression. B. dysthymia. C. normal sadness unrelated to clinical depression. D. neurotic depression.

A

Modern psychologists believe that _______. A. the client's problems, not the therapist's "theoretical orientation," should determine the choice of treatment B. psychotherapy is the superior treatment for the majority of disorders C. all patients need to explore their relationships with their parents D. hypnosis is always beneficial

A

One advantage of a dimensional system of classification is that it allows scientists to A. record subtle distinctions. B. arrive at a specific diagnosis. C. make all-or-none decisions. D. go beyond what people say.

A

The "placebo response" is the result of ________ on the part of the _________. A. expectations; participant B. expectations; researcher C. blinded treatment; participant D. blinded treatment; researcher

A

The _____ process allows patients to describe their own problems. A. interview B. observation C. diagnostic D. Assessment

A

Therapeutic neutrality is viewed as a key component of A. psychoanalysis. B. client-centered therapy. C. in vivo desensitization. D. rational-emotive therapy.

A

What conclusion follows from the finding that emotions are controlled primarily by subcortical brain structures? A. Emotional response may be more basic than cognition. B. Reduced memory capacity has led to expression of a limited number of emotions. C. In terms of evolution, emotions are a rather new development. D. Emotional response requires the input of the cerebral cortex.

A

When does the onset of bipolar disorder typically occur? A. in the early 30s B. between the ages of 12 and 18 C. between the ages of 18 and 22 D. in the early 40s

C

Which of the following can be concluded from cross-cultural studies? A. All mental disorders are shaped, to some extent, by cultural factors. B. Several mental disorders are due entirely to cultural or social factors. C. The symptoms of certain disorders are just as likely to vary across cultures as are the disorders themselves. D. Psychotic disorders are more influenced by culture than other disorders.

A

Which of the following is most likely to be affected by a tumor on the hypothalamus? A. basic biological urges B. motor coordination C. long-term memory D. creativity

A

Which of the following sets of symptoms suggests the presence of melancholia? A. absence of any feelings of pleasure, early morning awakening, and marked psychomotor retardation B. anxiety, excessive guilt, and depression worse in the evening C. difficulty getting to sleep, psychomotor agitation, and significant weight gain D. weight gain, dysphoria, and hallucinations

A

____________ therapy focuses on here-and-now problems. A. Cognitive-behavioral B. ECT C. biological D. Psychodynamic

A

A construct validity score represents A. a test's ability to discriminate a patient who is trying to fake symptoms. B. the degree to which a test accurately assesses a specific concept and not other related concepts. C. whether two independent practitioners agree on a diagnosis. D. the percent of test-takers who show reliable scores on a test measuring an related constructs.

B

A sufficient test of the reliability of a diagnostic category considers whether clinicians agree about _____. A. an individual's case study B. a large series of patients C. a days worth of patients D. a very select group of clients with rare disorders

B

According to labeling theory, a psychiatric diagnosis serves to A. identify etiological factors. B. create a social role that perpetuates abnormal behavior. C. clarify the nature of a psychiatric disorder. D. eliminate bias due to social factors.

B

All of the following are psychometric properties of assessment instruments EXCEPT A. reliability B. replicability C. standardization D. validity

B

Identify a primary limitation of case studies. A. Their basis for truth is flawed. B. It is risky to draw general conclusions about a disorder from a single example. C. They do not apply to the general population, only the mentally ill. D. They become outdated quickly.

B

If a disorder is short-term and typically has a high rate of recovery, then lifetime prevalence rates for that disorder will be ____________ one-year prevalence rates. A. much lower than B. much higher than C. somewhat lower than D. equal to

B

If you had to briefly summarize the results of research on diagnostic reliability of mental disorders, which of the following sentences would do the job? A. "The reliability has increased with few exceptions." B. "We should not accept the assumption that the diagnostic categories in DSM-5 are used reliably." C. "The highest reliability is found for the specific examples of each of the major categories." D. "There is good reliability for personality disorders but lower reliability for other disorders."

B

Many studies show that different forms of treatment often appear to work equally well; this point can be attributed to the fact that A. most people want to get better. B. different treatments still share many common factors. C. the research studies are very poorly done. D. most people get better with or without treatment.

B

Oscar has recently lost a loved one; a mental health professional who is trying to be sensitive to the cultural context of Oscar's problem will want to know A. whether Oscar's family has a history of depression. B. what Oscar has learned about how grief should be displayed. C. whether Oscar suffers from some chemical imbalance. D. how depressed Oscar is.

B

Rapid cycling bipolar disorder is characterized by A. a seasonal pattern of symptoms. B. at least four episodes of mania, hypomania, or major depression within a year. C. the development of a manic episode in less than a week. D. many mood shifts per day.

B

Split-half reliability is a measure of a test's A. interrater consistency. B. internal consistency. C. test-retest consistency. D. validity.

B

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is an important tool for ______. A. researching mental disorders within large populations B. classifying and diagnosing mental disorders C. learning more about personality traits and their effect on culture D. developing new treatment options for mental disorders

B

The autonomic and somatic nervous systems are parts of the ____. A. personality index B. peripheral nervous system C. central nervous system D. prefrontal cortex

B

The reticular activating system regulates A. eating and drinking. B. sleeping and waking. C. aggression and emotions. D. sex drive and eating.

B

The term "recurrent," as applied to mood disorders, means that the patient A. shows a pattern of starting and stopping therapy as the mood disorder runs its course. B. experiences several episodes, separated by periods of normal mood. C. has a history of at least five specific episodes of mood disturbances in either the depressed or manic realms. D. reports repetitive nightmares involving a traumatic event.

B

What is the emphasis of the definition of abnormal behavior in the DSM-5? A. biological disadvantage in terms of reproduction B. personal distress or impairment in social functioning C. statistical rarity D. biological etiology

B

What is the main advantage of projective personality tests over other forms of personality tests? A. based on extensive research B. can provide details about a patient's unique view of the world C. objective scoring D. efficient self-administration

B

A clinical psychologist is interviewing a client and asks a series of questions. Later the same psychologist interviews another client and asks the same series of questions in the same order. What type of interview is the psychologist using? A. primary B. objective C. structured D. projective

C

Among patients who respond positively to antidepressant medication, A. side effects are almost never a problem. B. improvement usually occurs almost immediately. C. improvement usually occurs within four to six weeks. D. side effects usually force them to terminate early.

C

An epidemiologist is about to testify to Congress on the findings of comorbidity. Which of the following points will she want to make after reviewing research on comorbidity? A. The majority of mental disorders tend to "run in families" as a result of genetic anomalies. B. We have underestimated the role of toxins as the cause of disorders. C. Those with severe impairment often have more than one disorder. D. Most mental disorders have a biological basis.

C

Bipolar disorder is characterized by dramatic shifts in mood, energy, and A. executive function B. gender identity. C. ability to function. D. facility for recall of information.

C

Brain imaging studies indicate that severe depression is associated with _______ and _______. A. ventricle sizes; erratic activity patterns B. lobe sizes; unusual cell formation C. abnormal activity patterns; structural changes in the brain D. size of the brain; shape of the brain

C

Compared to tricyclics and MAO inhibitors, what is a major reason for the popularity of newer antidepressant drugs such as Prozac? A. lower cost B. available over-the-counter C. fewer side effects D. more effective

C

Currently, brain imaging techniques are used mostly for research, but are being used in the assessment and treatment of A. bulimia B. Alzheimer's disease C. depression D. dissociative identity disorder

C

In what terms are mental disorders defined? A. when a person is out of contact with reality B. inconsistent, socially unacceptable behaviors C. persistent maladaptive behaviors D. unrealistic beliefs

C

Light therapy is effective in treating seasonal affective disorder because it A. reduces an individual's overall sensitivity to light. B. increases the rate at which melatonin is produced. C. suppresses the production of melatonin. D. inhibits the production of norepinephrine.

C

One goal of nondirective interviews is to A. incorporate talk therapy. B. explain the diagnosis to the client. C. help people clarify their subjective feelings. D. specify in advance the possible etiologies of the client's problems.

C

Projective tests A. are objectively scored. B. are used mostly by cognitive behavioral therapists. C. involve the presentation of ambiguous stimuli. D. involve the presentation of stimuli that elicit standardized responses.

C

Self-monitoring refers to A. children learning to regulate their own behavior. B. the importance of the clinician's presence in formal observation. C. adult clients keeping records of their own behavior. D. clinicians looking out for their own biases.

C

The correlation between scores on a measure of hostility and age at death is -.64. We could conclude from this correlation coefficient that people who have A. high hostility scores tend to live longer. B. low hostility scores die 64 percent sooner than those with high hostility scores. C. high hostility scores tend to die younger. D. low hostility scores tend to die younger.

C

The three primary goals that guide most assessment procedures are A. pinpointing etiology, evaluating etiology, and making predictions. B. pinpointing etiology, testing etiology, and planning treatments C. making predictions, planning treatments, and evaluating treatments. D. deciding on a diagnosis, testing the diagnosis, and pinpointing etiology.

C

What is a diathesis? A. a form of stress B. an observable symptom of mental illness C. a predisposition D. a biological cause of mental illness

C

Your neighbors are playing loud music late at night and it annoys you. You ask them to turn down the music and they do. The next time they play loud music, you call them even sooner. B. F. Skinner would say this happens because A. your assertiveness is like a punishment. B. the noise was an unconditioned stimulus. C. the decreased noise negatively reinforced your assertiveness. D. the decreased noise positively reinforced your assertiveness.

C

A client who has habitual negative thoughts of being a failure and worthless would be described as having _______ in Aaron Beck's theory. A. depressive thoughts B. self-fulfilling prophecies C. dysphoria D. automatic negative thoughts

D

Basic bodily functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration are regulated by which region of the brain? A. corpus callosum B. midbrain C. pons D. medulla

D

Euphoria is characterized by A. labile affect. B. depressed mood. C. inappropriate affect. D. elated mood.

D

How has research on comorbidity changed the focus of epidemiological research? A. higher than expected prevalence of mental retardation led to more emphasis on intellectual ability B. shifted the focus from the psychotic disorders to milder disorders that affect more people C. evidence for the biological etiology of more mental disorders has switched the focus to identifying the genes responsible for particular disorders D. shifted the focus from counting the number of people with a disorder to measuring the functional impairment associated with the problems

D

In addition to conscientiousness and extraversion, what is one of the "big five" dimensions of temperament? A. distractability B. mood C. aggressiveness D. neuroticism

D

In evolutionary psychology, which of the following would be a good description of natural selection? A. Successful genetically determined adaptations become more common in many other species. B. Successful genetically determined adaptations become less common over successive generations. C. Unsuccessful genetically determined adaptations become more common over successive generations. D. Successful genetically determined adaptations become more common over successive generations.

D

Jason is attending a group in which he is learning specific information and skills that are designed to improve his psychological well-being. Jason is probably attending a(n) A. Gestalt therapy group. B. self-help group. C. encounter group. D. psychoeducational group.

D

Psychological assessment is the process of _____. A. interpreting only unconcious cues and signals B. using a therapeutic technique to treat a person C. predicting a prognosis for a person D. collecting and interpreting information that will be used to understand a person

D

Some forms of psychopathology are associated with errors in attribution. Such errors involve A. modeling. B. the identification process. C. attachment processes. D. perceived causes.

D

Using observation as part of a clinical interview can help the interviewer to A. clearly understand issues that are hidden in the client's unconscious.. B. help the client change her self-report. C. understand the client's hidden behaviors not performed in front of the interviewer . D. both confirm and question the client's self-report.

D

What are the four major anatomic components of a neuron? A. nerve, nerve ending, synapse, and transmitter B. soma, receptor, transmitter, nerve C. dendrite, nerve, axon, and soma D. soma, dendrite, axon, and axon terminal

D

What is the best description of clinical psychology? A. a branch of medicine concerned with the treatment of mental disorders B. a legal term used to identify practitioners who use various forms of psychotherapy C. a newly established branch of medicine that has connections to both psychiatry and psychology D. the application of psychological science to the assessment and treatment of mental disorders

D

Which of the following is a neurotransmitter? A. catecholamine B. hypothalamus C. dorsolateral D. norepinephrine

D

Which of the following is an essential feature of the experimental method? A. confounding variable B. theoretical derivation C. correlation D. hypothesis

D

Which of the following is an example of an open-ended interview question? A. "How frequently do you miss class?" B. "Do you have periods of feeling blue or hopeless?" C. "Is your family supportive of your decision to seek treatment?" D. "Tell me more about it."

D

You are attending a convention of therapists and hear one of them talking about "improving communication and negotiation skills." What is the most likely form of therapy this person practices? A. stress reduction training B. a token economy C. Gestalt therapy D. couples therapy

D

You are given the topic of age and mood disorders for a term paper in abnormal psychology and instructed to write the paper in the format of a newspaper report for the general public. Which of the following titles would be the best choice? A. "Mania Runs Wild in Older Generations" B. "Age Trends in Prevalence of Mood Disorders Obscured by Gender Effects" C. "Age and Mood Disorders: A Positive Correlation" D. "High Rates of Depression in the Elderly: Correcting a Myth"

D