chapter 16
Assume you have to give an in-class presentation about narcissistic personality disorder. What is the MOST accurate thing you can say about treatment for this disorder?
"No form of therapy is clearly better than the others."
A friend of yours says, "A 15-year-old high schooler accused of shooting several classmates received a diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder." Your MOST accurate reply would be:
"No; the kid is too young for that diagnosis.
Which of the following statements is MOST accurate, in terms of current research findings?
"Odd" personality disorders and schizophrenia are related to one another
A friend asks your advice about the MOST effective therapy to use for treating borderline personality disorder. Your BEST answer is:
"Research suggests that dialectical behavior therapy is the most effective.
A friend says to you, "He must have antisocial personality disorder; look how careful he is about his own well-being, but how careless he is about others' safety." Your MOST accurate reply would be:
"You're partly right; most people with antisocial personality disorder are careless about their own safety, as well as the safety of others."
Which category of personality disorder contains the disorders MOST commonly diagnosed?
"dramatic"
As part of their therapy, clients learn to evaluate their unusual thoughts, track the accuracy of "magical" predictions, and reconnect with the world and with their limitations. The diagnoses of these clients would MOST likely be in which of the following broad categories of personality disorder?
"odd"
Which of these well-known people appears to have displayed symptoms of antisocial personality disorder?
Bernie Madoff
Of the following statements, which one most accurately reflects up-to-date research on DSM- 5 categories of personality disorder?
Individuals do not necessarily have to have very similar personalities to receive the same diagnosis
Which of the following statements is most accurate regarding antisocial personality disorder?
Most who have it are not treated, and most who are treated are not helped much
Only 23 percent of adults report openly expressing their anger. Should they?
No. Ironically, venting appears to make people angrier
A client is searching for the BEST treatment for borderline personality disorder. Will drug treatment be effective if it is the only intervention the client receives?
No; they should be used along with psychotherapy, if used at all
How do personality disorders differ from the personality characteristics of typical people?
They lead to more maladaptive, distressful, and inflexible behaviors
Which of the following would MOST clearly fit into the biosocial theory of the development of borderline personality disorder?
an individual who has difficulty controlling internal emotions and parents who mislabel those emotions
Which of the following has experienced "triggering"?
an individual who is prompted to injure himself intentionally after watching someone else do it
Psychodynamic theorists explain obsessive-compulsive personality disorder as a fixation at the
anal stage
Cruelty to animals and people, destruction of property, and truancy before the age of 15:
are characteristic of those later diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder
One reason that the personality disorders are difficult to treat is that the afflicted individuals:
are frequently unaware that they have a problem
Like those with paranoid personality disorder, those with avoidant personality disorder usually:
are very sensitive to criticism and avoid close relationships
Which of the following would a phrenologist MOST likely have done?
assessed personality by feeling for bumps and indentations on the head
"Group therapy is a good option for those with dependent personality disorder; they'll be able to observe others' coping skills, and model them." This statement would MOST likely be made by a therapist having which of the following theoretical perspectives?
behavioral
A child who is severely criticized for acting independently, and who is praised for doing exactly what parents say to do, later develops dependent personality disorder. The therapist who would be LEAST surprised by this outcome would have which theoretical orientation?
behavioral
A client being treated for avoidant personality disorder must increase the number of social contacts per day. The person, at the least, must greet others with the sentence, "Hello; how are you doing?" MOST likely, the therapist has which theoretical background?
behavioral
A young boy is constantly told by his parents to "Be a man!" whenever he is in conflict with friends. In turn, his parents themselves often act aggressively toward each other, and toward him. The theorist who would be BEST able to explain an adult diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder for this boy would be a ______ theorist
behavioral
Giving in to a child's refusal to comply with a parental request may inadvertently reinforce stubborn and defiant behavior, setting the scene for the development of antisocial personality disorder. This is most like a ______ disorder
behavioral
The fact that children may learn antisocial behavior by modeling parental conflict and aggressiveness provides support for:
behavioral theory
Assume a study of prison inmates diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder shows that they generally experience less anxiety than other people when they lie or "con" others. This outcome would most strongly support which theoretical position?
biological
A client has enlarged brain ventricles and a measurable loss of gray matter. These symptoms are
biological, and the most likely diagnosis is schizotypal personality disorder
"That personality disorder has become so common, I encounter it almost every day in the emergency room." MOST likely, this doctor is talking about which personality disorder?
borderline
"There's nothing out there for me. I can't stand other people, and I can't stand myself, either. I'm just really mad right now." Such a statement would most likely be made by someone with which personality disorder?
borderline
An individual with a diagnosed personality disorder is emotionally unstable, impulsive, and reckless. This person's diagnosis is likely to be which of the following personality disorders?
borderline
Transported to the hospital after a suicide attempt, a man is later admitted to the hospital's psychiatric wing. His history showed other self-destructive behaviors and recklessness. MOST likely, if the man is diagnosed with a personality disorder, it will be:
borderline
"That's it!" says your friend, the psychotherapist. "I can't work with that client. As soon as I show any empathy at all, it becomes almost impossible to challenge the client, and the client keeps calling me at all hours of the day." MOST likely, this is a client with:
borderline personality disorder
Dr. Marsha Linehan, the developer of dialectical behavior therapy, would have diagnosed her young adult self with:
borderline personality disorder
Gort's parents never quite liked him, probably did not want children in the first place. He just was not accepted. It was clear early in school that Gort had a low opinion of himself and did not know how to interact with the other children. Now he cuts himself and has been to the ER several times. This is a description of the possible development of:
borderline personality disorder
Lisa felt like she was on an emotional roller coaster. She felt angry and empty. Lisa's feelings are MOST similar to those of someone with:
borderline personality disorder
The inability to accurately interpret one's internal biological emotional or physiological states is characteristic of both:
borderline personality disorder and eating disorders
DSM-5, like its predecessor, DSM-IV-TR, identifies 10 personality disorders utilizing a:
categorical approach
"The problem is that they assume they can't take care of themselves, so they think others have to meet their needs. This pattern of thinking is not very helpful in trying to deal with histrionic personality disorder." A psychologist from which of the following perspectives would agree MOST strongly with this quote?
cognitive
A person experiencing paranoid personality disorder frequently says things like "You've got to get them before they get you," and "People have been sinners since the Garden of Eden." If these sayings reflect maladaptive assumptions the person has about people in general, the theorist who would be LEAST surprised would have which theoretical position?
cognitive
An individual diagnosed with schizoid personality disorder reports having a great deal of difficulty figuring out how others feel, and as a child had difficulty developing adequate language skills. These findings would make the MOST sense to a theorist with which background?
cognitive
The type of therapist MOST likely to try to help people diagnosed with histrionic personality disorder to believe they are not helpless, and to teach them better thinking skills, is a ______ therapist:
cognitive
There is a new game called "Moods" where one acts out the mood listed on a card. Being encouraged to play this game is most like the treatment _____ might use for those with schizoid disorders
cognitive therapists
According to current research, if a person living in the United States is distrustful of both lawyers and congressional members, that type of person is:
common: most people in the United States distrust both lawyers and congressional members
The two childhood disorders that have been related to later antisocial personality disorder are:
conduct disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder
If an individual has damage to the prefrontal cortex, which of the following symptoms would MOST likely be observed?
deficits in planning, self-control, and decision making
Be loyal to your family" was what the child heard all the time, along with "You shouldn't— and can't—do it on your own, so don't even try." A behaviorist would say this kind of upbringing would be MOST likely to produce which of the personality disorders in the child, when he or she reached adulthood?
dependent
A person who has an excessive need to be taken care of and is clingy is MOST likely to qualify for a diagnosis of:
dependent personality disorder
If parents excessively reinforce clinging and punish attempts at independence, the result might be the development of:
dependent personality disorder
The type of therapy that generally provides the least help for those with schizoid personality disorder is:
drug
According to psychodynamic theorists, an important factor in the development of avoidant personality disorder is:
early experiences of shame
Which of the following marks an individual as a pseudocommando?
expecting to be killed while committing mass murder
The category of "odd" personality disorders includes the traits of:
extreme suspiciousness, social withdrawal, and cognitive and perceptual peculiarities
When dialectical behavior therapy is used with patients with borderline personality disorder, those patients, compared to patients receiving other forms of therapy, make:
far fewer suicide attempts, and are hospitalized less often
Which of the following is MOST characteristic of mass murderers?
feelings of persecution and desire for revenge
A belief that the news anchor on CNN is giving one important messages about one's behavior reflects:
ideas of reference
All of the following are criticisms of DSM-5 diagnoses of personality disorders EXCEPT:
incorporating new research into the new edition
Biologically speaking, if one wanted to treat antisocial personality disorder, one would want to ______ the individual with the disorder
increase the anxiety level of
Cognitive therapy for avoidant personality disorder focuses on:
increasing the client's tolerance of emotional discomfort and building up his or her self- image
People with avoidant personality disorder have difficulty ______ relationships, while people with dependent personality disorder have difficulty ______ relationships
initiating; ending
Cognitive theorists believe that because of their difficulty scanning the environment, perceiving accurately, and picking up emotional cues, those with schizoid personalities develop ______ very slowly
language and motor skills
If instruments such as the "Big Five" are used to describe personality, rather than relying on DSM-5, then diagnoses of psychological disorder would become:
less categorical and more a matter of degree
The "flower children" of the 1960s and 1970s have sometimes been called the "me" generation, reflecting the supposed self-centered individualism of the time. If this is true, a sociocultural theorist would predict a larger than usual percentage of which kind of personality disorder among the aging "me" generation?
narcissistic
A person constantly strives to be the center of attention, yet the ideas the person so eloquently expresses are usually shallow and changeable. If this person were diagnosed with a personality disorder, it MOST likely would be:
histrionic
You had one eye in the mirror as you watched yourself.../You're so vain, you probably think this song is about you/You're so vain..." sang Carly Simon in the 1973 #1 hit, "You're So Vain." If the subject of the song were diagnosed with a personality disorder, which of the following would be the MOST likely diagnosis?
histrionic
"Beatlemania" gripped the United States in the 1960s when the British rock group The Beatles performed; adoring fans screamed, sometimes fainted, and shouted exaggerated, emotional praise at the group. These behaviors MOST closely resemble the characteristics of:
histrionic personality disorder
The personality disorder that is characterized by the need for undying love and admiration is:
narcissistic
"I am the greatest!" a famous boxer declared loudly and often. Had he in fact acted throughout his adult life as though he were the greatest, the most appropriate diagnosis would be:
narcissistic personality disorder
Although lying, even compulsive lying, is not considered a psychological disorder, it is sometimes characteristic of people with:
narcissistic personality disorder
A client is initially very resistant to therapy, cannot acknowledge weaknesses, and ignores feedback. MOST likely, the client is experiencing:
narcissistic personality disorder, and will not make much progress in therapy
The five traits to be included in future revisions of the DSM-5 that utilize a dimensional approach in diagnosing personality disorders are:
negative affectivity, detachment, antagonism, disinhibition, psychoticism
When the seat belt light in DiDi's car stays on for a few extra seconds, she bursts into tears. She always craves attention and reacts to even the smallest event with an elaborate show of emotion. She probably could receive a diagnosis of:
histrionic personality disorder.
Group therapy is particularly useful in the treatment of avoidant personality disorder MAINLY because group therapy:
provides practice in social interactions
"It is clear that very demanding parents caused this person to develop paranoid personality disorder." This statement MOST likely would be made by someone from which of the following theoretical perspectives?
psychodynamic
"It is obvious that this case of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder arises from an early childhood fixation." Which type of psychologist would MOST likely have made that statement?
psychodynamic
The absence of parental love results in emotional detachment and the use of power to form relationships. This is most likely a _____ personality disorder.
psychodynamic
Those diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder appear MORE responsive to which kinds of therapy?
psychodynamic and cognitive
The theorist who describes schizoid personality disorder as developing from coping with parental rejection by avoiding relationships represents the:
psychodynamic perspective
Which of the following have sociocultural theorists suggested as a cause for the emergence of borderline personality disorder?
rapid social change
If future editions of the DSM change to a dimensional approach in the diagnosis of personality disorders, clinicians will have to:
rate the degree of dysfunctioning caused by each person's traits in diagnosing personality disorders
A person who is LEAST likely to be affected by criticism or praise from other people is one suffering from:
schizoid personality disorder
Wes has always been a loner. He has never much cared for being with other people and does not form relationships easily. He appears to be without emotion. Wes may be exhibiting:
schizoid personality disorder
An individual has just received a diagnosis of paranoid personality disorder. That individual is MOST likely to have a parent or sibling who has:
schizophrenia
Personality disorders are categorized into three main clusters that include all of the following EXCEPT:
schizophrenia
The disorder that appears to be MOST closely related to the schizotypal personality disorder is:
schizophrenia
A person who does poorly on a task called backward masking is MOST likely to be experiencing:
schizotypal personality disorder
Digressive and vague language with loose associations accompanied by attention and concentration problems are characteristic of:
schizotypal personality disorder
Ty is fairly handsome, but not as handsome as he thinks he is. He doesn't care about anyone but himself and is sure that everyone around him feels the same way. He is MOST likely experiencing:
schizotypal personality disorder
When Selina sees a report of a train wreck on television, she thinks that it is a sign that she should not take the train to work the next day and so decides to take the bus instead. If she has a diagnosable personality disorder, it is MOST likely:
schizotypal personality disorder
Avoidant personality disorder seems MOST closely related to:
social anxiety
"The client scores low on extroversion and agreeableness, but high on neuroticism. Looks like schizoid personality disorder to me." The therapist being quoted is using what instrument to make the diagnosis?
the "Big Five" personality test
All of the following are problems in the use of the DSM-5 to diagnose personality disorders EXCEPT:
the criteria are so restrictive that several categories rarely, if ever, are used
If you believe that personality disorders are BEST understood as a matter of degree in difference from typical personality rather than as a specific diagnosis, you agree with:
the dimensional approach
What aspect of dialectical behavior therapy relates to psychodynamic theory?
the emphasis on the patient-therapist relationship
One especially good reason to use a form of group therapy in the treatment of dependent personality disorder is that:
the group members can model appropriate behaviors and expression of feelings to one another
You might suspect an "era of narcissism" is approaching for a country when:
there is increasing emphasis on self-expression and competitiveness
The MOST important similarity among the personality disorders listed in the text is that:
they are inflexible, maladaptive, and related to impaired functioning or distress
The schizoid personality disorder differs from paranoid personality disorder in that:
those with schizoid personality disorder desire to be alone; those with paranoid personality are alone because of suspiciousness
Behavioral and cognitive theorists propose that people who develop narcissistic personality disorder may have been treated:
too positively in early life
Comorbidity means that:
two disorders may occur together in an individual
The parents of those with schizoid personality disorder are MOST likely to have been:
unaccepting
With the help of a therapist, a client with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder has experienced a dramatic decrease in both dichotomous thinking and worrying. The client's behavior is:
uncommon; most with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder do not seek help, and this person is most likely receiving cognitive therapy
A group of diagnostic clinicians can't agree with each other on appropriate personality disorder diagnoses for several clients. In fact, it is obvious that, in many cases, they have inaccurately made their diagnoses. Assuming they are competent clinicians, this situation would indicate the DSM-5 categories for personality disorder are:
neither reliable nor valid
A high school student asks a guidance counselor, parents, and friends for suggestions before deciding on a college to attend, and on an academic major. This student's behavior is:
normal for those in high school
One similarity of those experiencing paranoid personality disorder and those experiencing schizoid personality disorder is that they tend:
not to have close ties to others
A therapist treating a client diagnosed with borderline personality disorder came up with the following analysis: the parents probably did not want children in the first place; the child just was not accepted; the child developed low self-esteem, dependency, and an inability to cope with separation. The therapist's theoretical orientation is probably:
object relations theory
A patient receiving dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) for borderline personality disorder experiences an emotion that he or she realizes is inappropriate. Immediately after, the patient acts in a very different, appropriate, way. This DBT procedure is called:
opposite action
Studies of those diagnosed with borderline personality disorder show that:
over half attempt suicide at least once in their lives, and about 10 percent succeed
Reese is distrustful of others and reacts quickly to perceived threats. Even though he has no evidence, he is sure his wife is unfaithful. He finds it almost impossible to forgive those he thinks have wronged him. Reese displays the characteristics of:
paranoid personality disorder
if you wanted to write a book about a fictional character who is a "typical" example of antisocial personality disorder, you might have the character exhibit all of the following EXCEPT:
periods of very high anxiety.
The enduring pattern of inner thoughts and emotions along with outward behavior that is unique to each individual is termed:
personality
The authors of DSM-5 have designed their own dimensional approach in diagnosing personality disorders for possible inclusion in future revisions of the DSM. The idea is that individuals whose traits significantly impair their functioning should receive a diagnosis of:
personality disorder trait specified.
The consistencies of one's characteristics are called:
personality traits
The categorical approach to personality disorders assumes that:
problematic personality traits are either present or absent
Which of the following statements regarding the treatment of paranoid personality disorder is MOST accurate?
Most therapies are of limited effectiveness and progress slowly
Should drugs be used in the treatment of schizotypal personality disorder?
Maybe; in low doses, they seem to help some clients
In the United States, most teenagers have cell phones and text. Which of the following MOST accurately describes adult cell phone usage?
Most have cell phones, and most of them text
Which of the following is true regarding the relationship between obsessive-compulsive disorder (an anxiety disorder) and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder?
Some people with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder also experience obsessive- compulsive disorder (an anxiety disorder)
Which of the following statements is NOT generally true of those with antisocial personality disorder?
They care for no one's safety, except theirs and their children's
What is a common reason for the hospitalization of people with borderline personality disorder?
They may attempt suicide or otherwise hurt themselves
Which of the following statements BEST represents current knowledge about mass murderers?
We really don't know what causes mass murderers to act or how to treat them
"Let's try to figure out where clients fall on several key personality traits, rather than using a dichotomous classification system." Someone saying this would MOST likely favor which approach to classifying personality disorders?
a dimensional approach
An adult has been jailed for the third time for fraud; each time it has been for persuading investors to put money into a phony silver mine. If the adult has received a DSM-IV-TR diagnosis, it is MOST likely either:
antisocial personality disorder or a substance-related disorder
Ben set up an elaborate scheme to mine gold in the Rockies. He had a large town meeting and made a presentation of his stock. The shares were only $5 each, and everyone could afford them. He showed pictures of the mine and explained how the company expected to gross $100 million each month. As it turns out, he was a terrific con artist who had made several "successful" proposals such as this in towns across America in the last couple of years. He is MOST likely suffering from:
antisocial personality disorder.
Sarah respects none of society's boundaries and is insensitive to other people, frequently violating their rights. She does not consider the consequences of her actions. She MOST probably experiences:
antisocial personality disorder.
Elena can't seem to establish social ties because she is afraid of being embarrassed or appearing foolish. She is easily hurt by criticism and is not willing to go into unfamiliar situations. She may be experiencing:
avoidant personality disorder
If a person primarily fears close social relationships, one would MOST likely conclude that the person is experiencing:
avoidant personality disorder
DSM-5 has been described as functioning like a light switch, which can be "on" or "off." In other words, one either does or does not qualify for a personality disorder diagnosis. Some theorists suggest that degree of symptoms, not symptom absence or presence, is more important and similar to a:
dimmer switch, with the light adjustable from all the way off to all the way on
Characteristics of the Virginia Tech shooter reveal that he:
displayed a combination of features from many personality disorders
Based on a structured interview, Diagnostician A classifies an individual's personality disorder in the "odd" cluster. Based on another structured interview of the same type, Diagnostician B classifies an individual's personality disorder in the "dramatic" cluster. If what is described here is typical of what happens when that variety of structured interview is used, one would say the structured interview has:
low reliability and low validity
Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder is MOST common among:
men with jobs
Schizotypal personality disorders differ from other "odd" personality disorders in that they are related to schizophrenia and:
mood disorders
The TV show Monk features a detective who is very seldom happy, has few good friends, has a very rigid order and way in which he must do things, and who frequently has difficulty making up his mind about what to do. If he were diagnosed with a personality disorder, it would MOST likely be a ______ disorder
obsessive-compulsive
The TV show Saturday Night Live once featured a skit involving an "Anal Retentive Carpenter," who had to keep all his tools and work materials in just the "right" places, arranged "just so." He was very anxious any time tools and materials were not just as he wanted them. The MOST appropriate diagnosis for the carpenter would be:
obsessive-compulsive personality disorder
Currently, the "Big-Five" approach to personality disorders is:
the recipient of recognition, with a great amount of research being done on it
A therapist states, "I seldom use drugs when I treat clients with borderline personality disorder." The therapist MOST likely says this because:
the risk of suicide increases because using drugs may lead to overdose
What differentiates normal personality characteristics from personality disorders?
the specific characteristics B) the degree of inflexibility and maladaptiveness C) the length of time one possesses the characteristics D) All the answers are correct.
Dialectical behavior therapy emphasizes all of the following EXCEPT:
the use of antipsychotic medications in an outpatient setting
The strong relationship between antisocial personality disorder and substance abuse means that:
there are high rates of substance abuse among those with antisocial personality disorder
