practice ASWB exam 3 - Human Development, Diversity, & Behavior in the Environment

Question ID #47859: In terms of emotional development, a key task in middle childhood is the development of "emotional competence," which is BEST described as the ability to: Select one: A. regulate negative emotions in appropriate ways. B. experience, express, and understand emotions. C. read other peoples emotions and express empathy. D. manage cognitions that produce negative emotions.

B is correct: Emotional competence refers to the ability to experience, express, and understand emotions. An "emotionally competent" person is aware of and recognizes his/her own emotions and regulates their expression ("experiencing" emotions); expresses his/her emotions in ways that are socially appropriate to the situation ("expressing" emotions); and is able to read other people's emotions and respond to them appropriately and understands that people have different emotional styles ("understanding" emotions). The correct answer is: experience, express, and understand emotions.

Question ID #48004: Erikson identifies identity formation as the key psychosocial task during adolescence. At age 17 or 18, this task begins to be replaced by which of the following? Select one: A. The need to come to terms with ones limitations. B. The need to achieve a higher degree of individuation. C. The need to develop interpersonal closeness and solidarity. D. The need to be productive and creative.

C is correct: According the Erikson, the psychosocial issues of early adulthood center on intimacy and solidarity versus isolation. The main task at this stage ("intimacy vs. isolation") is the establishment of intimate bonds of love and friendship.Answer A: For Erikson, the stage of ego integrity vs. despair is characteristic of old age, and the development of a sense of integrity requires coming to terms with one's limitations and mortality.Answer B: Individuation is a concept associated with Levinson, not Erikson.Answer D: For Erikson, the stage of generativity vs. stagnation is characteristic of middle adulthood. The correct answer is: The need to develop interpersonal closeness and solidarity.

Question ID #47394: While assessing a client who immigrated to the United States from India three years ago, a social worker identifies the client's degree of acculturation into the mainstream culture in this country. According to contemporary models, "acculturation" is BEST defined as: Select one: A. a process of adopting the traits of the dominant culture with or without abandoning the traits of ones native culture. B. a process of adopting the traits of the dominant culture without abandoning the traits of ones native culture. C. a process of adopting the traits of the dominant culture and rejecting the traits of ones native culture. D. a process of psychosocial and biological adjustment to living in a new cultural environment.

A is correct: "Acculturation" refers to a process of change that occurs when two cultures come into contact. For an individual, acculturation occurs when he adopts the cultural traits (e.g., beliefs, attitudes, values, language) of his new culture. Most contemporary models of acculturation emphasize that it is an ongoing process involving both adopting the traits of the mainstream society and giving up the traits of one's indigenous culture, but that these aspects of acculturation are not necessarily correlated: An individual can adopt the traits of the dominant culture without abandoning the traits of his native culture. The correct answer is: a process of adopting the traits of the dominant culture with or without abandoning the traits of ones native culture.

Question ID #48091: Elevated levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin are believed to contribute to which of the following? Select one: A. Autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. B. Tourettes disorder and schizophrenia. C. Depression and anxiety. D. Aggression and suicide.

A is correct: Elevated levels of serotonin are believed to contribute to schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder. Low levels of serotonin play a role in depression, suicide, PTSD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and aggression. The correct answer is: Autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia.

Question ID #47984: A conflict between trust and mistrust is MOST likely to be apparent in which of the following? Select one: A. A 6 month old who is fearful of a new babysitter. B. A 5 year old who doesnt want to go to kindergarten. C. An 11 year old who is afraid of the school bully. D. An adolescent who is afraid of dating.

A is correct: Even though it doesn't say so directly, this question requires you to think about Erikson's stages of psychosocial development - i.e., "a conflict between trust and mistrust" are the key words in the question. You had to know that each of Erikson's stages is associated with a particular conflict and, more importantly, the age span when each conflict occurs. According to Erikson, a 6 month old is struggling with the conflict of trust vs. mistrust (age birth to 12 months).Answer B: Erikson would say that a 5 year old is struggling with the conflict of initiative vs. guilt (age 3 to 6 years).Answer C: Erikson would say that an 11 year old is in the latency stage and struggling with the conflict of industry vs. inferiority (age 6 to 12 years).Answer D: According the Erikson, the conflict of ego identity vs. role confusion occurs during adolescence. The correct answer is: A 6 month old who is fearful of a new babysitter.

Question ID #47866: Which of the following is a true statement about the factors that determine a group's level of cohesiveness? Select one: A. Cohesiveness tends to increase when group members participate in setting the groups norms and goals. B. Large groups tend to be more cohesive than small groups. C. Group homogeneity is associated with lower levels of cohesiveness. D. The level of cohesiveness tends to be lower when the group members have to depend on one another to achieve their goals.

A is correct: Only "A" is a true statement. Group cohesiveness tends to increase when the group members participate in setting the goals and norms for the group (and when the members must depend on one another to achieve their common goals). The other three answers state the opposite of what tends to be true. The correct answer is: Cohesiveness tends to increase when group members participate in setting the groups norms and goals.

Question ID #48221: Which of the following is true about evaluations of individuals who wish to adopt a child? Select one: A. Evaluations emphasize education more than investigation. B. The primary focus of evaluations is the ability to financially support a child. C. Only married couples are accepted as applicants. D. Infertility is a precondition for acceptance.

A is correct: Only "A" states something that is true about the process of evaluating potential adoptive parents.Answer C: Although some states have special requirements for adoptive parents (e.g., residency requirements), as a general rule, any adult who is determined to be a "fit parent" may adopt a child, including a single (unmarried) person. Unmarried couples are also permitted to adopt (this is sometimes called a "two-parent adoption"). Almost all states in the U.S. also allow lesbians and gay men to adopt children, and an increasing number of states are allowing gay and lesbian couples to adopt jointly. The correct answer is: Evaluations emphasize education more than investigation.

Question ID #47305: A client reports that he's worried because his 4-year-old son has an imaginary playmate. What should the social worker do FIRST? Select one: A. Normalize the boys behavior. B. Recommend play therapy. C. Observe parent-child interactions. D. Refer the client to a parenting class and offer him literature on child development.

A is correct: The client's presenting concern is that his son has an imaginary playmate, yet having an imaginary playmate at age 4 is considered normal; it's very rarely a symptom of psychopathology. Therefore, you should begin by reassuring the client that this behavior is normal.Answers B, C, and D: So far, there's no indication of a problem needing clinical attention. Whether you recommend further evaluation or treatment would depend on what other information you collect from the client and other sources. The correct answer is: Normalize the boys behavior.

Question ID #48115: An Asian-American client, age 26, expresses a desire to become more self-directed and focused on her own needs. She wants to become more assertive so that she can meet some of her own needs rather than worrying so much about what her parents want her to do. The social worker and client contract to work on this goal. In the very next session, the client says that she has changed her mind - she doesn't want to focus on her own needs because doing so isn't consistent with her parents' traditional values. What is the social worker's BEST course of action? Select one: A. Help the client reformulate the treatment goals by discussing a range of options that better reflect her needs and situation and the impact of each option on her and her family and community. B. Help the client reformulate the treatment goals, focusing on how she can become more acculturated. C. Encourage the client to work on the goal of identifying why she feels as though she needs to conform to her parents values even when they conflict with her own personal needs. D. Alter the treatment goals so that they are more in line with the parents values and, therefore, more acceptable to the client.

A is correct: The client's sense of conflict is not surprising given her cultural background. Instead of promoting individual needs and personal identity, traditional Asian-American families tend to have a family and group ("collectivist") orientation. In working with an Asian-American client, therefore, it can be important to consider the family and community context during assessment, problem definition, and treatment planning. In this case, the client has come to the conclusion that her desire to focus on her own needs runs counter to her parents' values (probably their collectivist orientation). This conflict should be taken into consideration when developing the treatment goals and strategies. For example, the goals and treatment approaches may need to incorporate a family focus, including addressing the client's concerns about how achieving her goals may impact her family and any conflicts stemming from acculturation differences between the client and her parents. The correct answer is: Help the client reformulate the treatment goals by discussing a range of options that better reflect her needs and situation and the impact of each option on her and her family and community.

Question ID #47372: A 70-year-old man is concerned because he doesn't feel much desire to have sex with his wife. The man married his wife a year ago after being a widower for 25 years. The man's physician has determined that the man is healthy and he's not on any medications. When assessing this case, it would be useful to know that which of the following has been found to be a very good predictor of sexual activity in late adulthood, especially for men? Select one: A. Sexual activity earlier in life. B. Attitudes toward sex and sexuality. C. Marital status. D. Overall life satisfaction.

A is correct: The research has found that several factors are determinants of sexual activity in old age. Level of sexual activity in mid-life and earlier is a particularly good predictor of sexual activity in old age, especially for men.Answer B: This is not as good a predictor as past sexual activity, especially for men.Answer C: Among older people who experience declines in sexual activity, older women often report that the unavailability of a sexual partner is the reason for their sexual inactivity, while older men more often report health problems as being the key factor in their lowered sexual interest and activity.Answer D: This is not as good a predictor as past sexual activity. The correct answer is: Sexual activity earlier in life.

Question ID #48046: An 78-year-old woman reports that she's been feeling unsettled and disconnected. She moved to an independent-living senior apartment about five years ago after her husband died. She retired 10 years ago and has been active in her community since then tutoring children and volunteering at the local library. She reports slowing down a bit during the past year because of worsening physical pain associated with her arthritis. The research suggests that which of the following factors MOST increases this woman's risk for depression? Select one: A. Her medical disorder and its effects. B. Being an older adult. C. Being a widow. D. Being retired.

A is correct: Though the wrong answers might be tempting, the right answer is based on both what we know about this woman and what the research shows about depression risk among older adults. This research shows that healthy, normally functioning older adults are not at higher risk for depression, and what appears to be age-related depression is often depression about physical health problems and the associated disabilities (Sue & Sue, 2003). In other words, if the person does not have health problems, simply growing older does not increase the risk for depression.Answer C: It's true that widows and widowers who have difficulty adjusting to their loss are susceptible to depression but there's nothing to suggest that this woman has complicated or unresolved grief (e.g., it sounds like she's been leading a very active life up until recently).Answer D: While people who retire experience the loss of a familiar and often valued social role, being retired, in and of itself, is not necessarily a risk factor for depression. The issue is more what the person does following retirement. Male and female retirees who participate in one or more productive or fulfilling activities (e.g., volunteering) are more likely to be satisfied during retirement than those who are inactive. The likelihood of retirement satisfaction is highest for people who (like this woman) participate in two or more activities. The correct answer is: Her medical disorder and its effects.

Question ID #47783: Federal programs such as Food Stamps, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and payments for adoption assistance and foster care are examples of ________________ programs. Select one: A. selective eligibility B. universal eligibility C. exceptional eligibility D. entitlement

A is correct: Under the selective eligibility policy, benefits and services are provided only to individuals who meet specific, pre-established criteria, often determined by using a means test. The amount of the benefit varies, based on special needs, circumstances, or economic status. For example, in order to receive Food Stamps, a person must meet certain income requirements.Answers B and D: Under the universal eligibility policy, benefits or services are provided in the same amount to all individuals rather than on the basis of need, circumstance, or economic status. When applied, this policy takes the form of universal programs such as OASDI (Social Security) and Medicare. Universal programs are open to everyone who falls into a certain category; people are not required to undergo tests of need or income. A synonymous term is entitlement program: Entitlement programs are government-sponsored benefits of cash, goods, or services that are due to all people who belong to specific class; examples include OASDI and Medicare.Answer C: Under the exceptional eligibility policy, benefits and services are developed for individuals in a special group (such as war veterans) due to sympathy for the group or political pressure. Eligibility is not necessarily based on need or circumstances. The correct answer is: selective eligibility

Question ID #48029: While the id operates through a mechanism known as the pleasure principle, the ego operates through: Select one: A. the reality principle. B. the morality principle. C. the anxiety principle. D. defense mechanisms.

A is correct: You had to bring to mind what you know about Freud's personality theory and to think carefully about what the question asks - it asks you to identify the ego function that is comparable to the id function of reducing tension and gratifying needs - i.e., finding pleasure. While the id operates according to the pleasure principle and seeks immediate gratification of instinctual drives, the ego operates according to the reality principle and seeks to satisfy id urges in realistic and socially acceptable ways.Answer B: This is a distractor (a made-up term in the context of Freud's personality theory). If you didn't know the right answer and confused the ego and superego, however, this choice might have misled you. The superego is the part of the personality that serves as the individual's conscience by incorporating societal and parental ethics and morals into the personality.Answer C: This term is also a distractor. If you didn't know the right answer, this choice also might have misled you, however, since anxiety is associated with "failure" of the ego and is an important component of Freud's theory of personality. Freud believed that anxiety results when the ego is unable to reconcile the incompatible demands of the id, superego, and reality.Answer D: Although defense mechanisms are associated with Freud's personality theory and the ego, this is not the right answer. Still, you might have been misled because you associate the ego with defense mechanisms. However, the ego does not "operate according to" defense mechanisms, but rather, according to the realistic demands of the environment (reality). When the ego is unable to ward off danger through rational, realistic means, it may resort to one of its defense mechanisms. Defense mechanisms prevent conscious awareness of impulses, thoughts, desires, etc., that produce anxiety. The correct answer is: the reality principle.

Question ID #47398: During the second session with an Asian-American social worker, an African American client says that he would prefer to see an African American therapist. What would be the MOST appropriate way for the social worker to interpret the client's request? Select one: A. As a manifestation of resistance. B. As a function of racial identity. C. As denial and avoidance. D. In terms of locus of control.

B is correct: A frequently discussed topic in the cross-cultural counseling literature is the impact of racial/ethnic identity on the therapy process. Sue and Sue ("Counseling the Culturally Different," New York, John Wiley & Sons, 1990) note that "preference for a racially or ethnically similar counselor may really be a function of the cultural/racial identity of the minority person ... rather than of race or ethnicity per se." In other words, a preference for a therapist of the same race or ethnicity is often a manifestation of the individual's racial/ethnic identity. The correct answer is: As a function of racial identity.

Question ID #48003: The clients are a newly married couple who complain of a sexual problem. Their physicians have ruled out medical conditions and neither client uses any substances on a regular basis. While interviewing the couple, the social worker discovers that each blames the other for the problem, and he decides to offer them some information about potential causes of sexual problems. In doing so, the social worker would be correct if he told them that, according to Masters and Johnson, the primary causes of sexual dysfunctions are: Select one: A. inadequate knowledge about sexuality and rigid values. B. inadequate knowledge about sexuality and performance anxiety. C. previous learning and conditioning. D. unrealistic expectations and performance anxiety.

B is correct: According to Masters and Johnson, sexual dysfunctions (other than those attributable to a medical condition or the effects of a substance) are most commonly due to ignorance about sexuality and resulting performance anxiety. Other less common causes include rigid sexual values and a lack of open communication. The correct answer is: inadequate knowledge about sexuality and performance anxiety.

Question ID #48042: A young heterosexual couple seeks therapy because they fight too much. They are on the verge of ending their relationship because they can't communicate well. They say, "It's like we're two different species when we try to talk about things." Based on his knowledge of research on communication style and gender, the social worker would be MOST likely to suspect that which of the following is true about this couple's communication? Select one: A. The man tends to use rapport talk, while the woman tends to use report talk. B. The man prefers talking about activities, while the woman prefers talking about feelings. C. The mans communication style is more expressive than the womans. D. Compared to her partners, the womans communication style is more focused on identifying goals and finding solutions.

B is correct: Among adults, men tend to prefer discussions about activities and events, while women usually prefer discussions about their personal lives, intimate topics, and feelings. Consequently, women tend to obtain a greater level of intimate communication with each other than men do.Answer A: According to Tannen (1991), the opposite of this is true: Men use "report talk" (they discuss knowledge and demonstrate their skill), while women use "rapport talk" (they discuss personal similarities and experiences).Answers C and D: Men tend to use an instrumental style of communication, and women tend to use an expressive style of communication. Instrumental communication focuses on identifying goals and solutions, while expressive communication emphasizes the expression of emotions and adopting a perspective that is sensitive to how others are feeling. The correct answer is: The man prefers talking about activities, while the woman prefers talking about feelings.

Question ID #48028: A low-income client is seven months pregnant and has not had any prenatal care. The client, who lives alone, reports that she's been feeling tired from all of the changes in her body and because she has trouble affording to buy good food once she's paid her rent and the utility bills. Her social worker arranges for the client to see a doctor and helps her to apply for the WIC program. In terms of potential complications for the baby in this case, the social worker should be aware that severe maternal malnutrition in the third trimester is MOST harmful to: Select one: A. the fetal heart. B. the fetal brain. C. the fetal immune system. D. the fetal respiratory system.

B is correct: Maternal malnutrition during prenatal development is associated with a number of potential complications, including miscarriage, stillbirth, low birth-weight, and intellectual disability. Severe malnutrition in the third trimester (especially protein deficiency) is particularly harmful to the developing brain. The correct answer is: the fetal brain.

Question ID #47173: The unavailability of preventive health services in minority communities, a lack of quality health care in close proximity to these communities, and the delivery of substandard health care services to members of these communities is best attributed to which of the following? Select one: A. Subtle racism. B. Institutional racism. C. Personally mediated racism. D. Internalized racism.

B is correct: Several types of racism have been distinguished. For example, C.P. Jones (2000) identifies three levels of racism - institutional, personally mediated, and internalized. Institutional racism refers to denial or restriction of material conditions (e.g., access to health care) and access to power to members of minority groups.Answer A: Subtle racism refers to a less blatant (more covert) form of racism which some experts contend has replaced "old-fashioned" (overt) prejudice and discrimination. The term subtle racism is used most often to describe the beliefs, attitudes, and actions of individuals (rather than institutions).Answer C: Personally mediated racism refers to prejudice and discrimination at the individual level.Answer D: As defined by Jones, internalized racism refers to "acceptance by members of the stigmatized races of negative messages about their own abilities and intrinsic worth" (p. 1213). The correct answer is: Institutional racism.

Question ID #47996: The parents of a young child seek help from a social worker because their child has been having difficult speaking clearly. The child has been stuttering, and they're worried that he will never speak fluently and will feel different from others as a result. The social worker is MOST likely to conclude that the child's stuttering is normal childhood speech dysfluency if: Select one: A. the child has no associated emotional or behavioral problems. B. the child is 3 years old. C. the onset of the childs speech difficulties was before age 7. D. the child displays only one type of dysfluency.

B is correct: Speech dysfluencies are common in preschool children (ages 2 to 4), and most outgrow them and develop normal speech without intervention. The correct answer is: the child is 3 years old.

Question ID #48019: The "nature-nurture" debate is over the relative contributions of genetic and environmental factors to human development. Currently most experts agree that: Select one: A. nature is stronger than nurture. B. both are important and have a reciprocal influence on development. C. nurture is stronger than nature. D. both play a role, but culture is the key variable affecting development.

B is correct: The "nature-nurture debate" is concerned with the degree to which hereditary (biological) and environmental factors are responsible for diversity in the development of human characteristics and behavior. Historically, maturationists have maintained that development is a biological process that occurs automatically in predictable, sequential stages over time, while learning theorists have maintained that human development and behavior are primarily the result of environmental factors. Currently, most experts believe that many human characteristics are the result of an interaction between nature (biology) and nurture (the environment); this view is represented by interactionist theories, including those set forth by Freud, Piaget, and Kohlberg. There remains a lack of consensus about the relative contributions of nature and nurture, however.Answer D: Some theorists contend that both nature and nurture have a significant influence on development but are each moderated by culture. "Cultural context theory" suggests that, depending on the cultural context - i.e., the way in which an event is experienced and interpreted - the same factor will have different effects on development. Researchers associated with this view include Bronfenbrenner, Vygotsky, and Erikson. The correct answer is: both are important and have a reciprocal influence on development.

Question ID #47563: A teenage girl is reprimanded at school by her chemistry teacher for failing to do her homework the night before. The girl is upset by this because she is a good student who has never misbehaved, but she accepts the criticism without responding to it. Later that day, she yells at her younger brother when he enters her bedroom while she is doing her homework. She rarely yells at her brother. Her behavior illustrates which of the following? Select one: A. Projection. B. Displacement. C. Sublimation. D. Reaction formation.

B is correct: The answers for this question are defense mechanisms. Freud believed that, when the ego is unable to ward off danger through rational, realistic means, it may resort to one of its defense mechanisms. Displacement is the transfer of an instinctual drive from its original target (the teacher, in this case) to a less threatening target (the little brother) so that the drive can be more safely expressed.Answer A: Projection involves attributing one's own unacceptable instinctual needs and drives to someone else.Answer C: Sublimation is a type of displacement in which an unacceptable impulse is diverted into a socially-acceptable, even admirable activity.Answer D: When using reaction formation, a person avoids an anxiety-evoking instinct by expressing its opposite. The correct answer is: Displacement.

Question ID #48018: To understand what influences their clients' development and behavior, social workers often use a multidimensional framework that includes three main dimensions. Which dimension is concerned with social regulation and early attachment? Select one: A. Social. B. Psychological. C. Personality. D. Biophysical.

B is correct: The multidimensional framework used by most social workers emphasizes the biophysical, psychological, and social dimensions. The psychological dimension is concerned with psychological functions that influence a person's ability to satisfy his or her needs over the lifespan. It consists of early emotional bonding; basic temperament; cognitive development and information processing; communication; personality, identity, and self-concept; emotions and attitudes; social regulation; and moral development; and incorporates both psychological strengths (protective factors), and psychological hazards (risks).Answer A: The social dimension consists of family, social supports, and the groups, communities, organizations, and social institutions (church, school, health-care providers, welfare services, etc.) that a person interacts with over his or her lifetime. It also includes gender and multicultural considerations, social strengths (protective factors), and social hazards (risks).Answer D: The biophysical dimension is concerned with all of the biological and physiological factors that influence human development and behavior. It consists of biophysical growth and development from the prenatal period to old age and incorporates both biophysical strengths (protective factors) and biophysical hazards (risks). The correct answer is: Psychological.

Question ID #47377: In individuals diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, which ego function is MOST likely to be disturbed? Select one: A. The ability to focus attention. B. Object relations. C. Stimulus barrier. D. The ability to balance abstract and concrete thinking.

B is correct: The term "object relations" refers to a person's characteristic way of relating to others. Many psychodynamic theorists conceptualize borderline personality disorder (BPD) as resulting from a failure to complete the process of separation-individuation in a healthy way. Kernberg, for instance, proposed that BPD results from fixation at the developmental stage when differentiation of self-from-object-representation (i.e., individuation) should take place. A person fixated at this stage relies on the primitive defenses typical of this stage (such as splitting) and never acquires a realistic image of others or an integrated sense of the self.Answers A, C, and D: These thought processes (cognitive functions) are not necessarily significantly impaired in individuals with BPD. The correct answer is: Object relations.

Question ID #119417: A caseworker has been working with a 13-year-old child in the foster care system. She has struggled to adjust after several disruptions in foster care, and her teachers report behavioral problems and truancy at school. She has recently become combative and disruptive with her new foster family. How should the caseworker support the child and her foster family? Select one: A. Recommend that the child be moved to another foster home with a better family fit B. Recommend that the child be moved to a more structured environment, like a group home that can provide more support C. Refer the child to a social worker who can provide more one-on-one counseling D. Give it time - she needs to adjust to her new environment

C is correct. Research has shown that more placements have been associated with negative outcomes for children in foster care, as has group home placement. Changing her placement again (A or B) should be avoided. While it can take time for a child to adjust to a new placement (D), it is important that she have all of the necessary supports in place to make the transition easier. The priority should be ensuring she receives individual mental health services (C) to help her cope with past trauma and ideally make the current placement more successful. The correct answer is: Refer the child to a social worker who can provide more one-on-one counseling

Question ID #48090: A mother reports that her young child has difficulty sleeping at night and she wants to give him the antihistamine Benadryl before he goes to bed. A parent who does this should be made aware of which of the following? Select one: A. Benadryl has few side-effects and can be used as often as needed to help a child fall asleep. B. Benadryl is effective for preventing children from waking up during the night but does not help them fall asleep. C. In some children, Benadryl produces symptoms of hyperactivity. D. Nightmares are a common side-effect of taking Benadryl before bed.

C is correct: "C" is the only true statement. Because one of the main side-effects of Benadryl is sedation, it is sometimes used by parents as a pediatric sleep aid to help their children fall and stay asleep at night. Research has found, however, that Benadryl can have a paradoxical effect in about 10 to 15 percent of children: it produces symptoms of hyperactivity in these children that keep them wake. Note that Benadryl should not be used often or for a prolonged period of time as a pediatric sleep aid, and if a child is having difficulty sleeping, the parents should be advised to discuss possible reasons with the child's doctor. The correct answer is: In some children, Benadryl produces symptoms of hyperactivity.

Question ID #48010: An 11-month-old baby becomes very upset when his mother leaves the room for a few minutes. This MOST likely reflects which of the following? Select one: A. Autism spectrum disorder. B. An insecure/avoidant attachment pattern. C. Separation anxiety. D. Reactive attachment disorder.

C is correct: "Separation anxiety" refers to distress displayed by babies when they are separated from their primary or customary caregivers. It usually begins at about 6 to 8 months of age, peaks at about age 14 to 18 months, and then gradually declines. Unlike separation anxiety disorder, separation anxiety, when it occurs during this developmental period, is considered normal. It reflects a child's increasing cognitive skills and growing emotional and social bonds with his or her primary caregiver.Answer A: A child with autism spectrum disorder is unlikely to have a strong emotional reaction when his mother leaves the room.Answer B: A baby with this attachment pattern would not react like this. Research by Ainsworth and colleagues using the "strange situation" identified four attachment patterns, including two "insecure" attachment patterns: With the insecure/ambivalent attachment pattern, the baby becomes upset when his mother leaves and is ambivalent when she returns; with the insecure/avoidant attachment pattern, the baby shows little distress when his mother leaves and ignores or avoids her when she comes back.Answer D: This doesn't fit. In the DSM-5, reactive attachment disorder is characterized by a consistent pattern of inhibited and emotionally withdrawn behavior toward adult caregivers as manifested by a lack of seeking or responding to comfort when distressed and a persistent social and emotional disturbance that includes at least two characteristic symptoms. To make this diagnosis, there must be evidence of extreme insufficient (pathogenic) care of the child. The correct answer is: Separation anxiety.

Question ID #47396: A social worker is working in the first stage of therapy with a 35-year-old African American man who sought treatment because he was feeling depressed and dissatisfied at his job. Why would it be useful for the social worker to discuss issues related to race and racism with this client? Select one: A. To demonstrate her concern. B. Because the client may be reluctant to bring it up himself. C. Because it may have a bearing on the problem definition. D. Because she has an ethical responsibility to work to reduce racism.

C is correct: As a social worker, you are concerned with a client's entire person-in-situation configuration. Because this client is African American, it's possible that his problems, needs, or concerns are related in some way to experiences he has had with racism.Answer B: This may be true, but "C" is better because it explains how discussing these issues can facilitate the treatment process.Answer D: This is a "truism" that doesn't offer a reason why discussing these issues can facilitate treatment. The correct answer is: Because it may have a bearing on the problem definition.

Question ID #47331: The parents of an 11-year-old girl are going through a divorce and are concerned about how their daughter will react to this. The father meets with a social worker to get information and advice. He asks about typical reactions among children in his daughter's age group. What should the social worker tell him about this? Select one: A. The girl is likely to feel responsible for the divorce. B. The girl is likely to believe that the parent who left home no longer loves her. C. The girl probably wont feel responsible for the divorce but may feel that her parents marriage can be fixed. D. The girl may feel abandoned by both parents.

C is correct: Children of divorce usually face a variety of stressors. A child's age, however, will influence her perception of and reaction to her parents' divorce. Children aged 9 to 12 years usually recognize that their parents have changed and no longer love each other. They also, however, tend to believe that whatever went wrong to cause the divorce can be remedied.Answers A, B, and D: Younger children (age 3 to 6) are less able to understand the reasons for divorce and, consequently, more likely to blame themselves, revert to immature behaviors, experience extreme separation anxiety, fear that they will be abandoned by both parents, and/or believe that the parent who left home no longer loves them. Some research has suggested that preschool children have the most negative outcomes after their parents divorce, especially in the short-term (Zill, Morrison, and Corio, 1993) because of their immature cognitive abilities (e.g., egocentrism). By contrast, the long-term consequences of divorce may be worse for children who are older when their parents divorce. Wallerstein (1984) found that 10 years after the divorce, individuals who were preschoolers when their parents divorced had few memories of the period encompassing the divorce, while children who were older tended to have painful memories and concerns about their ability to have a happy marriage. The correct answer is: The girl probably wont feel responsible for the divorce but may feel that her parents marriage can be fixed.

Question ID #47993: A child has just entered Kohlberg's "conventional morality" level of moral development. She is MOST likely to follow rules in order to: Select one: A. satisfy her own needs. B. avoid censure by a legitimate authority. C. avoid disapproval or dislike by others. D. avoid punishment.

C is correct: Kohlberg (who was influenced by Piaget) developed a theory of moral development in which individuals move through levels and stages in an invariable sequence, with each stage arising from the previous one and each being more cognitively complex than its predecessor. "B" and "C" are both characteristic of conventional morality (ages 10-13); however, the girl has just entered the conventional morality level of moral development. At the beginning of this level, a child has a "good boy/good girl" orientation and is motivated by a desire to avoid disapproval or dislike by others.Answer A: This is characteristic of Kohlberg's second stage (instrumental-relativist/hedonist orientation). It represents less mature moral development, during the preconventional level of morality (ages 4-10).Answer B: This is characteristic of a child later in the conventional morality level, during the law and order orientation stage.Answer D: This also represents less mature moral development, during the preconventional morality level (ages 4-10). It is characteristic of Kohlberg's first stage of moral development (punishment-obedience orientation). The correct answer is: avoid disapproval or dislike by others.

Question ID #119415: A social worker is beginning therapy with a 25-year-old transgender female who recently started hormone therapy. The client asks for help dealing effectively with peoples reactions to her transition. She also reports feeling very anxious lately. Which action should the social worker take FIRST in approaching this case? Select one: A. Assess the clients understanding of hormone therapy and provide her literature about this medical treatment and its potential side-effects. B. Discuss the clients feelings about undergoing hormone therapy and normalize her intense anxiety symptoms under the circumstances. C. Acknowledge that feeling anxious in these circumstances is common but let the client know you will clarify the source of her anxiety symptoms by consulting with her doctor. D. Assess the nature and intensity of the clients anxiety symptoms and provide coping skills that she can begin using immediately.

C is correct: The question doesnt offer much information about the client, but it does say she recently started hormone therapy (hormonal gender reassignment) and now feels very anxious. These facts suggest that your first priority would be to consult with the clients physician in order to find out if the medical treatment may be causing or contributing to her anxiety symptoms. Answer B: Some patients undergoing hormone therapy for gender reassignment become anxious because they realize the treatment will lead others to discover their secret. This may or may not be true about this client, however. Moreover, it would be important to consult with the physician before attributing the clients symptoms to this or any other psychological cause. The physician would also be able to perform a medication evaluation to determine whether the client would benefit from taking an antianxiety agent. Answer D may be useful in providing some strategies to alleviate the clients anxiety, but it does not address the concern that this may be a side-effect of the hormone therapy. The correct answer is: Acknowledge that feeling anxious in these circumstances is common but let the client know you will clarify the source of her anxiety symptoms by consulting with her doctor.

Question ID #47786: When a social worker and a client differ in their racial backgrounds, transference: Select one: A. will probably not occur. B. is identical to transference that occurs when the social worker and client share the same racial background. C. may be affected by the client's past experiences with racism. D. will occur only if the social worker displays racist attitudes.

C is correct: The term transference refers to emotional reactions on the part of the client that are assigned to current relationships (such as the relationship with a therapist) but have their roots in earlier, often unresolved and unconscious experiences. A client's past experiences with racism may affect his/her transference toward a social worker from a different racial group. The correct answer is: may be affected by the client's past experiences with racism.

Question ID #48241: Which of the following describes an important goal Title XX of the Social Security Act Amendments of 1974? Select one: A. To increase the federal governments role in developing funding for personal social services programs. B. To make it easier for people living in poverty to receive welfare payments. C. To provide social services to low-income people in a more economical way. D. To increase the federal governments role in determining how funds will be allocated to social services.

C is correct: Under Title XX (1974), states started receiving funding for social service programs through block grants from the federal government. Key goals of Title XX included (a) increasing the self-reliance of individuals living in poverty with the goal of preventing, reducing, or eliminating dependency on welfare and (b) changing the way social services are delivered to low-income people including providing them in a more economical manner. Title XX is also known as the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG).Answer A: Title XX encouraged the states (not the federal government) to play a larger role in developing funding for personal social services programs. It also placed an upper limit on federal funding for these services.Answer D: Under Title XX, states get a certain amount of funding for their social services programs through block grants from the federal government, and, therefore, states have more (not less) flexibility in determining how they want to distribute the money. The correct answer is: To provide social services to low-income people in a more economical way.

Question ID #47742: A local youth minister collects amateur pornography videotapes. He also has a huge collection of nude photographs of young boys. He gets his material through Internet sites, and neither his wife nor anyone in his community knows of his interests. In fact, he is well respected and considered a good role model for the children. Recently, he initiated a group that lobbies against child pornography. This is an example of which defense mechanism? Select one: A. Denial. B. Projection. C. Reaction formation. D. Repression.

C is correct: You needed to identify what defense mechanism this man is using. Reaction formation involves defending against a disturbing impulse by actively expressing its opposite. Usually these substitute responses are excessive. The clue is that the man is a collector of child pornography who has also initiated in an anti-child pornography movement.Answer A: Denial consists of defending against painful or unpleasant anxiety by shutting it out of one's consciousness. If this man were truly in denial about his interest in child pornography, he would not initiate a group opposing it.Answer B: Projection involves attributing one's undesirable impulses to the external world.Answer D: Repression involves an involuntary removal of unacceptable impulses, desires, and thoughts from conscious awareness in order to suppress or divert painful feelings. The correct answer is: Reaction formation.

Question ID #47842: Which of the following is NOT a true statement regarding alcohol use among older adults? Select one: A. Older adults may experience the effects of alcohol more readily than when they were younger. B. Health professionals are likely to confuse their symptoms with other medical problems. C. There is a better prognosis for recovery than for people who began abusing alcohol at a younger age. D. Because they are older, they have a higher tolerance to alcohol.

D is correct: Answer "D" is not true about alcohol use among older adults. In fact, aging lowers the body's tolerance for alcohol. This means that older adults can experience the effects of alcohol more readily than when they were younger. It also means that an older person can develop problems with alcohol even though his or her drinking habits have not changed. The correct answer is: Because they are older, they have a higher tolerance to alcohol.

Question ID #47924: An Hispanic man with major depressive disorder is MOST likely to say that his symptoms include which of the following? Select one: A. A problem of the heart. B. Weakness, tiredness, and "an imbalance." C. Confusion, agitation, and a sense of disorientation. D. Headaches, sleep problems, and nervousness.

D is correct: Culture may influence the experience and manifestation of depression and other mental disorders. "Nervios" is a common idiom of distress for Hispanic individuals in the United States and Latin America and may be indicative of depression or other mental disorder. It is manifested primarily in terms of somatic complaints such as headache, sleep problems, and nervousness. Note that nervios is different from "ataque de nervios" (attack of nerves). The latter is a cultural syndrome characterized by symptoms of intense emotional upset, including acute anxiety, anger, or grief; screaming and shouting uncontrollably; attacks of crying; trembling; heat in the chest rising into the head; and becoming verbally and physically aggressive. It, too, is found among individuals of Hispanic descent. Descriptions of nervios, ataque de nervios, and other cultural concepts of distress are included the DSM-5's Glossary of Cultural Concepts of Distress.Answer A: Individuals from Middle Eastern cultures may describe depression as a "problem of the heart."Answer B: These terms may be used by members of Chinese and other Asian cultures to describe depression. In traditional Asian belief-systems, the mind, body, and soul are viewed as unitary and complementary. Individuals focus more on physical discomforts than emotional symptoms, and psychiatric problems often find expression through somatic complaints.Answer C: These symptoms are not typical manifestations of depression for Hispanic individuals. The correct answer is: Headaches, sleep problems, and nervousness.

Question ID #47613: A social worker notices that many of her low-income therapy clients are late for their appointments. Because she is familiar with the impact of class values on the therapeutic process, the social worker interprets this as a manifestation of which of the following? Select one: A. Hostility. B. Resistance. C. A weak client-therapist alliance. D. A different orientation to time.

D is correct: Due to their life experiences (e.g., waiting for extended periods at medical clinics and government agencies), low-income clients often place less emphasis on punctuality than do other clients. (See, e.g., D. W. Sue and D. Sue, "Counseling the Culturally Different," 2003, New York, John Wiley & Sons.) The correct answer is: A different orientation to time.

Question ID #47559: A client diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder is MOST likely to rely heavily on which of the following defense mechanisms? Select one: A. Projection, displacement, denial. B. Isolation, denial, repression. C. Somatization, introjection, reaction formation. D. Reaction formation, isolation of affect, undoing.

D is correct: Reaction formation, isolation of affect, and undoing are associated with the obsessive-compulsive personality. In reaction formation, an individual deals with unacceptable impulses by substituting unwanted thoughts, behaviors, or feelings with their opposites. Isolation of affect involves severing the conscious psychological connection between an unacceptable impulse or behavior and its original memory source; the person remembers the experience but separates it from the affect associated with it. Undoing involves repeatedly engaging in a behavior in order to undo the effects of a past action that one finds unacceptable. The repeated behavior is usually the opposite of the unacceptable action. The correct answer is: Reaction formation, isolation of affect, undoing.

Question ID #48054: A social worker meets with a couple whose adult daughter is gay and has recently decided to adopt a child with her long-time partner. The woman's parents say that, while they want to be supportive, they worry that the child will have problems if she is raised by lesbian parents. They ask the social worker what he knows about the effects on children of being raised by lesbian parents. One thing the social worker could tell his clients is that research investigating the effects of having homosexual parents has found that: Select one: A. children of lesbian or gay parents often differ developmentally in significant ways from children of heterosexual parents. B. children of lesbian parents show no negative consequences, but children of gay parents may display maladjustment. C. children of lesbian parents show no negative consequences, but children of gay parents are often confused about their own sexual orientation. D. children of lesbian or gay parents do not show significant developmental differences from children of heterosexual parents.

D is correct: Studies evaluating the effects of having a gay or lesbian parent on a child's development suggest that the nature of the parent-child relationship is more important than a parent's sexual orientation: Overall, children of gay and lesbian parents are similar to children of heterosexual parents in terms of social relations, psychological adjustment, cognitive functioning, gender identity development, gender role behavior, and sexual orientation (e.g., Anderssen, Amlie, & Ytteroy, 2002; Brewaeys et al., 1997; Tasker, 2005). The correct answer is: children of lesbian or gay parents do not show significant developmental differences from children of heterosexual parents.