Exam 16: Psychological Disorders

Increased startle response is considered ___________ type of symptom in a patient with anxiety disorder.

You are assessing an individual who is on trial for murder. Initial reports indicate that the individual has emotional dysregulation and has demonstrated splitting. What is your likely diagnosis?

Delusions are to false beliefs as hallucinations are to false perceptions.

What factors might produce the sex difference seen in the prevalence of anxiety disorders?

Killian lets her husband keep all the financial records for the family and refuses to make any decisions on her own. She is so needy that if she encounters even a minor unexpected problem during her day, she calls him at work to ask his advice. This behaviour cuts across all situations, causes problems in her relationships with other people, and seems to be Killian's only real approach to dealing with the world. Killian may have

In movies that focus on war (e.g., Born on the Fourth of July, Apocalypse Now, First Blood), soldiers who have returned from the front lines often struggle with overwhelming anxiety, hypervigilance, depression, and flashbacks. In many cases these characters abuse alcohol, are suicidal, and have a strained or angry relationship with their spouses. These characters demonstrate symptoms of:

Studies suggest that people suffering from anxiety disorders may be overly sensitive to signals of threat and have lower levels of ________ in their nervous systems.

Marilynn and Maggie are identical twins. At the age of thirty, Maggie is diagnosed with clinical depression. According to research, genetic factors have been linked to depression. In the case of identical twins, the likelihood of Marilynn also developing depression is about

Increased libido is a feature of a depressed patient.

People who held the demonological perspective on psychological disorders would sometimes treat abnormal behaviours by chiselling a small hole in the head of the individual in an attempt to release the evil spirit trapped inside. This procedure was called

A study by George Brown and Terrill Harris (1978) found that women who had lost their mothers before age 11 and had been exposed to a recent severe loss were more likely to develop ________.

Stacey tends to worry a lot. She is frequently thinking about how other people may think less of her or may do things that will embarrass or humiliate her. These thoughts serve to keep Stacey anxious a great deal of the time and best demonstrate the ____________ component of anxiety.

Researchers have suggested that autistic individuals may suffer from

Thirty-year-old Armand feels compelled to save objects that others might throw away. He is afraid that he will discard something he later will need, so his home is filled with old newspapers, empty boxes, worn-out clothing, antiquated computer equipment, and even the seeds from the fruits and vegetables he has eaten. Armand's neighbours have complained to the homeowners' association, because he has been forced to store some things outside his home. He is embarrassed by his need to hoard objects but is overcome by dread if he tries to throw things away. The criteria that govern decisions about abnormality are applicable in this case because

Lucas is accused of a particularly violent murder. His attorney is arguing to the judge that Lucas cannot be tried for the crime because he cannot understand the nature of the charges against him as he is currently _______________.

What is the dopamine hypothesis? What evidence supports it?

Negative symptoms such as the lack of emotional expression or the loss of motivation are characteristics of _______________ schizophrenia.

Jane has recently managed to earn a spot on her highly competitive high-school basketball team. Despite her innate basketball skills, research on psychological disorders suggests that if Jane is depressed, she will attribute her success to _________.

According to learned helplessness theory, what kinds of attributions trigger depression?

A person with a euphoric mood, a decreased need for sleep, and grandiose or exaggerated cognitions would most likely be diagnosed as having