Question 1

Rachel has a disorder that is characterized by difficulties with social interaction and communication.She has trouble understanding other people's mental states and often performs strange hand movements.Rachel most likely

Accepted Answer

A)  has an autism spectrum disorder. 
B)  is at risk for borderline personality disorder. 
C)  will develop symptoms of depression. 
D)  will meet the criteria for intellectual giftedness.

Question 2

Lamont thinks his neighbor sends subliminal messages to his brain.In order to prevent these messages,Lamont believes he should not shower or change his clothes every day.Lamont does not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of schizophrenia,but he may be experiencing long-lasting,maladaptive patterns of interacting with the world around him.In this case,Lamont may be diagnosed with

Accepted Answer

A)  negative symptoms. 
B)  diminished brain ventricles. 
C)  dissociative identity disorder. 
D)  a personality disorder.

Question 3

Emily's teacher sees that she is struggling in most subjects,has trouble understanding directions,and has problems with her adaptive functioning.The teacher is concerned that Emily has a(n)

Accepted Answer

A)  specific learning disorder. 
B)  communication disorder. 
C)  motor disorder. 
D)  intellectual disability.

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT a factor that is thought to influence schizophrenia?

Accepted Answer

A)  exposure to viruses 
B)  birth order 
C)  abnormal levels of dopamine 
D)  stressful home life

Question 5

You are worried because you have been feeling very down lately.Which of the following would most likely DECREASE your risk of developing major depressive disorder?

Accepted Answer

A)  damaging your left prefrontal cortex 
B)  attributing positive events in your life to your own hard work 
C)  entering REM sleep more often and staying in REM sleep longer 
D)  feeling that you are not capable of changing your life's course

Question 6

Marcy was out of town on a business trip when a tragic house fire claimed the lives of her husband and two children.A year later,Marcy found herself in an unfamiliar kitchen opening mail addressed to someone named Emily.She had no idea where she was or how she got there.Marcy might be experiencing

Accepted Answer

A)  major depressive disorder. 
B)  dissociative identity disorder. 
C)  dissociative fugue. 
D)  schizophrenia.

Question 7

Dr.Janus is seeing a client diagnosed with depression who experienced trauma as a child.Dr.Janus believes this trauma predisposed the client to overreact to life's difficult circumstances.As a result,her recent breakup resulted in a depressed state.Dr.Janus's perspective on his client's problems seems to be most consistent with the

Accepted Answer

A)  biopsychosocial approach. 
B)  criteria in DSM-5. 
C)  diathesis-stress model. 
D)  dimensional approach.

Question 8

Sean's parents noticed that he rarely smiled or made eye contact with them.As Sean got older,his parents were increasingly concerned about his development;although he seemed to have normal intelligence,he didn't seem to understand facial expressions.It is likely that Sean has

Accepted Answer

A)  major depressive disorder. 
B)  high-functioning autism ("Asperger's syndrome"). 
C)  dissociative identity disorder. 
D)  low-functioning autism.

Question 9

Although attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is commonly diagnosed,the cause of ADHD has been difficult to determine.The main reason for this is that

Accepted Answer

A)  ADHD lacks a genetic component. 
B)  the brains of people with ADHD develop much faster than those without. 
C)  children with ADHD also typically have other disorders. 
D)  since behavioral profiles vary,it is likely that there is more than one cause.

Question 10

Nicole frequently has panic attacks.She knows that she is having an attack when she experiences all of the following EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

A)  sweating. 
B)  feelings of going crazy or dying. 
C)  a fast heart rate. 
D)  chest pain lasting for hours.

Question 11

According to the diathesis-stress model,mental disorders are caused by both ________ and stress.

Accepted Answer

A)  a predisposition to mental illness 
B)  unconscious conflicts 
C)  sociocultural factors 
D)  abnormal thought processes

Question 12

The main difference between dissociative amnesia and ordinary forgetting is

Accepted Answer

A)  that dissociative amnesia is often due to ingesting drugs or alcohol. 
B)  that ordinary memory loss is often due to extreme stress. 
C)  These are just different names for the same thing. 
D)  the amount of time or the loss of personal facts.

Question 13

When Marcus rides the elevator at work,he always stands facing the back of the elevator car.Although this goes against standard social practice and makes his coworkers uncomfortable,it is more likely to be psychopathology if it is

Accepted Answer

A)  impairing good daily functioning. 
B)  odd,but not maladaptive. 
C)  caused by a stressor. 
D)  acceptable in different cultures.

Question 14

Jacob has clear symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and has trouble concentrating and stopping his impulsive actions.Jacob's behavior resembles that of people with damage in the

Accepted Answer

A)  occipital lobes. 
B)  frontal lobes. 
C)  hypothalamus. 
D)  hippocampus.

Question 15

Augustine's first-grade teacher tells his parents that he is "out of control" at school because he frequently interrupts his classmates,does not follow directions,and acts impulsively.Augustine's parents might be worried he has

Accepted Answer

A)  obsessive-compulsive disorder. 
B)  a personality disorder. 
C)  a neurodevelopmental disorder. 
D)  dissociative identity disorder.

Question 16

Which of the following two disorders are most similar in that they always involve worry over a certain situation or object?

Accepted Answer

A)  phobias and generalized anxiety disorder 
B)  generalized anxiety disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder 
C)  panic attacks and social anxiety disorder 
D)  social anxiety disorder and specific phobias

Question 17

When Valerie leaves her house,she experiences unwelcome thoughts that make her nervous,so she engages in repetitive behaviors that make her feel calmer so she can get into her car.Based on this,Valerie is most likely to be diagnosed with

Accepted Answer

A)  obsessive-compulsive disorder. 
B)  generalized anxiety disorder. 
C)  social phobia. 
D)  panic attacks.

Question 18

Many researchers are skeptical about whether dissociative identity disorder is a genuine psychological disorder.This is because

Accepted Answer

A)  no real evidence has ever been found for multiple identities in humans. 
B)  therapists using hypnosis may have unintentionally suggested to people that they were experiencing multiple identities. 
C)  even if dissociative identities are possible,they never cause the person any distress and so are not disorders. 
D)  polygraph ("lie detector") evidence shows inconsistencies in people who believe that they have dissociative identity disorder.

Question 19

Research has shown that schizophrenia is influenced by biological factors.Specifically,brain-imaging studies have shown that in people with schizophrenia

Accepted Answer

A)  the brain's ventricles become smaller over time. 
B)  the frontal and occipital lobes show a dramatic increase in activity. 
C)  the amount of overall brain tissue is reduced. 
D)  both the amygdala and the hippocampus are not very active.

Question 20

Germaine has a nervous personality.This semester,he is enrolled in 18 credit hours while also studying for his medical school exam.Although he never had them before,Germaine starts having panic attacks during exams.In this situation,the diathesis is ________,and the stressor is ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  the medical school exam;his personality 
B)  his personality;the medical school exam 
C)  the first panic attack;his course load 
D)  his course load;the first panic attack

Exam 14: Psychological Disorders