Psychological Disorders
Ryan’s social phobia has led him to lose
jobs and relationships. In this case, Ryan
has a disorder because his behavior is:
A.
B.
C.
D.
dangerous.
common.
medically based.
dysfunctional.
If researchers discovered that genetically
influenced abnormalities in brain structure
contribute to bipolar disorder, this would
most clearly add credibility to:
A.
B.
C.
D.
the DSM-IV.
the medical model.
the social-cognitive perspective.
psychoanalytic theory.
The DSM-IV is a diagnostic guide that:
A. describes psychological disorders and their
prevalence.
B. describes psychological disorders and their
causes.
C. describes only disorders that have medical
causes.
D. has been shown to have poor reliability and
validity.
Years after he barely survived a terrorist attack
that killed his wife and two children, Mr. Puskari
suffers recurring flashbacks and frequent
nightmares of the event that render him incapable
of holding a steady job. Mr. Puskari is most clearly
showing signs of:
A.
B.
C.
D.
obsessive-compulsive disorder.
generalized anxiety disorder.
post-traumatic stress disorder.
dysthymic disorder.
From a learning perspective, phobias
likely develop as a result of
___________, and ____________
helps to maintain them.
A.
B.
C.
D.
operant conditioning; observational learning
classical conditioning; reinforcement
operant conditioning; reinforcement
classical conditioning; observational
learning
Amanda’s therapist suggests that her depression
results from mistakenly blaming herself rather
than a slumping economy for her recent job loss.
Her therapist’s suggestion best illustrates a:
A.
B.
C.
D.
DSM-IV diagnosis.
psychoanalytic perspective.
medical model.
social-cognitive perspective.
Elaine feels that her life is empty. She has
lost all interest in her career and hobbies,
and wonders if she would be better off dead.
She is most likely suffering from:
A.
B.
C.
D.
a dissociative identity disorder.
a generalized anxiety disorder.
an antisocial personality disorder.
a mood disorder.
Which of the following is TRUE?
A. Compared to all other nations, the U.S. has
the highest rate of suicide.
B. Men commit suicide more often than women
do.
C. Suicide rates in the U.S. are lowest among
the elderly.
D. African Americans commit suicide more
often than do whites.
Mr. James believes that people are
constantly laughing at him and that FBI
agents are trying to steal his life savings.
Mr. James is most clearly suffering from:
A.
B.
C.
D.
compulsions.
catatonia.
delusions.
hallucinations.
Critical Thinking Questions
If your psychologist believes that
psychological disorders can be diagnosed,
treated, and cured through the use of
standard tools, techniques, and medications,
she is most likely looking at psychological
disorders from which perspective?
A.
B.
C.
D.
the medical perspective
the psychoanalytic perspective
the optimistic perspective
the bio-social perspective
Brandy, who tends to have a pessimistic
explanatory style, learns that she earned a
poor grade on her psychology exam. Which
attribution is most likely to help her cope
without becoming depressed?
A. “I’ll always be a poor student.”
B. “The teacher gave a particularly hard exam this time.”
C. “Of course my grade is bad, since I can’t do anything
right.”
D. “Once again I proved that I just don’t know how to
study.”
You have a patient who has been suffering
from schizophrenia. He has had the
symptoms for several years after they slowly
appeared over a period of time. In addition,
you know that one of his grandparents
suffered from similar symptoms. Your patient
seems generally withdrawn and emotionless.
In fact, he rarely moves from his chair during
the day.
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He rarely exhibits the bizarre delusions and
hallucinations. What prognosis can you give his family?
A. The prognosis is good because the symptoms are
not very bizarre.
B. The prognosis is good because new medications
have been shown to alleviate these symptoms
completely.
C. The prognosis is poor because of the chronic nature
of the disorder.
D. The prognosis is poor because very few people
with schizophrenia ever have remissions.