psych midterm practice questions

C

Why do some critics point out the risk of looking at mental disorders as biomedical illnesses?

A) Biological causes are few and difficult to determine.

B) Technology to identify affected brain regions does not exist.

C) This approach deemphasizes environmental and social influences.

D) This approach overemphasizes the role of thought patterns.

B

Someone who was evaluating whether someone’s anxiety constituted a potential disorder on the basis of the deviance criterion would be focused on:

A) Whether it had unusual features or characteristics

B) Whether it exceeded the typical levels of anxiety in response to a particular stimulus/situation

C) Whether it was unwanted by the person who experienced it

D) Whether it disrupted a person’s daily activities and typical roles

C

Dr. Henry conducts an epidemiological study to assess the lifetime prevalence of schizophrenia in the United States. Dr. Henry is assessing ____.           

A) the percentage of people in the United States who suffer from schizophrenia

B) the number of people in the United States who have had schizophrenia within a certain period of time

C) the total proportion of people in the United States who have ever suffered from schizophrenia

D) the age of onset for people in the United States who have schizophrenia

B

What is the difference between anxiety and fear, as defined in class?

A) Anxiety is unfounded; fear is based on something real.

B) Anxiety is about a potential future danger; fear is about an imminent threat.

C) Anxiety is related to emotional threat; fear is related to physical threat.

D) Anxiety does not affect a person's physiological responses; fear does affect a person physiologically.

B

What is the major worry or concern for people with social anxiety disorder, based on the class lecture?

A) That they will never make any friends.

B) That others are scrutinizing them and judging them negatively.

C) That they are not as outgoing as their peers.

D) That they will be stuck somewhere with their anxiety and unable to escape or get help

A

What phobia is frequently comorbid with panic disorder?

A) Agoraphobia

B) Specific phobia

C) Claustrophobia

D) Fear of test-taking

C

What is the "low road" for fear and anxiety?

A) Evaluating the presence of danger based on past experiences and rational thinking

B) Involves the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex

C) A quick response to potential threat involving the amygdala and HPA

D) An inaccurate assessment of the actual threat something poses

B

Why are benzodiazepines often a poor choice for chronic forms of anxiety?

A) They are not very effective.

B) They can produce dependence and withdrawal symptoms with regular use

C) They take too long to take effect.

D) They only help with the learning/unlearning of fear, not the immediate symptoms of anxiety

A

What is a key difference between persistent depressive disorder and major depressive disorder?

A) Major depressive disorder only needs to have lasted for two weeks, while persistent depressive disorder needs to have lasted for at least two years.

B) Major depressive disorder has fewer symptoms than persistent depressive disorder.

C) Major depressive disorder only occurs in response to a significant loss, while persistent depressive disorder has no obvious cause.

D) Major depressive disorder involves changes in sleep and appetite, while these remain unchanged in persistent depressive disorder.

B

Which of these neurotransmitters are NOT strongly linked to depression?

A) Serotonin

B) GABA

C) Dopamine

D) Norepinephrine

C

Which sociocultural factor has been found to be significantly associated with depression?

A) ​religion

B) education

C) gender

D) gene expression

A

What is the main difference between mania and hypomania?

A) Mania involves a significant change in functioning, psychosis, or hospitalization; hypomania is less severe

B) Mania involves decreased need for sleep; hypomania does not

C) Mania only lasts for several days; hypomania lasts for at least one week

D) Mania is always immediately followed by a depressive episode; hypomania may occur without a depressive episode

C

Which of the following diagnoses would NOT involve a major depressive episode?

A) Bipolar I

B) Bipolar II

C) Cyclothymic disorder

D) Major depressive disorder

D

Which is NOT a potential side effect of mood stabilizers?

A) Weight gain

B) Sedation

C) Lithium toxicity

D) Serotonin syndrome

A

The main difference between schizophrenia and schizophreniform disorder is that:

A) People with schizophrenia have had the symptoms for at least six months, while people with schizophreniform disorder have only had symptoms for 1-6 months.

B) The symptoms of schizophreniform disorder are less severe than schizophrenia.

C) Schizophrenia includes psychosis, while schizophreniform disorder does not.

D) People with schizophreniform disorder only experience negative symptoms, not any positive symptoms.

A

How are first generation and atypical antipsychotics different?

A) First generation antipsychotics act on dopamine only, while atypicals act on dopamine and serotonin.

B) Atypicals are more effective in reducing symptoms than first generation antipsychotics.

C) Atypicals are only given in conjunction with psychotherapy, while first generation antipsychotics can be given alone.

A

Which of the following counts as a disorganized symptom of schizophrenia?

A) Catatonia

B) Hallucinations

C) Delusions

D) Asociality

C

What is a definition specific to the term "negative symptom" in schizophrenia?

A) A symptom that is undesirable

B) Self-criticism and negative self-talk

C) The absence of typical behaviors or experiences

D) Something that contributes to dysfunction

D

How do sociocultural factors play a role in the diagnosis of schizophrenia?

A) Clinicians may be more likely to give this more severe diagnosis to ethnic groups they are already biased against.

B) Clinicians may misinterpret "healthy paranoia"--an adaptive awareness of one's environment and its risks--as a sign of schizophrenia.

C) Sociocultural factors that increase stress and feelings of inferiority may put people at increased risk for developing schizophrenia.

D) All of these are true.

A

Which category of substance causes a slowing down of responses, feelings of relaxation, and lower interpersonal inhibitions?

A)   Depressants

B)   Stimulants

C)   dissociative anesthetics

D)   hallucinogens

B

What is the most commonly abused substance in the U.S.?

A)   Marijuana

B)   Alcohol

C)   Pain relievers

D)   Caffeine

D

Dwayne has been using heroin for two years. While visiting his mother, he decides to stop. When he stops using the drug, Dwayne experiences shaking, irritability, and an inability to concentrate because he is going through ____.

A)   psychological dependence

B)   tolerance

C)   addiction

D)   withdrawal

D

Andre is trying to abstain from using drugs. Which factor is most likely to result in his relapse?

A)   the fact that he was a light user

B)   becoming concerned about his academic success in college

C)   having a demanding job that requires significant involvement

D)   lack of a social support network