Psychopathology Exam 1

1. Which of the following best describes the Continuum Model of abnormality? a) Mental illness is a distinct category separate from normal behavior
   b) Maladaptive thoughts and behaviors exist on a spectrum
   c) All abnormal behaviors are biologically based
   d) Cultural norms determine all psychological disorders
   Answer: b) Maladaptive thoughts and behaviors exist on a spectrum

2. The Four Ds of Abnormality include all of the following EXCEPT: a) Dysfunction
   b) Distress
   c) Diagnosis
   d) Dangerousness
   Answer: c) Diagnosis

3. Which historical movement focused on humane treatment for individuals with mental illness? a) Psychoanalytic movement
   b) Cognitive revolution
   c) Mental hygiene movement
   d) Biological determinism
   Answer: c) Mental hygiene movement

4. Who was responsible for advocating moral treatment in the U.S.? a) Sigmund Freud
   b) Dorothea Dix
   c) Albert Bandura
   d) Aaron Beck
   Answer: b) Dorothea Dix

5. Which cognitive psychologist introduced Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)? a) Carl Rogers
   b) Aaron Beck
   c) Albert Ellis
   d) B.F. Skinner
   Answer: c) Albert Ellis

6. Which brain structure is considered the "master gland" due to its role in hormone regulation? a) Amygdala
   b) Hypothalamus
   c) Pituitary gland
   d) Cerebellum
   Answer: c) Pituitary gland

7. Which neurotransmitter is most associated with mood disorders such as depression? a) Dopamine
   b) Serotonin
   c) Acetylcholine
   d) GABA
   Answer: b) Serotonin

8. What is the primary purpose of the HPA axis? a) To regulate digestion
   b) To control stress responses
   c) To enhance memory retention
   d) To manage body temperature
   Answer: b) To control stress responses

9. Define cultural relativism and explain its importance in diagnosing mental disorders.
   Answer: Cultural relativism is the idea that abnormal behavior is defined based on cultural norms, meaning there are no universal standards. It is crucial in diagnosis as it prevents pathologizing behaviors that are culturally acceptable in one society but not in another.

10. Explain the role of neurotransmitters in psychological disorders and provide an example.
    Answer: Neurotransmitters facilitate communication between neurons. An imbalance can contribute to disorders. For example, low serotonin is linked to depression.

11. What is the diathesis-stress model, and how does it explain the development of mental illness?
    Answer: It suggests that mental disorders arise due to a predisposition (diathesis) combined with environmental stressors, increasing the likelihood of developing a disorder.

12. Describe two types of brain imaging techniques and their applications in psychopathology.
    Answer: MRI provides structural brain images useful for detecting tumors, while fMRI measures brain activity and is used for understanding neurological disorders.

13. Differentiate between structured and unstructured clinical interviews.
    Answer: Structured interviews follow set questions for consistency, whereas unstructured interviews allow flexibility based on client responses.

14. What are the key elements of effective psychological treatment?
    Answer: A strong therapeutic alliance, evidence-based techniques, cultural sensitivity, and individualized treatment plans.

15. What are the benefits and challenges of deinstitutionalization?
    Answer: Benefits include increased autonomy and community integration, while challenges involve insufficient community resources and homelessness risks.

16. Explain the difference between competence to stand trial and the insanity defense.
    Answer: Competence refers to understanding trial proceedings, while the insanity defense argues the individual was unable to understand their actions at the time of the crime.

17. The Evolution of Mental Health Treatment: Discuss the progression of mental health treatment from moral treatment to modern managed care. What are the benefits and drawbacks of these changes?
    Answer: The moral treatment movement emphasized humane care, deinstitutionalization led to community-based care, and managed care aimed to coordinate treatment. Benefits include increased patient rights, but drawbacks involve limited resources and accessibility issues.

18. Assessment and Diagnosis: How do reliability and validity influence psychological assessments? Provide examples of assessment tools used in diagnosing mental disorders.
    Answer: Reliability ensures consistency, while validity ensures accuracy. Examples include the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) for mood disorders and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) for personality assessment.

19. Legal and Ethical Considerations in Mental Health: Discuss the criteria for civil commitment. How do laws balance individual rights with public safety?
    Answer: Civil commitment requires grave disability or danger to self/others. Laws protect individuals' autonomy while ensuring public safety by mandating due process and periodic review.

20. Cross-Cultural Considerations in Treatment: How do sociocultural factors influence the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders? Provide examples of culturally sensitive approaches to therapy.
    Answer: Sociocultural factors shape symptom expression and help-seeking behaviors. Culturally sensitive approaches include bilingual therapy, community engagement, and adapting interventions to cultural values.

Q1: What is the Continuum Model of Abnormality?
A: Mental health symptoms exist on a spectrum rather than being completely normal or abnormal.

Q2: Why is it difficult to define a clear cutoff for abnormality?
A: Because psychological experiences vary, and cultural factors influence what is considered normal.

Q3: What are the "Four Ds" of Abnormality?
A:

1. Dysfunction – Interferes with daily life

2. Distress – Causes emotional or physical pain

3. Deviance – Violates cultural norms

4. Dangerousness – Causes harm to self or others

Q4: Can a person be diagnosed based on just one "D" of abnormality?
A: Yes, if one of the Ds is extreme enough.

Q5: What is cultural relativism in defining abnormality?
A: The idea that no universal standard defines abnormality—each culture has its own rules.

Q6: How do cultural norms influence the perception of mental disorders?
A: Behaviors seen as abnormal in one culture may be accepted in another.

Q7: What was the Moral Treatment movement?
A: A shift in the 18th-19th century toward humane treatment for individuals with mental disorders.

Q8: Why did moral treatment fail?
A: Facilities grew too quickly and lacked resources to support humane care.

Q9: What was deinstitutionalization?
A: The movement to shift mental health care from institutions to community-based treatment.

Q10: What problems arose from deinstitutionalization?
A:

• Lack of mental health resources in the community

• Increased homelessness among individuals with severe mental illness

Q11: What did Freud believe caused mental illness?
A: Unconscious conflicts and sexual drives.

Q12: What treatment techniques were used in psychoanalysis?
A: Hypnosis and catharsis (emotional release).

Q13: What are the three main behaviorist theories?
A:

1. Classical Conditioning (Pavlov) – Learning through association

2. Operant Conditioning (Skinner) – Behavior shaped by reinforcement and punishment

3. Law of Effect (Thorndike) – Actions with positive outcomes are repeated

Q14: What does cognitive psychology focus on?
A: How thoughts, beliefs, and interpretations influence emotions and behavior.

Q15: What are key cognitive theories?
A:

• Bandura's Social Learning Theory – Behavior is learned through observation.

• Ellis' Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) – Focus on changing irrational beliefs.

• Beck’s Cognitive Therapy – Identifying and modifying cognitive distortions.

Q16: What was the Patient’s Rights Movement?
A: Advocated for mental health patients' integration into the community.

Q17: What are some community-based mental health resources?
A:

• Halfway Houses – Supportive environments for those with long-term mental illness.

• Day Treatment Centers – Therapy during the day, home at night.

Q18: What is managed care in mental health?
A: A system coordinating treatment and insurance coverage to improve access and affordability.

Q19: What are the three major brain regions?
A:

1. Forebrain – Higher thinking, emotions, motivation

2. Midbrain – Sensory processing and movement

3. Hindbrain – Basic survival functions (breathing, heart rate)

Q20: What are the four lobes of the brain?
A:

1. Frontal – Decision-making, planning

2. Parietal – Sensory processing

3. Temporal – Hearing, memory

4. Occipital – Vision

Q21: What are neurotransmitters?
A: Chemical messengers between neurons.

Q22: What are two processes that regulate neurotransmitter levels?
A:

1. Reuptake – Reabsorption of neurotransmitters

2. Degradation – Breakdown of neurotransmitters

Q23: How do neurotransmitter imbalances affect mental health?
A: Too much or too little of a neurotransmitter can cause psychological symptoms.

Q24: What are common biological treatments?
A:

• Medication (antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers)

• Brain stimulation (ECT, TMS, deep brain stimulation)

• Psychosurgery (rare today, used for epilepsy in extreme cases)

Q25: What is the goal of CBT?
A: To change maladaptive thoughts and behaviors.

Q26: What techniques are used in CBT?
A:

• Identifying negative thought patterns

• Cognitive restructuring

• Exposure therapy (for phobias)

Q27: What is the goal of humanistic therapy?
A: To help clients reach self-actualization and personal growth.

Q28: What are key techniques in Carl Rogers' client-centered therapy?
A:

• Unconditional Positive Regard – Accepting clients without judgment

• Active Listening – Restating and reflecting back what the client says

Q29: What are the three types of prevention programs?
A:

1. Primary Prevention – Prevent disorders before they start.

2. Secondary Prevention – Early detection and intervention.

3. Tertiary Prevention – Prevent relapse in diagnosed individuals.

Q30: What are the main components of a clinical interview?
A:

• Mental status exam

• Symptom questionnaire

• Personality inventories

• Behavioral observations

Q31: What is civil commitment?
A: Involuntary hospitalization of individuals who are a danger to themselves or others.

Q32: What was the ruling in Tarasoff v. Regents of the University of California?
A: Therapists have a duty to warn if a client poses a serious threat to someone else.

Q33: What is the insanity defense?
A: A legal defense stating a person was mentally incapacitated at the time of the crime.

Q34: What are problems with the insanity defense?
A:

• Hard to assess state of mind at the time of the crime

• Different legal standards across states

1. Which of the following best describes the Continuum Model of abnormality? a) Mental illness is a distinct category separate from normal behavior
   b) Maladaptive thoughts and behaviors exist on a spectrum
   c) All abnormal behaviors are biologically based
   d) Cultural norms determine all psychological disorders
   Answer: b) Maladaptive thoughts and behaviors exist on a spectrum

2. The Four Ds of Abnormality include all of the following EXCEPT: a) Dysfunction
   b) Distress
   c) Diagnosis
   d) Dangerousness
   Answer: c) Diagnosis

3. Which historical movement focused on humane treatment for individuals with mental illness? a) Psychoanalytic movement
   b) Cognitive revolution
   c) Mental hygiene movement
   d) Biological determinism
   Answer: c) Mental hygiene movement

4. Who was responsible for advocating moral treatment in the U.S.? a) Sigmund Freud
   b) Dorothea Dix
   c) Albert Bandura
   d) Aaron Beck
   Answer: b) Dorothea Dix

5. Which cognitive psychologist introduced Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)? a) Carl Rogers
   b) Aaron Beck
   c) Albert Ellis
   d) B.F. Skinner
   Answer: c) Albert Ellis

6. Which brain structure is considered the "master gland" due to its role in hormone regulation? a) Amygdala
   b) Hypothalamus
   c) Pituitary gland
   d) Cerebellum
   Answer: c) Pituitary gland

7. Which neurotransmitter is most associated with mood disorders such as depression? a) Dopamine
   b) Serotonin
   c) Acetylcholine
   d) GABA
   Answer: b) Serotonin

8. What is the primary purpose of the HPA axis? a) To regulate digestion
   b) To control stress responses
   c) To enhance memory retention
   d) To manage body temperature
   Answer: b) To control stress responses

9. Define cultural relativism and explain its importance in diagnosing mental disorders.
   Answer: Cultural relativism is the idea that abnormal behavior is defined based on cultural norms, meaning there are no universal standards. It is crucial in diagnosis as it prevents pathologizing behaviors that are culturally acceptable in one society but not in another.

10. Explain the role of neurotransmitters in psychological disorders and provide an example.
    Answer: Neurotransmitters facilitate communication between neurons. An imbalance can contribute to disorders. For example, low serotonin is linked to depression.

11. What is the diathesis-stress model, and how does it explain the development of mental illness?
    Answer: It suggests that mental disorders arise due to a predisposition (diathesis) combined with environmental stressors, increasing the likelihood of developing a disorder.

12. Describe two types of brain imaging techniques and their applications in psychopathology.
    Answer: MRI provides structural brain images useful for detecting tumors, while fMRI measures brain activity and is used for understanding neurological disorders.

13. Differentiate between structured and unstructured clinical interviews.
    Answer: Structured interviews follow set questions for consistency, whereas unstructured interviews allow flexibility based on client responses.

14. What are the key elements of effective psychological treatment?
    Answer: A strong therapeutic alliance, evidence-based techniques, cultural sensitivity, and individualized treatment plans.

15. What are the benefits and challenges of deinstitutionalization?
    Answer: Benefits include increased autonomy and community integration, while challenges involve insufficient community resources and homelessness risks.

Explain the difference between competence to stand trial and the insanity defense.
Answer: Competence refers to understanding trial proceedings, while the insanity defense argues the individual was unable to understand their actions at the time of the crime.