Question 1

Some theorists suggest that dissociative identity disorder is an extreme subtype of .
A) dissociative amnesia
B) obsessive-compulsive disorder
C) posttraumatic stress disorder
D) antisocial personality disorder

Accepted Answer

Many experts believe that dissociative identity disorder (DID) is caused by severe and chronic childhood trauma, often involving abuse. This trauma can lead to the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as well as DID. DID can be seen as an extreme subtype of PTSD, as the dissociation (splitting off of different identities) is a coping mechanism used to protect the individual from overwhelming trauma.

Question 2

In the "Abnormal Psychology Live" interview with Rachel, she claims that nobody (meaning none of her alters) wants responsibility for her body because
A) none of the alters are sufficiently mature.
B) there is too much desire for self-destruction.
C) of reasons that she cannot understand.
D) there is too much devastation behind it.

Accepted Answer

Rachel explains in the interview that there is too much devastation behind her body, as she has experienced significant trauma in her life. None of her alters want to take responsibility for her body because the pain and trauma associated with it is too overwhelming.

Question 3

A comparison of dissociative reactions in "normals" and in DID patients indicates that the experience of dissociation is in normal versus DID patients.
A) very different
B) very similar
C) identical
D) so different as to have no similarities at all

Accepted Answer

Dissociative reactions in "normals" and in DID patients are very different. In "normals," dissociation tends to be a temporary, mild experience that does not disrupt daily functioning, while in DID patients, dissociation is chronic, severe, and often results in disruptions in memory, identity, and other cognitive and emotional processes.

Question 4

In the "Abnormal Psychology Live" presentation, Rachel describes how her eyes always see the world through "a fog." She attributes this to having spent "years in the darkness" and
A) other people looking through the same eyes.
B) her history of substance abuse.
C) not wanting to see the world as it really is.
D) the trauma of constantly switching personalities.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In the "Abnormal Psychology Live" presentation, Rachel...

Question 5

According to the autohypnotic model, people who are suggestible may be
A) able to create false memories to ease their trauma.
B) able to use dissociation as a defense against extreme trauma.
C) able to remember the trauma that created the false memories.
D) unable to switch at will.

Accepted Answer

The autohypnotic model suggests that suggestible individuals are able to use dissociation as a defense mechanism against extreme trauma. This means that they may be able to block out the traumatic event and have difficulty recalling it later. The model does not suggest that these individuals are able to create intentionally false memories, nor does it address their ability to remember the trauma that may have caused the dissociation. The model also does not suggest that suggestible individuals are unable to switch at will.

Question 6

In studies conducted by Elizabeth Loftus and her colleagues (Loftus, 2003; Loftus, Coan, and Pickrell, 1996), individuals were told about false events that had supposedly occurred when they were children. The results of this study indicated that
A) people cannot be convinced of events that did not happen.
B) people can become quite convinced of events that never happened.
C) only individuals with diagnosable disorders can be convinced of events that never happened.
D) people can become convinced of events that did not happen only during hypnosis or other dissociative states.

Accepted Answer

The studies conducted by Elizabeth Loftus and her colleagues suggest that people can become quite convinced of events that never happened. This means that individuals can be influenced and manipulated into remembering events that did not actually occur.

Question 7

One reason that DID can be misdiagnosed as psychosis is that
A) auditory hallucinations are common in both disorders.
B) both disorders are in the same DSM-IV category.
C) mental health professionals generally do not believe that dissociation is possible.
D) substance abuse makes it difficult to differentiate these disorders.

Accepted Answer

Auditory hallucinations can be a symptom of both DID and psychosis, which can contribute to misdiagnosis. However, the other options are not necessarily true. DID and psychosis are not in the same DSM-IV category, dissociation is a recognized psychological phenomenon, and while substance abuse can complicate diagnosis, it is not the primary reason for confusion between these disorders.

Question 8

The part of the treatment plan for DID that is similar to the treatment plan for posttraumatic stress disorder is
A) integration of personality fragments.
B) use of antipsychotic medications.
C) reliving the trauma (catharsis).
D) hypnotic regression to early life experiences.

Accepted Answer

Both DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder) and PTSD (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder) treatments may involve therapeutic techniques that allow the patient to relive traumatic experiences in a controlled environment to process and integrate those experiences, which is referred to as catharsis.

Question 9

Which of the following statements is TRUEabout DID?
A) DID is easy to fake.
B) DID is absolutely impossible to fake.
C) Dissociative symptoms may be the result of sleep deprivation
D) DID is made up of false memories.

Accepted Answer

Dissociative symptoms, including those seen in DID, may be the result of sleep deprivation. While there may be people who attempt to fake DID, it is not easy to do so successfully. Additionally, the experience of false memories is not necessarily a hallmark of DID.

Question 10

Goodman et al. (2003) interviewed 175 individuals with documented child abuse histories and found that of the subjects remembered and reported the abuse.
A) 25%
B) 53%
C) 81%
D) 100%

Accepted Answer

The study found that 81% of the subjects remembered and reported the abuse.

Question 11

There is now incontrovertible evidence that the following statement is TRUE with respect to the accuracy of recovered memories:
A) False memories can be created, and selective dissociative amnesia can occur for early traumatic experiences.
B) False memories can be created, but there is no evidence of selective dissociative amnesia for early traumatic experiences.
C) False memories cannot be created, and individuals do not develop selective dissociative amnesia for early trauma.
D) False memories cannot be created, but there is evidence that individuals do develop selective dissociative amnesia for early trauma

Accepted Answer

Research in psychology has shown that it is possible to create false memories through suggestion and other means. Additionally, there is evidence supporting the occurrence of selective dissociative amnesia, where individuals may not remember traumatic events from early in their lives.

Question 12

The causes of dissociative identity disorder appear to be .
A) physical abuse
B) sexual abuse
C) witness to a traumatic event
D) all of these

Accepted Answer

Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is believed to be caused by a combination of factors, including physical abuse, sexual abuse, and witnessing traumatic events. Studies have shown that individuals with DID have a higher incidence of childhood abuse and trauma compared to individuals without the disorder. While there may be other contributing factors, such as biological and genetic factors, the link between childhood trauma and the development of DID is well-established in the literature.

Question 13

Studies suggest that false memories are .
A) difficult to create
B) easily created in children
C) unrelated to suggestions
D) very rare

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that false memories can be easily created in children through suggestive questioning or other methods.

Question 14

The common feature in almost every case of DID is
A) hallucinations and delusions.
B) unrelenting substance abuse.
C) a history of body dysmorphic disorder.
D) a history of severe child abuse.

Accepted Answer

DID is often associated with a history of severe childhood abuse, particularly emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. This trauma can result in the development of multiple personalities as a coping mechanism.

Question 15

The average length of time between an individual's first symptoms of DID and the identification and diagnosis of the disorder by a professional is .
A) one year
B) 20 years
C) less than a month
D) seven years

Accepted Answer

The average length of time between an individual's first symptoms of DID and the identification and diagnosis of the disorder by a professional is about seven years. This is due to the complexity and varied symptoms of the disorder, as well as the fact that it is often co-morbid with other mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety, which can complicate diagnosis.

Question 16

Dissociative identity disorder is most commonly found in .
A) females
B) males
C) children
D) the elderly

Accepted Answer

Dissociative identity disorder is most commonly found in females, with a ratio of 9:1 compared to males.

Question 17

Without treatment, it is expected that DID will last .
A) 10 years
B) a lifetime
C) several months
D) 20 years

Accepted Answer

DID, if left untreated, can last a lifetime. It is a chronic mental disorder and requires long-term treatment and management.

Question 18

Sue has DID. It is extremely likely that she also has
A) at least one other psychological disorder.
B) a problem with her weight.
C) a history of problems with the law.
D) no desire to get better.

Accepted Answer

It is common for individuals with DID to also have other psychological disorders, such as depression, anxiety, or substance abuse. This is known as comorbidity, and it is estimated that almost all individuals with DID have at least one other disorder. Therefore, choice A is the best answer. Choices B, C, and D may or may not be present in someone with DID, but they are not directly associated with the disorder.

Question 19

Studies examining the incidence of DID in non-clinical populations (the population at large or a university population) suggest that approximately percent of the general population suffer from DID.
A) .001
B) .01 to .05
C) 1.5
D) 5

Accepted Answer

The answer of Studies examining the incidence of DID in...

Question 20

While interviewing 129 women with documented histories of childhood sexual abuse, Willams (1994) found with extensive questioning that
A) every woman remembered minute details of the abuse.
B) almost none of the women recalled the abuse.
C) 38% of the women did not recall the abuse.
D) 75% of the women did not recall the abuse.

Accepted Answer

According to the information given, 38% of the women did not recall the abuse. None of the other answer choices accurately reflect the information provided.

Quiz 6: Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders and Dissociative Disorders

Some theorists suggest that dissociative identity disorder is an extreme subtype of .

In the "Abnormal Psychology Live" interview with Rachel, she claims that nobody (meaning none of her alters) wants responsibility for her body because

A comparison of dissociative reactions in "normals" and in DID patients indicates that the experience of dissociation is in normal versus DID patients.

In the "Abnormal Psychology Live" presentation, Rachel describes how her eyes always see the world through "a fog." She attributes this to having spent "years in the darkness" and

According to the autohypnotic model, people who are suggestible may be

In studies conducted by Elizabeth Loftus and her colleagues (Loftus, 2003; Loftus, Coan, and Pickrell, 1996) , individuals were told about false events that had supposedly occurred when they were children. The results of this study indicated that

One reason that DID can be misdiagnosed as psychosis is that

The part of the treatment plan for DID that is similar to the treatment plan for posttraumatic stress disorder is

Which of the following statements is TRUEabout DID?

Goodman et al. (2003) interviewed 175 individuals with documented child abuse histories and found that of the subjects remembered and reported the abuse.

There is now incontrovertible evidence that the following statement is TRUE with respect to the accuracy of recovered memories:

The causes of dissociative identity disorder appear to be .

Studies suggest that false memories are .

The common feature in almost every case of DID is

The average length of time between an individual's first symptoms of DID and the identification and diagnosis of the disorder by a professional is .

Dissociative identity disorder is most commonly found in .

Without treatment, it is expected that DID will last .

Sue has DID. It is extremely likely that she also has

Studies examining the incidence of DID in non-clinical populations (the population at large or a university population) suggest that approximately percent of the general population suffer from DID.

While interviewing 129 women with documented histories of childhood sexual abuse, Willams (1994) found with extensive questioning that