Question 1

The BEST example of malingering is a person who:
A) fakes an illness because he or she enjoys being a patient.
B) pretends to have an illness to get sympathy.
C) falsely claims to have a terminal illness.
D) feigns an illness to achieve some external gain, such as financial compensation.

Accepted Answer

Malingering is characterized by the intentional production of false or grossly exaggerated physical or psychological symptoms, motivated by external incentives such as avoiding military duty, avoiding work, obtaining financial compensation, or evading criminal prosecution. Choice D directly aligns with this definition, as it involves feigning illness for an external gain, specifically financial compensation.

Question 2

A man appeared at the emergency room complaining of bloody diarrhea. The physician who examined him found that the man was intentionally creating the diarrhea through use of laxatives and anticoagulant medication and that he liked being a patient. The man is MOST likely:
A) experiencing a psychophysical disorder.
B) malingering.
C) experiencing a somatic disorder.
D) experiencing a factitious disorder.

Accepted Answer

This behavior is indicative of a factitious disorder, where individuals intentionally produce or exaggerate symptoms of illness in themselves to assume the sick role without external incentives, such as financial gain, which differentiates it from malingering.

Question 3

The treatment approach in which electrical signals from the body are used to train people how to control physiological processes is called _____.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The treatment approach in which electrical signals...

Question 4

Ben has been a chronically ill child. After being removed from his home and placed in foster care, he became quite healthy. In this case, one might suspect that the parent (usually the mother) was experiencing:
A) malingering.
B) a psychophysical disorder.
C) a somatoform disorder.
D) a factitious disorder.

Accepted Answer

A factitious disorder, particularly Munchausen syndrome by proxy, involves a caregiver (often a parent) causing or fabricating symptoms of illness in another person (such as a child) to gain attention or sympathy. Ben's improvement in health after being removed from his home suggests that his illnesses may have been induced or fabricated by his caregiver.

Question 5

Munchausen syndrome by proxy is MOST likely to adversely affect the physical well-being of:
A) the person experiencing it.
B) the child of the person experiencing it.
C) the spouse of the person experiencing it.
D) the medical personnel caring for the person experiencing it.

Accepted Answer

Munchausen syndrome by proxy is a disorder wherein a caregiver, often a parent, fabricates, exaggerates, or induces illness in a person under their care, typically a child, to gain attention and sympathy. This directly affects the physical well-being of the child.

Question 6

The _____ was developed by Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe in 1967.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The _____ was developed by Thomas Holmes...

Question 7

A professional has evidence that a patient has intentionally faked her illness. To determine whether the patient is malingering or experiencing a factitious disorder, what must be examined?
A) The method the patient used to make herself ill
B) The motivation the patient has for assuming the sick role
C) Who else, if anyone, the patient is making ill
D) The severity of the symptoms the patient has experienced

Accepted Answer

The key difference between malingering and factitious disorder lies in the motivation behind the behavior. Malingering involves faking illness for external rewards (e.g., financial gain, avoiding work), while factitious disorder is driven by an internal need to be seen as ill without external incentives.

Question 8

Intentionally feigning illness to achieve some external gain is described as:
A) malingering.
B) somatization.
C) conversion disorder.
D) illness anxiety disorder.

Accepted Answer

Malingering involves intentionally pretending to be ill or exaggerating symptoms for external benefits, such as financial gain, avoiding work or military service, or obtaining drugs.

Question 9

A physician confronts Addison with evidence that her symptoms are factitious. It is MOST likely that Addison will:
A) create new symptoms that are more difficult to disprove.
B) produce false medical records to support her original symptoms.
C) leave the facility and immediately seek treatment from a different physician.
D) take measures that increase the intensity of her original symptoms.

Accepted Answer

Patients with factitious disorder, when confronted with evidence that their symptoms are not genuine, often leave the healthcare setting to seek treatment elsewhere, avoiding confrontation and maintaining their sick role.

Question 10

_____ is the study of the connections between stress, the immune system, and illness.

Accepted Answer

The answer of _____ is the study of the connections...

Question 11

Chronic stress can lead to a person sleeping less, eating more junk food, exercising less, and drinking more alcohol. These are all _____ that increase the likelihood that a person will get sick.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Chronic stress can lead to a person...

Question 12

Charley brings her young daughter into the emergency room with internal bleeding. The attending physician later concludes that Charley caused the symptoms in her daughter intentionally, wanting to gain attention and praise for her devoted care of her sick child. If this assessment is correct, the appropriate diagnosis is:
A) a psychophysiological disorder.
B) a conversion disorder.
C) Munchausen syndrome.
D) Munchausen syndrome by proxy.

Accepted Answer

Munchausen syndrome by proxy is a disorder where a caregiver, often a parent, fabricates or induces illness in another person, typically their child, to gain attention and sympathy. The scenario described fits this diagnosis, as Charley intentionally causes symptoms in her daughter to receive praise for her care.

Question 13

Someone who tends to be very cynical, impatient, and competitive more than likely has _____ personality style.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Someone who tends to be very cynical,...

Question 14

Someone who has Munchausen syndrome also, by definition, has:
A) Munchausen by proxy.
B) a factitious disorder.
C) somatic symptom disorder.
D) conversion disorder.

Accepted Answer

Munchausen syndrome is a type of factitious disorder, a mental disorder in which a person repeatedly and deliberately acts as if they have a physical or mental illness when they are not really sick.

Question 15

Having a background in medicine, but also a grudge against the profession, puts a person at risk for:
A) a factitious disorder.
B) body dysmorphic disorder.
C) amnesia conversion disorder.
D) somatic symptom disorder.

Accepted Answer

Factitious disorder, previously known as Munchausen syndrome, involves a person deliberately acting as if they have a physical or mental illness when they are not really sick. A background in medicine could provide the knowledge necessary to convincingly simulate or induce medical problems, and a grudge against the profession might motivate such behavior.

Question 16

Which characteristic describes an individual with Munchausen syndrome by proxy?
A) Psychotic
B) Independent
C) Emotionally needy
D) Limited intelligence and education

Accepted Answer

Munchausen syndrome by proxy is a psychological disorder wherein a caregiver fabricates, exaggerates, or induces illness in another person under their care, often to gain attention or sympathy. This behavior is typically driven by an emotional neediness, rather than psychosis, independence, or limited intelligence and education.

Question 17

Which individual would be MOST likely to receive a diagnosis of factitious disorder?
A) Someone who engages in cutting and tries to hide it from everyone
B) Someone who breaks a leg while skiing but tells friends and family that the injury occurred in a car accident
C) Someone who purposefully drinks gasoline and then seeks treatment for an unknown stomach ailment
D) Someone who has chronic nausea and vomiting due to high stress but denies that as a possible cause

Accepted Answer

Factitious disorder involves intentionally producing or exaggerating symptoms of illness in oneself to assume the sick role and to receive medical attention, without external incentives for such behavior. Choice C, someone who purposefully ingests a harmful substance to then seek treatment for an unknown ailment, fits this description. Choices A, B, and D involve hiding self-harm, lying about the cause of an injury, and denial of stress as a cause of symptoms, respectively, which do not align with the criteria for factitious disorder.

Question 18

Which statement is TRUE about factitious disorders?
A) Individuals with factitious disorder are not trying to achieve some external gain by faking illness.
B) Individuals with factitious disorder do not intentionally create illness.
C) Individuals with factitious disorder have no control over their behavior.
D) Individuals with factitious disorder do not want to assume the sick role.

Accepted Answer

Individuals with factitious disorder intentionally produce or exaggerate symptoms of illness, but their motivation is not to achieve an external gain (such as financial compensation, obtaining drugs, or avoiding work) but rather to assume the sick role and receive attention and care.

Question 19

A woman complains of an assortment of physiological ailments. You think that she is intentionally producing the physical symptoms to appear sick, which fills some psychological need. If this is true, the appropriate diagnosis is:
A) factitious disorder.
B) conversion disorder.
C) generalized anxiety disorder.
D) psychophysical disorder.

Accepted Answer

Factitious disorder is characterized by a person intentionally producing or exaggerating symptoms of illness in themselves to assume the sick role and fulfill a psychological need. Unlike malingering, where the motivation is external (e.g., financial compensation, avoiding work), the motivation in factitious disorder is to receive attention and care.

Question 20

An example of a factitious disorder is:
A) mass hysteria.
B) Munchausen syndrome.
C) hypochondriasis.
D) untreated migraine disorder.

Accepted Answer

Munchausen syndrome is a factitious disorder, a mental disorder in which a person repeatedly and deliberately acts as if they have a physical or mental illness when they are not really sick.

Quiz 10: Disorders Featuring Somatic Symptoms

The BEST example of malingering is a person who:

A man appeared at the emergency room complaining of bloody diarrhea. The physician who examined him found that the man was intentionally creating the diarrhea through use of laxatives and anticoagulant medication and that he liked being a patient. The man is MOST likely:

The treatment approach in which electrical signals from the body are used to train people how to control physiological processes is called _____.

Ben has been a chronically ill child. After being removed from his home and placed in foster care, he became quite healthy. In this case, one might suspect that the parent (usually the mother) was experiencing:

Munchausen syndrome by proxy is MOST likely to adversely affect the physical well-being of:

The _____ was developed by Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe in 1967.

A professional has evidence that a patient has intentionally faked her illness. To determine whether the patient is malingering or experiencing a factitious disorder, what must be examined?

Intentionally feigning illness to achieve some external gain is described as:

A physician confronts Addison with evidence that her symptoms are factitious. It is MOST likely that Addison will:

_____ is the study of the connections between stress, the immune system, and illness.

Chronic stress can lead to a person sleeping less, eating more junk food, exercising less, and drinking more alcohol. These are all _____ that increase the likelihood that a person will get sick.

Someone who tends to be very cynical, impatient, and competitive more than likely has _____ personality style.

Someone who has Munchausen syndrome also, by definition, has:

Having a background in medicine, but also a grudge against the profession, puts a person at risk for:

Which characteristic describes an individual with Munchausen syndrome by proxy?

Which individual would be MOST likely to receive a diagnosis of factitious disorder?

Which statement is TRUE about factitious disorders?

A woman complains of an assortment of physiological ailments. You think that she is intentionally producing the physical symptoms to appear sick, which fills some psychological need. If this is true, the appropriate diagnosis is:

An example of a factitious disorder is: