Question 1

Jane has declined to take higher-paying promotions that would involve speaking in front of groups and leading team meetings in front of a group of employees because she is afraid she will blush and that her voice will shake. Jane probably has social phobia, which __________.

Accepted Answer

Social phobia specifically involves a fear of embarrassment or humiliation in front of others. While it may arise from early experiences in relationships, it is not necessarily categorized as a specific phobia.

Question 2

What is the main difference between generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder?

Accepted Answer

The main difference between these two disorders is that panic disorder involves specific objects or events, called triggers, that cause sudden panic attacks, while generalized anxiety disorder does not have a specific trigger and is characterized by persistent worry and anxiety about a variety of things.

Question 3

All of the anxiety disorders involve some experience of fear or apprehension. However, a feature of generalized anxiety disorder that distinguishes it from the other anxiety disorders is the presence of __________.

Accepted Answer

Generalized anxiety disorder is characterized by constant and pervasive worry about a variety of topics, situations or events, often with no obvious cause or trigger. This worry is often difficult to control and interferes with daily functioning. The other anxiety disorders, such as panic disorder, social anxiety disorder and specific phobias, are characterized by more specific and intense fears and anxieties related to certain situations or stimuli.

Question 4

A person tells you that she is constantly tense and has difficulty concentrating. She frequently suffers from insomnia and a rapid heartbeat. She probably has __________.

Accepted Answer

The symptoms described indicate generalized anxiety disorder, which is characterized by chronic, excessive worry and anxiety about everyday life events or activities. Insomnia, tension, and difficulty concentrating are common symptoms, as are physical symptoms such as rapid heartbeat. Panic disorder involves sudden, intense attacks of fear, while phobias are characterized by a persistent and irrational fear of a specific object or situation. Conversion disorder involves the onset of physical symptoms that are not explainable by medical conditions.

Question 5

Research indicates that, as a woman, Meredith will be at greater risk for __________ than her brother will be.

Accepted Answer

Research has consistently shown that women are more likely to experience depression than men.

Question 6

Which of the following is an example of a mood disorder?

Accepted Answer

Major depression is a mood disorder which is characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and loss of interest in daily activities.

Question 7

Jean has been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, following several years of symptoms. Which of the following symptoms would not have been relevant to her diagnosis?

Accepted Answer

Fear of a particular object or situation is not a symptom of generalized anxiety disorder. It is a symptom of a specific phobia. The other symptoms listed, oversensitivity, inability to concentrate, and insomnia, are all common symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder.

Question 8

Julie's mother died of lung cancer but Julie is not fearful of cigarettes, and she shocked herself accidentally on a faulty electrical outlet but is not fearful of outlets. However, she has phobias of both snakes and spiders, despite never having been harmed by either. A likely reason for this is that __________.

Accepted Answer

The phobias of snakes and spiders can be seen as a built-in fear that has evolved over time, as both creatures have been potentially dangerous to humans throughout history. The lack of fear towards cigarettes and electrical outlets may be due to a lack of evolutionary pressure or societal conditioning. Option A is not supported by the information given and option C may be a contributing factor but is not the most likely reason for Julie's specific phobias.

Question 9

A commercial jingle that keeps running through your mind is an example of a mild __________.

Accepted Answer

A mild obsession is a fixation or preoccupation with repetitive thoughts or ideas. In this case, the commercial jingle is constantly running through the individual's mind, indicating a mild obsession with the tune. A compulsion, on the other hand, is an irrational urge to perform certain behaviors or actions repeatedly. A conversion reaction refers to a physical symptom or condition that has no medical explanation but is instead caused by psychological factors. None of the above options fit the scenario described in the question as accurately as the option A, mild obsession.

Question 10

When she was 7 years old, Wendy was bitten by a neighbor's dog and subsequently developed a fear of nearly all dogs. According to a conditioning account of phobias, the dog that initially bit Wendy served as a(n) __________.

Accepted Answer

The dog that initially bit Wendy served as a conditioned stimulus because it was a neutral stimulus that, after being paired with the unconditioned stimulus (the bite), came to elicit the conditioned response (fear of dogs).

Question 11

Agoraphobia is a fear of __________.

Accepted Answer

Agoraphobia is a fear of being in situations or places where escape might be difficult or embarrassing, or where help might be unavailable in the event of a panic attack or other physical symptom. This fear is often related to being outside the home or being in crowds.

Question 12

Which of the following is an example of an obsession?

Accepted Answer

A persistent thought of murder is an example of an obsession related to violence, incessant counting and recounting is an example of an obsession related to order and symmetry, and ritualistic, repetitive hand washing is an example of an obsession related to cleanliness and hygiene.

Question 13

Which of the following is not a characteristic of obsessive-compulsive disorder?

Accepted Answer

Psychogenic paralysis is not a characteristic of obsessive-compulsive disorder. It refers to paralysis that has no physical or organic cause, but rather is related to psychological factors, such as stress or trauma.

Question 14

Depression often includes various physical manifestations, such as __________.

Accepted Answer

Depression often causes loss of appetite and weight loss.

Question 15

Which of the following is NOT one of the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder?

Accepted Answer

Reduced startle response is not a symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder. The other options (A, B, C, and E) are commonly recognized symptoms of PTSD.

Question 16

If you notice that your friend has begun to wash her hands every 15 minutes, you might suspect she has developed a(n) __________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of If you notice that your friend has...

Question 17

Nemi has a long-standing fear of contamination that compels her to carry out numerous cleansing activities each day. If she notices any dirt on her person, she thoroughly washes her hands and arms. Nemi is probably suffering from __________.

Accepted Answer

Nemi's behavior is characteristic of obsessive-compulsive disorder, which is an anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive, repetitive thoughts (obsessions) and/or repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions) aimed at reducing anxiety or preventing perceived harm. Nemi's fear of contamination and compulsive cleansing behaviors fit this description. None of the other options are likely to fit her symptoms.

Question 18

For which of the following has research indicated that it may be a partial cause of obsessive-compulsive disorder?

Accepted Answer

The answer of For which of the following has research...

Question 19

John was robbed at gunpoint and beaten, and ever since has suffered from nightmares and other anxiety symptoms. John would be diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder rather than acute stress disorder if __________.

Accepted Answer

A diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder requires that the symptoms persist for at least one month following the traumatic event, whereas a diagnosis of acute stress disorder requires symptoms lasting between 3 days to one month. Dissociation and waking flashbacks are common symptoms in both disorders.

Question 20

A blood-injection-injury phobia is different from other specific phobias because the phobic stimulus causes __________.

Accepted Answer

A blood-injection-injury phobia is unique in that it can cause a drop in blood pressure and a feeling of disgust instead of the typical fear response and increased blood pressure seen in other types of specific phobias. This is due to the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system, which controls functions like heart rate and blood pressure.

Quiz 16: Psychopathology