Question 1

What is alogia?

Accepted Answer

Alogia refers to a lack of speech or poverty of speech. It is a symptom commonly associated with schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders.

Question 2

When does the prodromal phase of schizophrenia occur?

Accepted Answer

The prodromal phase of schizophrenia occurs before active psychotic symptoms are present. It is characterized by subtle changes in behavior, mood, and thinking that may indicate the onset of the disorder. This phase may last for months or even years before the active phase of the disorder begins.

Question 3

Ted is taking notes in an abnormal psychology course; the topic today is the diagnosis of schizophrenia. When Ted reviews the material next week, how might he summarize the material on the symptoms used to identify schizophrenia?

Accepted Answer

Schizophrenia is diagnosed based on a range of symptoms, and no single symptom is definitive for the disorder. It typically involves a combination of positive symptoms (like delusions and hallucinations) and negative symptoms, but these symptoms can also be present in other conditions.

Question 4

How do positive and negative symptoms compare in terms of their course over time?

Accepted Answer

Negative symptoms are typically more stable over time compared to positive symptoms which can fluctuate in severity. While positive symptoms may improve with treatment, they can also worsen with stress or other exacerbating factors.

Question 5

The most common age when the symptoms of schizophrenia are seen is

Accepted Answer

Schizophrenia is most commonly diagnosed in adolescence and early adulthood, typically between the ages of 16 and 30. While there are rare cases of childhood-onset schizophrenia, they are not as common as cases that develop later in life. Onset after age 40 can also occur, but is less common.

Question 6

Which of the following is an example of a positive symptom of schizophrenia?

Accepted Answer

Hallucinations, such as hearing voices or seeing things that are not there, are a positive symptom of schizophrenia, meaning they add something to the individual's experience that is not typically present in a healthy individual. Flat affect, lack of initiative, and social withdrawal are negative symptoms, which involve a lack of something that is typically present in a healthy individual (e.g. lack of emotion, motivation, or social interaction).

Question 7

The experience of most schizophrenics may be seen as falling into three phases; prodromal, active, and

Accepted Answer

The three phases of schizophrenia are prodromal, active, and residual. The residual phase occurs after the active phase and is characterized by mild symptoms or the absence of symptoms. Terminal is not a phase of schizophrenia. Acute and chronic are not phases, but rather describe the severity and duration of symptoms.

Question 8

What are delusions?

Accepted Answer

Delusions are rigidly held, idiosyncratic beliefs that are not based in reality and are not widely accepted by others in a culture or society. These beliefs often persist despite evidence to the contrary and can be a symptom of a mental health disorder, such as schizophrenia or delusional disorder.

Question 9

The feature that hallucinations in schizophrenia share in common is

Accepted Answer

Hallucinations in schizophrenia can involve any of the senses, making sensory experience the common feature.

Question 10

Marvin has a long history of schizophrenia. His doctors say that he is currently in the residual phase, from which we can conclude that he

Accepted Answer

The residual phase of schizophrenia is characterized by a reduction in the severity of positive symptoms (such as hallucinations and delusions), but the person may still experience negative symptoms (such as a lack of motivation, flat affect, and social withdrawal) and cognitive impairments. Therefore, the best choice is C, as it suggests that Marvin is still impaired in various ways despite not currently experiencing acute positive symptoms.

Question 11

Which of the following is considered one of the earliest signs that something is wrong in someone who may eventually meet the criteria for schizophrenia?

Accepted Answer

Social isolation is considered one of the earliest signs of schizophrenia. This is because individuals with schizophrenia may struggle to form and maintain social relationships due to symptoms such as paranoia, social anxiety, and disorganized thinking. Insomnia, loose associations, and auditory hallucinations may also occur in individuals with schizophrenia, but they typically occur later on in the progression of the disorder.

Question 12

When patients who are suffering delusions are confronted with contradictory evidence

Accepted Answer

Patients with delusions have a fixed and false belief that is often immune to contradictory evidence. They tend to defend their beliefs with conviction, even when presented with evidence that contradicts their delusion. This is a common feature of delusional disorders and is known as a belief preservation phenomenon.

Question 13

What is the long-term outcome for people with schizophrenia?

Accepted Answer

While some individuals with schizophrenia are able to recover completely, research shows that most individuals with schizophrenia do not recover completely, and will experience ongoing symptoms and impairment. The severity and course of the illness can vary widely between individuals, and factors such as early treatment, family support, and adherence to medication can affect outcomes.

Question 14

In January, Rita was beginning to perform poorly at work, was neglecting her appearance, becoming withdrawn, and exhibiting odd behaviors. In June, she showed the full‑blown symptoms of schizophrenia. Her behavior in January can be considered part of which phase of the disorder?

Accepted Answer

The prodromal phase of schizophrenia is characterized by subtle changes in behavior and personality that may precede the onset of full-blown symptoms by several months to several years. The symptoms that Rita exhibited in January, such as poor performance at work, neglecting appearance, becoming withdrawn, and exhibiting odd behaviors, are all indicative of the prodromal phase of schizophrenia.

Question 15

During an interview a patient says he frequently hears the voice of his sister coming from his image in the bathroom mirror. The psychologist who is conducting the interview most likely writes that the patient presents evidence of

Accepted Answer

The patient's experience of hearing his sister's voice coming from the mirror is an example of a hallucination - perceiving something that is not actually there. Delusions involve holding false beliefs that are not based in reality, negative symptoms refer to a reduction or absence of normal behaviors or emotions, and loose associations refer to disorganized thinking and speech.

Question 16

Symptoms of schizophrenia that include hallucinations and delusions and are also called psychotic symptoms are know as

Accepted Answer

Positive symptoms of schizophrenia refer to the presence of abnormal experiences, such as hallucinations (perceiving things that are not present) and delusions (holding false beliefs).

Question 17

The phase of schizophrenia in which the most dramatic symptoms of psychosis have improved, but the person continues to be impaired in various ways is labeled

Accepted Answer

The residual phase of schizophrenia is characterized by an improvement in the most dramatic symptoms of psychosis, but the person continues to experience negative symptoms such as social withdrawal, avolition, and lack of motivation. This phase can last for an indefinite period of time and individuals may continue to struggle with daily functioning and managing their illness.

Question 18

What term is used to describe patients who feel no joy or excitement, even when doing things they formerly enjoyed?

Accepted Answer

Anhedonia is the term used to describe patients who feel no joy or excitement, even when doing things they formerly enjoyed. Blunted affect refers to a lack of emotional expression, affective disorder is a broad term for a group of mental health conditions that affect mood, and inappropriate affect refers to emotional expressions that are out of context or not appropriate to the situation.

Question 19

Avolition refers to

Accepted Answer

Avolition refers specifically to lack of motivation, which is characterized by a reduction or absence of self-initiated purposeful behavior. The other answer choices are symptoms of different disorders: lack of speech is a symptom of schizophrenia or a speech disorder, loose associations are a symptom of schizophrenia or a thought disorder, and inappropriate affect is a symptom of various disorders, including bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder.

Question 20

Monty, who has been diagnosed as suffering from schizophrenia, shows only the slightest smile when happy or the slightest frown when upset. His limited emotional expressiveness is called

Accepted Answer

Blunted affect is a symptom of schizophrenia where there is limited emotional expressiveness or flattened emotional responses. This is characterized by a lack of facial expressions, tone of voice, and body language. It can also present as a reduced ability to experience emotions or pleasure, which is known as anhedonia.

Quiz 13: Schizophrenic Disorders