question

Which of the following occurred in the late twentieth century?

answer

a movement of the mentally ill from institutions to the community

question

What type of prevalence estimate tends to be highest?

answer

lifetime prevalence

question

Ideally, a sample is described as what?

answer

representative

question

Dr. Gordon finds that heroin-addicted adults almost always smoked cigarettes and drank alcohol when they were young adolescents. Knowing this strong association we can conclude that

answer

there is an association among the variables, but no causal inferences should be drawn.

question

All of the following are reasons for the growth of the deinstitutionalization movement EXCEPT

answer

a desire to involve the family in the care of the mentally ill.

question

Phillipe Pinel

answer

believed that mental patients were ill and needed to be treated as such - with kindness and caring.

question

The early asylums

answer

were primarily warehouses for the mentally ill.

question

The insanity associated with general paresis

answer

results from an infection of the brain.

question

What is important to remember about the apparent high lifetime rate of mental disorders?

answer

Many people with disorders are not seriously affected by them or may have them for only a short time.

question

To determine whether certain characteristics are true of people in general, and not just of people with mental disorders, it is important to use

answer

a control group.

question

In the United States, the standard for defining types of mental disorders is contained in the

answer

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

question

Freud is the first to describe the unconscious: that the mind could contain information of which it is unaware, but by which it is still affected.

answer

unconscious

question

Mesmer was a proponent of

answer

the power of animal magnetism.

question

Dorothea Dix

answer

is credited with establishing numerous humane mental hospitals in many countries.

question

A researcher who provides a certain treatment for one group and withholds treatment from a completely comparable group is using the \"experimental\" research method.

answer

experimental

question

Who established the first experimental psychology laboratory?

answer

Wundt

question

Which of the following best describes the DSM?

answer

a work in progress that classifies mental disorders based on what is currently known

question

What do the textbook authors identify as the most problematic element of Wakefield's definition of mental disorder?

answer

We have yet to discover the dysfunction that underlies most mental disorders.

question

Why is it believed that the surveys used to estimate the prevalence of mental illness underestimate that prevalence?

answer

Measures of several types of disorders were not included.

question

One strength of case studies is

answer

they can generate hypotheses.

question

The Solarists are a cult whose members believe that they control the movements of the sun with special hand gestures. What would the DSM-4 say about this group?

answer

While some of this group's individual members may meet criteria for a DSM-4 diagnosis, the DSM-4 does not diagnose groups.

question

Benjamin Rush is credited with all of the following EXCEPT

answer

taking a scientific approach to the study and treatment of mental disorders

question

Kraepelin is credited with

answer

identifying different types of mental disorders.

question

Which of the following is an example of point prevalence?

answer

1% of the population is currently experiencing depressive symptoms.

question

In ancient societies, if a person's abnormal conduct consisted of speech that appeared to have a religious or mystical significance, then the person was

answer

thought to be possessed by a good spirit or god.

question

A researcher interested in the health problems of people with schizophrenia interviews only those people diagnosed with the disorder who are in an inpatient facility. The most glaring weakness in this study is

answer

nonrepresentative sampling.

question

A researcher says, \"These studies make it too easy for investigators to find the background factors they expect to find. However, they are more valid if we find documents like school reports that show the background factor before the disorder emerges.\"

answer

What kind of research strategy is the researcher referring to? Retrospective strategies.

question

Which of the following approaches to treatment focuses almost exclusively on physical well-being?

answer

mental hygiene

question

What makes defining abnormality difficult?

answer

There is no one behavior that serves to make someone abnormal.

question

Which of the following is a sufficient element to determine abnormality?

answer

There is no sufficient element.

question

The fact that body piercings are commonplace today while they would once have been viewed as abnormal illustrates that

answer

the values of a society may change over time.

question

What is a reason for classifying mental disorders?

answer

A classification system allows information to be organized.

question

Classification is a necessary first step toward introducing order to any discussion of the cause or treatment of abnormal behavior.

answer

Classification

question

Which of the following is a disadvantage of having a classification system for mental disorders?

answer

When a label is used to describe an individual's behavior, information about the person is lost.

question

Which of the following statements is true concerning classification systems for mental disorders?

answer

Classification systems meet the needs of medical insurance companies who need diagnoses in order to authorize payment of claims.

question

All of the following are disadvantages of classifying and diagnosing mental disorders EXCEPT

answer

providing structure.

question

Stereotyping is an example of the stigma of mental illness. It means

answer

the automatic and often incorrect beliefs people have about people with mental illness.

question

What is wrong with describing someone as being \"schizophrenic\"?

answer

Labels should be applied to disorders, not to people.

question

In the field of abnormal psychology, what does DSM stand for?

answer

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual

question

Which of the following is included in the DSM?

answer

means of identifying different mental disorders

question

According to the DSM-4 definition of mental disorder, impairment in one or more areas of functioning or disability

answer

may be present but is not a necessary condition for making a diagnosis.

question

The Solarists are a cult whose members believe that they control the movements of the sun with special hand gestures. What would the DSM-4 say about this group?

answer

While some of this group's individual members may meet criteria for a DSM-4 diagnosis, the DSM-4 does not diagnose groups.

question

Brett persistently injects himself with pain killers. This has greatly increased his chance of overdosing and dying. His behavior harms no one else. According to the DSM, is Brett's behavior consistent with the definition of a mental disorder?

answer

Yes, because he is persistently acting in a way that harms him.

question

The current DSM is

answer

atheoretical.

question

Wakefield's conception of \"mental disorder\" included the idea of \"harmful dysfunction\" as most central to diagnosis.

answer

harmful dysfunction

question

According to the DSM, when is deviant behavior viewed as indicative of a mental disorder?

answer

When it is a symptom of a dysfunction in the individual

question

What does the case of JGH, a Native American elder, illustrate?

answer

A person may focus on somatic symptoms, rather than mood, when depressed.

question

What is a culture-specific disorder?

answer

A disorder seen only in certain cultures

question

Practically speaking, abnormal behavior means

answer

unusual behaviors that are not consistent with the norms of the society in which they are displayed.

question

Maria believes that her dead grandmother occasionally speaks to her. In deciding if Maria has a mental illness or not, which of the following is important?

answer

Is Maria's belief consistent with the beliefs of her culture?

question

Why is it important to know how many people have diagnosable mental illnesses?

answer

Such information is needed to plan for the provision of adequate services.

question

How should information about the frequency of mental disorders in different groups of people be used?

answer

Information about the incidence of disorders among certain groups of people may provide information as to what causes a particular disorder.

question

What is epidemiology?

answer

The study of the distribution of a disorder in a population

question

Mental health epidemiology is

answer

the study of the distribution of mental disorders in a given population.

question

What does it mean if a disorder is said to be highly prevalent?

answer

It is common.

question

What type of prevalence estimate tends to be lowest?

answer

Point prevalence

question

\"Prevalence\" rates may be reported in terms of the lifetime risk of contracting a particular disorder.

answer

Prevalence

question

What type of prevalence data only counts active cases of a disorder?

answer

Point prevalence

question

The mayor of a city wants to know the number of new cases of a disorder over the past year. The mayor should ask an epidemiologist for the \"incidence rate\" of the disorder.

answer

incidence rate

question

What term refers to the number of new cases of a disorder that occur over a given time period?

answer

Incidence

question

Why is it believed that the NCS survey used to estimate the prevalence of mental illness underestimated that prevalence?

answer

Measures of several types of disorders were not included.

question

What is the most prevalent grouping of psychological disorder?

answer

Anxiety disorders

question

What can be said about individuals who have a history of at least one serious psychological disorder?

answer

Over 50% have at least two or more other disorders.

question

Comorbidity means

answer

that a person has two or more disorders.

question

A major finding from the National Comorbidity Survey (NCS) was that

answer

over half of the people with a history of one serious disorder had two or more comemorbid disorders.

question

Most mental health treatment

answer

occur in an outpatient setting.

question

Most people with psychological disorders

answer

delay seeking treatment, sometimes for many years.

question

The trend toward deinstitutionalization in recent years means that

answer

people are hospitalized more briefly and then treated on an outpatient basis.

question

Which of the following mental health professionals has a doctoral degree in psychology with both research and clinical skill specialization?

answer

the clinical psychologist

question

Which of the following mental health professionals has a medical degree?

answer

The psychiatrist

question

A clinical psychologist is

answer

a Ph.D. in psychology with experience in mental health.

question

Describing a disorder as acute means that

answer

is is a disorder that is short in duration.

question

Why is it important to have some understanding of what causes a psychological disorder?

answer

The selection of a treatment approach is largely determined by assumptions about causality.

question

Why is it dangerous to make conclusions based on case studies?

answer

Conclusions based on so little data are likely to be flawed.

question

Which of the following typically involves the use of trained observers?

answer

Direct observation

question

A psychologist reports a single case of a disorder, detailing the person's feelings and responses. This research strategy is

answer

weak; because it rarely provides information we can generalize to others with the disorder.

question

Carl is asked to provide information about his drinking. Despite the fact that he has had several arrests for driving will intoxicated, Carl reports that he has no problems with drinking. This is an example of

answer

the problems with self-report data.

question

\"Hypotheses\" are more or less plausible ideas used to explain something, e.g., a behavior, and can be tested using research methods.

answer

Hypotheses

question

One strength of case studies is

answer

they can generate new ideas to explore.

question

An important FIRST step in studying a particular disorder is

answer

determining the criteria for identifying people who have the disorder.

question

Upon deciding to study individuals with a given disorder, what is the next step that should be taken?

answer

Select criteria for identifying individuals with the disorder.

question

Why is a representative sample desirable?

answer

The more representative a sample is, the more generalizable the data.

question

Dr. Katz is researching the causes of phobias. He puts an ad in a newspaper asking for people who have an intense, distressing fear of snakes to come and participate in his study. The major problem with this is

answer

he is not getting a representative sample.

question

Why would a researcher want to ensure that every person in the larger group of study has an equal chance of being included in the sample?

answer

It increases the researcher's ability to generalize findings to the larger group.

question

In Dr. Lu's study of eating disorders, she looked at the academic histories of girls with an eating disorder and girls who did not have such problem. In this example, the girls with eating disorders are the \"criterion\"group.

answer

criterion

question

In Dr. Lu's study of eating disorders, she looked at the academic histories of girls with an eating disorder and girls who did not have such problem. In this example, the girls without eating disorders are the \"control\" group.

answer

control

question

In what significant ways do observational (correlational) research designs differ from experimental research designs?

answer

There is no manipulation of variables in observational research.

question

What is a good control group for a research study on people with eating disorders?

answer

A group that is comparable to those with eating disorders except they eat normally.

question

Why are correlational or observational research designs often used in abnormal psychology?

answer

It is often unethical or impossible to directly manipulate the variables involved in abnormal psychology.

question

What is the most important limitation of correlational studies?

answer

They cannot determine cause and effect.

question

Researchers have observed that women who wear bras for more than 16 hours a day are more likely to develop breast cancer than those who spend less time in a bra. In other words, there is a correlation between wearing a bra and breast cancer. Based on this finding, which of the following statements is true?

answer

Some additional variable may serve to explain the relationship observed between wearing a bra and developing cancer.

question

What research approach require subjects to recall the past?

answer

Retrospective

question

A researcher says, \"These studies make it too easy for investigators to find the background factors they expect to find. However, they are more valid if we find documents like school reports that show the background factor before the disorder emerges.\" What kind of research strategy is the researcher referring to?

answer

Retrospective strategies

question

Which of the following may be safely inferred when a significant negative correlation is found between variables x and y?

answer

as x increases, y decreases

question

Individuals who have alcohol problems tend to come from families with other individuals who have alcohol problems. This would suggest that

answer

although there is an association, no cause-effect relationship can be concluded.

question

What type of research design begins with the identification of individuals who are likely to develop a particular disorder?

answer

Prospective

question

Dr. Luigi has discovered that the more spaghetti people eat, the less likely they are to be diagnosed with depression. Based on this finding, what statement can be made about the relationship between spaghetti and depression?

answer

There is a negative correlation between spaghetti eating and depression.

question

It has been demonstrated that those who were prenatally exposed to the influenza virus are more likely to develop schizophrenia. In other words, prenatal exposure to the influenza virus is \"positively\" correlated with developing schizophrenia.

answer

positively

question

A significant positive correlation is found between variables x and y. Which of the following may be safely inferred?

answer

as x increases, y increases

question

A researcher who studies children who are home-schooled and compares them to children who attend school is using the \"correlational\" research method.

answer

correlational

question

In most prospective studies,

answer

children who share a risk factor for a disorder are studied before signs of the disorder show up.

question

Several studies have found that there is a correlation in children between amount of television watched and weight. What is one of the problems with using this finding to report that watching lots of television makes children obese?

answer

It is just as possible that being obese causes children to watch more television.

question

Which variable is manipulated in an experiment?

answer

Independent

question

In a study of the effects of ice cream on mood, the ice cream can be described as what?

answer

The independent variable

question

In a study of the effects of ice cream on mood, the mood after ice cream exposure can be described as what?

answer

The dependent variable

question

Which of the following would most likely be explored with an experiment?

answer

The effectiveness of a new treatment for depression

question

Which of the following is an example of an ABAB design?

answer

A subject is observed both before and after two exposures to the treatment.

question

Fred refuses to speak at school, although he speaks normally at home. His therapist plans out a treatment where Fred is given a gold star every time he answers his teacher, and he can then trade in his stars for prizes. Fred begins speaking in class. The therapist then tells the teacher to stop the program for a couple of weeks. Fred stopped talking during that time. The teacher then starting giving Fred stars again, and Fred again began to talk. This is an example of

answer

an ABAB experimental design study.

question

What is the value of using an ABAB design?

answer

The effects of a single form of treatment are studied twice in the same subject.

question

A psychologist wishes to test the hypothesis that the experience of chronic physical pain can cause clinical depression, but the Ethics Committee of his university won't allow him to conduct a study in which he inflicts pain on the subjects. What kind of research design might best allow the psychologist to test this hypothesis while circumventing the committee's objection?

answer

Analogue

question

Which of the following is an example of an analogue study?

answer

Rats prenatally exposed to alcohol are studied to further our understanding of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

question

Dr. Brown wants to study social phobia. She induces temporary anxiety by having normal subjects believe they will be negatively evaluated by another person. This is an example of

answer

an analogue study.

question

What did Seligman find by studying dogs exposed to uncontrollable shock?

answer

Seligman found that uncontrollable shock led the dogs to behave much like depressed humans.

question

A major scientific problem with analogue studies is

answer

the difficulty of generalizing to the naturally occurring phenomenon.

question

\"Stereotypes\" are automatic beliefs concerning other people based on little information.

answer

Stereotypes

question

The number of people who have suffered from a particular disorder at any time in their lives is \"lifetime prevalence\".

answer

lifetime prevalence

question

When mental disorders are short in duration, they are known as acute. When they are long in duration, they are \"chronic\".

answer

chronic

question

If the score on one variable is high and the score on another variable is low, this is known as a \"negative\" correlation.

answer

negative

question

\"Analogue research\" is used to study questions that would not be possible to study with human subjects.

answer

Analogue research

question

Why is it difficult to agree on a definition of abnormal behavior?

answer

There are no sufficient or necessary conditions. Also, what is abnormal at one point in time may no longer be considered abnormal at another time.

question

What are the benefits of classifying mental disorders?

answer

Allows information to be organized, needed for research, most sciences do it, establishes the range of problems mental health professionals can address.

question

Discuss one disadvantage of developing a classification system for mental disorders.

answer

1.) There is a loss of information when a classification scheme is applied to behavior, as will happen when any single word is used to convey something as complex as a mental disorder. 2.) In addition, there may be some stigma attached to receiving a psychiatric diagnosis. 3.} Stereotyping may occur, leading to incorrect assumptions about and expectations of an individual who has received a psychiatric diagnosis.

question

What is mental health epidemiology? How is it studied?

answer

Epidemiology is the study of the distribution of a health-related problem within a population. Mental health epidemiology is the distribution and frequency of mental disorders. A key element in studying this is the frequency of mental disorder, which includes prevalence rates.

question

Explain what a culture-specific syndrome is and provide an example of one.

answer

A culture-specific syndrome is a disorder that occurs most commonly in or exclusively in a specific culture. While many disorders may present themselves differently in different cultures, these are disorders that are unique to a particular culture. Koro, a disorder seen most commonly in young Asian males, is one example. This anxiety disorder is characterized by an extreme fear that a body part is shrinking.

question

Discuss the difference between prevalence and incidence.

answer

Prevalence is the number of active cases of a disorder in a given population during a given period of time. Incidence is the number of new cases that occur over a given period of time.

question

What is comorbidity?

answer

The presence of two of more disorders in the same person. This is common in serious mental disorders, rarer for mild disorders.

question

Briefly discuss why research in abnormal psychology is important.

answer

Through the use of research, the characteristics of disorders can be studied and our understanding of the etiology of disorders is furthered. In addition, research must be used to determine the effectiveness of treatment.

question

What is a case study and what are its benefits and drawbacks?

answer

An in-depth, detailed account of a single case. They are good sources of research ideas and hypotheses. However, information from them does not generalize. They are uncontrolled and often impressionistic, so any conclusions drawn may be incorrect.

question

What is sampling and why is it important?

answer

Sampling is the procedure used to select subjects to study. As it is not possible to study all of the population of interest, a subset of the population is selected. The sample studied needs to resemble the larger population on all relevant variables so that findings made when studying the sample can be generalized to the population. In other words, results obtained with a sample should provide accurate information about the larger population.

question

Discuss the limitations of self-report data.

answer

Can be misleading, sometimes deliberately lie, misinterpret questions or try to present themselves more favorably or less favorably than is true.

question

What is an analogue study?

answer

A study of an approximation of the real thing in which the researcher is interested. Often done if studying the real thing is difficult or it would be unethical to manipulate the variables of interest.

question

Discuss some of the difficulties involved in attempting to define abnormal behavior.

answer

\"Abnormal\" presupposes some norm from which behavior deviates, but there is no definition of \"normal\" about which people can all agree. Abnormal is also related to behavior that is deemed undesirable by society. Value issues therefore always complicate the objective definition of disorders. What, exactly, comprises distress, disability, or dysfunction is also difficult to define. In addition, definitions of abnormality vary not only with culture, but over time.

question

What is the DSM and how does it define mental disorder?

answer

The DSM is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The DSM is published by the American Psychiatric Association and provides information to be used in identifying mental disorders. The DSM does not provide information as to the cause of mental disorders.

question

continuation... A mental disorder, according to the DSM, is a psychological problem that is not the result of some culturally accepted response to a live event but that causes one or more of the following: present distress or a painful symptom;

answer

disability or impairment in one or more areas of functioning; increased risk of suffering death, pain, or disability; and an important loss of freedom. A mental disorder is not simply deviant or unacceptable behavior and is believed to be the product of some sort of dysfunction within the individual. end.

question

Describe the retrospective and prospective research designs. What are the benefits and problems of these designs?

answer

Retrospective: Study people with a disorder by collecting information about their lives before they became sick. Problem is faulty and selective memory, bias on the part of the person and the researcher. Prospective: Find people with high risk of developing a disorder before they have it, measure variables ahead of time and track the person to see who develops the disorder. Problem: Can't know how may will develop the disorder; small sample size.

question

What is an observational research design and how can such an approach further our understanding of abnormal behavior. What limitations are there of such designs and how can these be overcome?

answer

When an observational research design is employed, no manipulation is made, and data is merely gathered on the subject or subjects of interest. A group who is at risk for some disorder or one that has a particular disorder may be studied in order to gather information as to the factors that might influence the development of the disorder or the progression of the disorder.

question

continuation... Just as a control group is used in an experiment, a control group must be used when conducting observational research. It is important, however, to recognize that no conclusions can be made about cause and effect. Correlational data, observing that two factors are related, does not permit such conclusions to be made as other factors may be the true cause for the observed relationship.

answer

For example, if a researcher observes a correlation between obesity and depression, it can't be concluded that depression causes obesity or that obesity causes depression. While either may be true, it cannot be determined from such data. In addition to these obvious causal connections, there could be additional factors that are causing both problems. Thus, while observational research designs provide information as to how things are related, no conclusions can be made as to cause and effect. end

question

Describe the ABAB research design and give an example.

answer

A type of single case research design. A way of using case study to develop and test therapy techniques within a scientific framework. The same subject is studied over time. Phase A - collect information about the subject but don't intervene. Phase B - intervention. Repeating the phases tells whether it is what was done in the B phase that produced any changes. Many possible examples.

Abnormal Psychology Chap. 1 Core Concepts 2nd Edition ZkC

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