Human Development, Diversity, and Behavior in the Environment

Question 1

Explain Defense Mechanisms

Answer 1

Defense mechanisms are coping techniques that reduce anxiety resulting from undesired impulses

Question 2

Two common properties of Defense Mechanisms

Answer 2

1. They often appear unconsciously

2. They tend to distort, transform, or otherwise falsify reality

Question 3

Reaction Formation

Answer 3

Reaction formation is a Defense Mechanism which occurs when a person feels an urge to do or say something and then actually does or says something that is effectively the opposite of what they really want. An example is a mother who has a child she does not want becomes very protective of the child.

Question 4

Sublimation

Answer 4

Sublimation is a Defense Mechanism which occurs when a person chooses to divert their desires that are consciously intolerable and cannot be directly realized into creative activities that are acceptable. Sublimation channels this energy away from destructive acts and into something that is socially acceptable and/or creatively effective. An example is a person who has an obsessive need for control and order becomes a successful business entrepreneur.

Question 5

Displacement

Answer 5

A Defense Mechanism, Displacement is the shifting of actions from a desired target to a substitute target when there is some reason why the first target is not permitted or not available. An example is a woman, rejected by her boyfriend, goes out with another man.

Question 6

Projection

Answer 6

Projection is a Defense Mechanism which occurs when a person has uncomfortable thoughts or feelings, they may project these onto other people, assigning the thoughts or feelings that they need to repress to a convenient alternative target. An example is an unfaithful husband suspects his wife of infidelity.

Question 7

Universal Institutional Program

Answer 7

A prevention-focused program that provides benefits to all members of society

Example: Education

Question 8

Universal Residual Program

Answer 8

An emergency based program that provides benefits to all members of society

Example: FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency)

Question 9

Selective Residual Program

Answer 9

A short-term program that is provided to a restricted group that demonstrates need

Example: Food Stamps

Question 10

Selective Institutional Program

Answer 10

A prevention-focused program that is provided to a restricted group that demonstrates need

Example: Social Security

Question 11

Compensation

Answer 11

Compensation is a defense mechanism in which an individual tries to make up for imaginary characteristics that are considered undesirable

Example: Extra studying when an individual believes others think he is dumb

Question 12

Idealization

Answer 12

Idealization is a defense mechanism that is an overestimation of another person or of that person’s specific attributes

Question 13

Substitution

Answer 13

Substitution is a defense mechanism in which the individual replaces an unattainable goal with one that is attainable

Question 14

Rationalization

Answer 14

Rationalization is when something happens that we find difficult to accept and we make up a logical reason why it has happened

Question 15

Explain Self-Esteem across the lifespan

Answer 15

Self-esteem is highest in childhood, drops during adolescence, rises during adulthood, then drops sharply in late adulthood

Question 16

Describe the Grieving Process

Answer 16

The grieving process can best be described as a roller-coaster ride, as bereaved individuals move back and forth between avoidance, confrontation, and restoration. Grieving can be regarded as a set of tasks, including the task to accept the reality of the loss, work through the pain that grief brings; adjust to the world without the loved one, and develop an inner bond with the deceased and move forward with one’s own life

Question 17

Role Overload

Answer 17

Role overload is common for individuals in middle adulthood as they are charged with raising teenagers or young adults as well as caring for their aging parents. There is conflict among responsibilities to spouses, children, parents and employer. Individuals often experience exhaustion, depression, and anxiety due to multiple obligations

Question 18

Midlife Crisis

Answer 18

A midlife crisis is a time in an individual’s life when he/she begins to question and regret the decisions made thus far and is often marked by a drastic change such as divorce or career change

Question 19

Parental Imperative Theory

Answer 19

The parental imperative theory refers to the belief that identification with traditional gender roles during active parenting years is maintained to ensure the survival of children

Question 20

Neo-Freudian/Psychodynamic theorists and classical Freudian Psychoanalytic theory most agree upon what?

Answer 20

The degree of influence of the unconscious and related defense mechanisms as determiners of human behavior, emotions, and cognitions

Question 21

What is a Social Workers main focus during the initial assessment phase?

Answer 21

When a social worker is assessing an issue, he/she needs to focus on the issues that the client(s) are bringing up during the assessment phase

Question 22

Enmeshed Family Members

Answer 22

Those who have vague role boundaries between them

Question 23

Disengaged Family Members

Answer 23

Lack communication and have very firm boundaries in place between family members

Question 24

Triangulated Family Relationships

Answer 24

Indicate dysfunctional communication patterns in which one family member communicates to another family member about a third family member

Question 25

Independent Family Functioning

Answer 25

Indicates that family members are self-sufficient

Question 26

Intermittent Reinforcement

Answer 26

Intermittent reinforcement is a schedule of reinforcement in which a response is supported some times, but not other times. The behavior modification theory suggests that intermittent reinforcement produces behaviors that are harder to change

Question 27

Intermittent Punishment

Answer 27

Similar to IR, Intermittent punishment would also produce behaviors that are difficult to change, as the individual would never know what to expect in terms of response

Question 28

Constant Reinforcement

Answer 28

Constant reinforcement, if applied correctly, would likely produce the desired behavior over time

Question 29

Constant Punishment

Answer 29

Constant punishment may cause the undesired behavior to become extinct; however, it is also possible that the attention the individual receives through the punishment would inadvertently reinforce the behaviors

Question 30

Repression

Answer 30

Repression is a Defense Mechanism which involves placing uncomfortable thoughts in relatively inaccessible areas of the subconscious mind. Thus, when things occur that we are unable to cope with now, we push them away, either planning to deal with them at another time or hoping that they will fade away on their own accord.

An example is an adult who was abused by a parent during childhood who now has no recollection of the events, but has trouble forming relationships

Question 31

Regression

Answer 31

Regression is a Defense Mechanism which involves taking the position of a child in some problematic situation, rather than acting in a more adult way. This is usually in response to stressful situations, with greater levels of stress potentially leading to more overt regressive acts

Question 32

The vulnerability theory of schizophrenia is best described how?

Answer 32

Vulnerability is defined by the interaction among several predisposing influences, including genetics, other biological, psychological, and environmental factors; the theory proposes that every person has some degree of risk for developing schizophrenia, with the determining factor being levels of stress experienced by each individual

Question 33

In 1963, Stanley Milgram conducted the notorious Shock Experiment. What did this experiment teach psychologists and social workers about obedience?

Answer 33

Stanley Milgram’s Shock Experiment demonstrated that individuals in an unfamiliar environment and in the presence of an authority figure are most likely to obey that authority figure despite extreme circumstances. In the experiment, participants were told by authority figures to administer painful shocks to other individuals despite those individuals complaining of severe pain and discomfort

Question 34

Heroin is a potent _____ that is derived from morphine in which abusers either snort or inject it into their systems

Answer 34

Narcotic

Question 35

List 3 effects of Heroin

Answer 35

1. Euphoria
2. Apathy (lack of interest, enthusiasm, concern)
3. A “Rush”

Question 36

A young Japanese woman who moved to the U.S. to attend college is referred for therapy with a social worker by her college counselor after the sudden death of the client’s father in Japan. In the initial interview, the therapist discovers that the client discusses her father’s recent death with very little emotion, and reports that she never cried about the fact that he had died, even at the time when she initially received a call from her mother to inform her. She also reports observing several daily rituals over an extended period, all focused on her father. What is most important for the social worker to recognize?

Answer 36

The client is following the behavior patterns and style of mourning that are congruent to traditions established by her culture, which may not be well understood by many people with traditional American cultural backgrounds

In assessing clients with cultural backgrounds that are different than the social worker’s, in the case of major life events it is of critical importance to refrain from imposing American standards/expectations regarding what would be normal behavior. In this case, the client is following a pattern of grief/mourning behaviors that are absolutely congruent with her original culture

Question 37

A social worker employed by a women’s homeless shelter is meeting with a new client. The client states that she is in love with a man she went to high school with, and they want to get married and start a family. The woman is unemployed, does not have a place to live, and is clearly malnourished due to her difficulty finding food for the past several weeks.

According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, what must happen before the woman should get married?

Answer 37

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs organizes humans’ needs into five different categories, from the most basic to the most complex. The most basic needs include biological and physiological needs such as food, water, and shelter, none of which the woman is currently able to meet herself. The woman must first find a way to meet these basic needs before deciding to get married and have children

Question 38

Delirium

Answer 38

Delirium is a state of confusion that is accompanied by hallucinations, delusions, emotional liabilities, and anxiety

Question 39

Delusions

Answer 39

Delusions are thoughts that one believes are accurate even though there is evidence against said beliefs

Question 40

Dissociation

Answer 40

Dissociation is a defense mechanism in which clients have thoughts that are inappropriate to the current situation

Question 41

Dysphoria

Answer 41

Dysphoria is a condition of general unhappiness or pervasive discomfort

Question 42

Depressants

Answer 42

Depressants are also called “downers” and are substances that slow brain function and can cause dizziness, fatigue, sluggishness, and disorientation.

Xanax and Klonipin are two prescription depressant medications often overused and can cause serious complications if an overdose occurs

Question 43

Stimulants

Answer 43

Stimulants are medications, such as Ritalin and dexedrine, that cause temporary bouts of increased energy and alertness

Question 44

Opioids

Answer 44

Opioids are substances that act on the nervous system to relieve pain and include codeine and Demerol

Question 45

Inhalants

Answer 45

Inhalants are toxic substances that can be inhaled such as gasoline, glue, or paint thinner