Practice Exam

Question 1

The cognitive model is based on the idea that our:

a. perceptions and interpretations of events are more important than the events themselves
b. cognitive abilities differ depending on our developmental stage
c. brains are permanently affected by external events
d. intelligence level determines which disorders we are prone to

Answer 1

a. perceptions and interpretations of events are more important than the events themselves

Question 2

When a clinician finds that several members of a patient’s family have similar symptoms, he or she may suspect that the patient has a predisposition to illness known as a:

a. stressor
b. biological model
c. genetic abnormality
d. diathesis

Answer 2

d. diathesis

Question 3

Twin studies have been of particular importance in the study of abnormal behaviour because they have:

a. identified genetic vs environmental contributions to psychological disorders
b. examined similarities between twins from many different families
c. shown that MZ twins in different environments develop different disorders
d. shown that identical twins are never truly identical

Answer 3

a. identified genetic vs environmental contributions to psychological disorders

Question 4

The primary function of the hypothalamus is homeostasis and the regulation of:

a. thoughts and cognitions
b. sleep/wake states and consciousness
c. balance and many motor activities
d. blood pressure, temperature and weight

Answer 4

b. sleep/wake states and consciousness

Question 5

Dimensional classification is an alternative to categorical systems such as the DSM. One advantage of a dimensional system is:

a. better description of patients whose problems do not fit into a single category
b. better use of a “common language” to classify patients
c. simpler, clearer diagnostic labels for all conditions
d. exclusion of all patients’ comorbidity issues

Answer 5

a. better description of patients whose problems do not fit into a single category

Question 6

Nella can’t leave home without checking the doors and windows repeatedly to see that they are locked. When she finds out that everything is locked, a sense of relief comes over her. Which of the following learning principles is likely to be maintaining her compulsive checking behaviour:

a. self-reinforcement
b. negative reinforcement
c. punishment
d. positive reinforcement

Answer 6

b. negative reinforcement

The anxiety is being removed

Question 7

Fear of situations such as public transportation, enclosed spaces, lines or crowds, of being outside of the home alone is termed:

a. panic disorder
b. social anxiety disorder
c. generalised anxiety disorder
d. agoraphobia

Answer 7

d. agoraphobia

Question 8

Derealisation or depersonalisation (feelings of being detached from one’s body or one’s surroundings), fear of losing control or going crazy and fear of dying are:

a. cognitive symptoms of panic attack
b. behavioural symptoms of panic attack
c. physiological symptoms of panic attack
d. all of the above

Answer 8

a. cognitive symptoms of panic attack

Question 9

Although PTSD affects people of all ages, sexes and ethnic backgrounds, its presentation is slightly different in children because:

a. symptoms such as bed-wetting may be prominent
b. the trauma may not be experienced firsthand but through the significant other
c. children experience fewer traumatic events than adults do
d. children engage in traumatic play

Answer 9

d. children engage in traumatic play

Question 10

Why do biological theories of anxiety disorder consider serotonin to be important?

a. serotonin is lower in the CSF of people with anxiety disorders
b. biochemical challenges that alter serotonin levels are related to increases or decreases in feelings of anxiety
c. people who are prescribed SSRIs, which increase serotonin, report that their feelings of anxiety decrease
d. all of the above

Answer 10

d. all of the above

Question 11

A woman who owns a fashion store in Brisbane mysteriously disappears. Years later the woman is discovered in Launcestion. Her name has changed, she has remarried, and she now works in a different occupation. She claims she has no memory of her past life. The woman may be suffering from:

a. psychogenic fugue
b. depersonalisation/derealisation
c. dissociative identity disorder
d. post traumatic stress disorder

Answer 11

a. psychogenic fugue

Question 12

Patients suffering from conversion disorder have symptoms that consist primarily of:

a. pseudoneurological complaints
b. severe headaches
c. unexplained pain
d. gastrointestinal distress

Answer 12

a. pseudoneurological complaints

Question 13

Michael goes to a therapist with the following complaints: He feels detachment from his body and is experiencing himself as strange or unreal. In some situations he feels as if he were watching himself. The therapist says he is experiencing:

a. depersonalisation
b. amnesia
c. dissociative identity disorder
d. post traumatic stress disorder

Answer 13

a. depersonalisation

Question 14

Georgia has been diagnosed with a somatic symptom disorder. This means she is suffering from a condition in which her physical symptoms:

a. are faked in order to receive some type of external compensation
b. can be explained by a psychological disorder
c. cannot be explained by a medical or psychological disorder
d. are confined to a part of her body that is particularly stressed

Answer 14

c. cannot be explained by a medical or psychological disorder

Question 15

To be diagnosed with major depressive disorder, a person must have abnormally low mood that:

a. causes thoughts of suicide
b. alternates with episodes of elevated mood
c. affects the ability to function in social or work settings
d. results from misfortune in life, such as a death in the family

Answer 15

c. affects the ability to function in social or work settings

Question 16

The main difference between bipolar I and bipolar II disorder is the:

a. severity of the periods of mania
b. interval between episodes of mania and depression
c. severity of periods of depression
d. level of medication necessary to treat the disorder

Answer 16

a. severity of the periods of mania

Question 17

A person experiencing hypomanic episodes might not consider them problematic because they:

a. end very quickly
b. are associated with a rapid cycling pattern
c. are rare and part of a mixed state
d. may be times of high productivity or creativity

Answer 17

d. may be times of high productivity or creativity

Question 18

In an interview, Jesse states “I fail at everything I try”. Such a statement is an example of:

a. learned helplessness
b. major depressive disorder
c. lack of positive reinforcement
d. an automatic thought

Answer 18

d. an automatic thought

Question 19

The diagnosis of bulima nervosa requires the presence of:

a. strict eating patterns
b. alternating purging and nonpurging behaviours
c. binge eating and inappropriate compensatory behaviours
d. behaviours designed to ensure weight loss

Answer 19

b. alternating purging and nonpurging behaviours

Question 20

Which of the following criteria is necessary for a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa?

a. significantly low body weight
b. a BMI of 20-22
c. a history of purging behaviours
d. recent weight loss

Answer 20

a. significantly low body weight

Question 21

According to an early family model, patients who seek treatment are members of families who are experiencing enmeshment. This means that the family is:

a. having difficulty dealing with problematic, negative situations
b. overinvolved in the affairs of the patient
c. not adapting to the changing developmental needs of the child
d. excessively shielding the child from age-appropriate experiences

Answer 21

b. overinvolved in the affairs of the patient

Question 22

According to contemporary theories, which of the following is not considered one of the four phases of the sexual response cycle:

a. refractory
b. desire
c. resolution
d. orgasm

Answer 22

a. refractory

Question 23

Pam cannot have sexual intercourse with her boyfriend due to pain in the outer part of her vagina. Pam’s gynaecologist cannot perform a pelvic exam because she cannot insert a speculum without causing Pam extreme pain from muscle spasms. Which of the following disorders is Pam likely to be suffering from?

a. dyspareunia
b. dyspepsia
c. vaginismus
d. anorgasmia

Answer 23

c. vaginismus

Question 24

A disorder in which an individual has recurrent sexual urges to bump or rub against a nonconsenting individual for sexual gratification is called:

a. frotteurism
b. paedophilia
c. voyeurism
d. exhibitionism

Answer 24

a. frotteurism

Question 25

Jamie has strong, recurrent sexual urges and fantasies involving desires to caress women’s undergarments. This pattern of behaviour most closely resembles:

a. paedophilia
b. frotteurism
c. voyeurism
d. fetishism

Answer 25

d. fetishism

Question 26

Tom uses illict drugs “socially”. His use does not produce problems with his social, educational, or occupational functioning. Tom’s behaviour constitutes:

a. substance withdrawal
b. substance use
c. substance intoxication
d. substance use disorder

Answer 26

b. substance use

Question 27

THC in marijuana produces a sense of euphoria by stimulating:

a. GABA release, which disinhibits various brain systems
b. epinephrine discharge, leading to heightened pleasure and sensory acuteness
c. cannaboid receptors, thereby activating the dopamine reward system
d. serotonin reuptake, leading to a feeling of contentment

Answer 27

c. cannaboid receptors, thereby activating the dopamine reward system

Question 28

Although alcohol affects many neurotransmitters, its effect is particularly powerful on the neurotransmitter:

a. serotonin
b. GABA
c. dopamine
d. epinephrine

Answer 28

b. GABA

Question 29

This involves a process of physical habituation to repeated use of a drug such that higher and higher dosages of the drug are needed to achieve a similar effect.

a. tolerance
b. reverse tolerance
c. dependence
d. potentiation

Answer 29

a. tolerance

Question 30

The initial step in treating problems of chemical dependence generally involves:

a. detoxification
b. relapse-prevention training
c. insight-oriented therapy
d. behavioural counselling

Answer 30

a. detoxification

Question 31

Persecutory delusions, auditory hallucinations, and unusual behaviours are examples of:

a. positive symptoms
b. cognitive deficits
c. negative symptoms
d. catatonia

Answer 31

a. positive symptoms

Question 32

Scott has schizophrenia. At times, he maintains a rigid posture and unresponsive to vocal commands. At other times, he repeats what other people say to him. Which subtype of schizophrenia does Scott most likely have?

a. paranoid
b. undifferentiated
c. catatonia
d. disorganised

Answer 32

c. catatonia

Question 33

Julie has a diagnosis of schizophrenia. When she is asked what time she went to bed last night, she responds “2 o’clock, frick frick tick tock and I won’t be wearing a mock”. This is an example of:

a. loose association
b. thought blocking
c. clang association
d. alogia

Answer 33

c. clang association

Question 34

Blunted affect, anhedonia, avolitation and psychomotor retardation are examples of:

a. positive symptoms
b. negative symptoms
c. cognitive deficits
d. catatonia

Answer 34

b. negative symptoms

Question 35

Which disorder consists of abnormal behaviours identical to those in schizophrenia that have persisted for at least one month but less than six months?

a. schizophreniform disorder
b. brief psychotic disorder
c. schizoid disorder
d. schizotypal disorder

Answer 35

a. schizophreniform disorder

Question 36

Ellen has suffered several episodes of major depression since she was fired from her job two years ago. She has also suffered from recurrent hallucinations, delusions and periods of disorientation and incoherent speech. These symptoms all seem related to her major depressive episodes. She is most likely suffering from:

a. brief psychotic episode
b. schizoaffective disorder
c. schizophreniform disorder
d. schizotypal disorder

Answer 36

b. schizoaffective disorder

Question 37

To receive a diagnosis of schizophrenia, signs of the disorder must be present for a period of at least:

a. 1 year
b. 2 weeks
c. 1 month
d. 6 months

Answer 37

d. 6 months

Question 38

Cluster C personality disorders are characterised by which of the following?

a. excessive guilt and remorse
b. lack of emotional expressiveness
c. distorted thinking and cognition
d. anxiety and social withdrawal

Answer 38

d. anxiety and social withdrawal

Question 39

Personality disorders involve patterns of behaviour that ultimately prove self-defeating because of their:

a. deviance
b. instability
c. rigidity
d. immorality

Answer 39

c. rigidity

Question 40

The major characteristic of schizoid personality disorder is:

a. bizarre thinking
b. the flagrant disregard for other’s rights
c. social isolation
d. obsessive thinking

Answer 40

c. social isolation

Question 41

Harriet is very sensitive to criticism, even to the point of taking offense at the most trivial slight, whether real or imagined. She angers easily and doesn’t trust anyone. She has few friends and holds grudges for years. Her pattern of behaviour most closely resembles which personality disorder?

a. avoidant
b. antisocial
c. paranoid
d. hisitronic

Answer 41

c. paranoid

Question 42

What feeling is characteristic of people with borderline personality disorder?

a. an overinflated sense of self worth
b. devaluation of others
c. lack of empathy for others
d. fear of abandonment

Answer 42

d. fear of abandonment

Question 43

Which of the following is not a primary characteristic of autism spectrum disorder?

a. restricted and stereotyped behaviour and activities
b. difficulties with eye contact
c. impairments in social interaction
d. restricted neural synapses

Answer 43

d. restricted neural synapses

Question 44

Billy has been diagnosed with ADHD. Which behaviour is not likely to be a problem for him?

a. inattention
b. hyperactivity
c. impulsivity
d. isolation

Answer 44

d. isolation

Question 45

Drew is a 9 year old and has recently begun soiling his pants. Drew has:

a. primary enuresis
b. primary encopesis
c. secondary enuresis
d. secondary encopesis

Answer 45

d. secondary encopesis

Question 46

Joan had a stroke and no longer recognises the faces of people she knew or common objects that she encounters. She even has difficulty recognising her husband or children until she hears their voices. This is termed:

a. aphasia
b. apraxia
c. agnosia
d. amnesia

Answer 46

c. agnosia

Question 47

Progressive neurocognitive disorder occurs in what percentage of adults age 65 and over?

a. 5 to 10
b. 15 to 20
c. 10 to 15
d. 20 to 30

Answer 47

a. 5 to 10

Question 48

Late onset Alzheimer’s disease (age 65 or over) is significantly associated with what specific genetic factor?

a. trigene 21
b. mutation of the APOE gene
c. a missing MCI gene
d. at least several different genes

Answer 48

b. mutation of the APOE gene

Question 49

Disorders that involve disturabnces in thinking or memory that represent a marked change from the individual’s prior level of functioning and are caused by physical or medical conditions that affect the functioning of the brain are called:

a. adjustment disorders
b. somatoform disorders
c. neurocognitive disorders
d. psychosomatic disorders

Answer 49

c. neurocognitive disorders

Question 50

Richard is preoccupied with the idea that his physical symptoms are signs of cancer, even though he has been reassured by his doctors that his fears are unfounded. He is most likely to be diagnosed with:

a. somatisation disorder
b. illness anxiety disorder
c. conversion disorder
d. Muenchausen’s syndrome

Answer 50

a. somatisation disorder