Deck 6: Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders and Dissociative Disorders

Question 1

Disorders such as koro and dhat that are similar to somatic symptom disorders demonstrate the

A) influence of culture on psychopathology.
B) physical basis of many hypochondriacs' complaints.
C) difficulty of accurately diagnosing hypochondriasis.
D) influence of genetics on psychopathology.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

According to psychological theory, neuroses stem from

A) underlying unconscious conflicts.
B) the clash of conscious and unconscious therapy.
C) dream process.
D) identity concepts.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Studies suggest that patients with somatic symptom disorder or illness anxiety disorder are characterized by a tendency to

A) interpret ambiguous stimuli as threatening.
B) minimize physical symptoms.
C) have low sensitivity to perceived illness.
D) avoid bad news cues.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

With regard to the treatment of somatic symptom disorder and illness anxiety disorder, research exploring the use of reassurance in a process called "explanatory therapy" showed that

A) some significant gains were achieved.
B) reassurance did not work for hypochondriacs.
C) reassurance showed some gains but they lasted less than several days.
D) the gains were so significant that participants were essentially "cured."

Question 5

All of the following are classified as somatic symptom and related disorders EXCEPT

A) dissociative identity disorder.
B) factitious disorder
C) conversion disorder.
D) illness anxiety disorder.

Question 6

Clients with illness anxiety disorder are likely to

A) avoid doctors.
B) avoid unnecessary medical procedures.
C) soon reject assurances that they are healthy.
D) ignore the long-term process of illness.

Question 7

Paradoxically, an effective treatment for somatic symptom disorder and illness anxiety disorder involves helping the patient to focus on

A) creating their own symptoms.
B) ignoring their own symptoms.
C) getting reassurance about their symptoms.
D) understanding other life stressors.

Question 8

The common aspect of all somatic symptom disorders is a maladaptive or excessive

A) belief that a serious medical condition will cause death.
B) belief that one's appearance is ugly.
C) response to physical or associated health symptoms.
D) concern with the meaning of a physical pain.

Question 9

Since Jane has been diagnosed with illness anxiety disorder, we can expect her to see her physician

A) often and feel completely reassured that there is nothing wrong with her health.
B) rarely but continue to believe that she is quite ill.
C) almost never because she does not trust physicians.
D) often but continue to be anxious about her health anyway.

Question 10

Minor, physical complaints are common among .

A) young children
B) adolescents
C) the middle aged
D) the elderly

Question 11

Hippocrates and the Egyptians before him thought that hysterical disorders were the result of a .

A) dysfunctional ovary
B) tense vagina
C) wandering uterus
D) none of these

Question 12

With regard to the treatment of illness anxiety disorder and somatic symptom disorder, some research supports the use of _.

A) conditioning
B) psychoanalysis
C) cognitive-behavioral treatment and stress reduction
D) humanistic therapy

Question 13

Joe just ate six chili dogs and drank a liter of soda. If Joe suffers from illness anxiety disorder, he would probably interpret any resulting stomach discomfort as

A) his own fault for eating so much.
B) the result of poor quality food.
C) gas pains from overeating.
D) a sign that something is seriously wrong with his stomach.

Question 14

An essential element of illness anxiety disorder is .

A) psychosis
B) worry
C) depression
D) dissociation

Question 15

With regard to a diagnosis of somatic symptom disorder, women are

A) equally likely as men to be diagnosed.
B) less likely than men to be diagnosed.
C) more likely than men to be diagnosed.
D) more likely than men to be diagnosed during middle to late adulthood but no more likely than men to be diagnosed during teen years and early adulthood.

Question 16

Although Jill feels fine now and believes that she is healthy, she still worries endlessly about developing a serious illness. Most likely Jill would be diagnosed with

A) illness anxiety disorder.
B) conversion disorder.
C) somatization disorder.
D) body dysmorphic disorder.

Question 17

Although both panic disorder patients and persons with somatic symptom disorder tend to misinterpret bodily sensations, patients with panic disorder

A) are having real physical sensations, while the sensations of those with somatic symptom disorder are "all in their heads."
B) tend to fear immediate catastrophe, while those with somatic symptom disorder tend to fear long-term illness.
C) are having imagined physical sensations, while those with somatic symptom disorder are experiencing real physical sensations.
D) tend to ignore the symptoms of their first attacks, while those with somatic symptom disorder tend to seek immediate medical treatment following the first indication of pain.

Question 18

Illness anxiety disorder exists when

A) a person is excessively concerned about being sick, even when only experiencing minor symptoms.
B) real physical illness is exaggerated to the point where the patient can only focus on the pain.
C) the patient has an unrealistic fear of contacting germs.
D) the patient is truly ill but does not trust the medical establishment enough to seek treatment.

Question 19

Although it's name has changed from DSM-IV to DSM-5, hypochondriasis is essentially an emotional disturbance triggered by

A) physical pathology.
B) misinterpretation of normal physical sensations.
C) social concerns.
D) severe or unusual physical sensations.

Question 20

Panic disorder shares several common characteristics with both somatic symptom disorder and illness anxiety disorder. Which of the following is not one of those shared features?

A) Age of onset
B) Running in families
C) Personality characteristics
D) Manner in which anxiety is expressed

Question 21

Which of the following statements is TRUE about conversion disorders?

A) The prevalence of conversion disorders is equal in men and women.
B) Conversion disorders typically develop in the late 20s or early 30s.
C) Conversion disorders are not uncommon in males at times of extreme stress.
D) Once conversion disorders disappear, they do not reoccur.

Question 22

Which of the following statements is TRUE about factitious disorders?

A) Fortunately, the disorder does not seem to extend to other members of the family.
B) The symptoms are under involuntary control.
C) There is no obvious reason for voluntarily producing symptoms.
D) The symptoms lead to a splintering off of one's identity into several "subpersonalities."

Question 23

A patient with somatic symptom disorder tends to generate higher healthcare costs than an average patient due to.

A) an extensive medical and physical workup with every visit to a new physician.
B) the person's tendency to visit numerous medical specialists.
C) both a and b
D) neither a or b

Question 24

A possible link between antisocial personality disorder and somatic symptom disorder is .

A) a lack of impulse control
B) lack of aggression
C) social isolation
D) dependence

Question 25

One method that is used to reduce the financial burden associated with somatic symptom disorder is ____________.

A) psychoanalysis
B) encouraging patients to speak to family and friends about their symptoms
C) exposure therapy
D) assignment of a gatekeeper physician

Question 26

George has completely lost his sight during the past year, but medical experts can find no physical reason for his blindness. This could be an example of .

A) somatization disorder
B) hypochondriasis
C) conversion disorder
D) dissociative disorder

Question 27

Joe injured his back at work several years ago. Although he was treated and considered healed by his physicians, he still complains of severe and debilitating back pain. Other than some minor scar tissue, his doctors can't find anything that could be causing more than some minor stiffness. It appears that Joe might be diagnosed with _________________.

A) conversion disorder
B) depersonalization/derealization disorder
C) somatic symptom disorder with predominant pain
D) illness anxiety disorder

Question 28

A person who fakes symptoms for a goal is called a , while a person who fakes a disease for no clear goal has a disorder:

A) malingerer; factitious
B) conversion disorder patient; malingering
C) fictitious disorder patient; conversion
D) hypochondriac; factitious

Question 29

Catharsis is

A) the process of placing a tube into the bladder to release urine.
B) a conscious behavioral process.
C) a purging of emotionally traumatic events.
D) none of these

Question 30

In terms of antidepressant medication treatments for somatic symptom disorder, the most accurate statement based on the research so far is

A) antidepressants are effective but not significantly different from a placebo condition.
B) antidepressants are not effective.
C) some reports suggest that antidepressants may be effective, but placebo-controlled studies have not been performed.
D) placebo-controlled studies have been performed and the results suggest that antidepressants work for some hypochondriacs but not for most.

Question 31

A commonly-seen form of factitious disorder imposed on another is a set of conditions that

A) falls somewhere between malingering and conversion disorders.
B) falls under voluntary control like malingering.
C) is an atypical form of child abuse.
D) is a combination of a somatic symptom disorder and a dissociative disorder.

Question 32

The disorder that involves physical malfunctioning without any physical cause is called .

A) conversion disorder
B) hypochondriasis
C) somatization disorder
D) body dysmorphic disorder

Question 33

Research suggests that somatic symptom disorder often occurs in families with a strong tendency toward __________.

A) antisocial personality disorder
B) schizophrenia
C) depression
D) obsessive-compulsive disorder

Question 34

A mother who repeatedly seeks medical treatment for her child's unusual illness and is overly involved in the child's treatment might need to be assessed for .

A) factitious disorder imposed on another
B) malingering
C) conversion disorder
D) illness phobia

Question 35

Factitious disorder imposed on another is often characterized by

A) deliberate actions directed toward making a child sick.
B) a parent denying that a child has symptoms that have, in fact, been observed.
C) a parent developing the same symptoms that their child has.
D) convincing a child to lie to a doctor about factitious symptoms.

Question 36

Which of the following would be typical for a patient suffering from a conversion disorder?

A) Feeling a lump in the throat that interferes with swallowing, eating, or talking.
B) Ability to see some bright objects when calm but suffering complete loss of sight during a stressful period or emergency
C) Great concern with the loss of function and belief that it is a symptom of a potentially fatal disease
D) Ability to identify everything in the visual field even though the patient reports that she is blind

Question 37

In regard to diagnosing a patient's symptoms as a conversion disorder, it is

A) quite apparent when a patient is malingering (faking), but it is difficult to determine whether symptoms are due to real physical disorders or a conversion disorder.
B) quite apparent when a symptom is due to a real physical disorder, but it is impossible to determine the difference between a conversion disorder and patient malingering (faking).
C) rather easy to determine the difference between symptoms that the patient fakes, those caused by real physical disorder, and symptoms caused by conversion disorder.
D) very difficult to determine whether the symptoms are due to malingering (faking), real physical disorders, or conversion disorder.

Question 38

Conversion disorder patients were conceptualized by Freud as

A) converting unconscious conflicts into physical symptoms.
B) converting unconscious conflicts into defense mechanisms.
C) experiencing physical symptoms as a result of the superego.
D) experiencing internal conflicts as a result of id impulses being suppressed by the superego.

Question 39

The hypothesized connections between somatic symptom disorder and antisocial personality disorder are

A) poor modeling by parents and other authority figures.
B) sibling rivalry and attention deficits.
C) pleasure seeking and impulsivity.
D) genetic defects and poor nutrition.

Question 40

Conversion disorder symptoms generally appear .

A) randomly
B) following a physical injury to the affected area
C) shortly after some marked stress
D) in children

Question 41

In treating conversion disorder, which of the following statements is true?

A) Clients responded well to cognitive-behavioral therapy.
B) Clients responded well to hypnosis.
C) Clients responded well when hypnosis and cognitive-behavioral therapy were combined.
D) Like somatic symptom disorder, clients do not respond well to any treatment.

Question 42

In dissociative amnesia, the individual typically has no memory of

A) any events.
B) events prior to a trauma.
C) selective events, particularly those involving trauma.
D) events following a trauma, particularly those involving interpersonal issues.

Question 43

Individuals with depersonalization show

A) decreased emotional responsiveness.
B) increased emotional responsiveness.
C) erratic emotions.
D) insincere emotions.

Question 44

A distinctive dissociative state that is not found in Western cultures is .

A) amok
B) exorcism
C) trance
D) voodoo

Question 45

Your textbook authors describe a treatment plan for conversion disorder involving

A) in-depth exploration of psychological conflicts.
B) regression to the early psychosexual stages of development.
C) application of a strict behavioral program that includes reinforcement for each display of progress and punishment when necessary.
D) reduction of any reinforcing or supportive consequences of the conversion symptoms.

Question 46

With regard to Freud's explanation of "la belle indifference" (the observation that conversion disorder patients are not concerned about their symptoms), research conducted by Lader and Sartorius (1968) suggests that

A) conversion disorder patients do display "la belle indifference," but Freud's explanation of primary gain is not supported.
B) Freud's explanation is essentially correct since there is great variability in the amount of concern that conversion disorder patients display regarding their symptoms.
C) conversion disorder patients actually are quite concerned with their symptoms, so Freud's explanation of primary gain is not supported.
D) "la belle indifference" is a myth, thus validating Freud's explanation of primary gain.

Question 47

While driving alone in her car, Sarah suddenly looks around and, for a moment, she can't remember where she is, how she arrived at this point on the road, or even why she is driving her car. Sarah is experiencing _______________.

A) derealization
B) depersonalization
C) the early stages of what will eventually become a severe psychotic disorder
D) symptoms of a mood disorder

Question 48

Freud called the reduction in anxiety by converting unconscious conflicts into physical symptoms

A) primary narcissism.
B) secondary narcissism.
C) primary gain.
D) secondary gain.

Question 49

During a dissociative fugue state, it is not uncommon for individuals to

A) commit suicide.
B) see the world as a strange and foreign place.
C) take on a new identity.
D) contact friends and family.

Question 50

The experience of dissociation occurs in

A) psychotic disorders only.
B) individuals with dissociative disorders only.
C) only in those individuals who have experienced great personal trauma.
D) certain psychological disorders as well as in non-disordered people at times.

Question 51

The modern view of the causes of conversion disorder is

A) completely different from Freud's ideas of the etiology of this disorder.
B) somewhat similar to the causes that Freud described for this disorder.
C) a combination of genetic predisposition and neurobiological deficits.
D) based on social learning theory.

Question 52

In dissociative fugue, the term fugue relates to .

A) confusion
B) flight or travel
C) loss of consciousness
D) hallucination

Question 53

The diagnosis of depersonalization-derealization disorder is

A) rare and only applied when the experience of depersonalization interferes with normal functioning.
B) rare but applied to anyone who experiences depersonalization.
C) fairly common since many people experience depersonalization.
D) fairly common and applied to anyone who is frightened by an experience of depersonalization.

Question 54

Dissociative trance disorder is diagnosed

A) only when the trance is unpredictable in terms of when it appears (i.e., individual goes into a trance without prior religious ritual).
B) only when the trance is undesirable and considered pathological in the individual's culture.
C) only when the trance causes harm to the individual or others.
D) whenever an individual repeatedly enters a trance state.

Question 55

Jason suddenly notices that the world looks weird to him. Some objects look bigger than normal and others look smaller. Cars passing by seem oddly shaped and people appear dead or mechanical. Joe is experiencing ________.

A) derealization
B) depersonalization
C) classic early psychosis symptoms
D) mania

Question 56

Depersonalization is defined as

A) altered perception including loss of the sense of one's own reality.
B) altered perception involving loss of the sense of reality of the external world.
C) vivid hallucinations.
D) the feeling that one is no longer a person.

Question 57

A man who finds himself living in a small town in Alaska with no recall of how he got there may have ___________.

A) dissociative amnesia with dissociative fugue
B) conversion
C) depersonalization-derealization disorder
D) dissociative identity disorder

Question 58

Patients diagnosed with dissociative amnesia with a dissociative fugue

A) will travel and typically experience memory loss during their trip.
B) will travel but do not experience memory loss.
C) typically experience memory loss but do not travel.
D) seldom recover any sense of their own identity.

Question 59

Losing your own sense of reality is called .

A) depersonalization
B) a fugue state
C) a trance state
D) a dissociative disorder

Question 60

In non-Western cultures, trance and possession are

A) extremely rare.
B) never considered a disorder.
C) the most common forms of dissociative disorders.
D) the rarest forms of dissociative disorders.

Question 61

The existence of a cross-gendered alter in dissociative identity disorder is .

A) common
B) rare
C) present in every patient
D) almost never seen in this disorder

Question 62

With regard to evidence for the scientific validity of dissociative identity disorder (DID), the most accurate statement is

A) most DID patients are faking.
B) research suggests that faking dissociative experiences is possible.
C) it is virtually impossible to fake the types of changes that occur in dissociative identity disorder.
D) objective tests can always determine which patients are faking dissociative identity disorder.

Question 63

With regard to the studies of DID described in your text regarding faking, amnesia, and hypnosis as well as the studies regarding the physiological changes that occur in the different personalities the most accurate statement is

A) while DID symptoms can be faked or developed through suggestion, many physiological changes observed in DID patients would be very difficult to fake.
B) DID symptoms and the many physiological changes observed in DID patients can be developed through suggestion and are easily faked.
C) while physiological changes associated with DID are relatively easy to fake, the symptoms of DID are very difficult to fake or to develop through suggestion.
D) almost all cases of DID are probably faked or developed through therapist suggestion.

Question 64

The disorder in which more than one distinct personality exists within one individual was changed from multiple personality disorder to in the DSM-IV.

A) dissociative identity disorder
B) dissociative trance disorder
C) schizophrenia
D) multiple personality disorder

Question 65

One aspect of the DSM-5 criteria for diagnosis of dissociative identity disorder is .

A) patient awareness of the distinct personalities
B) existence of three or more personality fragments
C) amnesia
D) history of abuse

Question 66

Studies of faking, amnesia, and hypnosis such as the one conducted by Spanos (1996) suggest that symptoms of dissociative identity disorder

A) cannot be developed through therapist suggestion and reinforcement.
B) are almost always the result of hypnotically inserted (false) memories.
C) can be developed through therapist suggestion and reinforcement.
D) are almost never the result of therapist intervention.

Question 67

Vanna, who is 40, apparently believes that she is a 20-year-old woman. Suddenly, she starts to speak and behave very differently, and says she no longer thinks of herself as "Vanna." Instead, she claims to be Elise, a 10-year-old child. It is likely that Vanna has just experienced a .

A) switch
B) dissociative trance disorder
C) conversion reaction
D) schizophrenic moment

Question 68

The process of changing from one personality to another generally occurs in most patients with dissociative identity disorder.

A) slowly
B) quickly
C) rarely
D) only after many warning signs that a change is about to occur

Question 69

Which of the following statements is FALSEabout dissociative identity disorder?

A) Once established, the disorder lasts a lifetime without treatment.
B) For prevalence rates, the ratio of females to males is approximately 9 to 1.
C) The frequency of switching increases with age.
D) The form that the disorder takes does not differ substantially over the lifespan.

Question 70

The average number of alter personalities observed in individuals with dissociative identity disorder is ______________.

A) 1
B) 2
C) 15
D) 100

Question 71

Individuals with dissociative identity disorder generally

A) have only one other distinct personality.
B) suffer a loss of their own identity that lasts several years.
C) maintain complete awareness of all of their personalities.
D) have several distinct personalities.

Question 72

A switch

A) usually occurs instantaneously.
B) is the transition from one personality to another.
C) may exhibit physical transformations.
D) all of these

Question 73

Comparisons of optical functioning in the various personalities of dissociative identity disorder patients show changes that would be

A) easy to fake.
B) absolutely impossible to fake.
C) consistent with an individual who was trying to fake.
D) difficult to fake.

Question 74

One distinction that may help determine those with DID from individuals who are malingering (faking their symptoms) is that malingerers are

A) usually eager to demonstrate their symptoms.
B) usually hiding the existence of a major life crisis.
C) more likely to have many alters.
D) less likely to seek treatment.

Question 75

An alter is

A) a separate identity experienced by someone with dissociative identity disorder.
B) a new identity created by someone with dissociative fugue.
C) a new identity created by someone with generalized amnesia.
D) a physical symptom with no physical cause experienced by someone with somatic symptom disorder.

Question 76

In dissociative identity disorder, the "host" personality is usually the one that

A) is the most aggressive of the personalities.
B) asks for treatment and becomes the patient.
C) earns income for the individual.
D) is sexually provocative.

Question 77

In dissociative identity disorder, the transition from one personality to another is called a .

A) transformation
B) substitution
C) switch
D) alteration

Question 78

Dissociative identity disorder tends to be associated with .

A) child abuse
B) multiple psychological disorders
C) dissociation
D) all of these

Question 79

In dissociative identity disorder, the "host" personality usually

A) is of a gender opposite to that of the individual.
B) becomes overwhelmed trying to hold all of the personality fragments together.
C) is male.
D) is well aware of each personality and everything that happens while each personality is active.

Question 80

With regard to dissociative identity disorder, the term "alter" refers to within the individual.

A) the "host" personality
B) a dangerous personality
C) the most recent personality to emerge
D) a different personality