Deck 2: An Integrative Approach to Psychopathology

Question 1

The procedures referred to as quantitative genetics are used to

A) determine the effects of multiple genes.
B) provide genetic counseling.
C) correct genetic abnormalities.
D) test the multidimensional integrative model.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Within the multidimensional integrative approach to understanding psychopathology, learned helplessness is considered a(n) dimension.

A) biological
B) psychological
C) emotional
D) psychological

Answer 2

B

Question 3

According to recent estimates, genetic contributions to the development of most psychological disorders are _.

A) below 50%
B) above 50%
C) different for each disorder (estimates range from 0 to 100%)
D) nonexistent

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The basis of the multidimensional integrative approach to understanding psychopathology is that each dimension (psychological, biological, emotional, etc.)

A) operates independently.
B) is sufficient to cause pathology.
C) builds on the dimension that precedes it.
D) is influenced by the other dimensions.

Question 5

The most accurate way to think of genes is that they

A) set boundaries for our development.
B) determine both our physical and psychological characteristics.
C) determine physical but not psychological characteristics.
D) actually have very little to do with any of the characteristics that we display.

Question 6

In the diathesis-stress model, "diathesis" refers to

A) an inherited disorder.
B) conditions in the environment that can trigger a disorder depending upon how severe the stressors are.
C) an inherited tendency or condition that makes a person susceptible to developing a disorder.
D) the inheritance of multiple disorders.

Question 7

The best description of the multidimensional integrative approach to understanding psychopathology is that it is based on

A) biological dimensions.
B) biological and psychological dimensions.
C) biological and psychological dimensions, as well as emotional influences.
D) biological and psychological dimensions, as well as emotional and developmental influences.

Question 8

Referring to behavior and personality as polygenic means that both are

A) influenced by only a few genes, but each has a large effect.
B) influenced by many genes, with each individual gene contributing a relatively small effect.
C) influenced by individual genes only rarely.
D) a result of our genetic structure only.

Question 9

Amanda is 12 years old, and her sister Samantha is five years old. While riding in a car with their parents, the girls witness a major automobile accident where a number of people are injured. The girls react very differently to the accident. This is probably due to

A) biological differences.
B) developmental differences.
C) psychological differences
D) sociocultural differences

Question 10

Inga is a charming and intelligent young lady who is well-liked by family and friends. Approximately of Inga's enduring personality traits and cognitive abilities can be attributed to genetic influence.

A) 25%
B) 50%
C) 75%
D) 100%

Question 11

Your uncle spent most of his teen years in a hospital undergoing treatment for a severe physical illness. As an adult, he is rather shy and withdrawn, particularly around women. He has been diagnosed with social phobia, which you believe is entirely due to lack of socialization during his teen years. Your theory or model of what caused his phobia is _.

A) multidimensional
B) integrative
C) one-dimensional
D) biological

Question 12

According to the diathesis-stress model, monozygotic twins raised in the same household will

A) not necessarily have the same disorders because of potential differences in their diathesis.
B) have the same disorders because their diathesis and stress are exactly the same.
C) not necessarily have the same disorders because of potential differences in their stress.
D) have no more likelihood of sharing a disorder than any other two randomly selected individuals from the population.

Question 13

According to the diathesis-stress model, psychopathology is the result of the

A) interaction between normal and defective or damaged genes.
B) stress level of an individual and how stress is managed in a person's life.
C) family history of an individual.
D) interaction of an inherited tendency and events in a person's life.

Question 14

According to the multidimensional integrative approach to psychopathology, the following statement is true for most psychological disorders:

A) If one monozygotic twin has a particular disorder, the other twin will definitely have the disorder as well
B) Monozygotic twins are no more likely to share psychological disorders than any other siblings
C) Monozygotic twins are no more likely to share disorders than any other two people selected at random from the population
D) If one monozygotic twin has a particular psychological disorder, the other twin is more likely to have the disorder than the rest of the population

Question 15

Recent evidence regarding the genetic influence on most psychological disorders has shown that

A) single genes are usually responsible for psychological disorders.
B) genes that influence psychopathology are usually recessive.
C) there is no evidence that genes influence psychopathology.
D) multiple genes interact, with each gene contributing a small effect.

Question 16

The most recent estimates are that genetics contribute approximately to the development of personality characteristics such as shyness or activity level.

A) 10-20%
B) 30-50%
C) 75-85%
D) nothing

Question 17

Most psychological disorders appear to be influenced by many individual genes rather than caused by one single gene, a process referred to as influence.

A) multigenic
B) polygenic
C) unigenic
D) morphogenic

Question 18

According to the diathesis-stress model,

A) mental disorders will always develop given a certain level of stress.
B) once a diathesis for a particular disorder is inherited, the disorder will eventually develop.
C) an individual's inherited tendencies are not affected by stressful life events he or she encounters.
D) it is possible to inherit a diathesis and never develop a disorder.

Question 19

In the diathesis-stress model, "stress" refers to

A) life events, in combination with an inherited tendency, that trigger a disorder.
B) inherited tendencies, in combination with life events, that trigger a disorder.
C) defective genes.
D) exposure to very unusual and extreme environmental conditions.

Question 20

The model that describes the development of psychopathology as a combination of an inherited predisposition and the events that have occurred in the individual's life is called .

A) diathesis-stress
B) genetic
C) bio-behavioral
D) psychoanalytic

Question 21

Most automatic functions (e.g., breathing, sleeping, and motor coordination) are controlled by the part of the brain called the _.

A) brain stem
B) forebrain
C) cortex
D) frontal lobes

Question 22

The part of the brain stem that regulates vital activities such as heartbeat, breathing, and digestion is the .

A) cerebellum
B) reticular activating system (RAS)
C) hindbrain
D) thalamus

Question 23

Recent research has associated the with autism. This is also the part of the brain that controls motor coordination.

A) reticular activating system (RAS)
B) medulla
C) pons
D) cerebellum

Question 24

The synaptic cleft is the area between the

A) soma of one neuron and the dendrite of another neuron.
B) axon of one neuron and the dendrite of another neuron.
C) axon of one neuron and the soma of another neuron.
D) somas of two neurons.

Question 25

Cross-fostering studies indicate that the environmental effects of early parenting

A) had no effect on any genetic contribution to be reactive to stress.
B) seem to override any genetic contribution to be reactive to stress.
C) had no effect on future generations in the expression of personality traits or temperament.
D) had random effects on any genetic contribution to be reactive to stress.

Question 26

Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A) Glial cells are passive cells that serve to connect and insulate neurons.
B) There are fewer glial cells than there are neurons.
C) There are different types of glial cells with several specific functions.
D) Glial cells slow down the process of neural communication.

Question 27

The area between the axon of one neuron and the dendrite of another neuron is the .

A) axon terminal
B) soma
C) synaptic cleft
D) transmission cleft

Question 28

Looking at the findings of many cross-fostering studies (Francis et al., 1999, Suomi, 1999, Tienari et al., 1994) it appears that positive interventions such as good parenting in early life may

A) have little effect in terms of preventing psychopathology in those genetically predisposed to such conditions.
B) dramatically change the genetics of individuals genetically predisposed to psychopathology.
C) have a greater effect on future generations than on the individual exposed to the "good parenting."
D) override the genetically influenced tendency to develop psychopathology in later life.

Question 29

Some of the most recent research studies regarding genetic vs. environmental causes of disorders in animals and humans have suggested

A) genetic influences are greater than originally observed because positive environmental conditions do not prevent disorders.
B) genetics and the environment share equal roles in the development of all psychological disorders.
C) the relative contributions of genetics and the environment in the development of psychological disorders are different for lower animals than for humans.
D) genetic influences may have been oversimplified by previous studies (i.e., without sufficient environmental stress, the genetic predisposition may never be activated.)

Question 30

GABA, dopamine, and norepinephrine are all examples of .

A) electrical brain waves
B) neurons
C) neurotransmitters
D) areas of the brain

Question 31

Research studies using the procedure called "cross fostering" have shown that genetically emotional and reactive young animals raised by calm mothers tended to be

A) calm.
B) emotional and reactive.
C) calm but emotional and reactive when raising their own young.
D) emotional and reactive but calm when raising their own young.

Question 32

John has inherited a personality trait that makes him more likely to keep to himself than to socialize. As a result, he does not have many friends and spends a lot of time alone. If John were to develop depression, the model that would probably best explain this situation and the cause of his depression is .

A) diathesis-stress
B) biological
C) reciprocal gene-environment
D) interpersonal

Question 33

The idea that our inherited tendencies influence the probability that we will encounter stressful life events is a characteristic of the _.

A) diathesis-stress model
B) reciprocal gene-environment model
C) genetic model
D) psycho-social model

Question 34

The central nervous system is made up of the .

A) brain and spinal cord
B) brain only
C) spinal cord only
D) nerves leading to and from the brain

Question 35

In a landmark study by Caspi et. al. (2003), researchers studied the stressful life events and genetics of 847 individuals. For individuals who had at least four stressful life events, the risk of major depression

A) remained unchanged regardless of genetic makeup.
B) doubled if they possessed two short alleles of the gene being studied.
C) was reduced by half if they possessed two short alleles of the gene being studied.
D) was entirely related to the genetic makeup and not the number of life stressors.

Question 36

Neurotransmitters are important because they

A) allow neurons to send signals to other neurons.
B) maintain the oxygenation of the brain.
C) prevent the development of psychopathology.
D) allow the brain to maintain its structural integrity.

Question 37

Some people may be genetically predisposed to seek out difficult relationships. These difficult relationships may contribute to their experience of depression. This is an example of the .

A) diathesis-stress model
B) reciprocal gene-environment model
C) genetic model
D) quantitative genetics model

Question 38

Recent research suggests that

A) environmental manipulations early in life may do much to override the genetically induced tendency to develop undesirable behavioral activities.
B) environmental manipulations early in life may do much to override the genetically induced tendency to develop undesirable emotional activities.
C) an interaction between genes and environment plays an important role in every psychological disorder.
D) all of these

Question 39

The chemicals that allow transmission of signals between neurons are called .

A) re-uptake inhibitors
B) hormones
C) neurotransmitters
D) genes

Question 40

The brain and the spinal cord comprise the

A) peripheral nervous system.
B) somatic nervous system.
C) parasympathetic nervous system.
D) central nervous system.

Question 41

The neurotransmitter associated with both schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease is .

A) GABA
B) norepinephrine
C) dopamine
D) serotonin

Question 42

The coordinates movement with sensory input and contains parts of the reticular activating system.

A) hindbrain
B) midbrain
C) cerebral cortex
D) forebrain

Question 43

Recent research and increased understanding about the role of neurotransmitters in psychopathology point out that

A) each psychological disorder is caused by a deficit in a specific neurotransmitter.
B) chemical imbalances of the brain are the cause of psychopathology.
C) simple cause/effect conclusions stating that an individual neurotransmitter abnormality causes a disorder are incomplete.
D) neurotransmitters have very little to do with psychopathology for most individuals but may be the single cause of disorders for others.

Question 44

According to your text's discussion of how neurotransmitters such as serotonin work, the term "biochemical imbalance" for the cause of disorders such as depression is probably .

A) an oversimplification
B) about accurate
C) completely incorrect
D) a perfect description

Question 45

Extremely low activity levels of serotonin are associated with .

A) aggression, suicide, and impulsive behavior
B) schizophrenia
C) anxiety disorders and general feelings of nervousness
D) mania

Question 46

About 80% of the neurons contained in the central nervous system are located in the .

A) cerebral cortex
B) brain stem
C) midbrain
D) basal ganglia

Question 47

The part(s) of the brain most associated with memory, thought, and reasoning is(are) the .

A) occipital lobes
B) brain stem
C) left parietal lobe
D) frontal lobes

Question 48

For most people, verbal and cognitive processes are usually controlled by the .

A) left hemisphere of the cortex
B) right hemisphere of the cortex
C) entire cortex
D) midbrain

Question 49

Drugs that increase the activity of a neurotransmitter are called .

A) agonists
B) antagonists
C) enhancers
D) psychotropics

Question 50

The major function of the peripheral nervous system is to

A) carry messages to and from the central nervous system.
B) process information received from the central nervous system.
C) regulate arousal.
D) control hormonal activity.

Question 51

The peripheral nervous system is made up of the .

A) endocrine system
B) brain stem and cortex
C) somatic and autonomic nervous system
D) brain and spinal cord

Question 52

The ability to plan, think, reason, and create is located in the part of the brain called the .

A) thalamus
B) midbrain
C) cerebral cortex
D) brain stem

Question 53

For most people, perception and the creation of images are usually handled by the .

A) left hemisphere of the cortex
B) entire cortex
C) midbrain
D) right hemisphere of the cortex

Question 54

The network of glands that release chemical messengers directly into the bloodstream is called the .

A) autonomic nervous system.
B) somatic nervous system.
C) limbic system.
D) endocrine system.

Question 55

Drugs that decrease the activity of a neurotransmitter are called .

A) agonists
B) blockers
C) reuptake inhibitors
D) antagonists

Question 56

The neurotransmitter associated with regulation of mood, behavior, and thought processes is .

A) GABA
B) norepinephrine
C) serotonin
D) dopamine

Question 57

Functions of the limbic system include control or regulation of

A) basic body functions such as breathing.
B) sleep cycles.
C) emotional experiences, expressions, impulse control, and basic drives such as aggression, sex, hunger, and thirst.
D) body posture, coordinated movement, and involuntary responses such as reflexes and other automatic processes.

Question 58

Extremely low levels of GABA are associated with .

A) decreased anxiety
B) increased depression
C) increased anxiety
D) decreased depression

Question 59

Although the two halves of the cortex look alike structurally, the left hemisphere seems to be chiefly responsible for

A) motor coordination.
B) perceiving the world around us.
C) creating images.
D) verbal and other cognitive processes.

Question 60

The neurotransmitter thought to regulate or moderate certain behavioral tendencies rather than directly influencing specific patterns of behavior or psychological disorders is .

A) norepinephrine
B) GABA
C) dopamine
D) serotonin

Question 61

The significance of the study conducted by Insel, Scanlan, Champoux, and Soumi (1988) in which rhesus monkeys were raised either with a sense of control or without one and later exposed to an anxiety-inducing drug is that chemicals such as neurotransmitters

A) have very direct effects on behavior.
B) influence behavior in different ways depending upon the psychological history of the individual.
C) influence individuals in fairly direct and consistent ways regardless of the psychological history of the individual.
D) have few reliable and consistent effects on observed behavior.

Question 62

Recent research suggests that learning and experience

A) only change the brain before birth.
B) change the brain through childhood.
C) change the brain through young adulthood.
D) change the brain at any age.

Question 63

Studies regarding rat learning and brain structure by Greenough, et al. (1990) and Wallace, et al. (1992) suggest that

A) early experiences such as learning cause physical changes in the brain.
B) psychopathology is the result of early learning experiences.
C) while psychopathology is often a result of early life experiences, it is generally due to the physical changes in the brain that such experiences cause.
D) genetically caused brain structure problems can be corrected by positive life experiences.

Question 64

When comparing the brains of rats raised in a rich environment requiring lots of learning and motor behavior with the brains of rats raised as "couch potatoes" (Greenough, et al., 1990), the cerebellums of the more active rats

A) contained more neuronal connections and dendrites.
B) contained fewer neuronal connections but more axons and dendrites.
C) were less likely to possess pathological neurotransmitter circuits.
D) were exactly the same as the inactive rats.

Question 65

In a recent study (Petrovic, Kalso, Peterson & Ingvar, 2002), subjects were exposed to a painful stimulus (heat to the hand) under three conditions: opiate medication, placebo (sugar pill) medication, and no medication. Brain scans indicated that a subject's experience of reduced pain with the placebo is due to

A) activation of brain regions identical to those activated by opiate medication.
B) activation of brain regions that are overlapping, but not identical, to those activated by opiate medication.
C) psychological expectation since a placebo does not activate brain regions associated with pain control.
D) similarities in activated brain regions during the "no medication" condition.

Question 66

Drugs often seem to work in a manner by reaching higher areas of the cortex where thinking occurs last. This is called _.

A) consolidation
B) confabulation
C) top-down processing
D) bottom-up processing

Question 67

Placing a rat in a cage where electrical shocks over which the rat has no control are occasionally administered through the floor is a way to create .

A) social learning
B) learned helplessness
C) unconscious learning
D) negative neurotransmitter pathways

Question 68

Cognitive-behavior therapy facilitates changes in thinking patterns in the cortex, which in turn affects the emotional brain. This is called .

A) confabulation
B) consolidation
C) a top-down change
D) a bottom-up change

Question 69

Learned helplessness is demonstrated in laboratory animals by

A) creating aversive stimuli (such as electrical shocks to the foot) that the animal can control.
B) creating aversive stimuli (such as electrical shocks to the foot) that the animal cannot control.
C) creating pleasant stimuli (such as a food pellet) that the animal cannot control.
D) creating pleasant stimuli (such as a food pellet) that the animal can control.

Question 70

Insel, Scanlan, Champoux, and Soumi (1988) raised one group of rhesus monkeys with the ability to control things in their environment and another group of monkeys who had no control of their environment (e.g., when they would receive treats and toys). When injected with a drug that produces a feeling of severe anxiety, the monkeys

A) raised with a sense of control appeared angry and aggressive while the monkeys raised without a sense of control appeared very anxious.
B) raised with a sense of control appeared anxious while the monkeys raised without a sense of control appeared angry and aggressive.
C) in both groups appeared anxious.
D) in both groups appeared angry and aggressive.

Question 71

Rescorla (1988) demonstrated that simply pairing two events closely in time

A) demonstrates the simplicity of classical conditioning.
B) does not allow us to make predictions.
C) becomes more meaningful as the pairings continue.
D) is not what's important in this type of learning.

Question 72

Regarding biological influences on the development of psychopathology, the most accurate statement is

A) both genetics and life events play a part in the development of brain structure and function that can affect vulnerability to psychopathology.
B) life events can only cause changes in brain structure or function for those with genetic defects.
C) early life events play a much greater role in the development of brain structure or function than genetics.
D) vulnerability to psychopathology has little to do with the brain changes associated with genetics or early life events.

Question 73

In the 1992 studies conducted by Baxter et al., OCD patients were provided with cognitive-behavioral therapy (exposure and response prevention) but no drugs. This study is important because brain imaging showed that

A) the neurotransmitter circuits of the brain had been normalized.
B) the patients' OCD symptoms improved without changes in neurotransmitter function.
C) neither OCD symptoms nor neurotransmitter function had improved.
D) neurotransmitter circuits are the direct and only cause of OCD.

Question 74

Extremely low levels of dopamine activity are associated with .

A) muscle rigidity, tremors, and impaired judgment
B) schizophrenia
C) pleasure seeking
D) exploratory behaviors

Question 75

It is important to understand the process of how learned helplessness is created in laboratory animals because learned helplessness in animals resembles the human disorder of .

A) panic disorder
B) depression
C) mania
D) schizophrenia

Question 76

Bullying studies in mice suggest that the functions of the mesolimbic system

A) can be switched from avoidance to reinforcement.
B) can be switched from reinforcement to avoidance.
C) cannot be changed by experience.
D) can only be changed with drugs.

Question 77

When one examines the current state of knowledge regarding genetics and life experience effects on brain structure and function, the best overall conclusion is that most psychological disorders are

A) the result of a complex interaction of genetics and faulty neurotransmitter circuits.
B) the result of stressful early life experiences and the negative effects such experiences have on brain structure or function.
C) the result of both biological and psychosocial factors.
D) beyond our current ability to understand in any meaningful way.

Question 78

The most recent research evidence suggests that the relationship between the brain (structure, function, neurotransmitters) and psychosocial factors (socialization, rearing, life events) is best described as

A) a system where our brains directly influence our behavior and psychosocial factors but not the other way around.
B) an interaction where the brain affects our psychosocial factors and psychosocial factors impact our brain.
C) a system where our behavior and psychosocial factors impact our brain but not the other way around.
D) far too complex to ever understand whether one system influences the other.

Question 79

One conclusion that can be drawn from the studies regarding rat learning and brain structure (Greenough, et al., 1990; Wallace, et al., 1992) is that

A) early psychological experience affects the development of the nervous system and will absolutely determine whether or not the individual will develop a psychological disorder later in life.
B) early psychological experience does not result in physical changes to the nervous system but can still influence whether or not one develops a psychological disorder.
C) early psychological experience affects the development of the nervous system and influences vulnerability to psychological disorders later in life.
D) early psychological experience has little to do with brain structure or later development of psychopathology.

Question 80

What is one of the conclusions generally drawn from the 1990s studies of OCD, brain imaging, and cognitive- behavioral therapy by Baxter et al., and the follow up studies by Schwartz et al.?

A) Neurotransmitters affect how people feel and act
B) Drugs are the only way to impact faulty neurotransmitter circuits
C) Neurotransmitters are a result of how people feel and act, not a cause
D) Psychosocial factors such as therapy affect neurotransmitters