Deck 3: Clinical Research, Assessment, and Classification of Mental Disorders

Question 1

Instead of manipulating variables, the researcher measures the extent to which changes in one variable are accompanied by changes in a second variable. What type of study is this?

A) analogue
B) experimental
C) epidemiological
D) correlational

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Rosie participates in a study assessing the effectiveness of a drug to treat osteoporosis. Throughout the study, neither Rosie nor the person administering the dosage knows whether she was getting the real medication or a placebo. Rosie is participating in a ____.

A) blind design study
B) correlational study
C) field study
D) double-blind design study

Answer 2

D

Question 3

In a study of the effectiveness of cognitive therapy on anxiety, fifty anxious patients are divided into two groups. One group gets cognitive therapy, the other a fake kind of therapy that should have no benefit. However, the patients can tell that the second form of treatment is a fake. The study is weak because ____.

A) its placebo condition did not control for expectancy
B) it did not include an independent variable
C) it confuses experimental designs with correlational designs
D) it did not have a placebo condition

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Dr. Gonzalez devised a new scale to measure depressive symptoms among Hispanic females. To be sure that his test is actually measuring depressive symptoms, he will have his test group respond to his new instrument and the Beck Depression Inventory, as well as completing a social desirability scale, which should be unrelated to depression. Dr. Gonzalez is ____.

A) checking the validity of his measure of depressive symptoms
B) checking the reliability of his measure of depressive symptoms
C) assessing the honesty of his participants
D) pursuing idiographic research

Question 5

"I never accept the results of one study as conclusive. Findings must be replicated. I look carefully at the methods used to produce conclusions. Because of my skeptical attitude, you can assume that I am a ____."

A) philosopher
B) clinician
C) scientist
D) newspaper reporter

Question 6

Emily came to see her advisor about doing a research study for her Ph.D. dissertation. "What are you going to investigate?" he asked.
"I believe that drinking orange juice before an IQ test will raise a person's score," she said.
Emily's answer constitutes a(n) ____.

A) idiographic orientation
B) hypothesis
C) operational definition
D) theory

Question 7

A researcher believes that depressive symptoms will be reduced when family members give attention to competent behavior and express disinterest when depressive behavior is exhibited. In this example, attention is the ____ and depressive symptoms are the ____.

A) confounding variable; manipulated variable
B) dependent variable; independent variable
C) independent variable; dependent variable
D) experimental variable; control variable

Question 8

The best way to test cause-and-effect relationships is with a(n) ____.

A) case study
B) placebo
C) correlational study
D) experiment

Question 9

In the Thom et al. (2000) study of the treatment of dental-phobic patients, if participants in the two experimental groups showed reduced anxiety from pretest to posttest, could the researchers conclude that the treatments were effective in reducing anxiety?

A) Yes. Reduction in anxiety for the experimental groups would prove the effectiveness of the treatment.
B) No. There are many possible reasons why patients would show reduced anxiety, so the only way to know if the cause was the treatments would be to use a control group that did not get a treatment.
C) Yes, but only if one of the groups had a greater reduction in anxiety than the other.
D) No. To conclude that the treatments were effective, they would need to see if the effects last for many years afterwards.

Question 10

Which of the following is a hallmark of the scientific method?

A) systematic collection of data, controlled observation, and the testing of hypotheses
B) maintaining the privacy of researchers' methods so that ideas are not stolen
C) research conducted without restrictions imposed by theories or hypotheses
D) rejection of the concept "self-correction" in favor of unique phenomena

Question 11

To study the effectiveness of a new anti-anxiety drug, researchers randomly assign equally anxious people to two groups, one getting Drug X and the other getting no drug. The researchers mistakenly conclude that Drug X works because people in the drug group show fewer signs of anxiety than the others. What is the mistake?

A) They never introduced an independent variable.
B) They did not create a placebo control group.
C) They never did a pretest of anxiety symptoms.
D) They did not operationally define what the experimental group was.

Question 12

What conclusion can be reached from research findings that the mass media reports?

A) The findings from initial research are typically replicated.
B) Newspapers often get the facts wrong.
C) Initial findings reported by newspapers often are not replicated.
D) Newspapers are the best sources of scientific information.

Question 13

A researcher finds that when people report their sexual activity on a mailed questionnaire, they indicate higher levels of bizarre fantasies than when they are questioned face to face. This indicates that these methods of measuring sexual activity ____.

A) have high base rates
B) are high in validity
C) are negatively correlated
D) have low reliability

Question 14

In an experiment, the ____ is as similar as possible to the experimental group except that it is not exposed to the independent variable.

A) control group
B) case group
C) dependent group
D) randomized group

Question 15

Your neighbor tells you, "I'm concerned about vaccinating my children. I understand that scientists have proved that childhood vaccines cause autism." What response to your neighbor is most accurate?

A) "Actually, no one has ever studied this thoroughly, so no one really knows."
B) "Not really; well-designed studies have been done, and the research does not support a link between vaccines and autism."
C) "Not exactly; it seems that autism is caused by an equation of environmental conditions, with childhood vaccines being one of the many variables involved."
D) "You are right; double-blind research has shown that autism is caused by vaccines."

Question 16

A researcher studies a group of elderly people and finds that, as a group, the better their memory performance, the lower their anxiety level. What can be said about this research?

A) It was a correlational study.
B) The results show that memory loss causes anxiety.
C) It was an experiment.
D) The results show a perfect positive correlation.

Question 17

A researcher believes that the higher a person's creativity, the greater the person's likelihood of showing mood swings. Research to test this idea ____.

A) could use the correlational method
B) would require an experimental design
C) could not have a nomothetic orientation
D) would require a double-blind design

Question 18

What type of study will yield information on levels of school phobia in children are related to levels of social anxiety?

A) a double-blind experiment
B) a genetic linkage study
C) epigenetic research
D) a correlational study

Question 19

What is the role of replication in psychological research?

A) Replication assists psychologists in making accurate diagnoses.
B) Replication assists psychologists in determining which clients to treat.
C) Replication increases the chances that consumers will understand psychological research.
D) Replication provides scientifically verified approaches to treating mental illness.

Question 20

By definition, reliable measures ____; valid measures ____.

A) are manipulated by the experimenter; are not manipulated
B) measure what they are supposed to; are consistent
C) are consistent; measure what they are supposed to
D) are not manipulated by the experimenter; are manipulated

Question 21

Dr. Cummins publishes an article describing a man who abused alcohol for 25 years before becoming abstinent after having a religious conversion experience. This article illustrates a ____.

A) nomothetic study
B) field study
C) case study
D) single-participant experiment

Question 22

Which of the following is an example of analogue research?

A) studying the effects of alcohol ingestion on pregnant rats in order to obtain further evidence to prevent fetal alcohol syndrome in human children
B) studying the effects of RET therapy on a population of depressed individuals
C) studying the effects of an art class on a heterogeneous group of school children in order to determine factors that enhance creativity
D) studying the effects of antipsychotic drugs on people diagnosed with schizophrenia

Question 23

Which type of study is especially valuable for studying rare phenomena and for evaluating the course of a disorder and its treatment?

A) field
B) case
C) nomothetic
D) correlational

Question 24

The primary method for gathering data in a field study is ____.

A) through the use of questionnaires
B) by interviewing participants
C) by analyzing archival data
D) through observation in the natural environment

Question 25

To better understand bulimia among college students, a researcher lives in a female freshman dorm for the fall semester to observe and interview students about their stresses, attitudes, and eating behaviors. This is an example of what type of study?

A) analogue
B) field
C) experimental
D) case

Question 26

A researcher has identified seventy individuals with a relatively rare psychological disorder. These individuals are asked to identify blood relatives, who are contacted by the researcher to see if they have the same disorder. What kind of research study is being performed?

A) an epidemiological survey
B) a genetic linkage study
C) a historical study
D) a correlational case study

Question 27

Typically, when new drugs are developed, their effects are first tested on animals rather than on humans. The use of animals as substitutes for humans in research is often referred to as ____.

A) descriptive research
B) substitution research
C) quasi-experimental research
D) analogue research

Question 28

The 2007 Parents Television Council Study reported that people who watch more than three hours of television a day during the family time slot were much more likely to commit violent acts than people who watched less than one hour of television a day. What can be said about this research?

A) It proves that watching television during the evening leads to violence.
B) It proves that watching a lot of violence on television leads to committing acts of violence.
C) It suggests that there is a relationship between watching violence on television and committing acts of violence.
D) It suggests that there is little, if any, association between watching television and committing acts of violence.

Question 29

Dr. Chin told his students, "Incidence rates tell us the percentage of individuals in a targeted population who have a particular disorder during a specified period of time, while prevalence rates describe the number of new cases within a specified period. Shorter periods of time generally reveal higher prevalence rates. Moreover, incidence rates are likely to be lower than prevalence rates." Which part of Dr. Chin's statement is accurate?

A) Incidence rates tell us the percentage of individuals in a targeted population who have a particular disorder during a specific period of time.
B) Prevalence rates describe the number of new cases within a specified period.
C) Shorter periods of time generally reveal higher prevalence rates.
D) Incidence rates are likely to be lower than prevalence rates.

Question 30

In a genetic linkage study, which piece of information would be important?

A) whether behavior changes when individuals are exposed to a particular chemical or diet
B) whether the experimenter knows who is in the experimental group
C) the nationwide prevalence of the disorder under study
D) identifying family members who have the same disorder as the proband

Question 31

In addition to describing the distribution of disorders in populations, epidemiological research is also important for ____.

A) identifying the possible causal factors that contribute to disorders
B) describing treatment effectiveness for disorders
C) protecting the rights of research participants
D) encouraging the development of new treatments for disorders

Question 32

Which statement about psychodiagnosis is accurate?

A) It involves describing and drawing inferences about a person's psychological state.
B) It is the basis of all research on psychological disorders.
C) It includes physical or biological causes for symptoms.
D) It is the last step in the treatment process.

Question 33

Analogue studies are used when researchers ____.

A) are unable to use an experimental design
B) are able to use only a single subject who must act as his or her own control
C) are unable to recruit a sufficient number of human participants
D) cannot practically or ethically observe behaviors as they occur in real life

Question 34

Martin and Matthew are identical twins. Matthew has obsessive-compulsive disorder, but Martin does not. In a biological research study, who would be the proband?

A) Martin
B) Matthew
C) Martin and Matthew's mother
D) Martin and Matthew's father

Question 35

Dr. Richards focuses her research on how many school teachers had anxiety disorders in 2012, regardless of when the disorders were diagnosed. What information is she trying to determine?

A) lifetime prevalence
B) iatrogenic effects
C) incidence
D) prevalence

Question 36

Research that examines the rate and distribution of mental disorders in the population is called ____ research.

A) historical
B) epidemiological
C) nomothetic
D) analogue

Question 37

A school psychologist was concerned with the number of children being diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). If she were interested in learning how many new cases of ADHD had been diagnosed within the last year, she will look at ____.

A) concordance rates
B) incidence rates
C) sampling rates
D) prevalence rates

Question 38

All endophenotypes are ____.

A) environmentally-caused
B) heritable
C) abnormal
D) caused by mutations

Question 39

Measurable heritable characteristics like brain abnormalities, attention processing deficits, or eye movements that give clues about specific genes involved in psychological disorders are called ____.

A) endophenotypes
B) iatrogenic effects
C) base rates for a behavior
D) genetic linkages

Question 40

A clinician has collected data about a client based on observations, interview material, and psychological test results. As a first step in the treatment process, the clinician will evaluate this information and formulate a(n) ____.

A) psychodiagnosis
B) therapeutic plan
C) model
D) assessment instrument

Question 41

A psychologist gives the same test to a client twice. The tests are separated by six days. If the test results are quite dissimilar, we could say that the test has weak ____.

A) test-retest reliability
B) interrater reliability
C) internal consistency
D) predictive validity

Question 42

Dr. Simon is observing several schizophrenic patients interact in a mental hospital ward without interfering. Which type of observation is Dr. Simon using?

A) diagnostic
B) naturalistic
C) analogue
D) controlled

Question 43

Dr. Heyer is a behavioral therapist working with a 10-year-old boy named Lee. The boy's parents and teachers both agree that Lee is disobedient and unruly. What assessment method should Dr. Heyer use to most accurately assess the degree to which Lee is excessively active and disobedient?

A) personality testing
B) observation
C) interview method
D) questionnaire

Question 44

Which assessment best illustrates the concept of reliability?

A) A test that measures depression and appears to have items that cover the spectrum of symptoms for depression
B) A test that measures counselor aptitude that, when given to prospective counselors, accurately predicts those who will and those who will not perform well in a counseling vocation
C) A test that measures attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and accurately identifies children who currently have difficulty in the classroom
D) A test that measures disordered eating behaviors and attitudes that yields similar scores when completed two weeks apart

Question 45

As discussed in the text, which factor is a consideration when assessing characteristics using the mental status examination?

A) The treatment model used
B) Use of a highly unstructured interview
C) The interviewee's cultural background
D) Future achievements relative to people of the same age

Question 46

A ____ provides therapists with distinct categories, indicators, and nomenclature for different patterns of behavior, thought processes, and emotional disturbances.

A) psychodiagnosis
B) psychometric examination
C) classification system
D) diagnosis

Question 47

A psychologist notes that a female client is wearing a heavy wool sweater and cap on a hot summer day. The client walks with a limp and mumbles to herself. The psychologist should ____.

A) interpret these objective signs without regard to the individual's culture
B) conduct testing or interviewing and disregard the information about the client's appearance
C) assess the significance of these observations with interview and other information
D) disregard these observations in order to make an unbiased assessment

Question 48

Professor Wapner wants to develop a new psychometric test of anxiety. He must be careful to have the various items on the test yield similar results to ensure that it will be high in ____.

A) interrater reliability
B) test-retest reliability
C) construct validity
D) internal consistency

Question 49

A psychologist who is simply looking for any unusual behaviors when interacting with a client is using ____.

A) psychological testing
B) structured interview
C) observation
D) neuropsychological assessment

Question 50

Self-report inventories, unlike projective tests, are ____.

A) unstructured
B) standardized
C) oral
D) valid

Question 51

A psychologist wants to assess the construct validity of a new test. He can do so by showing that ____.

A) scores at Time 1 predict behavior at Time 2
B) all portions of the test produce similar results
C) the test results correlate with an established measure
D) scores on the test are consistent over time

Question 52

What widely used interview procedure is used to briefly evaluate a client's cognitive, psychological, and behavioral functioning?

A) Rorschach technique
B) mental status examination
C) sentence-completion test
D) Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale

Question 53

What aspect of interviewing increases the consistency of assessment information?

A) Doing the interview in a naturalistic setting
B) Using projective techniques
C) Increasing the reactivity of the person being interviewed
D) Increasing the structure of the interview

Question 54

A psychologist notices that a male client rarely makes eye contact and pulls at his ear when he seems nervous. What type of assessment is the most likely psychologist performing?

A) observation
B) projective testing
C) structured interviewing
D) controlled testing

Question 55

Which of the following is a self-report inventory?

A) The MMPI-2
B) The TAT
C) The draw-a-person test
D) The Rorschach

Question 56

When Dr. Wilson administers psychological tests, she strictly follows specific procedures. This refers to what aspect of test administration?

A) reliability
B) validity
C) norming
D) standardization

Question 57

Dr. Frederick is developing a new test for binge eating disorders. She finds that people who score high on the test engage in more binge eating and other forms of abnormal eating behaviors than people who score low on the test. These results indicate that the test has ____.

A) good content validity
B) interrater reliability
C) high test-retest reliability
D) good internal consistency

Question 58

Dr. Peterson has collected clinical observations, neurological test data, psychological test scores, and interview material on Mrs. Davis. If Dr. Peterson is doing this for the purpose of drawing conclusions that will lead to a diagnosis of Mrs. Davis, we can infer that Dr. Peterson is ____.

A) a psychoanalyst
B) using reliable and valid measures
C) doing an assessment
D) using the DSM-5

Question 59

Gathering information on brain structures focuses on which type of assessment?

A) psychological tests
B) neurological tests
C) interviews
D) observations

Question 60

Dr. Miller, a clinical psychologist, observes that his client Jennifer is presenting with a disheveled appearance, constricted emotions, and is speaking slowly. Dr. Miller is likely to use these observations as ____ with diagnostic significance.

A) functional indicators
B) indicators of intelligence
C) cultural differences
D) behavioral clues

Question 61

A psychologist says, "The fixed alternatives for answers prevent test-takers from presenting a true picture of themselves." What kind of assessment tool is being criticized?

A) unstructured interviews
B) projective personality tests
C) naturalistic observation
D) personality inventories

Question 62

Which test is typically used to assess brain damage?

A) Bender-Gestalt
B) MMPI-2
C) BDI
D) TAT

Question 63

Nicole is shown a series of ambiguous pictures and is then asked to tell a story about each of them. If this is a psychological test, it is a ____.

A) self-report inventory
B) projective personality test
C) cognitive impairment test
D) mental status examination

Question 64

Mr. Nolan has been referred to a psychologist to be assessed for potential brain damage. The psychologist will undoubtedly look at the ____ to find information on the location of the damage.

A) thematic apperception test
B) Halstead-Reitan neuropsychological test battery
C) MMPI-2
D) WAIS

Question 65

The ____ is an intelligence test appropriately administered to people age 16 and older.

A) WISC-IV
B) WAIS-IV
C) WPPSI-III
D) MMPI-2

Question 66

In utilizing MMPI scores, trained and experienced clinicians usually focus on ____.

A) single-scale interpretations
B) the DSM diagnosis derived from the individual's responses
C) the validity scores
D) interpretation of response patterns

Question 67

A critic of personality inventories says, "These tests have no way of detecting faking or defensiveness in the individuals who take them. Worse, they never include norms for responses of people from different cultural groups." Which response to these criticisms is accurate?

A) The MMPI-2 has both of the features the critic says are absent.
B) The critic is correct about the problem of faking but not about norms from different cultures.
C) The critic is confusing the problems of projective tests with those of inventories.
D) Current research supports what the critic is saying.

Question 68

The goal of projective tests is to ____.

A) understand a single facet of a client's personality
B) put the client at ease so that other tests will be answered honestly
C) allow people to "project" their attitudes and personality characteristics
D) allow a client to express his or her conscious needs and motivations

Question 69

Jack is being tested for suspected brain damage by being shown designs made up of lines and dots. He is asked to copy the designs on a blank sheet of paper. Jack is taking which test?

A) Stanford-Binet
B) MMPI-2
C) Bender-Gestalt Visual-Motor Test
D) WAIS-IV

Question 70

Dr. Cohen says to her patient, "We believe there may be problems with the way your brain functions. We're going to do a test that uses a radioactive substance that we can trace as it's metabolized in your brain." What procedure is Dr. Cohen describing?

A) Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Battery
B) PET scan
C) EEG
D) CAT scan

Question 71

Dr. Rose, a clinical psychologist, is administering a battery of psychological tests to a client to gain insight into the client's current issues. In the ____, the client is shown inkblots and asked to interpret them.

A) Rorschach test
B) thematic apperception test
C) MMPI
D) WAIS

Question 72

IQ scores reflect an individual's ____.

A) intelligence
B) social skills
C) level of performance relative to people of the same age
D) future achievements and behavior relative to people of the same age

Question 73

Which personality test includes ten clinical scales as well as several validity scales to check for faking, confusion, falsification, or other response patterns that may affect the outcome of the other scales?

A) Beck Depression Inventory
B) WAIS-IV
C) MMPI-2
D) TAT

Question 74

A major criticism of IQ tests is that they ____.

A) reflect cultural and social factors rather than innate intelligence
B) are limited to assessing intelligence for children in the elementary grades
C) cannot be used to predict school performance
D) are not useful for detecting intellectual disability

Question 75

Teachers in a school are interested in finding a psychological test that predicts future achievement. Which statement best reflects what is known about the existence of such a test?

A) Few psychologists believe that there is a test that can do what the teachers want.
B) Projective tests do a good job of predicting achievement; IQ tests predict social competence.
C) There is debate about whether IQ tests can predict achievement.
D) There is no doubt that IQ tests can predict achievement.

Question 76

Rose is being given a self-report inventory to assess her general personality traits. What kinds of questions or tasks is she likely to be given?

A) She will be asked to draw pictures of herself and the rest of her family members.
B) She will be asked to agree or disagree with statements such as "I am attractive" and "I sometimes feel shy."
C) She will be shown pictures of people and asked to write a story describing them and the situations they face.
D) She will be asked to answer arithmetic, vocabulary, and general knowledge questions.

Question 77

A major concern about projective tests is that they ____.

A) are overly structured
B) demonstrate low reliability and validity
C) are too cumbersome to administer
D) are too expensive to include in most psychological assessments

Question 78

After his stroke, Aaron's clinical psychologist is most likely to assess ____.

A) his interest in physical activities he previously enjoyed
B) cognitive impairment resulting from brain damage
C) his vocational interests
D) his unconscious needs and motivations

Question 79

Which of the following occurred in the development of the MMPI-2?

A) Validity and reliability scales were removed to prevent questions on the test from becoming too confusing.
B) Individuals diagnosed with specific mental illnesses were compared to individuals with no diagnosed mental illness.
C) What was previously an objective test became a projective test designed to determine subjective responses.
D) New scales were added to measure intelligence and creativity in addition to personality and psychopathology.

Question 80

These tests require test-takers to answer specific written questions. They are scored in a predetermined way, and scores are easily compared with those from a standardization sample. Which assessment fits the above description?

A) self-report inventories
B) unstructured interviews
C) neuroimaging tests
D) projective personality tests