Deck 8: Somatoform and Dissociative Disorders

Question 1

John and Ira eat dinner together after work. Several hours later, each starts to feel nausea and stomach pains. John is a hypochondriac, Ira is not. Most likely:

A) both men will think that the food they ate made them sick.
B) John will think that he has stomach cancer and Ira will think the food he ate made him sick.
C) John will think the food he ate made him sick and Ira will not think anything at all.
D) Ira will think he has stomach cancer and John will think the food he ate made him sick.

Answer 1

John will think that he has stomach cancer and Ira will think the food he ate made him sick.

Question 2

Research on hypochondriasis has shown that people with the disorder tend to

A) ignore information about illness.
B) overestimate the dangerousness of diseases.
C) underestimate the dangerousness of diseases.
D) overestimate their ability to handle being ill.

Answer 2

overestimate the dangerousness of diseases.

Question 3

Catastrophizing about minor bodily sensations is characteristic of individuals with both

A) hypochondriasis and somatization disorder.
B) hypochondriasis and conversion disorder.
C) dissociative fugue and somatization disorder.
D) dissociative fugue and conversion disorder.

Answer 3

hypochondriasis and somatization disorder.

Question 4

Conditions involving physical complaints or disabilities occurring in the absence of any physical pathology that could account for them are

A) hypochondriacal disorders.
B) anxiety disorders.
C) dissociative disorders.
D) somatoform disorders.

Question 5

The most effective treatment to date for somatization disorder

A) increases psychological distress.
B) results in only temporary changes in psychological symptoms.
C) decreases healthcare expenditures.
D) has not been shown to effect physical functioning.

Question 6

Evan is terrified because he is convinced that he has a terminal heart condition. He has consulted with several physicians about it who have found no evidence of any heart disease. Interestingly, Evan continues to feel terrified even when the doctors find no physical problem. His diagnosis is probably

A) somatization disorder.
B) pain disorder.
C) hypochondriasis.
D) conversion disorder.

Question 7

Response prevention has been used in the treatment of both

A) dissociative identity disorder and PTSD.
B) dissociative identity disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
C) hypochondriasis and PTSD.
D) hypochondriasis and obsessive compulsive disorder.

Question 8

All of the following are somatoform disorders EXCEPT

A) hypochondriasis.
B) somatization disorder.
C) conversion disorder.
D) fugue disorder.

Question 9

People with hypochondriasis, like people with obsessive-compulsive disorder, have intrusive thoughts that cause them anxiety. The major difference is

A) in hypochondriasis, the thoughts are about one disease only, in obsessive- compulsive disorder the thoughts are about multiple diseases.
B) in hypochondriasis, the thoughts are seen as inappropriate and alien, in obsessive- compulsive disorder the intrusive thoughts are seen as appropriate and reasonable.
C) in hypochondriasis, the thoughts are seen as appropriate and reasonable, in obsessive-compulsive disorder the intrusive thoughts are seen as inappropriate and alien.
D) in hypochondriasis, the person knows the thoughts are coming from his or her own head and in obsessive-compulsive disorder, the person believes the thoughts are coming from someone else.

Question 10

Consciously faking symptoms is characteristic of

A) malingering.
B) hypochondriasis.
C) somatization disorder.
D) somatoform disorder.

Question 11

Dysfunctional assumptions about symptoms and diseases are a component of a cognitive-behavioral explanation of

A) hypochondriasis.
B) dissociative fugue.
C) somatization disorder.
D) depersonalization disorder.

Question 12

Ryan has diabetes but has no trouble functioning. One day, his wife informs him that she is leaving him. Ryan suddenly develops terrible pain in his back, to the point he is unable to get out of bed. His wife agrees to stay for "a while" to take care of him. Ryan probably has

A) somatization disorder.
B) pain disorder associated with psychological factors.
C) pain disorder associated with both psychological factors and a general medical condition.
D) body dysmorphic disorder.

Question 13

Somatization disorder and hypochondriasis are similar in that

A) both think they have a physical disease.
B) both think that they can easily cope with their symptoms.
C) both pay more attention to bodily sensations and see them as symptoms.
D) both react to physical symptoms by becoming more physically active.

Question 14

Dan's various medical complaints and hospital stays finally led him to a psychiatrist. After a thorough medical and psychological evaluation, the twenty- eight-year-old teacher and father of two was diagnosed with both depression and somatization disorder. What is atypical about this case summary?

A) Such diagnoses are usually made in adolescence.
B) Somatization disorder is seen much more commonly in women.
C) Somatization disorder and depression are rarely comorbid disorders.
D) It is rare for an individual with somatization disorder to marry and have children.

Question 15

Somatization disorder

A) involves multiple symptoms of at least four different types.
B) involves multiple symptoms involving one body part or function.
C) involves the fear of having multiple different diseases.
D) involves having pain in at least four different areas of the body.

Question 16

Sara notices a lump on her side. She goes to her physician because she is worried that it is cancer. The physician sends her for a biopsy. During the three weeks between first noticing the lump and getting her results that it is not cancer, Sara was almost unable to function. She felt constant anxiety and thought constantly about having cancer. After she found out that she did not have cancer, Sara felt much better. Sara

A) has hypochondriasis.
B) has conversion disorder.
C) has somatization disorder.
D) has no mental disorder.

Question 17

Why is the timeframe of 6 months important in diagnosing pain disorder?

A) It determines whether the symptoms are acute or chronic
B) It determines whether the pain is real or imagined
C) It determines whether the pain is localized or generalized
D) It determines whether there is a psychological condition present that plays a causal role

Question 18

Individuals with somatoform disorders

A) intentionally fake their illnesses in order to obtain some special treatment.
B) generally have a physical cause for their illness.
C) believe that their symptoms are real and serious.
D) usually have little concern over their state of health.

Question 19

If Ronald is typical of people with hypochondriasis, he will

A) avoid accepting a psychological explanation for his problems.
B) avoid visiting a physician.
C) have bizarre delusions about his body rotting out.
D) feel relieved when his doctor tells him he is healthy.

Question 20

Somatization disorder and hypochondriasis differ because

A) in somatization disorder, people have physical symptoms involving one body part or function, in hypochondriasis, people are concerned about having an organic disease.
B) in somatization disorder, people are concerned about having an organic disease, in hypochondriasis, people have physical symptoms involving one body part or function.
C) in somatization disorder, people are concerned about having an organic disease, in hypochondriasis, people are concerned about multiple different physical symptoms.
D) in somatization disorder, people are concerned about multiple different physical symptoms, in hypochondriasis, people are concerned about having an organic disease.

Question 21

The disorder involving the experience of sudden loss of the sense of self is

A) depersonalization disorder.
B) psychogenic amnesia.
C) disidentity disorder.
D) derealization disorder.

Question 22

In what way was Freud's view of conversion disorder consistent with behavioral theories?

A) Freud proposed that faulty thinking underlies the symptoms of conversion disorder.
B) He advocated treating conversion disorder by punishing the problem behaviors.
C) He believed that the symptoms of conversion disorder were maintained by the relief from anxiety they provided.
D) Freud believed that those with conversion disorder were suffering bodily symptoms due to a conflict between their inner desires and the demands placed on them by society the environment).

Question 23

Which of the following best explains why conversion disorder is a less common diagnosis today than it was historically?

A) Advances in the psychiatric profession have decreased the prevalence of all disorders linked to traumatic events.
B) Those once diagnosed with conversion disorder are now more likely to be diagnosed with PTSD.
C) Today's psychiatrists tend to view this diagnosis as one that lacks reliability and validity, thus they are hesitant to even consider it as a diagnostic option.
D) Advances in the medical field have made patients more sophisticated about medical and psychological disorders.

Question 24

What is a pseudoseizure?

A) A seizure that looks exactly like a seizure on EEG but cannot be explained.
B) A seizure that resembles an epileptic seizure but is different.
C) A faking seizure with little thrashing.
D) Any seizure that cannot be explained.

Question 25

Body dysmorphic disorder is thought to be related to

A) depression and bipolar disorders.
B) dissociative disorders.
C) panic disorder.
D) obsessive-compulsive disorder and eating disorders.

Question 26

What do the somatoform and dissociative disorders have in common?

A) Both are characterized by physical complaints.
B) Both are more common in men.
C) Both appear to be ways of alleviating anxiety.
D) Both have onset during early childhood.

Question 27

People with body dysmorphic disorder are similar to people with hypochondriasis in that

A) both ask for reassurance about their symptoms but don't feel relief when they get it.
B) both believe that a disease is causing their symptoms.
C) both know that they are faking their symptoms for attention.
D) both focus only on symptoms involving the face.

Question 28

Earl falls at work. The initial medical tests showed no major physical problems. However, Earl calls the next day and tells his boss that he is unable to use his right leg because it is paralyzed. He also informs his boss that he plans to sue the company. Earl most likely

A) has conversion disorder.
B) has somatization disorder.
C) has factitious disorder.
D) is malingering.

Question 29

Following the rejection of his latest novel, Jim experienced an inability to make some movements with his right hand. While he was unable to write, he could scratch and make other simple motions with his affected hand. Two weeks later he was able to write again. What is unique about Jim's case of conversion disorder?

A) Jim had some ability to move his hand.
B) Jim is male, and most people with this disorder are women.
C) Jim's symptoms subsided after only two weeks.
D) Jim only lost the ability to move his right hand.

Question 30

A lack of concern about a physical disability is characteristic of individuals with

A) conversion disorder.
B) hypochondriasis.
C) somatoform pain disorder.
D) somatization disorder.

Question 31

Which of the following was once viewed as form of "hysteria"?

A) Conversion disorder
B) Dissociative identity disorder
C) Dissociative fugue
D) Hypochondriasis

Question 32

Which of the following is a way to distinguish between someone with conversion disorder and someone who is malingering?

A) People with conversion disorder are very willing to talk about their symptoms, malingerers will be more cautious.
B) People with conversion disorder will be very cautious about talking about their symptoms, malingerers are very willing to talk about them.
C) People with conversion disorder are usually very defensive, malingerers will try to seem very open and trusting.
D) If their symptoms are shown to be inconsistent, people with conversion disorder become very defensive while malingerers do not.

Question 33

People with predominantly psychogenic psychologically caused) pain tend to

A) seem indifferent to their symptoms.
B) adopt an invalid lifestyle, visiting many doctors in search of relief.
C) report less pain than people whose somatoform pain disorder is related to a medical condition.
D) be consistent in their report of pain, regardless of the stress they feel.

Question 34

The current prevalence of conversion disorder is

A) decreasing as sophistication about disorders decreases.
B) increasing as sophistication about disorders increases.
C) decreasing as sophistication about disorders increases.
D) not changing.

Question 35

Kristie is talking to a career counselor at college. She suddenly announces that it is pointless to discuss jobs, when she knows that her face is incredibly hideous due to her huge number of acne scars. The counselor is surprised, because, while she can barely see a couple of scars at Kristie's hairline, they were not noticeable until Kristie pointed them out. It is probable that Kristie suffers from

A) conversion disorder.
B) depersonalization disorder.
C) body dysmorphic disorder.
D) hypochondriasis.

Question 36

Which of the following disorders was once the most frequently diagnosed disorder among soldiers in World War I?

A) Acute anxiety disorder
B) Conversion disorder
C) Dissociative identity disorder
D) Hypochondriasis

Question 37

After learning of her father's death, Sophia felt dazed and confused but still retained her sense of self. When speaking of her response to the news, she said she felt like she was in a movie watching the events happening to her. Despite this strange feeling, she understood what was happening and did the things that she needed to do. What can be said of Sophia's response to her father's death?

A) Her response is not typical and suggests that she is suffering from acute stress disorder.
B) She experienced an instance of derealization.
C) She had a psychotic break.
D) She experience an instance of depersonalization.

Question 38

Dissociation

A) only occurs in people with a dissociative disorder.
B) is a sign that something is seriously wrong.
C) is extremely common and not necessarily pathological.
D) is extremely rare and not necessarily pathological.

Question 39

Compulsive checking behaviors are characteristic of individuals with

A) body dysmorphic disorder.
B) conversion disorder.
C) dissociative identity disorder.
D) somatization disorder.

Question 40

The inability to learn new information is known as

A) anterograde amnesia.
B) retrograde amnesia.
C) continuous amnesia.
D) generalized amnesia.

Question 41

In soap operas, characters often forget their past experience following some trauma. They don't merely forget the traumatic event, they forget who they are, where they came from - they lose almost all memory of their lives. They then move to a new place and start a new identity. This would best be described as an instance of

A) anterograde amnesia.
B) dissociative fugue.
C) continuous amnesia.
D) generalized amnesia.

Question 42

The text presented the case of Mary Kendall, who suffered from dissociative identity disorder. She is typical of individuals with this disorder in that

A) she has periods of "lost time."
B) was socially inept as a child.
C) she was aware of her separate personalities prior to beginning treatment.
D) tended to express her emotional distress in complaints about her body.

Question 43

The German man, in the study mentioned in the text, who had dissociative fugue, denied that he could speak German. However, he learned German-English word pairs much faster than control words. This supports that

A) mainly episodic memory is lost, implicit memory stays intact.
B) mainly implicit memory is lost, episodic memory stays intact.
C) both episodic and implicit memory are affected.
D) most people with dissociative fugue are faking.

Question 44

Brigid has been diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder. Brigid is the host personality. We can expect that the alter identities

A) are very much like Brigid.
B) are strikingly different from Brigid.
C) only "come out" when there is no stress in the environment.
D) are very much like one another.

Question 45

Which of the following is true of opposite sex alters in DID?

A) They are rare.
B) They are quite common.
C) When they do occur, they usually assume the role of host.
D) They occur most commonly when sexual abuse has occurred.

Question 46

Gerard became amnesic, wandered away from home and assumed a completely new identity as a shoe salesman. He suffers from

A) dissociative fugue.
B) dissociative identity disorder.
C) malingering identity disorder.
D) depersonalization.

Question 47

Which of the following is most suggestive of dissociative identity disorder?

A) Grace's feelings about James switch from positive to negative instantly.
B) Peter could not explain why he didn't complete the project.
C) Delilah was never able to make up her mind.
D) Kyla could not recall where she had been or what she had done all day.

Question 48

Assuming a new identity in a new place is characteristic of

A) depersonalization disorder.
B) all forms of dissociative amnesia.
C) dissociative fugue.
D) dissociative identity disorder.

Question 49

Octavia has been diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder DID). She has seventeen different "alters," which are strikingly different from her host personality. Some of her alters are not full personalities, but fragments and memories. Some of the alters are children. What aspect of this case is unusual?

A) It is unusual for a person with DID to have seventeen alters.
B) It is unusual for a person with DID to have alters that are very different from the host personality.
C) It is unusual for a person with DID to have fragmentary alters.
D) No aspect of this case is unusual.

Question 50

Jeremy suffers from psychogenic amnesia. He probably

A) remembers only events from the past and does not remember skills he learned more recently.
B) can perform only simple tasks, regardless of the complex work that he was able to do previously.
C) is able to recognize close friends and relatives but not acquaintances.
D) seems quite normal other than for his amnesia.

Question 51

Dissociative identity disorder was formerly known as

A) psychogenic amnesia.
B) multiple personality disorder.
C) conversion hysteria.
D) neurasthenia.

Question 52

Jill did not remember the accident happening or the following two days. What form of amnesia is this memory loss characteristic of?

A) Localized
B) Generalized
C) Continuous
D) Selective

Question 53

Although Charlie remembered most of the main issues of the meeting, he had no recollection of the decision to eliminate the department that he headed. Which form of psychogenic amnesia would this be characteristic of?

A) Localized amnesia
B) Selective amnesia
C) Continuous amnesia
D) Generalized amnesia

Question 54

A person with two or more well-developed identities has the disorder called

A) fugue state.
B) depersonalization disorder.
C) dissociative identity disorder.
D) localized psychogenic amnesia.

Question 55

Why has there been little systematic research conducted on dissociative amnesia and fugue?

A) Case studies provide more useful information.
B) Both disorders are relatively brief, preventing researchers from having ample time to systematically conduct full evaluations.
C) The diagnosis of both disorders is too controversial; until a consensus is reached as to whether there is a true "psychogenic" amnesia, further study is virtually impossible.
D) These conditions are too rare to permit more extensive study.

Question 56

In the individual with DID, "switches" between identities

A) usually take several days.
B) produce gaps in memory.
C) occur symmetrically, such that all identities share equal control.
D) are controlled by the host identity.

Question 57

Which of the following is most commonly true of the host identity in DID?

A) It does not answer to the person's actual name.
B) It is always the most well-adjusted of the identities.
C) It is the second or third alter to develop.
D) It is not the original identity.

Question 58

Once a dissociative fugue ends, people

A) can remember everything that has happened to them.
B) remembers who they are but cannot remember their past.
C) can remember their past but cannot remember what happened during the fugue.
D) can remember their past but keep their new identity.

Question 59

Which of the following has been demonstrated about the effects of psychogenic amnesias on memory?

A) Implicit memory is generally intact.
B) Explicit memory is rarely affected.
C) Episodic memory is not compromised.
D) Semantic memory is most dramatically affected.

Question 60

When a person experiences psychogenic amnesia, only one portion of memory is usually affected. Which?

A) Semantic memory pertaining to language and concepts)
B) Procedural memory how to do things)
C) Perceptual memory the representation of things in images)
D) Episodic memory the events we have experienced)

Question 61

The treatment goal for most therapists who treat dissociative identity disorder is

A) acceptance of the alter personalities.
B) reduction in the impact of distress and impairment.
C) integration of the alter personalities.
D) self-understanding of the causes for the alter personalities.

Question 62

All of the following are explanations for the increased prevalence of DID EXCEPT

A) increased public awareness of DID.
B) the increased incidence of sexual abuse.
C) changes in the diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia.
D) therapists may be actively looking for DID.

Question 63

Studies of the brains of individuals with DID

A) find no differences in brain activity associated with different identities.
B) support the assertion that DID is a real disorder.
C) do not indicate any explanation for interpersonal amnesia.
D) have provided no consistent findings.

Question 64

is the diagnosis given when a person has persistent and severe pain in one or more areas of the body, and it is not feigned or does not have medical causes.

Question 65

According to sociocognitive theory,

A) the mind separates due to some traumatic experience and is never fully integrated, resulting in the multiple identities observed in DID.
B) the alters in DID develop as a means of escaping from some form of trauma.
C) DID has a factitious origin.
D) DID may develop when a suggestive patient is treated by an overzealous clinician.

Question 66

There is debate as to the relationship between DID and abuse because

A) few of those who develop DID have a history of abuse.
B) there is little evidence of a link between trauma and psychopathology.
C) other factors correlated with abuse may be the true causal factors in DID.
D) most reports of abuse are faked.

Question 67

Your textbook authors report that rigorously designed and controlled studies on the treatment of dissociative identity disorder

A) have only examined psychodynamic forms of treatment.
B) are widespread.
C) demonstrate the effectiveness of cognitive-behavior therapy.
D) are nonexistent.

Question 68

What is one reason why the prevalence of DID has been increasing?

A) Children in today's society are far more likely to experience severe trauma than they were in the past.
B) DID has only recently received full acceptance from the psychiatric community and thus professionals are now using this diagnosis.
C) As of 1980 most insurance companies had to accept DID as a billable diagnosis.
D) It may be that the prevalence of DID has not changed at all, but that clinicians may unknowingly encourage the emergence of new identities.

Question 69

is the term currently preferred by many researchers for the old term hypochondriasis.

Question 70

Experimental studies of DID find that interpersonality amnesia exists for

A) all types of memories.
B) explicit memories.
C) implicit memories.
D) conditioned responses.

Question 71

Why has the term "multiple personality disorder" been replaced with "dissociative identity disorder"?

A) The old term was often used to refer to both schizophrenia and DID, thus a new term was needed to end this confusion.
B) The word "multiple" suggested the presence of more identities than were commonly observed.
C) Fully developed personalities are not present in DID, just varying expressions of different aspects of the patient's personality.
D) A new diagnostic term was wanted to remove some of the stigma associated with the old term and its presentation in the media.

Question 72

is the disorder in which a person has many different physical symptoms from different areas of the body and the symptoms cannot be explained by medical findings.

Question 73

A recent in-depth study by Lewis and colleagues of 12 convicted murderers diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder looked into their backgrounds. The study found strong evidence that

A) each was a pathological liar long before showing signs of dissociative disorder.
B) disordered thinking was associated with abnormal brain functioning.
C) each was severely abused, both physically and sexually.
D) each had vivid memories of being tortured and neglected by strangers.

Question 74

When it comes to the effectiveness of treatment for dissociative disorders, we know

A) very little.
B) that medications are worthless, but that psychotherapy is quite effective.
C) that depersonalization is much more effectively treated than amnesia.
D) that antidepressant medications are most effective in treating dissociative identity disorder.

Question 75

Sociocognitive theory

A) explains why symptoms of DID are often not seen until after treatment is initiated.
B) explains why the number of alters is usually constant.
C) can't account for the role that trauma appears to play in DID.
D) does not explain the phenomenon of "lost time."

Question 76

When a person intentionally produces symptoms and is motivated by incentives, this is known as .

Question 77

Which of the following summarizes the post-traumatic theory for the origin of DID?

A) Therapists unwittingly reinforce role-playing of alter identities.
B) Genetically programmed tendencies to dissociate are triggered by stress.
C) Children deal with severe abuse by creating alters who provide an "escape."
D) The rewards of avoiding punishment from the legal system induces people to fake symptoms.

Question 78

Recent estimates suggest that about 50 percent of those with DID have

A) only two identities.
B) two alters, in addition to the host identity.
C) over ten identities.
D) as many as two hundred identities.

Question 79

An example of dissociative trance disorder is

A) a person who enters into a trance state more than once.
B) a person who believes that he or she can voluntarily be possessed by a spirit and enjoy allowing this to happen.
C) a person who often feels as though the world around him or her isn't real, although he or she knows it is.
D) a person who believes he or she is at times possessed by a spirit and is extremely upset because of this.

Question 80

All of the following are associated with DID except

A) depression.
B) hallucinations.
C) psychosis.
D) substance abuse.