Deck 9: Dissociative and Somatic Symptom Disorders

Question 1

Martin always seemed to be looking for new clinics and physicians to get rid of a persistent back pain, the cause of which could not be ascertained despite several medical check-ups. Since physicians were unable to find the possible reason for his physical pain and he was not convinced with the medical test results, Martin was advised to consult a psychiatrist. In this instance, with which of the following is he most likely to be diagnosed?

A) Somatic symptom disorder
B) Dissociative amnesia
C) Generalized anxiety disorder
D) Hypochondriasis

Answer 1

A

Question 2

_____ raise intriguing questions about the ways in which people's sense of self over time, memory, and sense of reality can become fragmented.

A) Mood disorders
B) Somatic symptom disorders
C) Dissociative disorders
D) Factitious disorders

Answer 2

C

Question 3

In which of the following dissociative disorders does an individual develop more than one self or personality?

A) Dissociative identity disorder
B) Depersonalization/derealization disorder
C) Dissociative amnesia
D) Dissociative fugue

Answer 3

A

Question 4

People with dissociative amnesia are unable to

A) cope with stress.
B) distinguish between what is real and what is not.
C) perform simple physical labor.
D) remember information about personal data or experiences.

Question 5

Individuals with dissociative identity disorder have learned to cope with extremely stressful life circumstances by creating _____ personalities that unconsciously control their thinking and behavior when they are experiencing stress.

A) host
B) alter
C) elective
D) primary

Question 6

Kayla feels that she is controlled by forces external to her. She confides to her sister Sara that she often feels as if she is watching herself from afar. Which of the following dissociative disorders best describes Kayla's condition?

A) Dissociative amnesia
B) Depersonalization/derealization disorder
C) Dissociative fugue
D) Dementia

Question 7

People with dissociative amnesia

A) develop multiple personalities.
B) have a history of cardiac disease.
C) are unable to perform simple physical labor.
D) forget their own identity.

Question 8

Dr. Gillian Davies, a clinical psychiatrist, is treating Samantha, a young woman in her twenties who seemed to have developed multiple selves. One of Samantha's alters claims to be a reclusive artist, while another alter is a flamboyant dancer. Dr. Davies is most likely treating Samantha for

A) conversion disorder.
B) dementia.
C) dissociative identity disorder.
D) schizophrenia.

Question 9

Which of the following is true of people who suffer from dissociative identity disorder?

A) They rarely develop multiple personalities.
B) They experience pain to such a degree that their lives become consumed by the pursuit of relief.
C) They rarely suffer from amnesia.
D) Their experiences lack continuity.

Question 10

People with depersonalization/derealization disorder

A) feel that they are not real.
B) forget their own identity.
C) misinterpret normal bodily functions as signs of serious illness.
D) fabricate physical or psychological symptoms for some ulterior motive.

Question 11

In true cases of dissociative disorder, when the symptoms do not appear feigned, the current consensus is that these individuals

A) had a history of cardiac disease.
B) had a history of substance abuse.
C) were subjected to emotional or physical trauma.
D) were subjected to a strict religious upbringing.

Question 12

Which of the following was designed as a way to standardize the diagnosis of dissociative identity disorder?

A) Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
B) Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia
C) Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Dissociative Disorders-Revised
D) Multiple Personality Structured Interview

Question 13

The primary goal in the treatment of dissociative disorder is

A) to help express the repressed negative thoughts of the affected individual.
B) to integrate the disparate parts within the affected individual's consciousness of self, memory, and time.
C) to develop more effective defense mechanisms.
D) to enhance the affected individual's span and degree of attention.

Question 14

Clinicians face a daunting task both in diagnosing and treating an individual's dissociative symptoms because

A) the affected individuals are often overly eager to seek medical treatment.
B) it is difficult to determine whether the condition is real or faked.
C) the affected individuals almost always refuse treatment.
D) a charted course of treatment is presently unavailable.

Question 15

The inability of an individual to remember important information about a set of events in his/her life that is not due to is called

A) dissociative fugue.
B) dissociative amnesia.
C) Alzheimer's disease.
D) autistic disorder.

Question 16

Nelly was sexually abused as a child. In her early twenties, she discovered that she could not recall a set of traumatic events that took place in her adolescence. Which of the following disorders is Nelly most likely to be diagnosed with?

A) Dissociative amnesia
B) Depersonalization/derealization disorder
C) Dissociative identity disorder
D) Dissociative fugue

Question 17

A dissociative experience in a person feels as if they have stepped out of their own body is called

A) a fugue state.
B) depersonalization.
C) derealization
D) dissociative amnesia.

Question 18

In which of the following dissociative disorders do individuals experience feelings of being separated from their own bodies?

A) Dissociative identity disorder
B) Dissociative amnesia
C) Dissociative fugue
D) Depersonalization/derealization disorder

Question 19

Petra has experienced repeated episodes during which she felt as if she were not real. During an interview with her therapist, she mentioned that she sometimes feels as if she is being controlled by forces outside her. Petra is most likely to be diagnosed with

A) dissociative fugue.
B) dissociative fugue.
C) dissociative identity disorder.
D) depersonalization/derealization disorder.

Question 20

Sam Perkins, a retired teacher, feels that he is living in a dream and that the people he meets in everyday life and the neighborhood where he lives are not real. A clinical psychiatrist will describe such a condition as

A) derealization.
B) illness anxiety disorder.
C) dissociative fugue.
D) depersonalization/derealization disorder.

Question 21

Which of the following symptoms would most likely lead to the diagnosis of dissociative identity disorder?

A) Experiencing frequent changes in mood
B) Having strong coping skills
C) Feeling as though one has separate personalities
D) Being competitive

Question 22

Which of the following is true of conversion disorder?

A) It generally appears between ages 55 and 70.
B) It is more frequently observed in men.
C) It generally appears between ages 10 and 35.
D) It is easy to diagnose medically.

Question 23

_____ increase(s) the risk of developing dissociative disorder in individuals later in life.

A) Heavy drug and alcohol usage during adolescence
B) Heavy drug and alcohol usage during adolescence
C) Having a history of cardiac disease
D) Sexual or physical abuse in childhood

Question 24

The essential feature of conversion disorder is that the individual experiences a(n)

A) cognitive disconnect with his/her immediate environment.
B) change in a bodily function not due to an underlying medical condition.
C) alteration in identity.
D) sudden change in mood ranging from depression to mania.

Question 25

Which of the following physical ailments is/are characteristic of conversion disorder?

A) Dehydration
B) Brain hemorrhage
C) Pseudoseizures
D) Fever

Question 26

_____ disorders include conditions in which an individual's psychological conflicts are translated into physical complaints.

A) Anxiety
B) Dissociative
C) Personality
D) Somatic symptom

Question 27

According to recent research discussed in the text, roughly ________ percent of people with medically unexplained symptoms might meet the DSM diagnostic criteria for a somatic symptom disorder.

A) 10
B) 23
C) 50
D) 75

Question 28

Which somatic symptom disorder involves the translation of unacceptable drives or troubling conflicts into bodily motor or sensory symptoms?

A) Somatization disorder
B) Illness anxiety disorder
C) Conversion disorder
D) Psychalgia

Question 29

Amanda, a 28-year-old woman, who recently lost her only son in a drowning accident, has been going through considerable stress and emotional turmoil. She woke up one morning and was terrified to find that she was unable to walk. Her husband took her to a clinic where the doctor ruled out any underlying medical condition for Amanda's symptoms. In this instance, which of the following disorders is Amanda most likely to be suffering from?

A) Insomnic disorder
B) Conversion disorder
C) Dissociative amnesia
D) Illness anxiety disorder

Question 30

In which of the following, do patients experience pain to such a degree that their lives become consumed by the pursuit of relief?

A) Schizophrenia
B) Mood disorder
C) Central pain syndrome
D) Pain disorder

Question 31

People with illness anxiety disorder fear or mistakenly believe that

A) normal bodily reactions represent the symptoms of a serious illness.
B) they are watching themselves from a point outside their bodies.
C) others are always plotting against them.
D) their actions are being monitored by others.

Question 32

Individuals with somatic symptom disorder

A) cannot remember events from the recent past.
B) invariably suffer from an underlying medical problem.
C) are actually not consciously attuned to how they express their psychological problems physically.
D) are unable to control mood swings.

Question 33

The fabrication of physical or psychological symptoms for some ulterior motive is referred to as

A) malingering.
B) disassociating.
C) coping.
D) catastrophizing.

Question 34

Jeremy tells his friends and colleagues that he is suffering from a serious neurological condition. He often fakes the symptom of his feigned illness purely to draw attention to himself and to maintain the sick role. Jeremy, who is obsessed with the pursuit of medical care, is most likely to suffer from

A) psychalgia.
B) hysteria.
C) Parkinson's syndrome.
D) factitious disorder imposed on self.

Question 35

As many as half of individuals with conversion disorder are likely to suffer from a(n)

A) mood disorder.
B) dissociative disorder.
C) adjustment disorder.
D) anxiety disorder.

Question 36

Which of the following is true of somatic symptom disorder?

A) It involves a single physical complaint.
B) It is expressed through an individual's excessive concern for bodily defects.
C) It does not involve the expression of psychological issues through bodily symptoms.
D) It involves multiple and recurrent bodily symptoms.

Question 37

The ICD-10 classifies conversion disorder as a form of _____ disorder.

A) adjustment
B) mood
C) dissociative
D) phobic

Question 38

People with illness anxiety disorder

A) want others to believe that they are ill when they are actually not.
B) fear that normal bodily reactions represent the symptoms of a serious illness.
C) are relentless in their pursuit for relief from imagined pain.
D) cannot recollect events from the recent past.

Question 39

Rachel, a 35-year-old ballerina, has been undergoing considerable emotional stress following the death of her mentor. To add to her distress, she got embroiled in a lengthy property dispute with her relatives that left her both emotionally as well as financially drained. One evening, while driving back home, she realized that she was slowly losing her vision. Medical tests confirmed the absence of any underlying medical condition. In this instance, Rachel is most likely to be suffering from

A) conversion disorder.
B) Munchausen's syndrome.
C) pain disorder.
D) illness anxiety disorder.

Question 40

Somatic symptom disorder is relatively rare, but is present with higher than expected frequency among patients seeking treatment for

A) schizophrenia.
B) mood disorder.
C) depression.
D) chronic pain.

Question 41

Since the past few years, Arthur has been recurrently complaining about several bodily symptoms, such as difficulty in breathing, chest pain, and nausea. However, medical examinations have yielded no basis for such claims. Which of the following disorders is Arthur most likely to be diagnosed with?

A) Primary hypersomnia
B) Amnesia
C) Conversion disorder
D) Somatic symptom disorder

Question 42

_____ involves deliberately feigning the symptoms of physical illness or psychological disorder for an ulterior motive such as receiving disability or insurance benefits.

A) Malingering
B) Hallucinating
C) Depersonalizing
D) Disassociating

Question 43

A caregiver who feigns or deliberately exaggerates the illness of the person who is placed under his/her care displays a condition, which is referred to as _____ in psychology.

A) general adaptive syndrome
B) Munchausen's syndrome
C) illness anxiety disorder
D) factitious disorder imposed on another

Question 44

If an individual suffering from a somatic symptom disorder only complains of pain that has no physiological basis, he or she may receive a specific diagnosis of

A) conversion disorder.
B) dementia.
C) pain disorder.
D) congenital insensitivity to pain.

Question 45

Cognitive-behavioral theorists understand somatic symptom disorders on the underlying model that is based on the premise that such people

A) exaggerate and misinterpret their normal bodily sensations.
B) go through different mood swings.
C) are highly anxious about socially presenting themselves.
D) are unable to remember information about an event or set of events in their lives.

Question 46

Which of the following is true of pain disorder?

A) Pain disorder is a dissociative disorder that results from victimization or abuse.
B) People with pain disorder are unable to find cure because there is no apparent physical cause.
C) A diagnosable medical condition never exists in people with pain disorder.
D) Pain disorder is a somatic symptom disorder characterized by the misinterpretation of normal bodily functions as signs of serious illness.

Question 47

The somatic symptom disorder characterized by the misinterpretation of normal bodily functions as signs of serious disease is referred to as

A) somatization disorder.
B) factitious disorder.
C) illness anxiety disorder.
D) somatic symptom pain disorder.

Question 48

Simon has been getting mild headaches regularly since the past few months. He is convinced that the headaches are indicative of a malignant brain tumor. Although magnetic resonance images provided no medical evidence in support of his claim, Simon still maintains that he has a tumor in his brain and is upset about the imagined consequences. In this instance, Simon is most likely to be suffering from

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

Question 49

Teaching individuals with somatic symptom disorders about how to restructure their maladaptive beliefs about their physical symptoms would be the focus of which type of therapy?

A) Psychoanalysis
B) Cognitive-behavioral therapy
C) Impulse control therapy
D) Panic control therapy

Question 50

Malingering involves

A) faking symptoms or disorders not for the purpose of any particular gain, but because of an inner need to maintain a sick role.
B) deliberately feigning the symptoms of physical illness or psychological disorder for an ulterior motive.
C) the misinterpretation of normal bodily functions as signs of serious illness.
D) falsely inducing physical symptoms in another person.

Question 51

When an individual feigns symptoms or disorders because of an inner need to maintain a sick role, he/she is

A) malingering.
B) coping.
C) suffering from a dissociative disorder.
D) suffering from a factitious disorder.

Question 52

Laura, a 15-year-old girl, is the youngest child of the Parkers. She feels neglected by her parents and often refuses to eat and throws up, if forced. She insists that she is not well and requests her parents repeatedly to admit her to a hospital. Upon examining Laura, Dr. Harris, who was treating her, told her parents that her behavior seemed to be maintained by an inner need to play a "sick" role. In this instance, which of the following disorders is Laura most likely to be diagnosed with?

A) Dementia
B) Primary hypersomnia
C) Pain disorder
D) Factitious disorder imposed on self

Question 53

Maria Thomas, a homemaker, is suffering from illness anxiety disorder. Her treatment involves the use of cognitivebehavioral therapy, which is the most promising approach for treating people with illness anxiety disorder. This kind of therapy focuses on

A) teaching individuals to restructure their maladaptive beliefs.
B) dealing with the behavior itself to change the outcome.
C) teaching individuals to adapt to their immediate environments.
D) seeking to understand the unconscious desires of the person.

Question 54

Which of the following might put a child at risk of becoming a victim of factitious disorder imposed on another?

A) Committing the child to the care of someone who induces physical symptoms in the child
B) Having a mother who is suffering from postpartum depression
C) Having a parent with a history of cardiac disease
D) Committing the child to the care of someone who has received treatment for insomnia in the past.

Question 55

_____ refers to the relief from anxiety or responsibility due to the development of physical or psychological symptoms.

A) Primary gain
B) Secondary gain
C) Positive reinforcement
D) Avoidance reward

Question 56

With regard to factitious disorders, secondary gain refers to

A) the relief from anxiety due to the development of physical or psychological symptoms.
B) the inability to recall events from the recent past.
C) the sympathy and attention that a sick person receives from other people.
D) the monetary rewards a person gets from insurance claims.

Question 57

Richard successfully faked illness in order to be released from military duty. He was engaged in

A) catastrophizing.
B) malingering.
C) coping.
D) masking.

Question 58

Beth often falls sick, and when she does, she receives a lot of attention from her mother who dotes over her. Beth's illnesses is most likely to be maintained by

A) token gains.
B) negative reinforcement.
C) primary gains.
D) secondary gains.

Question 59

_____ is defined as worry about physical symptoms and illness.

A) Hassle
B) Paradoxical anxiety
C) Insomnia
D) Health anxiety

Question 60

Which of the following is true of people with factitious disorder?

A) They are consciously producing their symptoms.
B) Their motives are externally driven.
C) They do not know that they are not ill.
D) They are unable to recall events from the recent past.

Question 61

Which of the following refer to situations in which a client's physical illness is adversely affected by one or more psychological states?

A) Adjustment disorders
B) Psychological factors affecting other medical conditions
C) Psychophysiological disorders
D) Psychosomatic disorders

Question 62

The diagnostic category that we call _____ includes conditions in which a client's physical illness is adversely affected by one or more psychological states such as depression, stress, denial of a diagnosis, or engaging in poor or even dangerous health-related behaviors.

A) Psychological factors affecting medical condition
B) Hypochondriac condition
C) Somatic symptom disorder
D) Adjustment disorder

Question 63

Ralph has an ulcer in his stomach. More often than not, the stress related to his job as an executive gets so bad that his ulcer flares up. Which of the following best describes his condition?

A) Psychological factors affecting a medical condition
B) Somatic symptom disorder
C) Factitious disorder
D) Illness anxiety disorder

Question 64

Which of the following diagnostic terms applies to the person who suffered a heart attack (myocardial infarction) owing to a major depressive disorder?

A) Myocardial infarction affecting mental disorder
B) Maladaptive health behaviors
C) Personality traits or coping style
D) Mental disorder affecting myocardial infarction

Question 65

Which of the following refers to a psychological factor that can affect an individual's medical conditions?

A) Stress
B) Headache
C) Peptic ulcers
D) Asthma

Question 66

Immanuel is having tremendous difficulty controlling his drinking behavior even at a time when he is recovering from a liver transplant surgery. Drinking alcohol at this stage of the recovery process is not only detrimental to his health but can also lead to serious medical complications. Which of the following would best describe Immanuel's condition?

A) Psychophysiological disorder
B) Psychological factors affecting a medical condition
C) Psychosomatic disorder
D) Illness anxiety disorder

Question 67

According to researchers who used the College Undergraduate Stress Scale, which of the following is the most stressful event a college student could experience?

A) Failing an exam
B) Being away from home for the first time
C) Being raped
D) Being caught cheating

Question 68

The least stressful event on the College Undergraduate Stress Scale is

A) talking in front of a class.
B) getting straight As.
C) attending an athletic event.
D) getting caught while cheating.

Question 69

The style of coping that involves changing something about the situation that makes it stressful is referred to as

A) problem-focused coping.
B) emotion-focused coping.
C) social coping.
D) avoidance coping.

Question 70

Phoebe has just been diagnosed with a terminal illness. The news depresses her sure enough, but she tries to cope with it by trying hard to improve her feelings about the situation. Her coping strategy can be best described as

A) social coping.
B) avoidance coping.
C) emotion-focused coping.
D) problem-focused coping.

Question 71

Paul works in a cookie factory that is about to be closed down as the unfortunate outcome of a lengthy legal battle between multiple stakeholders. He perceives such an outcome as threatening and has been experiencing considerable emotional turmoil fearing the inevitable. Within the scope of psychology, which of the following terms best describes the unpleasant and emotional reaction that Paul has in this instance?

A) Stress
B) Insomnia
C) Illness anxiety disorder
D) Dissociative fugue

Question 72

Sharon Robinson, a retired school teacher from Kentucky, is currently undergoing considerable stress following a lengthy property dispute with her relatives. In an attempt to reduce her stress, Sharon tries to feel good about her present life ardently believing that she would be able to improve the current situation merely by feeling positive about the unpleasant events in her life. In this instance, Sharon Robinson is trying to reduce her stress through

A) masking.
B) problem-focused coping.
C) impulse control.
D) emotion-focused coping.

Question 73

The death of a family member has the potential to disrupt the course of an individual's life. Such a major event is referred to as _____ within the scope of psychology.

A) coping
B) a hassle
C) a stressor
D) an uplift

Question 74

Cognitive stress models place greater emphasis on how

A) one interprets events rather than on whether or not he/she experienced a given event.
B) one's genetic vulnerability affects behavior.
C) one overcomes stressful events despite multiple adversities.
D) one's social environment determines his/her behavior and capability to manage stress.

Question 75

The _____ system mediates a person's responses to stress.

A) immune
B) lymphatic
C) limbic
D) circulatory

Question 76

Adam, an investment banker, is competitive, suspicious, and overly impatient. He suffered a major heart attack last fall at the young age of 34. The doctor who was treating Adam when he suffered the heart attack warned him against high levels of emotional arousal and the high risks of stress. Adam's competitive lifestyle also leaves little room for exercise, a condition that makes him even more vulnerable to cardiac disease. Adam's behavior pattern can be categorized as

A) Type D.
B) Type Y
C) Type X.
D) Type A.

Question 77

The behavior pattern associated with the development of heart disease that is characterized by hard drive, competitiveness, and impatience is referred to as the Type _____ behavior pattern.

A) A
B) B
C) I
D) II

Question 78

Individuals with the Type A behavior pattern are at the risk of developing

A) cancer.
B) dementia.
C) AIDS.
D) heart disease.

Question 79

Nick Rogers is a hard-driving and ambitious manager working in an MNC. However, he is highly suspicious of others and finds it hard to trust his peers and subordinates. He is also impatient and easily irritated. Nick might be described as exhibiting a _____ behavior pattern.

A) Type A
B) Type B
C) Type I
D) Type II

Question 80

Individuals who are at increased risk for developing heart disease because of their tendency to inhibit the expression of negative emotions when they are in social situations belong to _____ personalities.

A) Type X
B) Type A
C) Type Y
D) Type D