Deck 10: Personality Disorders

Question 1

Which of the following is not a dimension of personality?

A) cognitive
B) social
C) behavioral
D) emotional

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Steven always responds to people with warmth and affection. He listens to people and cares what happens to others. He is task-oriented, and will not miss work even if he is ill. This description of Steven is his:

A) standard of behavior
B) personality
C) maladaptive way of dealing with people
D) style of interaction

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Dr. B., whose case was described in the text, rushed back to the hospital, despite the fact that he was going to attend his son's final high school basketball game. After arriving at the hospital, he decided to stay until his patient delivered. Why did Dr. B make this decision?

A) He felt he was the only one who should deliver the baby, which reflected his narcissism.
B) His dedication to every detail imaginable led him to insist on delivering the baby, which reflects his obsessive-compulsive personality.
C) Although he said he wanted to attend his son's game, his schizoid tendencies led him to select an activity with fewer people present.
D) Although he knew his partner was capable of handling the delivery, he did not trust his partner and was suspicious of his every activity.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Which of these is an example of a maladaptive personality style?

A) using multiple coping mechanisms
B) exhibiting different behaviors in different situations
C) demonstrating changes in personality style over the life span
D) using one coping mechanism for many types of problems

Question 5

Which disorders are characterized by longstanding, maladaptive, inflexible ways of relating to the environment?

A) mood
B) psychotic
C) personality
D) somatoform

Question 6

What is the estimated prevalence of personality disorders in the general population?

A) 2%
B) 6%
C) 12%
D) 24%

Question 7

According to DSM-IV-TR, when are the characteristics of a personality disorder evident?

A) infancy
B) early childhood
C) adolescent years
D) middle adulthood

Question 8

Why has so little research been done on the personality disorders?

A) Personality disorders are not easily recognized.
B) Personality disorders are rare in the general population.
C) Few people with personality disorders are in treatment.
D) People with personality disorders exhibit very peculiar behaviors.

Question 9

When is a personality style considered maladaptive?

A) When it affects the person's functioning in important situations
B) flexibility occurs, but not in every situation
C) if the person will not change
D) The person is unable to modify behavior when the environment changes.

Question 10

10 What is the major difference between Axis I and Axis II disorders?

A) Axis I disorders are symptom disorders, and have some flexibility with regard to prognosis which Axis II disorders are near-permanent.
B) Axis I disorders are almost always organic in nature of onset, while Axis II disorders are triggered by environmental factors.
C) Axis I disorders are genetic, while Axis II disorders are psychological.
D) Axis I disorders involve family dynamics, and Axis II disorders involve family dynamics as a predisposing cause.

Question 11

Personality disorders are listed on Axis II of DSM-IV-TR, along with what other type of disorder?

A) psychosis
B) mood disorders
C) medical problems
D) mental retardation

Question 12

Why are personality disorders and mental retardation listed on the same diagnostic axis of DSM-IV-TR?

A) They are lifetime conditions.
B) They are inherited disorders.
C) They do not respond to medication.
D) They are less serious than other disorders.

Question 13

What characterizes the disorders listed on Axis I of the DSM-IV-TR diagnostic system?

A) They have a chronic course, without remittance.
B) They are temporary and cause personal distress.
C) They have medical conditions that are associated with them.
D) They are the result of failures in the use of defense mechanisms.

Question 14

Don's co-workers perceive him to be very suspicious and family members have described him as "constantly angry." Many of his neighbors have moved because they have gotten tired of his frequent angry outbursts, which often result from his belief that something is wrong in the neighborhood. After years of coaxing, his family prevails upon him to seek help at the mental health clinic. On which Axis of DSM-IV-TR would his condition be diagnosed?

A) II
B) III
C) IV
D) V

Question 15

Which of the following personality disorders falls within the anxious or fearful category?

A) histrionic
B) borderline
C) schizotypal
D) obsessive-compulsive

Question 16

A client is being evaluated at the mental health center. The clinical psychology intern assigned to the case proposes a diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder. When the supervising psychologist reviews the case, he wonders if there might be a second diagnosis. Which of these disorders
should be the focus of the intern's re-evaluation of this case?

A) alcohol abuse
B) schizophrenia
C) major depression
D) dissociative fugue

Question 17

According to the theory that personality disorders are a form of vulnerability to Axis I disorders, which personality disorder is thought to be a predisposition to depression?

A) schizoid personality disorder
B) histrionic personality disorder
C) antisocial personality disorder
D) dependent personality disorder

Question 18

Which of these pairs correctly associates a personality disorder with the Axis I disorder that it predisposes an individual to develop?

A) histrionic personality disorder and schizophrenia
B) antisocial personality disorder and alcohol abuse
C) borderline personality disorder and bipolar disorder
D) dependent personality disorder and depersonalization

Question 19

Alice's teenage son was referred to the mental health center because of problems in high school. After complete psychological and medical examinations, several members of the staff ask Alice to come in for a discussion of what they have found. Because you are a psychology major, she asks you to come along. During the discussion, a psychiatrist uses the term premorbid. Alice's facial expression indicates she is puzzled. Which of the following is the psychiatrist likely to say?

A) "The symptoms are serious but not life threatening."
B) "Your son probably had a personality disorder that existed for several years, now he has developed another disorder."
C) "We have found that your son had a relatively normal life prior to the divorce; however, symptoms developed thereafter."
D) "Unfortunately, what we found is more serious anticipated. We doubt your son will live very long as a result of a brain tumor."

Question 20

When is a condition or personality disorder described as "premorbid"?

A) It involves depression.
B) It is associated with suicide risk.
C) It is diagnosable without autopsy.
D) It already exists when another problem develops.

Question 21

Anna has a diagnosis of an anxiety disorder on Axis I and a Histrionic personality disorder on Axis II. However, in her report, the term "premorbid" is typed after the diagnosis on Axis II. What does the term "premorbid" indicate?

A) The clinician should evaluate for other disorders.
B) Before the anxiety symptoms developed, the personality disorder already existed.
C) The anxiety symptoms were evident before the personality disorder developed.
D) The personality disorder should be re-examined.

Question 22

What is a limitation of the personality disorder diagnoses in DSM-IV?

A) failure to establish a biological basis
B) lower reliability than other diagnoses
C) seen as more temporary than other disorders
D) can only be made if there is no Axis I diagnosis

Question 23

Which of the following contributes to low reliability in diagnosing personality disorders?

A) reliance on structured interviews
B) personality disorders are temporary conditions
C) overlap in behaviors that characterize these disorders
D) behaviors involved in personality disorders are hard to detect

Question 24

A patient who cannot stand to be alone; exhibits intense, unstable moods and interpersonal relationships; and is chronically angry is most likely to receive the diagnosis of

A) borderline.
B) dependent.
C) schizotypal.
D) narcissistic.

Question 25

Which clinician would have the higher interrater reliability?

A) clinician relying on family and significant others
B) clinician using a standardized interview
C) clinician who relies on testing results
D) clinician who conducts a freewheeling interview

Question 26

The theory that personality disorders are a form of vulnerability to symptom disorders suggests that a person with avoidant personality disorder may be at higher risk for

A) schizophrenia.
B) alcohol abuse.
C) social phobia.
D) bipolar disorder.

Question 27

What is the basis for identifying members of a category using the prototypal approach found in the DSM-IV-TR diagnostic system?

A) They must share all of the same symptoms.
B) They will share some of the same symptoms.
C) They exhibit the same degree of symptom severity.
D) They exhibit none of the symptoms found in other categories.

Question 28

Diagnoses in the DSM-IV-TR system are made when a person shows a certain number of symptoms from a list of symptoms. What term is used to describe this approach to diagnosis?

A) clustered
B) axis-driven
C) prototypal
D) dimensional

Question 29

Which of the following is not a difficulty in deciding the appropriateness of an Axis II diagnosis?

A) Unclear boundary between normal and disordered behavior
B) Overlapping of categories
C) Overlapping with AXIS I categories
D) treatment options and approaches

Question 30

The three types of personality disorders are (1) anxious or fearful behavior; (2) dramatic, emotional, or erratic behavior; and (3)

A) dissociative behavior.
B) odd or eccentric behavior.
C) neurotic or mood-disordered behavior.
D) psychotic or schizophreniform behavior.

Question 31

Which personality disorder is characterized by unwarranted feelings of suspiciousness, mistrust of other people, and hypersensitivity?

A) paranoid
B) histrionic
C) antisocial
D) borderline

Question 32

In which job would a person with schizoid personality disorder probably be most comfortable?

A) file clerk
B) air-traffic controller
C) kindergarten teacher
D) insurance salesperson

Question 33

Withdrawal from social contact is characteristic of

A) schizoid personality disorder.
B) histrionic personality disorder.
C) antisocial personality disorder.
D) narcissistic personality disorder.

Question 34

Which personality disorder is Joan Didion describing when she uses the phrase "only marginally engaged in the dailiness of life" in her novel The White Album?

A) schizoid
B) paranoid
C) antisocial
D) narcissistic

Question 35

Why do people with schizoid personality disorder have few relationships?

A) They manipulate and exploit others.
B) They fear rejection and disapproval.
C) They are not interested in other people.
D) They have hallucinations and delusions.

Question 36

Which personality disorder is characterized by little interest in social relationships, poor social skills, a lack of humor, and seem detached from the environment?

A) schizoid
B) histrionic
C) borderline
D) narcissistic

Question 37

Why are people with schizoid personality disorder poor candidates for psychotherapy?

A) They are psychotic.
B) They tend to manipulate others.
C) They have a very low level of verbal intelligence.
D) They are not bothered by their lack of interpersonal relationships.

Question 38

The staff of a mental health center is reviewing the diagnostic criteria for personality disorders. Schizoid and schizotypal personality disorders are causing them difficulty because they are so similar. In order to differentiate the two, they list symptoms that the disorders share and do not share. What symptoms will they have listed as occurring in schizotypal personality disorder but not schizoid personality disorder?

A) poor social skills
B) shallow emotions
C) oddities of speech
D) lack of close relationships

Question 39

A 15-year-long longitudinal study suggests that schizotypal personality disorder may be a

A) learned behavior pattern.
B) disorder that ends after childhood.
C) more severe form of borderline personality.
D) borderline between schizophrenia and health.

Question 40

A character in a play demonstrates odd beliefs, thinking, behavior, and appearance. However, there is no evidence of delusions or hallucinations. The professor of an English literature class knows you are a psychology major,
so he asks you what the likely diagnosis might be. What will you answer?

A) histrionic personality disorder
B) paranoid personality disorder
C) borderline personality disorder
D) schizotypal personality disorder

Question 41

Schizotypal individuals have an elevated risk for what disorder?

A) social phobia
B) schizophrenia
C) multiple personality disorder
D) histrionic personality disorder

Question 42

Stacey often feels as if deceased relatives are in the room with her. She talks to herself, often speaks to others in a meandering yet not totally incoherent manner, and believes she possesses a sixth sense that enables her to read peoples' minds. She might be diagnosed as having what type of personality disorder?

A) schizoid
B) antisocial
C) avoidant
D) schizotypal

Question 43

Which of the following is one of the characteristics seen in histrionic individuals?

A) amnesia
B) nightmares
C) excessive attention to details
D) frequent complaints of poor health

Question 44

Which of the following represents behaviors that are likely to occur in someone with histrionic personality disorder?

A) Arlene thinks other people are making fun of the way she dresses.
B) Alice carefully catalogs every item of clothing she owns and hangs them by size and color.
C) Angela dresses in drab clothing because she is really not interested in interpersonal relationships.
D) Andrea dresses as seductively as possible although she does not really desire intimate sexual activity.

Question 45

On what basis is a person with histrionic personality disorder likely to make important decisions?

A) hunches
B) overly detached, rational analysis
C) obsessive attention to details
D) meek requests that someone else decide

Question 46

Which diagnosis is given more frequently to women than to men?

A) schizoid personality disorder
B) histrionic personality disorder
C) antisocial personality disorder
D) schizotypal personality disorder

Question 47

Which of the following is characteristic of narcissistic personality disorder?

A) lack of empathy
B) sleep disturbances
C) oddities of speech
D) moralistic attitudes about right and wrong

Question 48

Greg, a successful actor, contacted a therapist because he was having trouble playing a character who was grieving. Greg could not understand how someone could be so wrapped up in someone else, nor could he understand why someone as gifted as himself was having any difficulty with the role. Which personality disorder is most consistent with the symptoms Greg exhibits?

A) schizoid
B) dependent
C) antisocial
D) narcissistic

Question 49

Which personality disorder is characterized by a sense of self-importance accompanied by fragile self-esteem?

A) schizoid
B) paranoid
C) narcissistic
D) schizotypal

Question 50

Which personality disorder is characterized by grandiose sense of self-importance, exaggerating personal achievements, and a preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success?

A) antisocial
B) borderline
C) schizotypal
D) narcissistic

Question 51

Cheryl loves to brag about her accomplishments. She enjoys being the center of attention, is self-absorbed, and lacks empathy. She is exhibiting characteristics of which personality disorder?

A) antisocial
B) dependent
C) narcissistic
D) borderline

Question 52

As part of an in-class activity you are given a card with the following: grandiose sense of self-importance, not able to empathize, preoccupied with own achievements. The description also suggests the individual is in need of therapy. Your job is to act out this individual. What diagnosis are you being asked to portray?

A) dependent personality disorder
B) borderline personality disorder
C) schizotypal personality disorder
D) narcissistic personality disorder

Question 53

Approximately what percentage of psychiatric patients are given the diagnosis of borderline personality disorder?

A) 1%
B) 12%
C) 20%
D) 40%

Question 54

A person diagnosed with borderline personality disorder would likely show self-destructive behavior in reaction to which situation?

A) sleep deprivation
B) impending separation
C) disruption of anxiety-reducing rituals
D) having to talk to a group of people at a party

Question 55

A therapist is going to make a presentation to other professionals on the topic of borderline personality disorder. Which of the following would make the best title for this presentation?

A) "Self destructive behavior: A behavioral specialty"
B) "The delusions and hallucinations might as well be real"
C) "Forget the borderline: Recognize the psychotic symptoms"
D) "Too much affection and too many calories: The end result"

Question 56

Mary is uncertain about her goals, values, loyalties, career, and friends. She feels bored and empty and clings to her friends because of a fear of abandonment. She is extremely sensitive to any sign of rejection and generally considered to be quite self destructive. Mary is showing some characteristics of which personality disorder?

A) avoidant
B) borderline
C) schizotypal
D) self-defeating

Question 57

A co-worker has described Helen as engaging in unstable and intense interpersonal relationships and promiscuous sexual activity. In addition, she appears to be emotionally unstable and frequently loses her temper. What is the most likely diagnosis?

A) borderline personality disorder
B) dependent personality disorder
C) schizotypal personality disorder
D) obsessive-compulsive personality disorder

Question 58

People with which personality disorder are often compulsively social?

A) schizoid
B) borderline
C) schizotypal
D) obsessive-compulsive

Question 59

A psychologist is evaluating a client believed to be suffering from borderline personality disorder. In order to be sure about the diagnosis, what other personality disorders should be considered?

A) histrionic and antisocial
B) narcissistic and schizoid
C) dependent and avoidant
D) antisocial and schizotypal

Question 60

Which personality disorder is associated with an especially high risk for suicide?

A) schizoid
B) antisocial
C) narcissistic
D) borderline

Question 61

Originally, the term "borderline" was used to describe a milder form of

A) schizophrenia.
B) mental retardation.
C) dissociative disorder.
D) obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Question 62

Some researchers have suggested that borderline personality disorder may be a boundary category between

A) neurosis and psychosis.
B) health and the other personality disorders.
C) schizoid and schizotypal personality disorders.
D) other personality disorders and mood disorders.

Question 63

Borderline personality disorder differs from schizotypal personality disorder in that the borderline category emphasizes

A) dependence rather than arrogance.
B) arrogance rather than dependence.
C) affective rather than cognitive symptoms.
D) cognitive rather than affective symptoms.

Question 64

Of the following personality disorders, which has been the most researched?

A) avoidant
B) borderline
C) narcissistic
D) obsessive-compulsive

Question 65

Which of the following is frequently seen as the core problem of borderline personality disorder?

A) intolerance of being alone
B) inability to obtain pleasure from any activity
C) extreme depression bordering on catatonia
D) obsessive attention to details of their lives and the lives of their friends

Question 66

What do borderline personality disorder and histrionic personality disorder have in common?

A) peculiar thoughts
B) attention seeking behaviors
C) avoidance of strong emotions
D) disinterest in personal relationships

Question 67

What characteristic occurs in both borderline personality disorder and antisocial personality disorder?

A) impulsive
B) sensitivity to criticism
C) excessive attention to detail
D) discomfort with strong emotions

Question 68

Although there are some similarities between borderline and schizotypal, there are also some major differences. An intern is asked to summarize one way to distinguish the two disorders. He decides that compared to schizotypal people, people with borderline personality disorder are

A) unlikely to want to be alone.
B) overwhelmed with their sense of loss.
C) more likely to exhibit shallow emotions.
D) more likely to be perceived as faking symptoms.

Question 69

Which term is used to describe the failure to integrate positive and negative interpersonal experiences?

A) autism
B) delusion
C) splitting
D) primary process

Question 70

Otto Kernberg has suggested that splitting, or failing to integrate positive and negative experiences, is an explanation for

A) antisocial behavior.
B) compulsive behavior.
C) histrionic personality disorder.
D) borderline personality disorder.

Question 71

Amy is about to begin dialectical behavior therapy for the treatment of borderline personality disorder. Which of the following is likely to characterize this form of therapy?

A) The therapist will try to establish transference.
B) The client will be treated with a combination of medication and psychotherapy.
C) The goal of the therapy will to be undercover unconscious causes of the symptoms.
D) The sessions will aim to develop the client's reasonable expectations concerning other people.

Question 72

Chronic behavior that violates the rights of others and is associated with little expression of remorse or guilt is characteristic of

A) schizoid personality disorder.
B) histrionic personality disorder.
C) antisocial personality disorder.
D) narcissistic personality disorder.

Question 73

What have recent revelations about Gary Gilmore indicated about his early life?

A) His childhood was filled with violence and child abuse.
B) His parents were schizophrenic and unable to care for him.
C) An accident during childhood may have caused brain damage.
D) He actually had a soft side that was hidden during his adult years.

Question 74

Which of the following is NOT necessary in the diagnostic criteria for antisocial personality?

A) history of arrests
B) irresponsible behavior
C) current age of 18 or older
D) history of antisocial behavior before age 15

Question 75

To people who know her casually, Marcia is charming. She is quite intelligent but uses this quality to manipulate and exploit others. She expresses little remorse when she hurts someone. These characteristics are typical of which personality disorder?

A) paranoid
B) avoidant
C) antisocial
D) schizotypal

Question 76

Low levels of which neurotransmitter has been implicated in the development of antisocial personality disorder?

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

Question 77

Evidence that antisocial personality disorder may be related to a need for higher stimulation levels in order to be aroused comes from research on

A) serotonin levels.
B) electrical brain activity.
C) self-reported depression.
D) response to drugs for hyperactivity.

Question 78

A neurologist just finished reviewing the EEG records of an individual. The records reveal a pattern of slower than expected alpha rhythms. If the neurologist suspects the presence of a personality disorder, which one should he consider first?

A) schizoid
B) borderline
C) antisocial
D) dependent

Question 79

A person with the diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder volunteered to be a subject in research involving brain waves. After the technicians studied this individual for a few days, they were surprised that he had high levels of

A) beta waves.
B) theta waves.
C) slow alpha waves.
D) slow delta waves.

Question 80

An expert on antisocial personality disorder was asked to describe the anxiety responses of men with this disorder. How would he respond?

A) Their anxiety lacks a component of cognitive worry.
B) There are no signs of physiological or cognitive anxiety.
C) Their anxiety has an unusually high level of cognitive worry.
D) There is little physiological arousal associated with their anxiety.