Deck 11: Personality Disorders

Question 1

An interesting facet of personality disorders is that they cause

A) distress for the patients but not for those who interact with them.
B) distress for those who interact with patients but not necessarily for the patients themselves.
C) distress for both the patients and those who interact with them.
D) no distress for either the patients or those who interact with them.

Answer 1

distress for those who interact with patients but not necessarily for the patients themselves.

Question 2

The DSM-5 follows the categorical model of personality; a person either has a personality disorder or does not. However, many researchers contend that a better approach to understanding personality disorders is the ____________ model, which displays the full range of a trait along a continuum.

A) multiaxial
B) biopsychosocial
C) spectrum
D) dimensional

Answer 2

dimensional

Question 3

Normally, Jake is described by his friends as being easy-going and relaxed. However, when he's under stress, he becomes moody and readily snaps at others. This behavioral tendency for Jake to act outside his normal behavior when he is stressed is called

A) ego-syntonic.
B) personality disordered.
C) context driven.
D) ego-dystonic.

Answer 3

ego-dystonic.

Question 4

Jamal is a New York City firefighter/paramedic. People who know him say that he is calm and level-headed no matter what the situation. This is one reason his supervisors have chosen him to mentor all of the station's new recruits. This behavioral tendency for Jamal to act in the same manner regardless of the situation is called

A) ego-syntonic.
B) personally coherent.
C) context driven.
D) ego-dystonic.

Question 5

The behaviors that are characteristic of Cluster C personality disorders are described as

A) odd, quirky, or eccentric.
B) exaggerated, dramatic, or emotional.
C) anxious, withdrawn, or fearful.
D) emotionally neutral, odd thinking, or isolated.

Question 6

Which personality disorder revolves around a pervasive distrust and suspiciousness of others, including family members and friends?

A) Paranoid
B) Schizoid
C) Schizotypal
D) Antisocial

Question 7

The behaviors that are characteristic of Cluster A personality disorders are described as

A) odd, quirky, or eccentric.
B) exaggerated, dramatic, or emotional.
C) anxious, withdrawn, or fearful.
D) emotionally neutral, odd thinking, or isolated.

Question 8

Alice has been ordered to attend counseling because she assaulted one of her husband's female coworkers. At the first session, she appeared highly guarded and refused to answer many of the questions posed to her. Eventually the therapist determined that Alice believed her husband was having an affair with the woman she attacked. Her husband has denied the affair and he, along with several other people, has repeatedly told Alice that the coworker is happily involved in a long-term relationship with her female partner. In the end, Alice angrily stomped out of the therapy session because she became convinced that the therapist was also attracted to her husband and was "just looking for dirt on her." Alice may have _____ personality disorder.

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

Question 9

Which personality description is matched with the correct personality disorder cluster?

A) fearful - Cluster A
B) erratic - Cluster B
C) eccentric - Cluster C
D) emotional - Cluster C

Question 10

Two factors that clinicians should consider before making a personality disorder diagnosis are the patient's

A) observable symptoms and level of distress.
B) biological symptoms and level of impairment.
C) biological symptoms and level of distress.
D) level of distress and level of impairment.

Question 11

The behaviors that are characteristic of Cluster B personality disorders are described as

A) odd, quirky, or eccentric.
B) exaggerated, dramatic, or emotional.
C) anxious, withdrawn, or fearful.
D) emotionally neutral, odd thinking, or isolated .

Question 12

During times of stress, patients with schizoid personality disorder may experience

A) delusions.
B) hallucinations.
C) cognitive impairments.
D) brief psychotic episodes.

Question 13

The characteristic way a person sees, interprets, and behaves in the world, which is relatively stable across time and many different situations, is called a

A) p+C1286:C1335ersonality trait.
B) personality disorder.
C) clinical state.
D) clinical characteristic.

Question 14

Jocelyn is a sophomore in college who is majoring in elementary education. She sought counseling at the advice of one of her professors, who feels that she is not suited for the teaching profession. During her first visit, Jocelyn stated that since she could remember, she has always preferred to stay at home and either read or watch movies by herself. She has no friends and no inclination to date. The therapist noted that the most striking aspect of Jocelyn's personality was the complete lack of emotion. She did not seem concerned or angered by her professor's suggestion that she should switch majors, and, in fact, Jocelyn appeared highly detached from the world. Jocelyn may have _____ personality disorder.

A) paranoid
B) schizoid
C) schizotypal .
D) antisocial

Question 15

The expression of a personality characteristic that is related to a specific circumstance, clinical condition, or period of time is called a

A) trait.
B) disorder.
C) state.
D) context.

Question 16

Which personality disorder cluster is correctly matched with a personality description?

A) Cluster A -- dramatic
B) Cluster B -- fearful
C) Cluster B -- odd
D) Cluster C -- anxious

Question 17

A long-term, pervasive pattern of inflexible and maladaptive functioning is called a

A) personality trait.
B) personality disorder.
C) clinical state.
D) clinical context.

Question 18

____________ personality disorder involves a pervasive pattern of detachment from social relationships and a restricted range of emotional expression in interpersonal settings.

A) Paranoid
B) Schizoid
C) Schizotypal
D) Antisocial

Question 19

The personality disorder that includes a pervasive pattern of social and interpersonal deficits marked by acute discomfort, reduced capacity for close relationships, cognitive or personal distortions, and behavioral eccentricities is called ____________ personality disorder.

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

Question 20

Which symptom differentiates paranoid schizophrenia from paranoid personality disorder?

A) Being easily angered and argumentative
B) Distrusting others
C) Believing that others are out to harm or deceive them
D) Having delusions

Question 21

Research on avoidant personality disorder and social anxiety disorder suggests that the main difference between the two is

A) comorbidity with other disorders.
B) severity.
C) diagnostic criteria.
D) prevalence.

Question 22

When a patient's symptoms include a pervasive pattern of unstable interpersonal relationships, self-image, affect, and impulsivity, they most likely have ____________ personality disorder.

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

Question 23

Which personality disorder is marked by a pervasive and excessive need to be taken care of, which leads to submissive and clinging behavior and fears of separation?

A) Histrionic
B) Avoidant
C) Dependent
D) Obsessive-compulsive

Question 24

Your friend Ricky is a "pack rat," a hoarder. He mentions that he has been diagnosed with a personality disorder. "But I forget which one," he says. You suspect Ricky may have been diagnosed with _____ personality disorder.

A) antisocial
B) dependent
C) obsessive-compulsive
D) histrionic

Question 25

The symptoms of avoidant personality disorder and ____________ are so similar that many mental health professionals wonder whether they are in fact two separate disorders.

A) generalized panic disorder
B) social anxiety disorder
C) panic disorder with agoraphobia
D) agoraphobia without a history of panic disorder

Question 26

Some patients with borderline personality disorder can experience

A) long periods of mood stability.
B) agoraphobia.
C) social phobias.
D) transient psychotic episodes.

Question 27

____________ personality disorder is a pervasive pattern of excessive emotionality and attention seeking.

A) Antisocial
B) Obsessive-compulsive
C) Borderline
D) Histrionic

Question 28

Patients with which personality disorder display a pervasive pattern of social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and hypersensitivity to negative evaluation?

A) Histrionic
B) Avoidant
C) Dependent
D) Obsessive-compulsive

Question 29

At the heart of avoidant personality disorder lies

A) the need to be closer to others than relationships actually are.
B) the need to be the center of attention.
C) a sense of inadequacy and shyness.
D) a deep fear of abandonment.

Question 30

Which personality disorder is marked by a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration from others, and lack of empathy?

A) Antisocial
B) Narcissistic
C) Borderline
D) Histrionic

Question 31

In order for antisocial personality disorder to be diagnosed, the patient must be at least

A) 18 years old and have had symptoms of conduct disorder before age 15.
B) 21 years old and have had symptoms of conduct disorder before age 18.
C) 18 years old and have had no symptoms of conduct disorder before age 15.
D) 21 years old and have had no symptoms of conduct disorder before age 18.

Question 32

____________ personality disorder is a pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others.

A) Paranoid
B) Schizoid
C) Schizotypal
D) Antisocial

Question 33

Which personality disorder is also known as psychopathy, sociopathy, and dyssocial personality disorder?

A) Borderline
B) Narcissistic
C) Antisocial
D) Histrionic

Question 34

At the heart of borderline personality disorder lies

A) the need to look up to others.
B) a sense of inadequacy and shyness.
C) the need to be the center of attention.
D) a deep fear of abandonment.

Question 35

Every person who engages in antisocial behaviors is not a criminal. However, there is a pervasive pattern of ______ for the violation of the rights of others.

A) aggression
B) disregard
C) conformity
D) responsibility

Question 36

Which statement is FALSE with respect to self-harming among persons with borderline personality disorder?

A) For persons with borderline personality disorder, self-harming is a way to commit suicide.
B) Self-harm is way for persons with borderline personality disorder to release underlying mounting pressure.
C) Persons with borderline personality disorder feel empty/dull inside and are looking for a way to experience some sort of feeling/sensation.
D) Persons with borderline personality disorder are trying to offset the belief that they are evil or tarnished in some way.

Question 37

Sam is 38. He is unemployed and lives with a family member. One afternoon, he shows his neighbor, Sean, a YouTube video of his cousin performing a mediocre rap. "I wrote that!" Sam brags. "We're going to make it big real soon! I write a lot of things; I'm in the Poets' Society of America." "Well, I'm leaving to go the gym," Sean says, hoping Sam will leave. Sam responds, "You can work out all the time but you'll never surpass me." Sam then describes the expensive brand-name athletic shoes he owns. Sam may have _____ personality disorder.

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

Question 38

Why is antisocial personality disorder considered to be easier to diagnose than other personality disorders?

A) Symptoms are present for a longer period of time, making it easier for clinicians to trace deviant behaviors back to childhood/adolescence.
B) Conspicuous, deviant behaviors (e.g., cruelty to animals/people, property destruction) allow for easier diagnosis.
C) People with this disorder are more likely to admit to their crimes once they have been caught because they feel remorseful for their actions.
D) People with this disorder are more likely to admit their behaviors/symptoms to clinicians compared with patients who have other personality disorders.

Question 39

Schizotypal personality disorder and schizophrenia share some characteristics, but one characteristic they do not have in common is

A) delusions of grandeur.
B) magical thinking.
C) ideas of reference.
D) oddities of behavior, such as poor hygiene.

Question 40

A pervasive pattern of preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and mental and interpersonal control at the expense of flexibility, openness, and efficiency differentiates ____________ personality disorder from the other personality disorders.

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

Question 41

Across epidemiological studies, ____________ personality disorders appear to be more common in women. However, in clinical settings, women are most often diagnosed with ____________ personality disorder.

A) histrionic and borderline; dependent
B) dependent and avoidant; histrionic
C) obsessive-compulsive and borderline; avoidant
D) narcissistic and histrionic; dependent

Question 42

Personality components that are biologically or genetically based, observable from birth, and relatively stable across time and situations are called

A) temperament.
B) traits.
C) state.
D) constitution.

Question 43

Experiencing a traumatic event ____________ is especially likely to produce profound and chronic effects on brain biology.

A) during a critical developmental window
B) in adulthood
C) during an already stressful time
D) in early adolescence

Question 44

Research has suggested that the heritability of personality disorders ranges from approximately

A) 15 to 20%.
B) 20 to 40%.
C) 40 to 50%.
D) 50 to 60%.

Question 45

Which perspective takes into account multiple factors in the development of personality disorders?

A) Psychobiological
B) Biopsychosocial
C) Cognitive
D) Psychodynamic

Question 46

Which statement is TRUE of the Five Factor Model?

A) It is a categorical model that is used to detect the presence of personality disorders.
B) It is a dimensional model that classifies behavior along five different dimensions.
C) It increases the stigma of being diagnosed with a personality disorder because it focuses on personality weaknesses.
D) It increases the number of personality disorders that a patient may be diagnosed with because behaviors are seen on a continuum.

Question 47

The Children in the Community study discussed in the text found that parental rearing styles may affect the development of personality disorders in children. The progression of ____________ in childhood to ____________ in adulthood provides the best supporting evidence for this finding.

A) communication disorders; avoidant personality disorder
B) attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; borderline personality disorder
C) conduct disorder; antisocial personality disorder
D) Asperger's disorder; obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Question 48

Given the effects of brain maturation on the course of personality maturity, children are not often diagnosed with personality disorders before the age of ______.

A) 5
B) 10
C) 15
D) 18

Question 49

Although personality-related problems are one of the main reasons why people seek out therapy, as many as ____________ of these patients do not meet the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for a personality disorder.

A) 15%
B) 30%
C) 45%
D) 60%

Question 50

The five dimensions of the Five Factor Model include neuroticism, conscientiousness, agreeableness, openness, and

A) introversion.
B) negativism.
C) extraversion.
D) gregariousness.

Question 51

Adolescent personality disorders are associated with

A) psychotic episodes and decreased social skills.
B) emotional distress and psychological impairment.
C) cognitive deficits and unhealthy family environments.
D) parental rearing styles and genetic abnormalities.

Question 52

Good attachment in childhood results in the ability to think about the mental states of others, or ____________, which is important to personality development.

A) empathy
B) sympathy
C) mentalization
D) compartmentalization

Question 53

Two of the most widely studied aspects of childhood temperament are the behavioral tendencies to approach or withdraw from

A) the child's own parents/caregivers.
B) painful stimuli.
C) fire or water.
D) unfamiliar stimuli.

Question 54

In a set of research studies described in the text, a group of two-year olds were initially categorized as being inhibited or uninhibited. Twenty years later, the participants

A) retained some of the basic brain properties relating to temperament that initially differentiated the two groups.
B) had the same chance of developing a personality disorder regardless of which group they were originally in.
C) were diagnosed with narcissistic and histrionic personality disorders more often if they were in the uninhibited group.
D) lost all of the basic brain properties relating to temperament that initially differentiated the two groups.

Question 55

A patient who meets the diagnostic criteria for more than one personality disorder is diagnosed with

A) personality disorder-not otherwise specified.
B) personality disorder-undifferentiated.
C) personality disorder-residual.
D) personality disorder-mixed.

Question 56

Functional impairments in personality disorders are most often seen in what area?

A) Cognitive deficits
B) School
C) Medical problems
D) Interpersonal relationships

Question 57

Research has shown that the most heritable personality disorder is ____________.

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

Question 58

How long should persons under 18 show symptoms of a personality disorder before a diagnosis can be made?

A) A diagnosis can be made as soon as symptoms appear.
B) Symptoms should be present for six months.
C) Symptoms should be present for at least one year.
D) No one under the age of 18 should be diagnosed with a personality disorder.

Question 59

Family and twin research studies have shown that personality disorders and traits

A) are solely caused by environmental factors.
B) run in families and are influenced primarily by genetic factors.
C) are the result of a single gene being responsible for the development of a single trait.
D) are the result of some unknown outside variable that has yet to be discovered.

Question 60

Across epidemiological studies, ____________ personality disorder appears to be more common in men. However, in clinical settings, men are most often diagnosed with ____________ personality disorder.

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

Question 61

According to the text, the two most prominent theories in personality psychology are the ____________ and ____________ perspectives.

A) psychodynamic; behavioral
B) cognitive-behavioral; sociocultural
C) behavioral; sociocultural
D) psychodynamic; cognitive-behavioral

Question 62

The available data suggest that the best course of treatment for personality disorders is

A) medication therapy.
B) psychotherapy.
C) electroconvulsive therapy.
D) exposure therapy.

Question 63

Research studies of specific personality disorders have mainly focused on ____________ or ____________ personality disorders.

A) narcissistic; avoidant
B) obsessive-compulsive; schizoid
C) dependent; paranoid
D) borderline; antisocial

Question 64

As a whole, ____________ disorders have the least amount of treatment data available.

A) Cluster A
B) Cluster B
C) Cluster C
D) Cluster D

Question 65

"Overperceiving" and "overresponding" to threats may be caused by

A) trauma in early childhood.
B) acuteness of sight and hearing.
C) excessively harsh parental discipline.
D) the presence of many children in a family.

Question 66

In addition to traditional talk therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, and inpatient stays, step-down programs have been effective in the treatment of borderline personality disorder. Step-down programs are defined as

A) short-term hospital stays followed by long-term outpatient and community treatment.
B) long-term hospital stays followed by short-term outpatient and community treatment.
C) initially intense psychotherapy that gradually tapers off to occasional maintenance sessions.
D) initially intense psychotherapy followed by a transition to community-based self-help treatment programs.

Question 67

The hippocampus and amygdala may be as much as 16% smaller in patients diagnosed with ________ personality disorders than in those with no personality disorder.

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

Question 68

A personality trait refers to the characteristic way a person approaches the world.

Question 69

One of the greatest challenges in treating personality disorders is

A) medication compliance.
B) overcoming the lack of family support.
C) getting the patient into treatment.
D) scheduling difficulties/conflicts.

Question 70

Which perspective proposes that personality develops from an interaction between a person's environment and the way he or she processes information?

A) Cognitive-behavioral
B) Sociocultural
C) Psychodynamic
D) Social development

Question 71

____________ theories look beyond the individual and include the role that cultural influences play in the development of personality.

A) Cognitive-behavioral
B) Sociocultural
C) Psychodynamic
D) Social development

Question 72

Dialectical behavior therapy is most often used as a treatment for _____ personality disorder.

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

Question 73

When compared with people who have schizotypal personality disorder, those who are diagnosed with schizophrenia show a decrease in ____________ lobe volume.

A) parietal
B) frontal
C) occipital
D) temporal

Question 74

Antipsychotic medications are commonly prescribed for the treatment of borderline personality disorder. These medications are also used to treat

A) depression.
B) schizophrenia.
C) phobias.
D) generalized anxiety disorder.

Question 75

____________ is a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy specially designed to treat people with borderline personality disorder.

A) Rational emotive behavioral therapy
B) Acceptance and commitment therapy
C) Dialectical behavior therapy
D) Cognitive analytic therapy

Question 76

Differentiating between personality traits and personality disorders is important for both diagnosis and treatment.

Question 77

____________ developed the influential psychodynamic theory that places personality disorders on a continuum of psychopathology.

A) Sigmund Freud
B) Anna Freud
C) Emil Kraepelin
D) Otto Kernberg

Question 78

Structurally, volume abnormalities in the ____________ lobe are found in patients with schizotypal personality disorder and schizophrenia.

A) parietal
B) frontal
C) occipital
D) temporal

Question 79

Normally, Monty is very laid back and easy going. However, when he is under stress he becomes highly irritable and short-tempered. Monty's behavior when he is under stress would be considered ego-syntonic.

Question 80

Focusing on the role of early parental interactions in the formation of personality traits and disorders is a key concept of the ____________ perspective.

A) behavioral
B) biopsychosocial
C) psychodynamic
D) cognitive-behavioral