Deck 16: Specific Disorders and Treatments

Question 1

The majority of people who suffer from agoraphobia also suffer from

A) conversion disorder.
B) obsessive-compulsive disorder.
C) schizophrenia.
D) panic disorder.

Answer 1

panic disorder.

Question 2

Many or most people with panic disorder tend to avoid

A) large, noisy animals.
B) soft, wet ground.
C) bright, shiny objects.
D) open, public spaces.

Answer 2

open, public spaces.

Question 3

Therapists often tell those who experience panic attacks

A) not to become dependent on the anti-psychotic medication they take.
B) to be aware of how their panic attacks are embarrassing others around them.
C) that nothing could be worse than experiencing a panic attack in a public place.
D) that they are not losing their mind.

Answer 3

that they are not losing their mind.

Question 4

Which of the following statements regarding generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is NOT true?

A) Most people with GAD also suffer from other disorders as well, such as phobias and depression.
B) Antidepressant drugs are an effective treatment for GAD.
C) GAD is found in people who have more life difficulties and therefore have more to worry about.
D) Cognitive-behavioral therapy has been shown to be an effective, and perhaps long-lasting, treatment for GAD.

Question 5

Panic disorder is an emotional disturbance

A) most frequently found in children.
B) found in about 45% of all American adults.
C) found more often in women than in men.
D) found more often in men than in women.

Question 6

Agoraphobia, an excessive fear of open places or public places, is frequently associated with

A) schizophrenia.
B) somatoform disorder.
C) multiple personality.
D) panic disorder.

Question 7

Avoidance behaviors are __________ resistant to extinction because they __________.

A) not very...involve high levels of motivation
B) not very...occur only in lower animals
C) very...produce high levels of excitement that interfere with any new learning
D) very...prevent the organism from discovering that the behavior is useless

Question 8

The fear of open or public places is known as

A) panic disorder.
B) agoraphobia.
C) social phobia.
D) generalized anxiety disorder.

Question 9

Agoraphobia is a fear of

A) closed places.
B) open or public places.
C) heights.
D) animals.

Question 10

A key symptom of panic disorder is

A) hyperventilation.
B) disordered thinking.
C) language difficulties.
D) delusions.

Question 11

Someone who has occasional attacks of greatly increased heart rate, breathing rate, sweating, and trembling, with little or no warning, is said to have:

A) panic disorder.
B) obsessive-compulsive disorder.
C) bipolar disorder.
D) a phobia.

Question 12

Research suggests that when individuals with panic disorder breathe heavily, they often interpret

A) their breathing as the start of another panic attack, thereby beginning one.
B) the mood of others as hostile, which leads to further depression.
C) ambiguous signals from the environment as part of their delusion.
D) nervous laughter and general anxiety from others as mocking of their heavy breathing.

Question 13

Those who suffer from panic disorder experience suddenly high arousal

A) and are surprised by it.
B) because of contact with a dangerous stimulus.
C) without characteristic physiological arousal.
D) and a temporary loss of memory.

Question 14

Research suggests that those who experience panic attacks may trigger a new panic attack when

A) alcohol and drugs are used.
B) they revisit a situation similar to the one in which the first panic attack occurred.
C) they encounter a snake or spider.
D) they breathe air that is richer than usual in oxygen.

Question 15

Someone who has generalized anxiety disorder would be most likely to

A) say "I never am able to feel anxious."
B) be constantly plagued by exaggerated worries.
C) experience panic attacks daily.
D) lose access to a particular set of memories.

Question 16

The difference between fear and anxiety is that

A) fear is, by definition, more intense than anxiety.
B) anxiety is, by definition, more intense than fear.
C) anxiety, unlike fear, is generally associated with a specific situation.
D) fear, unlike anxiety, is generally associated with a specific situation.

Question 17

In what way is panic disorder sometimes self-perpetuating?

A) Panic attacks damage the heart, which increases the probability of another panic attack.
B) People who suffer panic attacks are often mistaken for epileptics and given anti-epileptic drugs that increase overall arousal.
C) People who suffer panic attacks are often given tranquilizers that backfire and cause more panic attacks.
D) Worry leads to hyperventilation, which increases the probability of a panic attack.

Question 18

People suffering from panic disorder also have a high probability of suffering from?

A) eating disorders.
B) agoraphobia.
C) substance abuse.
D) memory disorders.

Question 19

Jeff has occasional periods of chest pains, difficulty in breathing, increased heart rate, sweating, faintness, and dizziness for no apparent reason. From which of these psychological disorders is he most likely to be suffering?

A) schizophrenia
B) obsessive-compulsive disorder
C) depression
D) panic disorder

Question 20

Panic disorder is frequently linked with:

A) obsessive-compulsive disorder.
B) social phobia.
C) multiple personality.
D) conversion disorder.

Question 21

Superstitions, phobias, and obsessive-compulsive disorder all tend to persist for long times, in spite of being useless, because their origin is related to

A) imprinting.
B) operant conditioning with positive reinforcement.
C) avoidance learning.
D) shaping.

Question 22

In John B. Watson's attempt to produce a phobia through classical conditioning, the conditioned response was

A) fear and crying.
B) a white rat.
C) an electric shock.
D) a loud noise.

Question 23

A monkey develops a strong fear of snakes:

A) only if it gets a snake bite itself.
B) only if it gets a snake bite or watches another monkey get bitten.
C) even if it just watches another monkey show fear in response to the snake.
D) only if it is born with a certain gene for snake fear.

Question 24

According to one theory, people develop a phobia of an object if they see that object and then feel pain. Evidence against this simple theory includes the fact that

A) many people have phobias of objects with which they have had no unpleasant experiences.
B) systematic desensitization is an effective way of treating phobias.
C) anyone who is successfully treated for one phobia immediately develops another one.
D) the most common objects of phobias are totally harmless objects such as trees and houses.

Question 25

One major problem for Watson's hypothesis about phobia development is that?

A) systematic desensitization can alleviate most phobias.
B) some people develop stronger phobias than others do.
C) phobias occur in other cultures throughout the world.
D) many people develop phobias without a bad experience with the object.

Question 26

Suppose you are an experimenter, and you have trained someone to press a lever to avoid shocks. Now you disconnect the shock generator. Other than telling the person what you have done, what procedure would be most successful in facilitating extinction of the lever pressing?

A) Sound a mild buzzer each time an avoidance response was made.
B) Reconnect the shock generator and increase the shock intensity.
C) Keep the person out of the experimental setting for a few days.
D) Prevent the person from pressing the lever.

Question 27

In John B. Watson's attempt to produce a phobia through classical conditioning, the conditioned stimulus was

A) an electrical shock.
B) a loud noise.
C) a white rat.
D) fear and crying.

Question 28

How can a monkey develop a fear of snakes?

A) A monkey is born with a fear of snakes.
B) A monkey that sees another monkey show fear of snakes develops a fear of snakes.
C) A monkey that learns a fear of anything else immediately generalizes that fear to include snakes.
D) A monkey develops a fear of snakes only after it has been bitten by a snake.

Question 29

Comparing phobias and panic disorder one finds that

A) phobic reactions are mild, whereas panic attacks are intense.
B) panic attacks are mild, whereas phobic reactions are intense.
C) phobic reactions involve hyperventilation, whereas panic attacks do not.
D) panic attacks occur at rather unpredictable times, whereas phobic reactions are aroused by some specific object or event.

Question 30

An observer monkey that is not afraid of snakes watches another monkey that becomes very afraid when it sees a snake. The observer monkey may or may not become afraid of snakes, depending on

A) whether or not the other monkey screams and makes gestures.
B) whether or not it can see the snake as well as the other monkey.
C) whether it is older or younger than the frightened monkey.
D) whether or not it has ever been bitten by a snake itself.

Question 31

A phobia is best defined as a fear that

A) interferes with normal living.
B) people do not realize they have.
C) is associated with a totally harmless object.
D) occurs at random times and is not associated with any object.

Question 32

One theoretical problem with Watson's analysis of phobia learning is that

A) many people develop phobias without any painful experience.
B) systematic desensitization often relieves phobias.
C) most people with phobias avoid the object of their phobias.
D) most phobias develop before the age when children start to learn.

Question 33

John B. Watson attempted to produce a phobia of white rats by classical conditioning. In his procedure, a white rat was the __________ and a loud noise was the __________.

A) conditioned stimulus...conditioned response
B) conditioned stimulus...unconditioned stimulus
C) unconditioned stimulus...unconditioned response
D) unconditioned stimulus...conditioned stimulus

Question 34

John B. Watson proposed that people learn phobias by associating a harmless thing with something frightening or dangerous (as in the case of Little Albert). One weakness in this theory is that

A) most phobias develop so early in life that psychologists believe they must be inherited.
B) avoidance learning is generally very slow to develop
C) avoidance learning occurs easily in nonhuman, but seldom occurs in humans.
D) many people develop phobias of objects with which they have never had a bad personal experience.

Question 35

In John B. Watson's attempt to produce a phobia through classical conditioning, the unconditioned response was

A) an electric shock.
B) fear and crying.
C) a loud noise.
D) a white rat.

Question 36

Which of the following statements regarding the prevalence of phobias is NOT true?

A) As with other anxiety disorders, phobias are more common in women than in men.
B) As with other anxiety disorders, phobias tend to fade as people grow older.
C) About 11% of the U.S. population reports having a phobia at some time in their life.
D) Most people first acquire phobias when they reach middle age.

Question 37

People rarely develop phobias of?

A) open spaces.
B) closed spaces.
C) cars.
D) snakes.

Question 38

Superstition, phobia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder all resemble which kind of learning?

A) avoidance learning
B) fixed-ratio responding
C) fixed-interval responding
D) taste-aversion learning

Question 39

It is hard to get rid of superstitions, phobias, and obsessive-compulsive behaviors because they are similar to which kind of learning?

A) avoidance learning
B) conditioned taste aversions
C) fixed-interval operant conditioning
D) short-term memory

Question 40

What was the conditioned response in Watson's Little Albert study?

A) the loud sound
B) the white rat
C) trembling to the loud sound
D) trembling to the white rat

Question 41

In a study on the development of phobias, some human subjects receive an electric shock paired with pictures of snakes, while others get shock paired with pictures of houses. What is the likely outcome?

A) a strong fear of both snakes and houses
B) a lack of fear for both snakes and houses
C) a strong fear of snakes, but a weak fear of houses
D) a strong fear of houses, but a weak fear of snakes

Question 42

One reason why people are more likely to develop a phobia of spiders than a phobia of cars is that

A) people have more safe experiences with cars than with spiders.
B) more people are injured by spiders than by cars.
C) automobile advertisements reassure people that cars are safe.
D) it is easier to predict or control what spiders will do than what cars will do.

Question 43

Flooding or implosion is an effective treatment for phobias because of which of these physiological facts?

A) The axon conducts impulses in one direction only.
B) The sympathetic nervous system cannot maintain maximum arousal for very long.
C) The left frontal cortex is more important for happiness, while the right frontal cortex is more important for sadness.
D) Different synaptic transmitters control different aspects of behavior.

Question 44

People are more likely to develop phobias of what kind of object?

A) objects that may take us by surprise, such as lightning
B) objects over which they have some control, such as tools
C) objects they encounter every day, such as cars
D) objects that have become dangerous to modern humans but which were unknown in our remote past, such as guns

Question 45

The most effective treatment for phobias is

A) psychoanalysis.
B) stimulant drugs.
C) electroshock therapy.
D) systematic desensitization.

Question 46

Which of the following is a method of treating phobias in which the person is suddenly exposed to the feared object?

A) psychoanalysis
B) systematic desensitization
C) flooding
D) cognitive therapy

Question 47

The method of systematic desensitization is most commonly used as a therapy for which psychological disorder?

A) phobia
B) dissociative identity disorder
C) schizophrenia
D) alcohol or drug abuse

Question 48

A therapist using systematic desensitization would use which method to treat a phobia?

A) Analyze the person's dreams and free associations to try to understand the underlying reasons for the phobia.
B) Listen to the person's fears in a sympathetic manner without providing any advice.
C) Administer tranquilizers to reduce the symptoms.
D) Gradually increase the person's exposure to the object of the phobia.

Question 49

Which of the following is a method of treating phobias that closely resembles Skinner's shaping procedure?

A) flooding
B) electroconvulsive therapy
C) systematic desensitization
D) implosion

Question 50

People seldom develop phobias of

A) closed places.
B) guns.
C) open places.
D) animals.

Question 51

People are UNLIKELY to develop a phobia of an object if

A) they seldom encounter it in everyday life.
B) they watched someone get hurt, without getting hurt themselves.
C) they have a feeling of control over it.
D) they know that many other people are afraid of it.

Question 52

Systematic desensitization for a phobia begins with

A) a combination of group therapy and tranquilizing drugs.
B) trying to determine the unconscious thoughts responsible for the phobia.
C) punishing the person for any attempt to avoid the object.
D) briefly exposing the person to the object he or she fears.

Question 53

Other things being equal, people are most likely to develop phobias of objects that are

A) uncontrollable.
B) human-made.
C) familiar.
D) large.

Question 54

Someone has a phobia of snakes. A therapist using systematic desensitization to reduce that phobia would probably begin by asking the person to relax and then

A) try to stop thinking about snakes.
B) recall any childhood experiences with a snake.
C) look at or imagine a picture of a snake.
D) analyze what a snake means symbolically and unconsciously.

Question 55

In what way does systematic desensitization resemble extinction of a learned shock-avoidance response?

A) In both cases the individual is given instructions to explain why his or her behavior is irrational.
B) In both cases the individual is punished for an unacceptable thought or action.
C) In both cases the therapist begins by trying to understand the unconscious thoughts and motives behind the behavior.
D) In both cases the individual is exposed to something frightening and is prevented from avoiding it.

Question 56

People who have a painful experience with something are UNLIKELY to develop a phobia toward it if:

A) they have a sense of control over it.
B) other people seem frightened by it also.
C) it is an object that has been dangerous to humans throughout our history.
D) they have never had any previous experiences with that object.

Question 57

The most common, and highly successful, therapy for phobia relies on

A) understanding the unconscious motivations behind the fear.
B) explaining to the person why the fear is irrational.
C) punishing the person for any attempt to avoid the object.
D) gradual exposure to the feared object.

Question 58

Susan has seen a shark attack someone; she has also seen a dog attack someone. One reason why she is more likely to develop a phobia of sharks than a phobia of dogs is that

A) dogs have been dangerous to humans for a longer time than sharks have been.
B) attacks by sharks are predictable while dog attacks are not.
C) she has probably had a number of safe experiences with dogs.
D) more people are injured by sharks than by dogs.

Question 59

Phobia Busters, Inc. tries to help people overcome phobias by asking them to imagine the objects that fill them with the greatest fear and anxiety. This method is known as

A) Gestalt psychology.
B) psychoanalysis.
C) implosion or flooding.
D) transactional analysis.

Question 60

People most frequently develop phobias of objects that

A) have been dangerous throughout human history.
B) have become dangerous only in recent times.
C) they remember from childhood but do not encounter during adulthood.
D) are not and never have been dangerous.

Question 61

One reason that it is difficult and probably pointless to distinguish between addictive and nonaddictive drugs is that

A) no one has ever asked drug addicts why they use the drugs.
B) drugs that produce physical dependence also lead to withdrawal symptoms.
C) people develop greater tolerance to nonaddictive drugs than to addictive drugs.
D) almost anything, even water, can be addictive for some people.

Question 62

Addiction to alcohol and other drugs is a complex issue. Which of the following is one of the best questions to ask yourself to determine if you are addicted?

A) Do I use the substance every day?
B) Do I sometimes go for several days or even weeks without the substance and then use large amounts of it?
C) Am I addicted?
D) Does the substance cause troubles in my life?

Question 63

A repetitive, almost irresistible action is known as

A) an obsession.
B) a compulsion.
C) a fugue.
D) a somatization.

Question 64

Someone who tries to avoid thinking a particular shameful thought may develop

A) obsessions and compulsions.
B) desensitization and implosion.
C) eclectic tendencies.
D) fugue and catharsis.

Question 65

Which of the following is NOT true of obsessive-compulsive disorder?

A) The usual age of onset is between ages 10 and 25.
B) It is usually associated with lower intelligence.
C) It is associated with a perfectionistic personality.
D) It runs in families.

Question 66

A compulsion is

A) a repetitive action.
B) an excessive fear.
C) an ailment with no medical basis.
D) a repetitive line of thought.

Question 67

People with obsessive-compulsive disorder are likely to

A) develop physical ailments that have no apparent medical basis.
B) suffer from hallucinations and delusions.
C) develop unusual, repetitive rituals.
D) alternate between one personality and another.

Question 68

In which of the following disorders are people likely to have a large number of self-imposed rituals?

A) panic disorder
B) conversion disorder
C) multiple personality
D) obsessive-compulsive disorder

Question 69

Addiction to alcohol and other drugs is a complex issue. Which of the following is one of the best questions to ask yourself to determine if you are addicted?

A) Do I use the substance every day?
B) Do I sometimes go for several days or even weeks without the substance and then use large amounts of it?
C) How often do I drink by myself?
D) Do I sometimes use more of the substance than I had decided I would?

Question 70

Suppose you try as hard as possible to avoid thinking about polar bears. You are likely to have a mild, temporary experience that resembles

A) dissociative identity disorder.
B) phobia.
C) bipolar disorder.
D) obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Question 71

The best way to extinguish an avoidance response, which is also a good way to eliminate a phobia, is to

A) present the unconditioned stimulus without the conditioned stimulus.
B) present a punishment after the avoidance response.
C) present the feared stimulus and then prevent the avoidance response.
D) present reinforcements on a random schedule.

Question 72

Which class of drugs has been found to help some people with obsessive-compulsive disorder?

A) antidepressants
B) antipsychotics
C) mood stabilizers
D) MAO inhibitors

Question 73

In what way, if any, is the memory of obsessive-compulsive checkers unusual?

A) Their memory does not differ from that of normal people in any regard.
B) Their memory of what they have done is normal, but they do not trust their memory.
C) They cannot distinguish between what they have actually done and what they have only imagined doing.
D) Their memory is about normal, but they put more than the normal amount of confidence in their memory.

Question 74

Which of the following instructions can cause a normal person to develop a mild, temporary form of obsessive-compulsive disorder?

A) "Try not to think about a bear."
B) "Describe the last time you saw a bear."
C) "Imagine that you are being attacked by a bear."
D) "Draw a large full-color picture of a bear."

Question 75

Obsessive-compulsive cleaners tend to resemble people suffering from

A) dissociative identity disorder.
B) bipolar disorder.
C) phobia of dirt.
D) antisocial personality disorder.

Question 76

One reason why the checking rituals of certain obsessive-compulsive people go on for so long is that

A) the ritual is an automatic reflex.
B) such people do not trust their memory of whether they have completed the ritual.
C) such people experience the ritual itself as an intense sensory pleasure.
D) such people have a very poor memory of what they have or have not actually done.

Question 77

One reason why the checking rituals of obsessive-compulsive people may last so long and give so little relief is that such people

A) are generally far below normal in their intelligence.
B) receive praise and other reinforcement for engaging in these rituals.
C) are very easily distracted from what they intend to do.
D) do not trust their memory of whether they have completed the ritual.

Question 78

Some obsessive-compulsive people engage in long checking rituals but derive little satisfaction from them because

A) they alternate among several personalities, and each of the personalities must complete the ritual.
B) the ritual is automatic and the person has no ability to inhibit it or to control it in any way.
C) the ritual is rapidly extinguished and then reacquired.
D) they distrust their memory of whether they have completed the ritual.

Question 79

Obsessive-compulsive checkers, in contrast to obsessive-compulsive cleaners:

A) are more similar to people with phobias.
B) are more frequently women.
C) have shorter rituals.
D) have more gradual onset and are less likely to feel better after their ritual.

Question 80

An obsession is a

A) ritual or habit.
B) physical ailment without a medical basis.
C) false, unfounded belief.
D) repetitive, unwelcome thought.