Deck 13: Psychosocial Problems in Adolescence

Question 1

Denise has just been caught vandalizing public property for the fourth time this year. What is probably true of her early home and school life?

A) Her problems have emerged only during adolescence.
B) Her early home and school life were average.
C) She probably had problems at home and school at an early age.
D) Home and school life have not been shown to be connected to delinquency.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Theodore has been referred to as an "acting-out" adolescent. He engages in delinquent behavior. Theodore is most likely exhibiting:

A) externalizing symptomatology.
B) psychosomatic symptomatology.
C) internalizing symptomatology.
D) psychopathological symptomatology.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Dara suffers from depression. What type of disorder does depression reflect?

A) an externalizing disorder
B) a psychosomatic disorder
C) an internalizing disorder
D) a personality disorder

Answer 3

C

Question 4

According to a study of more than 10,000 American adolescents, approximately _____ of all teenagers report having an anxiety disorder by age 18 and ______ of these individuals developed an anxiety disorder before turning 12.

A) 60%; 2%
B) one-third; almost all
C) 50%; over 90%
D) 15%; just over half

Question 5

Approximately how many high school seniors have taken prescription drugs, like Percocet or Vicodin for recreational use?

A) almost 80%
B) just less than half
C) not very many (about 7%)
D) about 65%

Question 6

Which of the following adolescent problems is likely to be resolved by adulthood?

A) substance use
B) delinquency
C) unemployment
D) All of the above.

Question 7

_______________ is an example of an internalizing disorder; _______________ is an example of an externalizing disorder.

A) Depression; psychosomatic disturbance
B) Anxiety; delinquency
C) Drug and alcohol abuse; delinquency
D) Truancy; psychosomatic disturbance

Question 8

Alice has a substance abuse problem. Which of the following problems is she also likely to have?

A) internalizing disorder
B) externalizing disorder
C) internalizing and externalizing disorders are both likely to accompany substance use problems
D) None of the above.

Question 9

One recent international study found that which type of countries are likely to have adolescents whose alcohol use is not predictive of violence?

A) poor countries
B) countries with large income disparities
C) countries that have relatively few adolescents compared to other generations
D) countries where adolescents are more likely to drink in settings were adults are present

Question 10

Peter's parents caught him drinking alcohol with a couple of his friends and now they're worried. They think his alcohol use might turn into a long-term problem. Which of the following best illustrates the nature of adolescent drug use?

A) Many adolescents experiment with alcohol in high school without growing into adult alcoholics.
B) Adolescent alcohol use is the first sign of long-term problems with drugs.
C) Adolescent alcohol use is a clear indication of permissive parenting techniques.
D) None of the above is true.

Question 11

Carol has just learned that her son, Mike, has been caught shoplifting for the fifth time. Carol told the police that Mike is just reacting to the stress of going through puberty. How accurate is Carol's idea?

A) Carol is probably correct; adolescence is a very confusing time.
B) Adolescent stress can only be part of the problem. There must be some problems at home as well.
C) Carol is incorrect. Problem behavior is virtually never a direct consequence of going through the normative adolescent changes.
D) Mike's problem behavior is difficult to trace to just one cause.

Question 12

The most worrisome alcohol related issues presented in the textbook is that:

A) about 20% of high school seniors have had more than five drinks at one time and about 14% of high school seniors report having driven a car after drinking at least once in the past month.
B) the majority of adolescents who use alcohol before their senior year of high school are likely to be alcoholics by the time they are 30 years old.
C) about 93% of unwanted pregnancies among teenagers are caused by binge drinking.
D) about 93% of rape cases between two adolescents occur when at least one of the two individuals is intoxicated.

Question 13

The textbook indicates that some risk taking behaviors may have:

A) been evolutionarily adaptive.
B) biological underpinnings.
C) Both A and B are true.
D) Neither A nor B is true.

Question 14

Which scenario best represents adolescent alcohol use in today's society?

A) Dahlia started using alcohol at age 17 and by age 19 had stopped drinking completely.
B) Brian first tried alcohol at the beginning of high school and now, at 17, uses it only occasionally.
C) Julia, a high school senior, has never tried alcohol.
D) Michael, a 13-year-old, drinks alcohol almost every day with his friends.

Question 15

Christi suffers from depression. She also gets in fights at school to express her anger and sadness. Christi's problems fall into which category?

A) internalizing disorder
B) externalizing disorder
C) Christi has comorbid disorders
D) substance abuse

Question 16

Approximately how many teenagers develop drinking problems or permit alcohol to adversely affect their schooling or personal relationships?

A) a reasonable amount
B) relatively few
C) a large proportion
D) none

Question 17

Approximately how many of high school seniors have used steroids?

A) almost all male high school athletes
B) just less than half
C) very few (about 2%)
D) about 25%

Question 18

Which of the following is the best explanation of serious problem behavior during adolescence?

A) Problem behavior is the result of the hormonal changes that accompany puberty.
B) Problem behavior is a manifestation of an inherent need to rebel against authority that is common during adolescence.
C) Problem behavior results from having an identity crisis.
D) Problem behavior is likely to be a sign that something is wrong.

Question 19

Since 1991, a survey assessing eighth-graders', tenth-graders', and high school seniors' use and abuse of a variety of drugs has been distributed to a nationwide sample every year. The name of this survey is:

A) Examining the Future.
B) Monitoring Tomorrow.
C) Monitoring the Future.
D) Focus on the Future.

Question 20

Alcohol and tobacco use among adolescents is more common ______; however, illicit drug use (mainly marijuana) is more common _____.

A) in most European countries than in the United States; in the United States than in European countries
B) in the United States than in European countries; in most European countries than in the United States
C) among males; among females
D) among females; among males

Question 21

Which substance is most commonly used and abused by adolescents?

A) alcohol
B) marijuana
C) nicotine
D) cocaine

Question 22

Greg suffers from depression. His friend, Matthew, also suffers from depression as well as conduct disorder. Which boy probably had worse family experiences?

A) Chris
B) Matthew
C) both Chris and Matthew
D) Neither boy; these problems cannot be attributed to the family,

Question 23

Which behavior would not be seen as a manifestation of lack of impulse control?

A) truancy
B) depression
C) defiance
D) academic difficulties

Question 24

When two problems occur together, such as substance abuse and depression, it is referred to as:

A) comorbidity.
B) coexisting.
C) coterminous disorder.
D) parallel diagnoses.

Question 25

Externalizing problems are hypothesized to reflect an antisocial syndrome just as internalizing problems are hypothesized to reflect the common underlying factor of:

A) negative emotionality.
B) social control.
C) risk-taking behaviors.
D) comorbidity.

Question 26

Which of the following is not one of the popular stereotypes of contemporary adolescents?

A) They use and abuse drugs more than their counterparts did in previous generations.
B) The main reason adolescents use drugs is peer pressure.
C) The "epidemic" of substance use by American adolescents underlies many of the other problems associated with adolescents.
D) Although not supported by research, all of the above are popular stereotypes of contemporary adolescents.

Question 27

Jim and his mom are in an argument because his mom found out that Jim has smoked marijuana. Jim's defense is, "Half the senior class is doing it!" How accurate is Jim's statement?

A) It is very inaccurate-only 10% of high school seniors have tried marijuana.
B) It is inaccurate-half of Americans have tried marijuana, not half of high school seniors.
C) It is almost accurate-about 46% of all high school seniors have tried marijuana.
D) Statistics about marijuana use are too inconsistent to know.

Question 28

According to social control theory, delinquency is caused by:

A) unconventionality in the adolescent's personality.
B) an inherited predisposition toward deviance.
C) biologically based differences in arousal and sensation-seeking.
D) a lack of bonds to the family, the school, or the workplace.

Question 29

Which list correctly ranks substances used by high school seniors from most to least popular?

A) alcohol, marijuana, cigarettes, inhalants
B) cigarettes, alcohol, cocaine, marijuana
C) alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, cocaine
D) cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, inhalants

Question 30

Research on problem behaviors suggests that:

A) most delinquents are serious drug users.
B) risky behaviors cluster together in different ways for different adolescents.
C) the problem behaviors that adults disapprove of are considered by adolescents to be normative, not problematic.
D) risky behaviors are more likely to be noticed as clustering together in studies of children than in studies of adolescents.

Question 31

What would a social control theorist say about an adolescent who engages in risk-taking behavior?

A) They have a biological predisposition toward risky behavior.
B) They are inherently unconventional.
C) They have a weak attachment to society.
D) They have authoritarian parents.

Question 32

The common factor with respect to comorbidity in internalizing disorders is:

A) the subjective state of distress.
B) acting-out behaviors.
C) depression.
D) withdrawal.

Question 33

Which of the following statement about comorbidity is not true?

A) co-occurring internalizing and externalizing problems are more prevalent among females than among males
B) some experts question whether it makes sense to draw distinctions between anxiety and depression because rates of comorbidity are so high
C) there is hardly any comorbidity among different psychosocial problems during adolescence within or across the broad categories (i.e., internalizing disorders, externalizing disorders, substance abuse)
D) substance abuse problems are likely to be comorbid with both externalizing and internalizing problems

Question 34

Approximately what percent of high school seniors have tried alcohol? What about marijuana?

A) Approximately 70% of adolescents have tried alcohol and approximately 46% of high school seniors have tried marijuana.
B) Approximately 40% of adolescents have tried alcohol and approximately 66% of high school seniors have tried marijuana.
C) Approximately 90% of adolescents have tried alcohol and approximately 56% of high school seniors have tried marijuana.
D) Approximately 30% of adolescents have tried alcohol and approximately 16% of high school seniors have tried marijuana.

Question 35

Research shows that the enormous sums of money spent by tobacco companies on marketing cigarettes to teenagers are:

A) pretty much a waste because the marketing strategies have little effect on adolescents.
B) unnecessary because adolescents would smoke even without the extensive advertising.
C) does not cause adolescents to start smoking; tobacco advertising is mainly effective at brand recognition.
D) important in getting adolescents to stop smoking because these companies now are required to sponsor antismoking ads.

Question 36

Researchers have found all of the following with regard to problem behavior in adolescence, except:

A) adolescents often exhibit one specific problem, such as depression, without exhibiting any others.
B) adolescents may exhibit more than one problem within the same general category, such as depression and anxiety.
C) adolescents may exhibit both internalizing and externalizing problems, such as depression and delinquency.
D) adolescents with severe behavior problems are likely to have followed similar pathways to deviance, most typically with similar family problems.

Question 37

The term "______ syndrome" refers to covariation among various types of externalizing disorders that results from an underlying trait of unconventionality found in the adolescent's personality and social environment.

A) problem behavior
B) biological risk
C) social control
D) gateway

Question 38

Which of the following individuals is most likely to engage in risk-taking behaviors?

A) Marco, who is tolerant of deviance
B) Karen, who is not highly connected to school or to a religious institution
C) Patrick, who is very liberal in his social views
D) all of these individuals are likely to engage in risky behaviors.

Question 39

Denise Kandel is most likely to argue that:

A) a predisposition toward deviance may be inherited.
B) biologically based differences account for differences in arousal and sensation-seeking.
C) defiance develops in deviance-prone children who are reared in hostile environments.
D) involvement in a given problem behavior may lead to involvement in other problem behaviors.

Question 40

Which of the following is considered an "internalizing disorder"?

A) drug abuse
B) anxiety
C) truancy
D) delinquency

Question 41

Studies that have focused on the different developmental trajectories of adolescent alcohol, tobacco, and drug use have identified all except which of the following groups?

A) low escalators
B) late starters
C) nonusers
D) slow escalators

Question 42

According to recent surveys, which drug is used most on a daily basis by high school students?

A) marijuana
B) alcohol
C) tobacco
D) cocaine

Question 43

Studies comparing the consequences of drug exposure during adolescence and adulthood have found all of the following except:

A) the increased vulnerability of the adolescent brain to the addicting effects of alcohol is compounded by the fact that adolescents don't feel the negative consequences of drinking as profoundly as adults do.
B) studies comparing juvenile rodents with adult rodents find that juveniles can drink more than adults before they become tired or have their reflexes slow.
C) the consequences of drinking too much (otherwise known as a hangover) are less intense among juveniles than adults.
D) juveniles don't feel the positive effects of alcohol as profoundly as adults do.

Question 44

What is a reason offered by the textbook to explain why many youth do not receive substance abuse treatment?

A) These programs are rarely offered during times that do not interfere with a typical public school schedule.
B) There are many stigmas attached to seeking drug or alcohol treatment.
C) Many families, especially minority families, cannot afford (or don't have adequate health insurance) to send their adolescent to treatment.
D) It is difficult to actually meet the clinical cut-off for "substance abuse"; therefore, it is hard to be accepted into one of these programs.

Question 45

Alcohol and marijuana are considered ______ drugs because they are almost always used before harder drugs.

A) gateway
B) passage
C) ritual
D) experimental

Question 46

At age 17, Cherise is a frequent drug user. According to one team of researchers who followed a sample of individuals from preschool into young adulthood, it is possible that:

A) she had psychological disturbance before the age of 7.
B) her problem behavior began a few months ago.
C) her problem behavior began by age 15.
D) it is her peer group, not her early family relations, that has directed her into using drugs.

Question 47

Which of the following statements about adolescent cigarette use is true?

A) The huge increase in the price of cigarettes over the last couple decades has led to a sharp decrease in the percentage of smoking adolescents.
B) Antismoking campaigns have contributed to the steady decline of cigarette use among adolescents.
C) The most effective way to reduce adolescent smoking has been to enforce laws that restrict sales of cigarettes to minors.
D) Despite changes in tobacco industry policies, the percentage of smoking adolescents has remained stable over two decades.

Question 48

Which of the following adolescents is least likely to use drugs?

A) Mike, a White adolescent
B) Li, an exchange student from China
C) Emily, an Asian-American adolescent
D) Hector, a Black adolescent

Question 49

Studies of adolescent drug use suggest that:

A) a large majority of adolescents have serious drug dependence problems.
B) a large majority of adolescents use hard drugs.
C) drug and alcohol use are the underlying cause of many adolescents' problems.
D) the drug of choice among adolescents is alcohol.

Question 50

For which age group are these statistics accurate: One-third of these individuals have tried alcohol; one in six has tried marijuana, and one in six has been drunk at least once.

A) high school seniors
B) eighth graders
C) college students
D) high school sophomores

Question 51

Which is not considered a risk factor for substance abuse in adolescence?

A) psychological factors
B) familial factors
C) contextual factors
D) educational factors

Question 52

Researchers believe that changes in rates of adolescent drug use:

A) are in opposition to messages they receive from parents and teachers.
B) are in opposition to messages they receive from the media.
C) may relate to their perceptions of how harmful and disapproved of the drug is.
D) show a consistent gap in drug use between males and females.

Question 53

Eduardo was caught binge drinking on Saturday night. This means that he:

A) drinks alcohol every day.
B) drinks alcohol every weekend.
C) has had more than five alcoholic drinks in a row.
D) has had enough alcohol within the past year to cause him to black out.

Question 54

Alejandra, a Hispanic adolescent, is best friends with Mina, a foreign-born Hispanic adolescent. Which statement is most likely true about their drug use?

A) Alejandra will use fewer drugs than Mina.
B) Alejandra and Mina will use the same amount of drugs.
C) Alejandra and Mina will use more drugs than their friend Sue, an American Indian adolescent.
D) Mina will use fewer drugs than Alejandra.

Question 55

Tina smoked cigarettes, drank alcohol, and used drugs moderately in early adolescence, then quickly increased her use between early and middle adolescence, and continued to increase her use throughout high school and late adolescence. Tina is a:

A) low escalator.
B) early starter.
C) high escalator.
D) delinquent.

Question 56

Which statement is most likely true about American adolescents today?

A) Adolescents are experimenting with drugs at later ages.
B) Marijuana is the only substance used by a substantial number of high school seniors daily.
C) Experimentation with drugs is less common among younger teens than it had been in the past
D) A large proportion of adolescents use hard drugs.

Question 57

The neurotransmitter associated with the experience of pleasure that is implicated in substance abuse problems is known as:

A) serotonin.
B) dopamine.
C) acetylcholine.
D) norepinephrine.

Question 58

Corrina is concerned because she learned that her 13-year-old son, Henry, and her 17-year-old son, Hector, were caught drinking. Are either of these teenagers likely to become addicted to alcohol?

A) Yes, Hector is likely to be addicted to alcohol as an adult.
B) Yes, Henry is likely to be addicted to alcohol as an adult.
C) Both boys will be addicted and continue drug use into adulthood.
D) Neither boy; these are both cases of adolescent experimentation.

Question 59

Of the following adolescents, who will be the most well-adjusted?

A) Mavis, who is a frequent drug user
B) Jennifer, who irrationally and obsessively abstains from drugs and alcohol
C) Vicki, who has experimented with alcohol
D) None of the above.

Question 60

Which of the following has not been supported by research addressing drug use by adolescents?

A) Almost half of adolescents have experimented with alcohol and marijuana.
B) Many adolescents use alcohol or marijuana regularly.
C) Marijuana is the drug most used by adolescents.
D) Most adolescents have not experimented with hard drugs.

Question 61

Which statement about the familial influences on an adolescent's drug and alcohol use is false?

A) Distant, hostile, and conflicted family relations are risk factors for developing substance abuse problems.
B) An indulgent, permissive parenting style is a protective factor against developing substance abuse problems.
C) An uninvolved, neglecting-rejecting parenting style is a risk factor for developing substance abuse problems.
D) There are both genetic and family-environmental influences on development of adolescent substance abuse problems.

Question 62

Who is the most likely to be a victim of a crime such as theft, robbery, rape, and assault?

A) Jeffrey, a Black adolescent living in the suburbs
B) Rose, an adult White woman living in a large city
C) Elaine, a White adolescent living in a rural area
D) Mitch, a Hispanic adolescent living in the inner city

Question 63

Evaluations of individual-focused approaches to drug prevention programs have found that:

A) these programs are largely ineffective.
B) these programs are more effective for changing adolescents' sexual behaviors than their drug use.
C) scare tactics are more effective in changing behavior than rational information.
D) random drug testing in schools has been the only effective strategy for reducing adolescents' use of drugs.

Question 64

Which adolescent does not have a personality trait associated with developing drug and alcohol problems?

A) Aaron, who is a slow learner
B) Thomas, who angers quickly
C) Dennis, who is impulsive
D) Steve, who is inattentive

Question 65

Cliff is 16 years old, is truant from school, drinks alcohol regularly, and has run away from home. Legally speaking, Cliff is a(n):

A) ADHD child.
B) habitual criminal.
C) sociopath.
D) status offender.

Question 66

Evaluations of adolescent treatment programs suggest:

A) placing adolescents who experiment with drugs into treatment programs has been effective in preventing escalation to drug abuse.
B) drug treatment programs for adolescent substance abuse are more effective when the adolescent's family is involved in therapy with the adolescent.
C) the most effective programs are those that deal with substance abusing adolescents in a private setting, away from their families and friends.
D) most substance abuse treatment programs for adolescents have strict admission guidelines so they only accept adolescents who are seriously abusing drugs.

Question 67

Which of the following is a likely reason that Black youngsters have a lower rate of drinking than their White counterparts?

A) They don't have money to purchase alcohol.
B) They are biologically unable to process alcohol.
C) Their parents are less likely to drink and tolerate drinking.
D) Their celebrity role models do not drink.

Question 68

Confidential surveys of adolescents suggest all of the following, except:

A) between 60 and 80% of adolescents have engaged in delinquent behavior at one time or another.
B) ethnic differences in the prevalence of delinquent and criminal activity are greater than what would be expected from information in official records.
C) nearly one-third of American 17-year-old boys have committed a violent crime in the past year.
D) nearly half of all males report being responsible for an assault sometime during adolescence

Question 69

According to FBI statistics, individuals under the age of 18 account for approximately _____ of violent crime in the United States.

A) one-quarter
B) one-sixth
C) one-half
D) two-thirds

Question 70

Which of the following is not a risk factor for developing substance abuse problems?

A) having excessively permissive parents
B) having easy access to drugs
C) having friends who use and tolerate the use of drugs
D) being involved in a sexual relationship

Question 71

According to the textbook, which of the following is the main reason experts advise against applying the term psychopath to people under 18?

A) Most young people who engage in antisocial behavior as teenagers do not continue to do so after their mid-20s.
B) Those with a "psychopath" label are likely to receive lesser sentences.
C) It is very rare for youths to exhibit any psychopathic traits.
D) None of the above-experts encourage the use of psychopaths as another dimension of antisociality.

Question 72

Kristin has just been the victim of a mugging. Her parents are concerned about how she will react to the crime. What problem(s) is(are) Kristin likely to report?

A) sleep deprivation
B) depressed mood
C) academic problems
D) All of the above.

Question 73

Which of the following would be considered a status offense?

A) using marijuana
B) being truant from school
C) vandalizing property
D) All of the above.

Question 74

Based on prior successful methods, which of the following methods is likely to reduce drug and alcohol use?

A) drug and alcohol education
B) raising the price of alcohol and cigarettes
C) scare tactics
D) laws restricting the sale of these items to minors

Question 75

Young people who abuse alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs are more likely to experience all of the following, except:

A) increased popularity.
B) suffer from psychological distress and depression.
C) become involved in dangerous or deviant activities such as crime and truancy.
D) engage in unprotected sexual activities.

Question 76

Glen and Laura ask a counselor what they can do to help protect their teenage son, Jason, from abusing drugs. What might the counselor suggest?

A) Enroll Jason in a private school.
B) Get Jason involved in a religious group.
C) Punish any deviance very heavily.
D) Make sure Jason gets an after-school job.

Question 77

Which prevention program is most likely to be successful?

A) one that focuses on community-wide intervention aimed at adolescents
B) one that focuses on social competence training
C) one that focuses on community-wide intervention aimed at peers, parents, and teachers
D) one that focuses on all of these components

Question 78

In general, the earlier an adolescent's criminal career begins:

A) the easier it is for that person to be treated.
B) the more likely the adolescent is to stop the criminal behavior on his or her own.
C) the less likely he or she is to be arrested.
D) the more likely he or she is to become a chronic offender.

Question 79

A look at the commission of violent crimes by adolescents in the United States shows all of the following, except:

A) today, the male-to-female ratio in juvenile arrests for violent crime is about 4 to 1.
B) in general, violent crime among young people has slightly increased since 1993.
C) in general, violent crime among young people has declined since 1993.
D) as of 2009, violent crime among adolescents was at its lowest level since 1980.

Question 80

Which of the following is not a category of externalizing problems during adolescence?

A) conduct disorder
B) delinquency
C) substance use
D) aggression