Question 1

A Congressional committee is holding hearings on proposed legislation concerning polygraph use. Several experts on polygraphs have been asked to testify on various aspects of polygraphs, including their drawbacks. When the committee staff later summarizes this testimony on drawbacks what is the staff likely to write?

Accepted Answer

A)  Polygraphs are valid but not reliable. 
B)  Polygraphs are very expensive to use. 
C)  Very few people are trained to use polygraphs effectively. 
D)  The use of polygraphs is associated with a high rate of false positives.

Question 2

What is Sarason and Sarason's implication for the process of classification?

Accepted Answer

A)  Abnormal behavior must be understood in the context of several factors, which include stress, vulnerability, and coping. 
B)  Abnormal behavior has to be examined and understood in exact diagnostic terms. 
C)  Classification is only one component in the diagnostic procedure. 
D)  The context of a problem is essential in classification.

Question 3

Maladaptive personality features and defense mechanisms can be noted on Axis I.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 4

What is one of the limitations of the Rorschach inkblot test as an indicator of personality?

Accepted Answer

A)  The art work is outdated. 
B)  Research has not supported its validity. 
C)  The client must have good reading skills. 
D)  Most people have already seen the inkblots.

Question 5

Which of the following describes the multiaxial approach of DSM-IV-TR?

Accepted Answer

A)  five axes, two of which list specific mental disorders 
B)  five axes, one of which lists specific mental disorders 
C)  three axes, two of which list specific mental disorders 
D)  three axes, one of which lists specific mental disorders

Question 6

Why is the classification of abnormal behavior considered to be in an early stage of development?

Accepted Answer

A)  The process of attaching labels is arbitrary. 
B)  Interest in the topic developed only recently. 
C)  Current behavioral classification systems are hierarchical. 
D)  Behavioral classification systems have not been very useful.

Question 7

What is the process in which the client receives continuous reports of the level of particular bodily functions in order to learn to control these functions?

Accepted Answer

A)  biofeedback 
B)  self efficacy 
C)  polygraphic assessment 
D)  systematic desensitization

Question 8

What term is used to describe assessments made before any treatment has started?

Accepted Answer

A)  baseline 
B)  premorbid 
C)  validating 
D)  symptomatic

Question 9

Ralph is extremely suspicious and firmly believes that agents of a foreign government follow him everywhere, intending to kill him. In addition, he resents anyone who doubts his beliefs. If administered the MMPI-2 you expect that Ralph would obtain a high score on the scale measuring

Accepted Answer

A)  hysteria. 
B)  paranoia. 
C)  hypomania. 
D)  psychasthenia.

Question 10

What test is used to screen clients with serious psychological difficulties?

Accepted Answer

A)  MMPI-2 
B)  Rorschach 
C)  Thematic Apperception Test 
D)  Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory

Question 11

Among the limitations of the recent DSM is a continued reliance on impressionistic clinical judgments.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

How do ratings by lay professionals using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule compare to ratings by professionals using the same tool?

Accepted Answer

A)  Lay professionals and professionals agree. 
B)  Lay professionals underestimate problems. 
C)  Lay professionals are generally unreliable raters. 
D)  Lay professionals tend to overestimate problems.

Question 13

The manner in which people's problems are classified can tell a clinician about their future and response to therapy.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

Diagnosis is considered as an important step in identifying and classifying a condition. A correct diagnosis serves as a basis for effective treatment.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

What does the psychologist use as the basis when interpreting stories told by clients in response to the Thematic Apperception Test?

Accepted Answer

A)  evidence of creativity 
B)  demonstrated verbal abilities 
C)  evidence of emotional conflicts 
D)  demonstrated abstract problem-solving ability

Question 16

Which of the following is the most commonly used assessment tool?

Accepted Answer

A)  a clinical interview 
B)  behavioral observation 
C)  a projective personality test 
D)  a test of intellectual functioning

Question 17

Ben has a social phobia as well as a heart condition. These conditions would be diagnosed on what axes of DSM-IV-TR?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 18

A criticism of DSM is it does not give sufficient attention to:

Accepted Answer

A)  physiology 
B)  treatment 
C)  exactness 
D)  etiology

Question 19

Friends describe Bob as "highly anxious," insecure, and experiencing great difficulty in making decisions. If administered the MMPI-2, Bob would most likely have an elevated score on the scale measuring

Accepted Answer

A)  paranoia. 
B)  hypomania. 
C)  schizophrenia. 
D)  psychasthenia.

Question 20

Compared to the assessment interview, a therapeutic interview is more likely to focus on

Accepted Answer

A)  modifying maladaptive behavior 
B)  using a structured format 
C)  using objective personality tests 
D)  yielding reliable diagnostic information

Exam 4: Classification and Assessment

What is Sarason and Sarason's implication for the process of classification?

Maladaptive personality features and defense mechanisms can be noted on Axis I.

What is one of the limitations of the Rorschach inkblot test as an indicator of personality?

Which of the following describes the multiaxial approach of DSM-IV-TR?

Why is the classification of abnormal behavior considered to be in an early stage of development?

What is the process in which the client receives continuous reports of the level of particular bodily functions in order to learn to control these functions?

What term is used to describe assessments made before any treatment has started?

Ralph is extremely suspicious and firmly believes that agents of a foreign government follow him everywhere, intending to kill him. In addition, he resents anyone who doubts his beliefs. If administered the MMPI-2 you expect that Ralph would obtain a high score on the scale measuring

What test is used to screen clients with serious psychological difficulties?

Among the limitations of the recent DSM is a continued reliance on impressionistic clinical judgments.

How do ratings by lay professionals using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule compare to ratings by professionals using the same tool?

The manner in which people's problems are classified can tell a clinician about their future and response to therapy.

Diagnosis is considered as an important step in identifying and classifying a condition. A correct diagnosis serves as a basis for effective treatment.

What does the psychologist use as the basis when interpreting stories told by clients in response to the Thematic Apperception Test?

Which of the following is the most commonly used assessment tool?

Ben has a social phobia as well as a heart condition. These conditions would be diagnosed on what axes of DSM-IV-TR?

A criticism of DSM is it does not give sufficient attention to:

Friends describe Bob as "highly anxious," insecure, and experiencing great difficulty in making decisions. If administered the MMPI-2, Bob would most likely have an elevated score on the scale measuring

Compared to the assessment interview, a therapeutic interview is more likely to focus on