Question 1

Currently there are two classification systems for mental disorders used in the world; the DSM, used mostly in North America, and in most of the rest of world the

Accepted Answer

A)  WHO. 
B)  ICD. 
C)  DSM-TR. 
D)  PCL.

Question 2

What is one of the limitations of structured interviews?

Accepted Answer

A)  There is no room for clinical judgment. 
B)  They are based only on open-ended questions. 
C)  Information provided by the client can be distorted. 
D)  The interviewer cannot control the course of the interview.

Question 3

Paul Meehl has suggested that when clinicians mistakenly pay attention to vague, superficial, or stereotyped statements by clients, and fail to pay to attention to subtler but more important evidence, they are victims of the cognitive error he has labeled the

Accepted Answer

A)  cognitive dissonance effect. 
B)  unreliability bias. 
C)  Barnum effect. 
D)  diagnostic fallibility crisis.

Question 4

A __________ approach to classification assumes that distinctions among members of different categories are qualitative.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A __________ approach to classification assumes that...

Question 5

Labeling theory is a perspective on mental disorders that focuses on

Accepted Answer

A)  interrater reliability in diagnosis. 
B)  identification of biological causes of mental disorders. 
C)  social factors that influence the assignment of a diagnosis. 
D)  validity of including certain symptoms in criteria for diagnosis.

Question 6

A classification system that focuses on how much of a given characteristic an individual exhibits is called

Accepted Answer

A)  categorical. 
B)  measurement based. 
C)  classificatory. 
D)  dimensional.

Question 7

A researcher wants to compare the use of rating scales to behavioral coding systems. After making the comparison, he concludes that behavioral coding systems tend to

Accepted Answer

A)  be less reliable. 
B)  be more qualitative. 
C)  require more subjective judgment. 
D)  require less inference by the observer.

Question 8

Oscar has recently lost a loved one; a mental health professional who is trying to be sensitive to the cultural context of Oscar's problem will want to know

Accepted Answer

A)  what Oscar has learned about how grief should be displayed. 
B)  how depressed Oscar is. 
C)  whether Oscar suffers from some chemical imbalance. 
D)  whether Oscar's family has a history of depression.

Question 9

FMRI is a new and exciting method of imaging brains that is based on the physiological observation that

Accepted Answer

A)  the magnetic properties of neurons change as they release neurotransmitters. 
B)  the magnetic properties of blood changes as a function of the level of oxygen it is carrying. 
C)  the magnetic resonance of brain regions changes with age and experience. 
D)  blood flow can be measured directly by the magnetic properties of the vessels containing the blood.

Question 10

A psychologist is reviewing results of the MMPI-2 test administered to a client who was mandated by a judge to seek therapy. The psychologist is concerned that the client may not have answered the questions consistently and honestly. Which part of the MMPI-2 will be of special interest to this psychologist?

Accepted Answer

A)  validity scales 
B)  actuarial scales 
C)  projective scales 
D)  reliability scales

Question 11

___________ refers to rejection or isolation of an individual resulting from a stamp or label.

Accepted Answer

The answer of ___________ refers to rejection or isolation of...

Question 12

Two clinical psychologists each interview and diagnose a group of patients. The extent to which they agree on the diagnosis of each patient is called

Accepted Answer

A)  utility. 
B)  validity. 
C)  coverage. 
D)  reliability.

Question 13

One of the main limitations of modern brain imaging techniques in the field of abnormal psychology is that

Accepted Answer

A)  very few hospitals in the United States have access to these tools. 
B)  they are quite unreliable in their measures. 
C)  the images are not of sufficient quality to allow for diagnostic use. 
D)  they lack the normative information that would allow them to be used for diagnosis.

Question 14

DSM-IV diagnoses are grouped under 18 general categories based on

Accepted Answer

A)  presumed causes. 
B)  biological factors. 
C)  descriptive similarity. 
D)  theoretical assumptions.

Question 15

In order to meet the criteria for schizotypal personality disorder, a person must have five of the listed symptoms. Moreover, the symptoms cannot be due to disorders such as schizophrenia. What aspects of the DSM system are illustrated by these diagnostic criteria?

Accepted Answer

A)  reliable and valid criteria 
B)  primary and secondary criteria 
C)  inclusion and exclusion criteria 
D)  etiological diagnosis and assessment

Question 16

What is one of the limitations of the MMPI-2 as a personality measure?

Accepted Answer

A)  It relies on subjective scoring. 
B)  It is limited to use with the normal personality. 
C)  There is little research on its reliability or validity. 
D)  People who are acutely psychotic often have difficulty reading and comprehending.

Question 17

The case of Michael presented in your text illustrates comorbidity because

Accepted Answer

A)  Michael suffers from more than one disorder. 
B)  Michael suffers from a life-threatening disorder. 
C)  Michael's disorder resulted from family conflict. 
D)  Michael shares the disorder with other members of his family.

Question 18

Your text suggests the possibility that the eating disorder known as bulimia could be listed as a culture-bound syndrome; what fact best supports this view?

Accepted Answer

A)  Eating rituals vary between cultures. 
B)  Bulimia is found primarily in developed Western cultures. 
C)  Bulimia is a rare condition. 
D)  The prevalence of eating disorders does not vary between countries.

Question 19

The three primary goals that guide most assessment procedures are

Accepted Answer

A)  making predictions, planning treatments, evaluating treatments. 
B)  pinpointing etiology, testing etiology, and planning treatments 
C)  pinpointing etiology, evaluating etiology, and making predictions. 
D)  deciding on a diagnosis, testing the diagnosis, and pinpointing etiology.

Question 20

Culture-bound syndromes in DSM are also known as idioms of distress because they represent

Accepted Answer

A)  different forms of speech. 
B)  a unique manner of expressing emotion. 
C)  the non-professional term for mental disorders. 
D)  non-existent or imagined forms of psychopathology.

Exam 4: Classification and Assessment of Abnormal Behavior