Abnormal Psychology

Practice Test

Multiple Choice: Read each statement carefully and write the letter of the correct answer.

1. Which of the following is one definition of abnormal behaviour?

a. Behaviour that is statistically rare.
b. Behaviour that is consistent with the norms of society
c. Behaviour that does not create distress
d. Behaviour that is adaptive
2. For those people in the Middle-Ages who believed abnormal behaviour resulted from spirit possession, the treatment of choice
was _____.
a. herbal cures b. magic potion c. exorcism d. trepanning
3. The primary purpose of the DSM–5 is to _____.
a. Help psychologist assess only normal behaviour.
b. Keep the number of diagnostic categories of mental disorders to a minimum.
c. Help psychological professionals diagnose psychological disorders.
d. Describe the causes of common physiological disorders.
4. Major changes in sleep patterns, weight level, and a loss of interest in pleasurable activities characterize this kind of disorder.
a. ADHD b. Schizophrenia c. Bipolar Disorder d. Major Depressive Disorder
5. What mood disorder is characterized by alterations between periods of extremely high levels and extremely low levels of
activity?
a. Depressive Disorder b. Bipolar Disorder c. Schizophrenia d. ADHD
6. A patient in a psychiatric hospital exhibits disordered thinking, bizarre behavior, and hallucinations. This person is probably
suffering from _____.
a. Schizophrenia b. Depressive Disorder c. Bipolar Disorder d. Neurodevelopmental Disorder
7. False beliefs held by a person who has no evidence to support such beliefs are known as _____.
a. Delusions b. Hallucinations c. Obsessions d. Compulsion
8. Tommy is a seven-year old boy with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Which of the following would be inconsistent with this
diagnosis?
a. He has difficulty with language skills.
b. He enjoys playing with his older brother.
c. He is not interested in playing with anything except his Tickle-Me-Elmo toy.
d. He suffers from mental retardation.
9. Which of the following symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is most likely to diminish as children mature and
reach adolescence?
a. Impulsivity c. High levels of physical activity
b. Problems with peers d. Academic difficulties
10. Which of the following is NOT one of the considerations we use in trying to judge the abnormality of some behaviour?
a. Deviance b. Distress c. Danger d. Disability
11. Which of the following would not be consistent with the medical model view of psychopathology?
a. There are well-defined objective criteria for mental illness.
b. Symptoms of the illness stem from something in the person's body.
c. Mental illness always involves significant loss with reality.
d. Accurate diagnosis will lead to a proper treatment plan.
12. The DSM-5 diagnostic criteria assign diagnosis on the basis of _____.
a. test results b. response to treatment c. causal factor d. symptoms and signs
13. Individuals who show signs and symptoms of one disorder often show signs and symptoms of another. This is known as _____.
a. Comorbidity b. Prevalence c. Criteria d. Differential Diagnosis
14. In DSM-5, the distinction between bipolar I disorder and bipolar II disorder is based on _____.
a. whether there is also a history of psychotic disorders
b. whether there is a history of anxiety
c. whether the symptoms are related to a medical condition
d. how severe the symptoms are
15. Psychosis is a striking and essential feature of many severe mental disorders. To say that a person is "psychotic" means that the
person _____.
a. has a strong tendency to be unpredictability violent
b. has experienced a significant loss of contact with reality
c. is unable to know right from wrong
 d. is showing abrupt shifts in personality from one pattern to another
16. Which symptom does this quote best illustrate? "Money is as green as grass but don't think I smoke marijuana. I smoke
cigarettes which kill me. I am a killer without a gun. A son of a gun."
a. Anhedonia b. Hallucinations c. Delusions d. Loose Association
17. In DSM-5's classification of schizophrenia, symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, and grossly disorganized speech or
behaviour are _____.
a. associated with a good prognosis for full recovery
b. very difficult to distinguish from symptoms seen in emotional disorders
c. essential to making the diagnosis
d. observed in only a small percentage of cases
18. What is the major diagnostic factor that helps us to differentiate between schizophrenia, schizophreniform disorder, and brief
psychotic disorder?
a. the presence of delusions and hallucinations
b. the age of people when they develop the disorder
c. the degree of emotional instability and disconnection from other people
d. the duration of symptoms
19. DSM-5 identifies multiple areas of difficulty as part of its description of autism spectrum disorder. Which of the following
would not be among those areas required for the diagnosis?
a. Deficits in social interaction
b. Sub-normal intelligence
c. Restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour or interest
d. Deficits in social communication
20. Dr. Siegel has completed his assessment of an 8-year-old boy. It was based on the teacher's descriptions of the boy's classroom
behaviour. Dr. Siegel has diagnosed the boy with ADHD. What mistake has Dr. Siegel made?
a. He has focused on behaviour, not mental abilities
b. He has based his diagnosis on difficulties in only one setting
c. The DSM-5 term is ADD, not ADHD
d. ADHD cannot be diagnosed until after puberty
21. Which of the following is not one of the perspectives that guide treatment and research in abnormal psychology?
a. Etiological b. Biological c. Psychological d. Social
22. Which of the following has been strongly emphasized in recent research as a neurotransmitter possibly linked to the etiology of
schizophrenia?
a. Dopamine b. Endorphins c. Amphetamine d. Epinephrine
23. The diagnosis of mental illness is generally carried out by which of the following?
a. Clinical Psychologist b. Counselor c. Psychiatric Nurse d. Psychiatrist
24. What is not a positive symptom of schizophrenia?
a. Delusions b. Avolition c. Disorganized thinking and speech d. Hallucinations
25. The study of psychological disorders is known as _____.
a. Psychosomatics b. Psychoanalytic c. Psychopathology d. Psychodynamics
26. Which of the following is not a way of defining psychopathology?
a. Deviation from the norm c. Measuring IQ
b. Distress and impairment d. Maladaptive behaviour
27. Comorbidity explains the notion that _____.
a. People suffering with the same psychopathology die at the same time.
b. Sufferers exhibit a chronic fear of death.
c. Depression always happens in the winter.
d. Differentially defined disorders can co-occur.
28. They are rained in the use of psychological assessment procedures and in the use of psychotherapy.
a. Clinical Psychologist b. Counsellor c. Psychiatric Nurse d. Psychiatrist
29. The identification or recognition of a disorder on the basis of its characteristic symptoms.
a. Reliability b. Diagnosis c. Validity d. Therapy
30. A milder, longer lasting depression, 2 years compared to 2 weeks.
a. Major Depressive Disorder b. Mania c. Dysthymia d. Psychosis
31. Which of the following statements about the incidence of schizoaffective disorder is true?
a. It is equal in men and women c. The rate is unknown
b. It is higher in men d. It is higher in women
32. If you don't have enough _____, you are more likely to develop depression and anxiety.
a. Serotonin b. Dopamine c. Betacarotine d. Acetylcholine
33. Which of the following is the most prevalent psychological disorder in the general population
a. Social Phobia b. Agoraphobia c. School phobia d. Panic phobia
34. Alvin is a 10-year-old boy diagnosed with a specific learning disability(mathematical calculations). His treatment plan
will most likely involve:
a. Teaching him different strategies to improve cognitive skills.
b. Stimulant medication.
c. Developing an educational plan that exempts him from mathematics requirements.
d. Placing him in a school for learning disordered children.
35. Your friends Beth and Tim have recently discovered that their 3-year-old girl is autistic. Beth and Tim are both nutrition
fanatics and are convinced that they can cure their daughter's autism with vitamins and diet. You should tell Beth and
Tim that vitamins and diet
a. Have been shown to be effective but the gains are not sufficient to be considered a cure.
b. May improve their daughter's symptoms, but it is necessary to consult a professional to determine exactly which
dietary deficiencies may be involved.
c. Are currently being investigated as a promising treatment for autism, but the results is too preliminary to be applied as
a treatment.
d. Do not appear to be an effective treatment for autism.
36. Samantha is a sixth-grade girl who has great difficulty in school. She pays attention and works hard but appears to have
trouble remembering facts and concepts that she has read about. Before we can determine whether Samantha has learning
disability, it is most important to know her _______
a. family history b. social skills c. math skills d. IQ
37. Johnny is a 2-year-old boy who has no motivation to interact with other people. His absence of interest in people may
also lead to severe deficits in his ability to _____.
a. amuse himself b. think c. communicate d. walk
38. Which of the following is a symptom of the mood disorder known as mania?
a. Clear, coherent speech b. Hypoactive behavior c. Fatigue d. Grandiosity
39. Manuel had a fear of riding on buses, so his mother had to drive him to school everyday. Manuel’s phobia is a(n) _____
phobia.
a. situational b. natural environment c. blood-injury-injection d. animal
40. Manic episodes alternate with depressive episodes in the disorder called _____.
a. bipolar disorder b. major depressive disorder c. pathological grief reaction d. postpartum psychosis
41. Using the biological perspective, which of the following would be a cause of Schizophrenia?
a. Faculty Communication Patterns in the Family c. Imitation of parent who have emotional problems
b. Excessive Dopamine d. Ego disintegration
42. Which of the following is the essential feature of Specific Phobia?
a. the irrational fear of anxiety over the possibility of being scrutinized during a job interview
b. the irrational fear of anxiety when a lizard is present
c. the irrational anxiety and worry most of the days about a number of events or activities
d. the irrational fear of situation because of thoughts that escape might be difficult or help might not be available in the
event of developing panic-like symptoms
43. Which of the following is the essential feature of Intellectual Disability?
a. Failure to meet expected developmental milestones in several areas of intellectual functioning and the individual is
unable to undergo systematic assessments of intellectual functioning
b. An individual over the age of 5 years whose assessment of his/her degree of intellectual disability by means of
available procedures is rendered difficult or impossible because of associated sensory of physical impairments
c. Deficits in intellectual functions and adaptive functioning confirmed by both clinical assessment and individualized,
standardized intelligence testing
d. Difficulties in learning and using academic skills
44. In the opening clinical case, Mary reported feeling a lack of energy, difficulty sleeping, loss of appetite, difficulty
concentrating, and a loss of interest in activities she previously enjoyed. Based on this information, which of the
following is the most likely diagnosis for Mary?
a. Schizophrenia c. Bipolar Disorder
b. Major Depressive Disorder d. Generalized Anxiety Disorder
45. According to the DSM-5, bereavement-related symptoms are no longer excluded from the diagnosis of _____.
a. Major Depressive Disorder c. Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder
b. Persistent Depressive Disorder d. Seasonal Affective Disorder
46. Jacqueline has been depressed, on-going, for the past three years. Based on this information, the best diagnosis for
Jacqueline would be _____.
 a. Cyclothymic Disorder c. Disruptive Mood Regulation Disorder
b. Bipolar Disorder d. Persistent Depressive Disorder
47. The DSM-5 diagnosis of major depressive disorder must include _____ depressive symptoms that are present for at least
two weeks.
a. 2 b. 3 c. 4 d. 5
48. Jack reports being in a wonderful mood. He has been very active at work lately, even working far into the night, as he
seems to need only a few hours of sleep at night. He is very talkative and quickly moves from one topic to another,
describing a scheme he has for making a fortune in the stock market. These behaviors represent a change from Jack's
normal behaviors and have caused severe functional impairment. He reports no previous periods like this. Which of the
following diagnoses would best fit Jack?
a. Schizophrenia b. Dysthymia c. Bipolar d. Cyclothymia
49. Flight of ideas refers to _____.
a. Delusional thinking c. The thinking of a person with dementia
b. Rapid shifts in topics while speaking d. Suicidal thinking
50. Which of the following best describes hypomania?
a. A type of mania that alternates with depression c. A more severe form of mania
b. A type of mania more common in dysthymic patients d. A less severe form of mania
51. A physiological response to generalized anxiety includes which of the following?
a. Narcolepsy b. Decreased Urinary Output c. Muscle Tension d. Constipation
52. Which of the following would be a sympathetic nervous system response to panic anxiety?
a. Decreased blood pressure c. Dry Skin
b. Increased heart rate d. Pale Extremities
53. A client has been diagnosed with agoraphobia. Which of the following is a manifestation of phobias?
a. Emotional numbing b. Ritualistic behavior c. Insomnia d. Irrational Fear
54. To be diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, the client experiences an increased level of anxiety and worry on
most days over which time frame?
a. 1 month b. 2 months c. 4 months d. 6 months
55. Jenny began to have sudden attacks of anxiety and dread and thus began to avoid public situations. Which disorder did
Jenny likely have?
a. Panic Disorder b. Mood Disorder c. Specific Phobia d. Avoidance Disorder
56. The difference between anxiety and fear is that _____.
a. Anxiety is a response to immediate danger, while fear is defined as apprehension over an anticipated problem.
b. Anxiety is immediate and fear is anticipated.
c. Anxiety is apprehension over an anticipated problem, while fear is defined as a response to immediate danger.
d. Anxiety is always adaptive, whereas fear is not.
57. Dylan is walking through the jungles of Africa, and he suddenly comes across a ferocious tiger. Which of the following
reactions is most adaptive in this scenario?
a. Anxiety b. Anger c. Panic d. Fear
58. Which of the following statements is true?
a. Those with anxiety disorders have no greater risk for medical illness than those without anxiety disorders.
b. Those with anxiety disorders are more likely to be employed than those without anxiety disorders.
c. All of the anxiety disorders are associated with decrements in quality of life.
d. None of the anxiety disorders are associated with decrements in interpersonal concerns.
59. Agoraphobia is characterized by a fear of _____.
a. being in unfamiliar places.
b. having a panic attack in places in which escape would be difficult or embarrassing.
c. being embarrassed by saying or doing something foolish in front of others.
d. strangers misinterpreting their symptoms as a heart attack.
60. Women are more likely to be diagnosed with anxiety disorders because they are more _____.
a. willing to report their symptoms c. exposed to social discrimination
b. likely to face their fears directly d. physiologically vulnerable