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Foundations of Abnormal Behavior, International Edition 10Th Edition by David Sue – Test Bank
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Chapter 2: Models of Abnormal Behavior
MULTIPLE CHOICE
- The term psychologists use as the cause of abnormal behavior is the behavior’s ____.
| a. | genesis | c. | psychiatric underpinnings |
| b. | etiology | d. | psychological underpinnings |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Introduction OBJ: 1
MSC: Factual
- A psychologist who uses the words patient, mental illness, and cure when discussing disorders is using which model?
| a. | psychodynamic | c. | statistical |
| b. | psychogenic | d. | medical |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: One-Dimensional Models of Mental Disorders
OBJ: 1 MSC: Conceptual
- Models are often utilized by scientists to ____.
| a. | provide a clear and definitive explanation for a phenomenon |
| b. | help conceptualize the cause of a phenomenon |
| c. | directly observe a phenomenon |
| d. | infer a phenomenon to something more abstract |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: One-Dimensional Models of Mental Disorders
OBJ: 1 MSC: Conceptual
- An assumption of the multipath model of abnormality is that ____.
| a. | the biological perspective best explains the complexities of human behavior |
| b. | most psychological disorders are due to one or two primary factors |
| c. | biological, psychological, social, and sociocultural factors contribute equally to most psychological disorders |
| d. | different individuals exposed to different factors may develop similar mental disorders |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: A Multipath Model of Mental Disorders
OBJ: 2 MSC: Factual
- Which of the following would be a biological explanation of psychopathology?
| a. | family interactions | c. | early childhood experiences |
| b. | neurological dysfunctions | d. | behaviors learned in the environment |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: One-Dimensional Models of Mental Disorders
OBJ: 1 MSC: Factual
- Peter survived a stroke that damaged much of the tissue in the left hemisphere of his brain. We can expect that Peter will ____.
| a. | have trouble controlling his emotional behavior |
| b. | be unable to sense touch on the left side of his body |
| c. | experience impaired visual-spatial abilities |
| d. | experience paralysis on the right side of his body |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Dimension One: Biological Factors
OBJ: 3 MSC: Applied
- Forebrain is to ____ as hindbrain is to ____.
| a. | alertness and attention; language, thought, and memory |
| b. | serotonin; dopamine |
| c. | higher mental functions; functions like sleep, heart rate, and respiration |
| d. | visual and spatial abilities; emotions and motivation |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Dimension One: Biological Factors
OBJ: 3 MSC: Factual
- The function of neural dendrites is to ____.
| a. | release neurotransmitters |
| b. | receive signals from other neurons |
| c. | bind to receptors of other neurons |
| d. | trigger synaptic excitation of other neurons |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Dimension One: Biological Factors
OBJ: 3 MSC: Factual
- Which statement about neurotransmitters is accurate?
| a. | Neurotransmitters are released by dendrites. |
| b. | Drugs that block or facilitate neurotransmitter activity can alleviate symptoms of mental disorders. |
| c. | Neurotransmitters consistently have an excitatory effect on the human nervous system. |
| d. | Neurotransmitters send neural impulses to axons of receiving neurons. |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Dimension One: Biological Factors
OBJ: 3 MSC: Factual
- Dopamine is related to several mental disorders. Insufficient dopamine is a possible cause of ____, while having an excess of dopamine may be related to ____.
| a. | anxiety; depression |
| b. | Parkinson’s disease; schizophrenia |
| c. | obsessive-compulsive disorder; Parkinson’s disease |
| d. | schizophrenia; depression |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Dimension One: Biological Factors
OBJ: 3 MSC: Conceptual
- Because Joan suffers from depression, Dr. Adler has prescribed a medication that alters sensitivity and receptivity to ____ at the receptor sites in her brain. For Justin, who suffers from anxiety, Dr. Adler prescribes a drug that affects receptor reactivity to ____.
| a. | serotonin; GABA | c. | dopamine; acetylcholine |
| b. | GABA; serotonin | d. | acetylcholine; dopamine |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Dimension One: Biological Factors
OBJ: 3 MSC: Applied
- Autonomic nervous system reactivity in humans appears to be ____.
| a. | learned | c. | inherited |
| b. | psychogenic | d. | related to dopamine activity |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Dimension One: Biological Factors
OBJ: 3 MSC: Factual
- A person’s observable physical or behavioral characteristics are the ____.
| a. | same thing as their genotype | c. | result of environmental factors only |
| b. | result of inheritance only | d. | same thing as their phenotype |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Dimension One: Biological Factors
OBJ: 3 MSC: Factual
- Which of the following is true about the current findings of the Human Genome Project, which is developing a “manual” for the basic blueprint of the entire genetic material found in each cell of the body?
| a. | Scientists have been able to map and understand all of the genes in the nucleus of a human cell. |
| b. | Scientists have discovered the genes associated with the occurrence of certain hereditary diseases, such as Huntington’s chorea, cystic fibrosis, and muscular dystrophy. |
| c. | Scientists have developed drugs and other interventions to cure many of the genetically inherited diseases. |
| d. | Scientists have discovered that most inherited diseases can be traced to a single gene. |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Dimension One: Biological Factors
OBJ: 3 MSC: Factual
- Which statement about the biological model is accurate?
| a. | It has helped find effective drugs for treating disorders. |
| b. | It has received support from diathesis-stress theory. |
| c. | It has shown that mental disorders are almost always caused by structural abnormalities in the brain. |
| d. | It has proven that inheritance is the direct cause of most disorders. |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Dimension One: Biological Factors
OBJ: 3 MSC: Conceptual
- The scientific field that studies the effects of drugs on the mind and behavior is called ____.
| a. | psychopharmaceuticals | c. | psychopharmacology |
| b. | pharmaceuticals | d. | pharmacology |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Dimension One: Biological Factors
OBJ: 3 MSC: Factual
- Faith says that she agrees with the diathesis-stress view of psychopathology that ____.
| a. | biochemical changes influence the structure of the brain to produce most disorders |
| b. | the environment plays little, if any, role in the development of disorders |
| c. | genetics are unimportant in the explanation of disorders |
| d. | genetics and environmental factors interact to cause disorders |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Dimension One: Biological Factors
OBJ: 3 MSC: Applied
- In the diathesis-stress theory, the diathesis is ____.
| a. | the amount of stressful life changes that activates a disorder |
| b. | the individual’s predisposition to develop illness |
| c. | an individual’s neurotransmitter imbalance |
| d. | a faulty schema the individual uses to understand the world |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Dimension One: Biological Factors
OBJ: 3 MSC: Factual
- The two main distinguishing ideas in the psychodynamic model are that ____.
| a. | disorders result from childhood experiences and anxieties operate unconsciously |
| b. | the causes of disorders are largely conscious and culture determines the expression of symptoms of disorders |
| c. | diathesis is a predisposition to develop an illness and stress is an environmental factor that triggers the illness |
| d. | abnormalities are inherited and symptoms start with biology |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Factual
- Which drug is most likely to be prescribed for a patient suffering from depression?
| a. | benzodiazepine | c. | a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor |
| b. | chlorpromazine | d. | lithium |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Dimension One: Biological Factors
OBJ: 3 MSC: Factual
- Joseph, a student in the abnormal psychology class, says, “Why are we studying Freud? All he ever talked about was sex and his theory is totally outdated!” A valid response from his professor would be ____.
| a. | “I agree. Your assessment of Freud’s theory is correct.” |
| b. | “Let me show you how all of Freud’s theories have been supported by modern research.” |
| c. | “Freud’s focus on early childhood experiences, the role of the unconscious, and the use of insight continue to assert a pervasive impact on mental health practice.” |
| d. | “Freud’s emphasis on sexuality as a precipitating factor in all mental disorders has been found to be totally valid.” |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Applied
- Two characters on the “Star Trek” television series, Mr. Spock and Commander Data, are completely logical. They make their decisions on the basis of realistic considerations, not emotions or moral judgment. From a psychodynamic perspective, their personalities are entirely ____.
| a. | ego | c. | superego |
| b. | id | d. | ego ideal |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Applied
- Thuy is faced with a dilemma: She lives in a war-torn country in which for years the economy has been severely disrupted. In order to feed herself and her children, she steals food, but she feels a great sense of guilt when she does. According to Freud, the personality structure involved in stealing food is the ____, whereas the one involved in guilt feelings is the ____.
| a. | id; ego | c. | superego; id |
| b. | ego; superego | d. | conscience; ego ideal |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Applied
- Jason exploits other people and never feels guilty about it. He rarely helps other people and feels no pride when he does. According to psychodynamic thinking, Jason has ____.
| a. | an underdeveloped superego | c. | too much ego ideal |
| b. | an underdeveloped ego | d. | no id |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Applied
- According to Freud, the two most important instincts in people are ____.
| a. | pleasure and reality | c. | sex and aggression |
| b. | responsibility and irresponsibility | d. | fear and happiness |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Factual
- Dr. Young says, “My client faced such severe traumas in her first two years of life that her emotional development was arrested in that period. The result is that although she is 29 years old, she is passive and feels helpless.” Dr. Young is describing the psychodynamic concept of ____.
| a. | reaction formation | c. | resistance |
| b. | transference | d. | fixation |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Applied
- According to the psychodynamic model, people use unconscious strategies to protect their egos from anxieties. These strategies are called ____.
| a. | defense mechanisms | c. | ego distortions |
| b. | anti-anxiety mechanisms | d. | reaction formations |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Factual
- Constance was instructed by her therapist to say whatever came to mind, even if it was illogical or embarrassing. Her therapist was using which psychodynamic technique?
| a. | dream analysis | c. | resistance |
| b. | free association | d. | catharsis |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Applied
- After three sessions, Molly decided she was madly in love with Dr. Arnold. As a psychoanalyst, Dr. Arnold would most likely ____.
| a. | discontinue their sessions |
| b. | interpret her feelings as a way to understand important relationships in her life |
| c. | encourage her feelings as a way to help her feel secure in her relationships |
| d. | refer her to another therapist |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Applied
- Patients in psychoanalysis unconsciously attempt to impede their treatment by preventing exposure of repressed material. This process is referred to as ____.
| a. | transference | c. | projection |
| b. | suppression | d. | resistance |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Conceptual
- Dr. Al-Suwaidi explains his clients’ psychological problems by considering biological, psychological, social, and sociocultural explanations. He is using what the text refers to as the ____ model.
| a. | multipath | c. | multicultural |
| b. | biopsychosocial | d. | integrative |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: A Multipath Model of Mental Disorders
OBJ: 2 MSC: Applied
- Defense mechanisms ____.
| a. | operate consciously | c. | are used only by neurotic people |
| b. | protect individuals from anxiety | d. | provide a realistic perspective |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Conceptual
- Which model of psychopathology considers unconscious influences to be the motivation for behavior?
| a. | existential | c. | cognitive |
| b. | psychodynamic | d. | humanistic |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Factual
- Unlike traditional psychoanalysts, post-Freudians tend to ____.
| a. | deemphasize sexual motivation as the cause of behavior |
| b. | view all behavior as originating predominantly from conscious thought |
| c. | deemphasize the importance of personal choice and future goals |
| d. | feel that talking in therapy is a waste of time |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Conceptual
- Erik Erikson, Carl Jung, and Alfred Adler were all considered ____.
| a. | behaviorists | c. | humanists |
| b. | cognitive psychologists | d. | post-Freudians |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Factual
- Which statement about object-relations therapy is accurate?
| a. | It rejects the importance of childhood experience as a cause of adult disorder. |
| b. | It is a cognitive approach used to understand family dynamics. |
| c. | It is a post-Freudian idea involving exploration of past interpersonal relationships. |
| d. | It employs a humanistic-existential set of concepts. |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Conceptual
- Of the following, which client would be most likely to benefit from psychoanalysis?
| a. | a poor person with limited verbal skills | c. | a well-educated anxious young man |
| b. | an older woman in immediate crisis | d. | a psychotic older man |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Conceptual
- Dr. O’Brien says, “Psychodynamic theory has had a significant impact on psychology because it is based largely on observations in controlled conditions. Further, the theory emphasizes freedom of choice, and the therapy is effective with all disorders.” Which part of Dr. O’Brien’s statement is accurate?
| a. | Psychodynamic therapy is effective with all disorders. |
| b. | Psychoanalysis has had a significant impact on psychology. |
| c. | Psychodynamic theory is based on observations in controlled conditions. |
| d. | Psychodynamic theory emphasizes freedom of choice. |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Applied
- Which of the following is an accurate statement about psychodynamic theory?
| a. | It is gynocentric. |
| b. | Freud’s research methodology was advanced for his time. |
| c. | The theory can be applied to a wide range of disturbed people. |
| d. | Its use of insight continues to influence the field of mental health. |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Conceptual
- A psychologist who sees a client’s problems as caused by a lack of useful, productive behaviors and lack of consequences following inappropriate actions probably supports which model of psychopathology?
| a. | existential | c. | behavioral |
| b. | psychodynamic | d. | humanistic |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Conceptual
- Dr. White says, “Psychopathology is learned through a person’s interactions with his or her environment.” Dr. White’s statement reflects which psychological model?
| a. | behavioral | c. | cognitive |
| b. | psychodynamic | d. | biological |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Applied
- Classical conditioning is a form of associative learning. What exactly is associated?
| a. | internal models of the world and behavior |
| b. | a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus |
| c. | a behavior and its consequence |
| d. | unconscious motivations and internal needs |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Conceptual
- If a loud siren is sounded, any newborn infant will automatically scream. In classical conditioning terminology, the siren is a(n) ____.
| a. | conditioned response | c. | unconditioned stimulus |
| b. | unconditioned response | d. | conditioned stimulus |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Conceptual
- Which statement about classical conditioning is accurate?
| a. | It was first described by Edward Thorndike after observing the behavior of cats. |
| b. | It assumes that behavior is controlled by its consequences. |
| c. | It explains most human behavior. |
| d. | It was discovered by Ivan Pavlov when he was studying the digestive processes of dogs. |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Conceptual
- In his original experiments, Pavlov paired a bell tone with the presentation of food. After a while, the bell tone alone could provoke salivation. By the time this happened, the ____.
| a. | bell had become a conditioned stimulus |
| b. | food had become a conditioned stimulus |
| c. | animal had lost interest in the food |
| d. | salivation had become an unconditioned response |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Factual
- Which statement about classical conditioning is accurate?
| a. | The conditioned response is a response the organism makes automatically when in the presence of the UCS. |
| b. | Classical conditioning does not occur unless the associated stimuli are reinforced. |
| c. | A reliable pairing of the UCS and the UCR leads to learning. |
| d. | Classical conditioning involves involuntary responses. |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Conceptual
- Watson and Rayner’s famous research in classical conditioning was designed to explain the development of ____.
| a. | cognitive disorders | c. | phobias |
| b. | neuroses | d. | depression |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Factual
- Classical conditioning has been useful in the field of abnormal psychology primarily by ____.
| a. | explaining the acquisition of phobias and other human behaviors |
| b. | emphasizing the voluntary nature of human behavior |
| c. | exploring how abnormal behavior is learned through observation of disturbed models |
| d. | demonstrating the importance of the consequences of behavior |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Factual
- Erin has an exaggerated fear of flying. She refuses to board an airplane and avoids airports altogether. This is an example of associative learning, so which type of therapy is most likely to be helpful in her case?
| a. | cognitive | c. | modeling |
| b. | classical conditioning | d. | psychodynamic |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Applied
- Unlike behaviors in classical conditioning, operant behaviors are ____.
| a. | learned by observing others | c. | voluntary and controllable |
| b. | unconscious. | d. | instinctive |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Factual
- Patty knows that if she cries, she will get her way. Paul knows that if he cries he will be ignored. Which model of behavior suggests that Patty will increase her crying and Paul will decrease his crying?
| a. | classical conditioning | c. | psychodynamic theory |
| b. | operant conditioning | d. | observational learning |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Applied
- Which quote is most similar to Thorndike’s concept of instrumental conditioning?
| a. | “Emotions are a function of beliefs, not events.” |
| b. | “Emotions are the outgrowth of passive associations we make with positive and negative stimuli in the world.” |
| c. | “Most of our behavior is motivated by factors of which we are not conscious.” |
| d. | “We do more of whatever behavior pays off.” |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Conceptual
- A common myth about behavioral approaches assumes that ____.
| a. | people are completely the products of their conditioning histories |
| b. | people are active participants in the developmental process |
| c. | people are overwhelmed by their free will |
| d. | people are greatly affected by their internal mental life. |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Factual
- Which of the following is the best example of operant conditioning?
| a. | A man gets nauseated when he smells the same kind of food that once caused him food poisoning. |
| b. | A man asks for a raise because, in the past, his requests were successful. |
| c. | A woman has been frightened by thunderstorms all her life. |
| d. | A child watches a friend steal from a store, so he thinks he might steal sometime in the future. |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Conceptual
- In classical conditioning, behaviors are controlled by events that ____ the response, whereas in operant conditioning, they are controlled by events that ____ the response.
| a. | intensify; reduce | c. | precede; follow |
| b. | follow; precede | d. | increase; decrease |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Conceptual
- According to operant conditioning, self-injurious behavior may be learned through the use of ____.
| a. | reinforcement | c. | implosion |
| b. | personalization | d. | modeling |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Factual
- A kindergarten teacher wants to reduce the amount of aggressiveness children display in her class and on the playground. Using operant conditioning principles, the teacher should ____.
| a. | use negative reinforcers to decrease the behavior |
| b. | pair aggressiveness with some pleasant stimulus |
| c. | eliminate the reinforcement associated with aggressiveness |
| d. | encourage the children to get the aggressiveness out of their systems |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Applied
- Which of the following increases the frequency of a behavior because it removes or reduces an aversive (punishing) event?
| a. | positive reinforcement | c. | negative reinforcement |
| b. | vicarious conditioning | d. | modeling |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Factual
- When Stanley is afraid of meeting a woman, he finds an excuse to run off by himself. The immediate effect of running away is to make him feel less anxious and more at ease. Stanley’s behavior illustrates the ____.
| a. | role of negative reinforcers in avoidance behavior |
| b. | fact that shaping can result in maladjusted behavior |
| c. | role of partial reinforcement in abnormal behavior |
| d. | power of positive reinforcement |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Applied
- Unlike operant or classical conditioning, in observational learning ____.
| a. | direct reinforcement is necessary to establish behavior |
| b. | new behaviors can be learned by watching others |
| c. | reinforcement must precede the person’s action |
| d. | reinforcers are not necessary to maintain a behavior |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Factual
- Unlike the early behaviorists, behaviorally oriented mental health professionals today ____.
| a. | are more focused on the importance of behavioral consequences |
| b. | are interested in understanding the effects of internal mental processes on the acquisition and treatment of disorders |
| c. | reject the notion that internal mental processes affect the acquisition of disorders |
| d. | emphasize the importance of conditioning |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Factual
- Which of the following is a strength of the behavioral model?
| a. | It emphasizes the impact of environment on behavior. |
| b. | It is applied to explain intrapsychic conflict. |
| c. | It is not restricted by adherence to scientific methodology. |
| d. | It highlights the subjective life of the individual. |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Conceptual
- When John was growing up, he saw his older brother severely beaten by their father after the brother was caught drinking a beer. Since then, John has never had a beer in his life. What form of learning does this best illustrate?
| a. | classical conditioning | c. | observational learning |
| b. | instrumental learning | d. | operant conditioning |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Applied
- Dr. Ansorg believes that her clients can acquire appropriate social skills by watching her interact with other people in a social setting. Dr. Ansorg assumes which paradigm of learning?
| a. | classical conditioning | c. | operant conditioning |
| b. | observational learning | d. | psychodynamic |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Applied
- A depressed person hears this from his therapist: “Your interpretation of the events in your life brings on the depression. If you can see yourself as less of a failure and more of a success, the depression will lift.” The therapist probably supports which approach to abnormal behavior?
| a. | cognitive | c. | psychodynamic |
| b. | operant conditioning | d. | family systems |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Applied
- Schema and irrational thoughts are two terms that are used in which model of psychopathology?
| a. | family systems | c. | cognitive |
| b. | behavioral | d. | multicultural |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Factual
- Cognitive theorists emphasize that disturbed individuals ____.
| a. | come from disturbed families |
| b. | live in stressful environments |
| c. | have irrational and maladaptive thoughts |
| d. | are deficient in interpersonal skills |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Factual
- Who developed the A-B-C theory of personality and irrational beliefs?
| a. | Ellis | c. | Beck |
| b. | Minuchin | d. | Satir |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Factual
- Dr. Alcott makes the following statement about Janet’s depression: “Your depression may be due to your misperception of this unfortunate situation and your tendency to blame yourself for events that are beyond your control. What we need to do is help you to recognize and modify your irrational beliefs.” Dr. Alcott’s comments are characteristic of the ____.
| a. | behavioral model | c. | humanistic model |
| b. | cognitive model | d. | psychodynamic model |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Applied
- Dr. Danvers is a firm believer in Ellis’s A-B-C theory of personality. Given that, what could we expect Dr. Danvers to say?
| a. | “People are less troubled by their thoughts regarding the events in their lives than the actual events themselves.” |
| b. | “Belief that an event is unfortunate leads to a healthier consequence than belief that an event is a catastrophe.” |
| c. | “Our reactions are due to our learned associations.” |
| d. | “Depression is something you are most likely born with and can never really escape.”
|
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Applied
- Dr. Weinberg is a humanistically oriented psychotherapist. Which of the following comments about cognitive therapy is she most likely to make?
| a. | “People have the ability to make free choices and they are responsible for their own decisions.” |
| b. | “Therapists who use the ABC-theory are too passive; they should be more like teachers than listeners.” |
| c. | “Cognitive therapists put too much emphasis on childhood experiences and not enough on choices one makes in life.” |
| d. | “Thoughts are not observable, so they have no place in science.” |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Applied
- The humanistic approach and the ____ approach emphasize the subjective world of the individual. Both were developed as a reaction against the deterministic and mechanistic quality of early models of psychopathology.
| a. | existential | c. | multicultural |
| b. | observational learning | d. | behavioral |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Factual
- Dr. Abdul says to his students, “There are two key things to understand about this therapeutic approach. First, the best way to understand an individual’s behavior is to see the world from that person’s point of view. Second, people are able to make free choices in life.” To which of the following theoretical approaches could Dr. Abdul be referring?
| a. | psychodynamic | c. | cognitive |
| b. | humanistic | d. | behavioral |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Applied
- A major contribution of the humanistic perspective is its ____.
| a. | insistence on rigorous empirical studies |
| b. | primary focus on improving the mental health of persons with serious disorders |
| c. | positive view of the individual |
| d. | emphasis on blocked instinctual forces |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Factual
- Shelly says, “I think that everyone has an inherent tendency to strive toward their full potential. It shows in our creativity and delight in discovering new things.” Shelly’s thoughts illustrate ____.
| a. | Maslow’s term “self-actualization.” |
| b. | Thorndike’s principle “the law of effect.” |
| c. | Freud’s view of unconscious influences on our development. |
| d. | Ellis’s concept of rational beliefs. |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Applied
- According to Rogers, behavior disorders are the result of ____.
| a. | insufficient discipline of children by parents |
| b. | observational learning from poor role models |
| c. | fixation at early psychosexual stages |
| d. | incongruence between self-concept and potential |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Factual
- A mother says to her daughter, “I value you regardless of your behavior. I may disapprove of what you do, but I will still respect and love you.” According to Rogers, this mother is ____.
| a. | increasing the incongruence between the child’s self-concept and the child’s behavior |
| b. | expressing conditions of worth toward her daughter |
| c. | providing unconditional positive regard |
| d. | teaching the girl irrational beliefs |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Applied
- According to Rogers, which of the following would be most important in a therapeutic relationship?
| a. | well-developed counseling techniques | c. | the therapist’s attitude |
| b. | interpretation of transference | d. | insight into the client’s problems |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Factual
- As a person-centered therapist, Dr. Finn wants his clients to discover their strengths and their full potential. Dr. Finn would most likely do which of the following?
| a. | rely on his clients’ own strength and potential |
| b. | make suggestions for ways his clients can increase their strength and potential |
| c. | point out how his clients get in the way of developing their strength and potential |
| d. | reinforce the behaviors his clients use that promote their strength and potential |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Applied
- Which of the following techniques is consistent with person-centered therapy?
| a. | Express and communicate respect. |
| b. | Tell a client how to think about a problem. |
| c. | Help a client achieve insight into inner motivations and desires. |
| d. | Recognize the connections between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Factual
- Humanistic therapists ____.
| a. | emphasize the use of specific techniques in therapy |
| b. | withhold unconditional positive regard when clients are unwilling to accept personal responsibility |
| c. | do not need training to develop clinical skills because it is their attitude that is paramount for effecting therapeutic change |
| d. | believe that people are able to advance and grow on their own |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Factual
- Which perspective is not really a systemized school of thought, and instead is more like a set of attitudes that emphasizes the individual’s quest for meaning and personal responsibility for choices?
| a. | existential | c. | psychodynamic |
| b. | cognitive | d. | behavioral |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Factual
- The existential and humanistic approaches differ from one another in that the existentialists emphasize ____.
| a. | the need for society to control and restrict the antisocial impulses of individuals |
| b. | responsibility to society as well as personal responsibility |
| c. | the importance of the therapist’s interpretation of the client’s difficulties in life |
| d. | optimism |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Factual
- Dr. Castillo says, “I look at psychopathology in terms of human suffering and the alienation that individuals now feel in an increasingly impersonal world. We are responsible for our actions, and responsible to others as well.” Dr. Castillo’s remarks best illustrate which approach?
| a. | humanistic | c. | post-Freudian |
| b. | cognitive | d. | existential |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Applied
- Tuyet-Hoa says, “I tend to focus on the individual and how that person can reach his or her full potential. I am optimistic that people can fulfill themselves when they are free of society’s burdening expectations.” Tuyet-Hoa’s ideas sound most like ____.
| a. | Ellis’s A-B-C theory of personality | c. | humanistic thinking |
| b. | Thorndike’s “law of effect” | d. | existential thinking |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Applied
- The humanistic and existential approaches have been most successful at ____.
| a. | explaining the relationship between inheritance and stress |
| b. | creating a coherent theory of behavior |
| c. | describing the human condition |
| d. | developing a scientific body of evidence for its concepts |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Conceptual
- Joseph is a hardheaded scientist who puts high value on objective investigation and the clear definition of terms. The model of psychopathology he is most likely to value is ____.
| a. | humanistic | c. | behavioral |
| b. | psychoanalytical | d. | existential |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Applied
- Are traditional psychoanalytic therapy and humanistic psychotherapies effective in helping severely disturbed people?
| a. | Only humanistic psychotherapies are effective; traditional psychoanalytic therapy is not. |
| b. | Psychoanalytic and humanistic psychotherapies do not work well with severely disturbed people. |
| c. | Both psychotherapies are designed to help severely disturbed people. |
| d. | Only traditional psychoanalytic therapy is effective; humanistic psychotherapies are not. |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Two: Psychological Factors
OBJ: 4 MSC: Conceptual
- Which of the following approaches would be most likely to emphasize how other people, especially significant others, influence our behavior?
| a. | family systems | c. | behavioral |
| b. | existentialist | d. | cognitive |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Three: Social Factors
OBJ: 5 MSC: Applied
- The conjoint family therapeutic approach developed by Virginia Satir stresses ____.
| a. | the importance of teaching message-sending and message-receiving skills to family members |
| b. | the importance of shifting the balance of power from the identified patient to the entire family |
| c. | that most family problems arise because family members are too involved with one another |
| d. | that most family problems arise because family members are not sufficiently involved with one another |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Three: Social Factors
OBJ: 5 MSC: Factual
- One limitation of the family systems approach is that ____.
| a. | id processes are overemphasized but ego and superego processes are ignored |
| b. | little research has been done to test the basic elements of the model |
| c. | research has failed to support the theory’s central idea that family relationships contribute to the development of mental disorders |
| d. | research studies have generally not been rigorous in design |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Three: Social Factors
OBJ: 5 MSC: Factual
- Alicia and Isaac are planning to get married. Before they begin to make plans, they want to ensure that they can deal effectively with conflicts that might arise from being raised in very different cultures. Among the potential problems they might encounter are their respective roles in the relationship and how to communicate their feelings to each other. They would most likely seek out a therapist who specializes in ____.
| a. | family therapy | c. | couples therapy |
| b. | behavioral therapy | d. | group therapy |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Three: Social Factors
OBJ: 5 MSC: Applied
- Anita’s therapist suggests that she enter into a therapy group that the therapist is starting. Which of the following features is least likely to be a benefit Anita will experience from participating in group therapy?
| a. | getting special attention from her therapist that she would not get in private sessions |
| b. | developing new communication skills, social skills, and insights |
| c. | becoming involved in a social situation so the therapist can see how Anita’s behavior affects others |
| d. | getting strong social and emotional support |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Three: Social Factors
OBJ: 5 MSC: Applied
- Before contemporary multicultural models were developed, racial differences in rates of mental disorder were often explained in terms of ____.
| a. | cultural deprivation | c. | therapists’ biases in diagnosis |
| b. | automatic thoughts | d. | double binds |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Four: Sociocultural Factors
OBJ: 6 MSC: Factual
- Which early model of psychopathology believed that differences between various minority groups and their white counterparts resulted from minority groups not being as good as the white majority?
| a. | the deficit model | c. | the Jensen model |
| b. | the inferiority model | d. | the deprivation model |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Four: Sociocultural Factors
OBJ: 6 MSC: Conceptual
- Unlike early editions of the DSM, DSM-IV-TR recognizes culture-bound syndromes and disorders that are more prevalent in some cultures than in others. These changes show the influence of which model?
| a. | humanistic | c. | multicultural |
| b. | existential | d. | multipath |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Four: Sociocultural Factors
OBJ: 6 MSC: Conceptual
- A psychologist who supports the multicultural model would most likely say that ____.
| a. | some cultures value family identity more than individuality |
| b. | Western cultures value “belongingness” over individualism |
| c. | European American therapists place too little importance on the problems within the person |
| d. | almost all non-Western cultures value individuality over collectivity |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Four: Sociocultural Factors
OBJ: 6 MSC: Applied
- A reasonable criticism of the multicultural model is that it ____.
| a. | relies too heavily on scientific evidence for its assumptions |
| b. | lacks empirical validation of its assumptions |
| c. | makes biased, culture-bound assumptions about human nature |
| d. | seeks to find universal explanations for mental health problems |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Four: Sociocultural Factors
OBJ: 6 MSC: Applied
- As we learn more about human behavior and mental disorders, the research suggests that ____.
| a. | behavioral explanations are superior to the others |
| b. | cultural factors are more important than biological or psychological factors |
| c. | biological, psychological, and cultural factors are all important |
| d. | most of the models are so different that there is little room for their integration |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Four: Sociocultural Factors
OBJ: 6 MSC: Conceptual
- According to the multicultural model, cultural differences ____.
| a. | result from the interplay of undesirable elements in a person’s biological makeup |
| b. | result from not being born into the “right culture” |
| c. | are unimportant |
| d. | do not necessarily equate with deviance |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Dimension Four: Sociocultural Factors
OBJ: 6 MSC: Factual
ESSAY
- Compare and contrast the psychodynamic model and the humanistic-existential model on the following issues: the origins of abnormal behavior, the role of conscious experience in everyday behavior, determinism, and methods of treatment.
ANS:
Psychoanalytic thinkers see early childhood experiences as critical for all mental disorders. Traumatic experiences during the first three psychosexual stages can fixate the individual at that stage, arresting emotional development and leading to characteristic symptoms. These experiences are often out of the person’s awareness, and unconscious impulses can threaten to overwhelm ego controls. Defenses against these sources of anxiety both protect the person and, if used excessively, generate psychological and physical symptoms. Humanistic thinkers also see childhood as influential. Specifically, Rogers claimed that the natural tendency to live up to one’s potential (the actualizing tendency) can be thwarted when parents and others place conditions on their expression of love for the child. Incongruence between the individual’s way of seeing himself or herself and actual experience is the core reason for mental disorders. Psychoanalysts place much greater emphasis on the unconscious than do other theorists. They see conscious experience as often being a distortion of underlying, truer feelings and impulses. Humanistic theorists believe that people are more capable of making conscious choices that are in their own best interests. They also place great importance on knowing the subjective reality of the client.
Because early and unconscious experiences drive behavior, psychoanalysts are inclined to see current behavior as determined by history and forces out of the individual’s control. Humanists disagree and claim that we have the freedom to make choices and that we also must take responsibility for those choices.
These differences lead naturally to differences in treatment strategies. Psychoanalytic therapy seeks to make the unconscious conscious by using dream analysis, free association, and other techniques including projective tests. Humanistic therapists provide clients with unconditional positive regard—a supportive environment in which they can fully experience feelings and thoughts. Rogers’s person-centered therapy is nondirective and uses reflection of feeling to help clients solve their own dilemmas.
PTS: 1
- Briefly describe the biological model of psychopathology. Be sure to include a discussion of brain structure and communication among brain structures and the role each may play in the development of psychological problems.
ANS:
According to the biological model, abnormal behavior is the result of biological or physical factors. More specifically, this model suggests that abnormal behavior may be due to problems with brain structure or functioning, neurotransmitter or hormonal imbalances, or inherited factors.
The brain can be divided into three main sections: the forebrain, the midbrain, and the hindbrain. The forebrain is comprised of the thalamus, the hypothalamus, reticular activating, system, limbic system, and cerebrum. The thalamus is necessary for the relaying of information between other regions of the central nervous system and the cerebral cortex. The hypothalamus regulates hunger, thirst, and body temperature. The limbic system is involved in experiencing and expressing emotions and motivations. The cerebrum includes the cerebral cortex and covers the midbrain and thalamus. The midbrain coordinates information between the forebrain and the hindbrain, and it is involved in vision and hearing. Along with the hindbrain, the midbrain controls sleep, alertness, and pain. The hindbrain manufactures serotonin and controls functions such as sleep, heart rate, and respiration. A network of nerve fibers in the hindbrain that threads into the midbrain called the reticular formation controls bodily states such as sleep, alertness, and attention. Any type of abnormalities in these structures, due to injury, birth complications, excessive intake of alcohol or drugs, or prenatal exposure to toxins, can result in direct physical and/or psychological problems.
Messages are communicated from one area of the brain to another via neurotransmitters. More specifically, a message in the form of an electrical impulse moves through a neuron until, when it reaches the end of the axon, it triggers the neuron to release chemicals called neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft. These neurotransmitters are taken up by the next neuron, transformed into a new electrical impulse, and carried through that cell body. This process of neurotransmission can go awry in several ways. There may be too much or too little of the neurotransmitter substance, there may be too many or too few receptors for the amount of neurotransmitter released, there may be other neurons present that might inhibit the neural connections, and there may be problems with the interrelationships among different neurotransmitter substances. All these problems may lead to psychopathology.
PTS: 1
- Imagine that a client from a non-European family comes to a psychological clinic for help. How would therapists endorsing a family systems approach see the person’s problems differently than a multicultural psychologist? How might they see them similarly?
ANS:
A family systems theorist will see the individual’s behavior as stemming from a family context. This person’s problems will be seen as being affected by the family and, in turn, affecting other family members. The individual’s behavior may be a symptom of unhealthy family dynamics. Three approaches to family therapy might be taken: communications, strategic, and structural. The communications approach to treatment would look at how the client and family convey messages. The strategic approach would emphasize power relationships among family members. The structural approach would investigate the degree to which there are over- or under-involved relationships among family members.
The multicultural theorist would emphasize the cultural norms of the client’s background. For example, if the family is Asian, the degree of collectivity versus independence would be highlighted. It would be important to accept the legitimacy of the client’s culture and examine whether discrimination by the majority culture contributes to the individual’s distress.
Both models would focus more on the individual’s larger context (family or society) than would other models. The problems of the individual would be reevaluated as problems that occur in larger groups.
PTS: 1
Chapter 4 – The Scientific Method in Abnormal Psychology
MULTIPLE CHOICE
- What is the role of replication in psychological research?
| a. | Replication assists psychologists in making accurate diagnoses. |
| b. | Replication assists psychologists in developing the most appropriate treatments for their clients. |
| c. | Replication increases the chances that consumers will understand psychological research. |
| d. | Replication reduces the chances that findings are due to experimenter bias, methodological flaws, or sampling errors. |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Introduction OBJ: 1
MSC: Factual
- Wayne, a young adolescent male, has a history of sexual abuse from his childhood. How significant could we expect his signs and symptoms of trauma that characterize the majority of individuals with child abuse histories?
| a. | It is likely that Wayne will have no signs or symptoms of abuse as a significant number of abused children are asymptomatic. |
| b. | It is likely that Wayne will have signs or symptoms of abuse as a significant number of abused children are symptomatic. |
| c. | Wayne should be assessed by a professional because only experts can reliably detect signs or symptoms of child abuse. |
| d. | It’s hard to say because some children who have been abused have symptoms, while other children present with no symptoms of abuse. |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Introduction OBJ: 1
MSC: Applied
- Your neighbor tells you, “I’m concerned about vaccinating my children. I understand that scientists have proved that childhood vaccines cause autism.” What response to your neighbor is most accurate?
| a. | “Actually, no one has ever studied this thoroughly, so no one really knows.” |
| b. | “Not really; well-designed studies have been done, and the research does not support a link between vaccines and autism.” |
| c. | “Not exactly; it seems that autism is caused by an equation of environmental conditions, with childhood vaccines being one of the many variables involved.” |
| d. | “You are right; double-blind research has shown that autism is caused by vaccines.” |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Introduction OBJ: 1
MSC: Applied
- What conclusion can be reached from research findings reported in the mass media as conclusive?
| a. | Usually the findings from initial research are replicated. |
| b. | Newspapers often get the facts wrong. |
| c. | Initial findings reported by newspapers often are not replicated. |
| d. | Newspapers are the best sources of scientific information. |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Introduction OBJ: 1
MSC: Conceptual
- A newspaper headline in 2004 might have read, “Antidepressants raise suicide risk in children and adolescents.” What did subsequent news stories report?
| a. | More research is needed to determine the link between antidepressants and an increase in suicide risk as only one study found this to be the case. |
| b. | It is just as likely that suicide risk is linked to antidepressant use as the other way around. |
| c. | The researchers who reported these results were found to have faked them. |
| d. | No action was taken by the FDA to address the link between antidepressants and the increase in suicide attempts. |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Introduction OBJ: 1
MSC: Conceptual
- “I never accept the results of one study as conclusive. Findings must be replicated. I look carefully at the methods used to produce conclusions. Because of my skeptical attitude, you can guess I am a ____.”
| a. | philosopher | c. | scientist |
| b. | clinician | d. | newspaper reporter |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Introduction OBJ: 1
MSC: Conceptual
- Emily came to see her advisor about doing a research study for her Ph.D. dissertation.
“What are you going to investigate?” he asked.
“I believe that drinking orange juice before an IQ test will raise a person’s score,” she said. Emily’s answer constitutes a(n) ____.
| a. | idiographic orientation | c. | operational definition |
| b. | hypothesis | d. | theory |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: The Scientific Method in Clinical Research
OBJ: 1 MSC: Applied
- A coherent group of principles and hypotheses that explain some aspect of an area of study is a(n) ____.
| a. | valid measure | c. | correlation |
| b. | theory | d. | operational definition |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: The Scientific Method in Clinical Research
OBJ: 1 MSC: Factual
- Cynthia wants to ensure that her research is consistent with the scientific method. Among the many characteristics of good research, she will need to be sure that ____.
| a. | she listens to her own intuition |
| b. | her participants are aware of what will be done to them |
| c. | her study has the potential for self-correction |
| d. | her data remain confidential |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: The Scientific Method in Clinical Research
OBJ: 1 MSC: Applied
- Which of the following is a hallmark of the scientific method?
| a. | systematic data collection for the testing of hypotheses |
| b. | maintaining the privacy of researchers’ methods so that ideas are not stolen |
| c. | research conducted without the restrictions that hypotheses and theories put on our conception of phenomena |
| d. | rejection of the concept “self-correction” |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: The Scientific Method in Clinical Research
OBJ: 1 MSC: Factual
- One psychologist says, “Depression stems from unconscious feelings of anger and abandonment that go back to childhood.” Another psychologist says, “Depression is caused by illogical thoughts and assumptions.” These differences of opinion ____.
| a. | illustrate the difficulty of science being self-correcting when there are different theories involved |
| b. | suggest that psychology is not really a science |
| c. | indicate that hypotheses typically reflect the same theoretical position |
| d. | show that hypothesized reasons for one disorder can have different theories behind them |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: The Scientific Method in Clinical Research
OBJ: 1 MSC: Conceptual
- Professor Pierrot told his class, “Clinical research must be replicable, relationships between variables must be clearly hypothesized and defined, and the measures used must be both reliable and valid.” What additional characteristic should the professor include in his instructions?
| a. | Research data should be kept confidential, although conclusions should be shared with others. |
| b. | Base rate data must be acknowledged. |
| c. | The researcher’s beliefs, attitudes, values, and emotions must guide the research. |
| d. | It’s important to be able to revise data that are collected. |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: The Scientific Method in Clinical Research
OBJ: 1 MSC: Applied
- Operational definitions are employed in order to ____.
| a. | explain how hypotheses relate to larger theories |
| b. | state how one variable affects another variable |
| c. | explain how independent variables are manipulated by the experimenter |
| d. | clarify what the researcher means by a particular variable |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: The Scientific Method in Clinical Research
OBJ: 1 MSC: Factual
- Which of the following is an example of an operational definition?
| a. | Obesity is when a person is 20 percent over normal weight. |
| b. | Frustration is when a person becomes upset with life. |
| c. | A hypothesis is a conjecture about the relationship between variables. |
| d. | Anxiety is how you felt the first time you had to give a speech. |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: The Scientific Method in Clinical Research
OBJ: 1 MSC: Conceptual
- A portion of a research report says, “Gifted children—those under 14 and with an IQ over 130—are more likely to be popular than less-gifted children. Furthermore, their popularity is related to stronger social skills, and this ability is evident with adults as well as with children.” What portion of the statement illustrates an operational definition?
| a. | Gifted children are under 14 and score more than 130 on IQ tests. |
| b. | Gifted children are more likely to be popular. |
| c. | Gifted children’s popularity is due to stronger social skills. |
| d. | Gifted children’s social skills are evident with adults as well as with children. |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: The Scientific Method in Clinical Research
OBJ: 1 MSC: Conceptual
- A research report includes this paragraph: “We hypothesized that anxiety disorders are more frequent in children whose parents are divorced. We looked at the frequency of anxiety problems in divorced and intact families, using court records to determine when the divorce took place.” What component of scientific research is missing in this paragraph?
| a. | There is no operational definition of anxiety disorder. |
| b. | There is no reliable way of determining timing of divorce. |
| c. | There is no examination of base rates. |
| d. | There is no clearly stated hypothesis. |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: The Scientific Method in Clinical Research
OBJ: 1 MSC: Conceptual
- Dr. Appel says, “Excessive alcohol consumption is when drinking interferes with social and occupational functioning.” But Dr. Baker says, “Excessive alcohol consumption is when a person’s frequency and quantity of drinking is in the top 10 percent of all drinkers.” What the two doctors are disagreeing about is ____.
| a. | the need for a control group | c. | the reliability of measurement |
| b. | an operational definition | d. | the base rate |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: The Scientific Method in Clinical Research
OBJ: 1 MSC: Applied
- Dr. Gonzalez devised a new scale to measure depressive symptoms of Hispanic females. To be sure that his test is actually measuring depressive symptoms, he will have his test group respond to his new instrument and the Beck Depression Inventory, as well as completing a social desirability scale, which should be unrelated to depression. Dr. Gonzalez is ____.
| a. | checking the validity of his measure of depressive symptoms |
| b. | checking the reliability of his measure of depressive symptoms |
| c. | assessing the honesty of his participants |
| d. | pursuing idiographic research |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: The Scientific Method in Clinical Research
OBJ: 1 MSC: Applied
- A researcher finds that when people report their sexual activity on a mailed questionnaire, they indicate higher levels of bizarre fantasies than when they are questioned face to face. This indicates that these methods of measuring sexual activity ____.
| a. | have high base rates | c. | are negatively correlated |
| b. | are high in validity | d. | have low reliability |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: The Scientific Method in Clinical Research
OBJ: 1 MSC: Applied
- By definition, reliable measures ____; valid measures ____.
| a. | are manipulated by the experimenter; are not manipulated |
| b. | measure what they are supposed to; are consistent |
| c. | are consistent; measure what they are supposed to |
| d. | are not manipulated by the experimenter; are manipulated |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: The Scientific Method in Clinical Research
OBJ: 1 MSC: Conceptual
- For some strange reason, a music teacher gives students a vocabulary test before deciding what the right musical instrument is for each. The vocabulary test gives consistent results, but the students are rarely happy with the instrument they play. The problem is that the vocabulary test ____.
| a. | is valid but not reliable | c. | is neither reliable nor valid |
| b. | has excessive reliability | d. | is reliable but not valid |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: The Scientific Method in Clinical Research
OBJ: 1 MSC: Applied
- Truddi has been studying the topic of repressed memories. She is likely to find that ____.
| a. | experimental psychologists are much more likely than clinicians to believe in the validity of repressed memories |
| b. | men are much more likely than women to believe in the validity of repressed memories |
| c. | many clinicians believe that some therapeutic techniques can lead to false memories |
| d. | cognitive psychologists are more likely than psychoanalytic psychologists to believe in the validity of repressed memories |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: The Scientific Method in Clinical Research
OBJ: 1 MSC: Applied
- In order to compare how often some behavior or other phenomenon occurs in the population that is being studied, researchers examine ____.
| a. | correlations | c. | operational definitions |
| b. | reliable measurements | d. | base rates |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: The Scientific Method in Clinical Research
OBJ: 1 MSC: Factual
- Alicia suspects that her estranged husband is sexually abusing their daughter Kimberly during custodial visits. She told her friend Heather that she became suspicious when she noticed Kimberly touching her sexual parts in bed on three separate occasions in the past week. Upon hearing that, Heather remarked, “Isn’t it common for 4-year-old girls to touch themselves in that way out of general curiosity?” Heather’s comment concerns which of the following?
| a. | The base rate of the behavior | c. | The incidence of the behavior |
| b. | The iatrogenic effect of the behavior | d. | The penetrance of the behavior |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: The Scientific Method in Clinical Research
OBJ: 1 MSC: Applied
- Base rates obtained from a normal control group in response to a psychotic-traits questionnaire suggested that ____.
| a. | reports of bizarre thoughts provide strong evidence of psychotic disorders |
| b. | normal controls are more likely to report bizarre thoughts on a written questionnaire than are psychotic individuals |
| c. | base rates are less useful when comparing a normal group with a psychotic group than when comparing two normal groups |
| d. | reports of bizarre thoughts or being bothered by the feeling of being watched do not necessarily indicate the presence of a psychotic disorder |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: The Scientific Method in Clinical Research
OBJ: 1 MSC: Factual
- A large school district introduces a new reading program into one-half of its first-grade classrooms. Three years later, the reading scores of the 10,000 children in the new program average 3 points higher on a 100-point test than the scores of the 10,000 children who did not get the program. Although 3 points is statistically significant, the problem with saying that the program was a great success is that ____.
| a. | the samples are too small to assess clinical significance |
| b. | the reading test is probably not reliable |
| c. | three points on the reading score is probably not clinically significant |
| d. | there was no control group |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: The Scientific Method in Clinical Research
OBJ: 1 MSC: Applied
- Which statement about clinical and statistical significance is accurate?
| a. | It’s more common for study findings to show clinical significance than statistical significance. |
| b. | Large samples can produce statistical significance without showing clinical significance. |
| c. | Statistical significance has greater practical value than clinical significance. |
| d. | If there is statistical significance, we can assume there is clinical significance. |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: The Scientific Method in Clinical Research
OBJ: 1 MSC: Factual
- When is clinical significance most likely to be minimal while statistical significance is quite large?
| a. | when the sample size is very large | c. | when the base rate is very large |
| b. | when the sample size is very small | d. | when the base rate is very small |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: The Scientific Method in Clinical Research
OBJ: 1 MSC: Conceptual
- Dr. Kendall is treating a group of people diagnosed with anxiety disorders. At the completion of the treatment program, analyses indicate that the clients are showing statistically significant changes as a result of treatment. Many of the clients, however, still report feeling strong symptoms of anxiety. Which of the following statements is accurate?
| a. | Dr. Kendall needs a new operational definition for anxiety. |
| b. | Although the treatment group showed statistically significant changes, the clinical significance of the results is questionable. |
| c. | A study is clinically significant if it is statistically significant. |
| d. | Dr. Kendall’s treatment is successful because it has been shown to produce statistically significant changes. |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: The Scientific Method in Clinical Research
OBJ: 1 MSC: Applied
- If the results of a study are due to factors other than those included in the research investigation, the study is said to have ____.
| a. | poor reliability | c. | a low base rate |
| b. | low statistical significance | d. | poor internal validity |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: The Scientific Method in Clinical Research
OBJ: 1 MSC: Conceptual
- A researcher believes that depressive symptoms will be reduced when family members give attention to competent behavior and express disinterest when depressive behavior is exhibited. In this example, attention is the ____ and depressive symptoms are the ____.
| a. | confounding variable; manipulated variable |
| b. | dependent variable; independent variable |
| c. | independent variable; dependent variable |
| d. | experimental variable; control variable |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Experiments OBJ: 2
MSC: Conceptual
- The best way to test cause-and-effect relationships is with a(n) ____.
| a. | case study | c. | correlational study |
| b. | placebo | d. | experiment |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Experiments OBJ: 2
MSC: Factual
- In an experiment, the ____ is as similar as possible to the experimental group except that it is not exposed to the independent variable.
| a. | control group | c. | dependent variable group |
| b. | placebo group | d. | randomized group |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Experiments OBJ: 2
MSC: Factual
- In the Thom et al. (2000) study of the treatment of dental-phobic patients, if participants in the two experimental groups showed reduced anxiety from pretest to posttest, could the researchers conclude that the treatments were effective in reducing anxiety?
| a. | Yes. Reduction in anxiety for the experimental groups would prove the effectiveness of the treatment. |
| b. | No. There are many possible reasons why patients would show reduced anxiety, so the only way to know if the cause was the treatments would be to use a control group that did not get a treatment. |
| c. | Yes, but only if one of the groups had a greater reduction in anxiety than the other. |
| d. | No. To conclude that the treatments were effective, they would need to see if the effects last for many years afterwards. |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Experiments OBJ: 2
MSC: Conceptual
- Dr. Malcolm is developing a new personality inventory. In his validation study, he ensures that his participants include individuals from every state, an equal number of men and women, individuals from all ethnic and racial backgrounds, and individuals from both rural and urban areas. Dr. Malcolm is trying to ensure that his study is ____.
| a. | internally valid | c. | externally valid |
| b. | tightly controlled | d. | reliable |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Experiments OBJ: 2
MSC: Applied
- To study the effectiveness of a new anti-anxiety drug, researchers randomly assign equally anxious people to two groups, one getting Drug X and the other getting no drug. The researchers mistakenly conclude that Drug X works because people in the drug group show fewer signs of anxiety than the others. What is the mistake?
| a. | They never introduced an independent variable. |
| b. | They did not create a placebo control group. |
| c. | They never did a pretest of anxiety symptoms. |
| d. | They did not operationally define what the experimental group was. |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Experiments OBJ: 2
MSC: Conceptual
- In a study of the effectiveness of cognitive therapy on anxiety, fifty anxious patients are divided into two groups. One group gets cognitive therapy, the other a fake kind of therapy that should have no benefit. However, the patients can tell that the second form of treatment is a fake. The study is weak because ____.
| a. | its placebo condition did not control for expectancy effects |
| b. | it did not include an independent variable |
| c. | it confuses experimental designs with correlational designs |
| d. | it did not have a placebo condition |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Experiments OBJ: 2
MSC: Conceptual
- Rosie participated in a study assessing the effectiveness of a drug to treat osteoporosis. Throughout the study, neither Rosie nor the person administering the dosage knew whether she was getting the real medication or a placebo. Rosie was participating in a ____.
| a. | blind design study | c. | field study |
| b. | correlational study | d. | double-blind design study |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Experiments OBJ: 2
MSC: Applied
- A dilemma of experimental research is that research designs that produce high internal validity may have problems with ____.
| a. | random variables | c. | confounding variables |
| b. | external validity | d. | reliability |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Experiments OBJ: 2
MSC: Factual
- Which of the following is not a characteristic of correlational studies?
| a. | They help researchers understand cause and effect. |
| b. | They indicate the strength of a relationship between variables. |
| c. | When two variables are highly related, knowledge about one variable can be used to make predictions about the other variable. |
| d. | They are helpful in generating hypotheses for experimental research. |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Correlation OBJ: 3
MSC: Conceptual
- Suppose the results of a correlational study examining the association between poverty and psychotic behavior show a correlation coefficient of r = 0.80. One possible interpretation of the results is that poverty causes psychotic behavior. Another possibility is that ____.
| a. | the study was actually an experiment. |
| b. | a third variable causes both poverty and psychotic behavior |
| c. | poverty and psychotic behavior are unrelated |
| d. | the correlation is actually negative |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Correlation OBJ: 3
MSC: Conceptual
- Instead of manipulating variables, the researcher measures the extent to which changes in one variable are accompanied by changes in a second variable. What type of study is this?
| a. | analogue | c. | epidemiological |
| b. | experimental | d. | correlational |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Correlation OBJ: 3
MSC: Factual
- A researcher believes that the higher a person’s creativity, the greater the person’s likelihood of showing mood swings. Research to test this idea ____.
| a. | could use the correlational method |
| b. | would require an experimental design |
| c. | could not have a nomothetic orientation |
| d. | would require a double-blind design |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Correlation OBJ: 3
MSC: Conceptual
- Suppose the only thing you know about a research study is that its statistical result is r = –0.74. What could you deduce?
| a. | It was an experiment in which the independent variable had an effect. |
| b. | It is not only statistically significant but also clinically significant. |
| c. | It was a correlational study where scores on one variable decreased as scores on the other increased. |
| d. | It was a correlational study where no relationship was found between the first variable and the second. |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Correlation OBJ: 3
MSC: Conceptual
- Which of the following is the strongest correlation?
| a. | –0.22 | c. | +0.76 |
| b. | 0 | d. | –1.00 |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Correlation OBJ: 3
MSC: Factual
- Which of the following statements is accurate about correlational studies?
| a. | They are very limited in the number of variables that can be evaluated at one time. |
| b. | They allow us to evaluate variables that would be unethical to manipulate in other types of research. |
| c. | They give us clear information about the direction of causality. |
| d. | They can tell us about cause and effect. |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Correlation OBJ: 3
MSC: Conceptual
- A researcher studies a group of elderly people and finds that, as a group, the better their memory performance, the lower their anxiety level. What can be said about this research?
| a. | It was a correlational study. |
| b. | The results show that memory loss causes anxiety. |
| c. | It was an experiment. |
| d. | The results show a perfect positive correlation. |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Correlation OBJ: 3
MSC: Conceptual
- What type of study would yield information on whether or not persons who were abused as children develop mental disorders in adulthood?
| a. | meta-analysis | c. | case study |
| b. | experiment | d. | correlational |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Correlation OBJ: 3
MSC: Conceptual
- Results of a study show a significant positive correlation between scores on the Dissociative Experiences Scale and a questionnaire on child abuse. The researchers conclude that this supports “the view that dissociation represents a reaction to early negative experience.” What is one problem with this conclusion?
| a. | It suggests that the Dissociative Experiences Scale is valid. |
| b. | It assumes there is a negative correlation when there was actually a positive correlation. |
| c. | It suggests that child abuse is the same thing as dissociation. |
| d. | It assumes there is a cause-and-effect relationship. |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Correlation OBJ: 3
MSC: Conceptual
- The 2007 Parents Television Council Study reported that people who watch more than three hours of television a day during the family hours time slot were much more likely to commit violent acts than people who watched less than one hour of television a day. What can be said about this research?
| a. | It proves that watching television leads to violence. |
| b. | It proves that watching a lot of violence on television leads to committing acts of violence. |
| c. | It suggests that there is an association between watching violence on television and committing acts of violence. |
| d. | It suggests that there is little, if any, association between watching television and committing acts of violence. |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Correlation OBJ: 3
MSC: Conceptual
- One thing that’s true about correlational studies is that they ____.
| a. | identify third variables that account for associations among variables |
| b. | tell us the direction of causality between two variables |
| c. | can indicate the degree to which two variables are related |
| d. | are not dependent on the validity of research instruments |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Correlation OBJ: 3
MSC: Factual
- Which of the following is an example of analogue research?
| a. | studying the effects of alcohol ingestion on pregnant rats in order to obtain further evidence to prevent fetal alcohol syndrome in human children |
| b. | studying the effects of RET therapy on a population of depressed individuals |
| c. | studying the effects of an art class on a group of heterogeneous school children in order to determine factors that enhance creativity |
| d. | studying the effects of antipsychotic drugs on people diagnosed with schizophrenia |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Analogue Studies
OBJ: 4 MSC: Conceptual
- Often, when new drugs are developed, their effects are first tested on animals rather than on humans. The use of animals as substitutes for humans in research is often referred to as ____.
| a. | descriptive research | c. | quasi-experimental research |
| b. | substitution research | d. | analogue research |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Analogue Studies
OBJ: 4 MSC: Conceptual
- Analogue studies are used when researchers ____.
| a. | are unable to use an experimental design |
| b. | are able to use only a single subject who must act as his or her own control |
| c. | are unable to recruit a sufficient number of human participants |
| d. | cannot practically or ethically observe behaviors as they occur in real life |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Analogue Studies
OBJ: 4 MSC: Factual
- To assess whether sexual sadism is influenced by watching sexually violent films, “normal” male participates are exposed to either violent or nonviolent sexual programs and are then asked to complete a questionnaire assessing their attitudes toward women and their likelihood of engaging in violent behaviors with women. This kind of research is called a(n) ____.
| a. | analogue study | c. | epidemiological study |
| b. | correlational study | d. | single-subject design |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Analogue Studies
OBJ: 4 MSC: Factual
- When researchers feel that an analogue study is too contrived to represent what goes on in real life accurately, they are likely to resort to what type of study instead?
| a. | case study | c. | field study |
| b. | historical study | d. | correlational study |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Field Studies
OBJ: 5 MSC: Factual
- Contrived situations are to ____ studies as naturalistic observations are to ____ studies.
| a. | field; correlational | c. | field; epidemiological |
| b. | correlational; experimental | d. | analogue; field |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Analogue/Field Studies
OBJ: 4-5 MSC: Conceptual
- What is a serious drawback to using analogue studies?
| a. | They require larger samples than do other types of experimental studies. |
| b. | Although the research offers high levels of control, the findings may not apply to anyone outside the sample studied. |
| c. | Although the external validity of such research is strong, internal validity is usually weak. |
| d. | It is difficult to gain the statistical significance needed for such studies to provide meaningful results. |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Analogue/Field Studies
OBJ: 4-5 MSC: Conceptual
- The primary method for gathering data in a field study is ____.
| a. | through the use of questionnaires |
| b. | by interviewing participants |
| c. | by analyzing archival data |
| d. | through observation in the natural environment |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Field Studies
OBJ: 5 MSC: Factual
- To better understand bulimia among college students, a researcher lives in a female freshman dorm for the fall semester to observe and interview students about their stresses, attitudes, and eating behaviors. This is an example of what type of study?
| a. | analogue | c. | experimental |
| b. | field | d. | case |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Field Studies
OBJ: 5 MSC: Conceptual
- To better understand bulimia among college students, a researcher lives in a female freshman dorm for the fall semester to observe and interview students about their stresses, attitudes, and eating behaviors. A limitation of this field study is ____.
| a. | that it is too tightly controlled. |
| b. | the fact that it is actually a longitudinal study |
| c. | the possibility that the researcher’s presence influenced behavior |
| d. | that it will have little external validity |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Field Studies
OBJ: 5 MSC: Conceptual
- “There are many assets to using a field study,” said the graduate student. “First, you’re dealing with correlation, so you can draw conclusions about the direction of causality. Second, you have a high degree of control over confounding variables. Third, because you’re dealing with a contrived situation, you’re bound to have poor external validity. And fourth, your presence might influence the subjects’ behavior.” Which part of the graduate student’s thinking was accurate?
| a. | that because it’s a correlational study, one can draw conclusions about causality |
| b. | that this type of study affords a high degree of control over confounding variables |
| c. | that because this type of study is contrived, it will result in poor external validity |
| d. | that the experimenters’ presence can influence the subjects’ behavior |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Field Studies
OBJ: 5 MSC: Applied
- Which of the following best illustrates a field study?
| a. | Caregivers of people with heart conditions are observed and interviewed at home. |
| b. | Mice are observed before and after they are deprived of sleep. |
| c. | A group of people are tested for intelligence when they are 20, 30, and 40 years old. |
| d. | The brain wave patterns of autistic children are compared with those of nonautistic children. |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Field Studies
OBJ: 5 MSC: Conceptual
- Experiments with large groups of subjects reflect the ____, whereas single-subject studies reflect the ____.
| a. | idiographic orientation; longitudinal orientation |
| b. | scientific method; armchair approach |
| c. | cross-cultural approach; nomothetic orientation |
| d. | nomothetic orientation; idiographic orientation |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Single-Participant Studies
OBJ: 6 MSC: Factual
- Idiographic research is most effective ____.
| a. | in laboratory studies with nonhuman subjects |
| b. | at showing clear cause-and-effect relationships |
| c. | in applied clinical work |
| d. | when large numbers of participants are used |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Single-Participant Studies
OBJ: 6 MSC: Factual
- Dr. Quillen treats a chronic smoker by first recording the number of cigarettes smoked daily, then offering monetary rewards for each day that one fewer cigarette is smoked. Because the client’s own behavior serves as a control, this kind of study is called a(n) ____.
| a. | analogue study | c. | correlational study |
| b. | single-participant experiment | d. | case study |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Single-Participant Studies
OBJ: 6 MSC: Applied
- The case study and the single-participant experiment are two examples of ____.
| a. | epidemiological research | c. | the nomothetic-orientation approach |
| b. | experimental studies | d. | the idiographic-orientation approach |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Single-Participant Studies
OBJ: 6 MSC: Factual
- Dr. Cummins publishes an article describing a man who abused alcohol for 25 years before becoming abstinent after having a religious conversion experience. This article illustrates a ____.
| a. | nomothetic study | c. | case study |
| b. | field study | d. | single-participant experiment |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Single-Participant Studies
OBJ: 6 MSC: Applied
- Which type of study is especially valuable for studying rare phenomena and for evaluating the course of a disorder and its treatment?
| a. | field | c. | nomothetic |
| b. | case | d. | correlational |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Single-Participant Studies
OBJ: 6 MSC: Factual
- In an attempt to determine the effectiveness of a training program for children with Asperger’s syndrome, Bock (2007) used which idiographic approach?
| a. | single-participant experiment | c. | case study |
| b. | multiple-baseline study | d. | correlational study |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Single-Participant Studies
OBJ: 6 MSC: Factual
- Unlike the case study, the single-participant experiment ____.
| a. | cannot determine cause-and-effect relationships |
| b. | is based on the nomothetic research orientation |
| c. | is better able to assess cause-and-effect relationships |
| d. | is a correlational design |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Single-Participant Studies
OBJ: 6 MSC: Conceptual
- A particular concern about the usefulness of single-subject designs is ____.
| a. | researcher bias |
| b. | whether they provide information about cause and effect |
| c. | their internal validity |
| d. | their external validity |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Single-Participant Studies
OBJ: 6 MSC: Factual
- Kira is involved in a research study consisting of four phases. First, her behavior is monitored under baseline conditions. Then her mother gives her rewards for specific behaviors. In the third stage, she goes back to baseline, and in the fourth, her mother again rewards her. What kind of research is this?
| a. | a single-participant experiment | c. | correlational |
| b. | longitudinal | d. | a field study |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Single-Participant Studies
OBJ: 6 MSC: Applied
- In a genetic linkage study, which of the following information would be important?
| a. | whether behavior changes when individuals are exposed to a particular chemical or diet |
| b. | whether the experimenter knows who is in the experimental group |
| c. | the nationwide prevalence of the disorder under study |
| d. | identifying family members who have the same disorder as the proband |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Biological Research Strategies
OBJ: 7 MSC: Factual
- Martin and Matthew are identical twins. Matthew has obsessive-compulsive disorder, but Martin does not. In a biological research study, who would be the proband?
| a. | Martin | c. | Martin and Matthew’s mother |
| b. | Matthew | d. | Martin and Matthew’s older sister |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Biological Research Strategies
OBJ: 7 MSC: Applied
- A researcher has identified seventy individuals with a relatively rare psychological disorder. These individuals are asked to identify blood relatives, who are contacted by the researcher to see if they have the same disorder. What kind of research study is being performed?
| a. | an epidemiological survey | c. | a historical study |
| b. | a genetic linkage study | d. | a correlational case study |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Biological Research Strategies
OBJ: 7 MSC: Conceptual
- A source of error that is of particular concern for researchers studying genetically linked disorders is ____.
| a. | the difficulty involved in finding probands |
| b. | the difficulty of getting family members of probands to participate in the research |
| c. | accurate reporting of whether people related to the probands are sick or well |
| d. | getting funding to carry out the research |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Biological Research Strategies
OBJ: 7 MSC: Factual
- Carmen has been diagnosed with major depression. Her twin sister Consuelo does not have the disorder. When asked if their parents suffer from major depression, researchers are likely to reduce bias in reporting by ____.
| a. | interviewing the twins together at the same time |
| b. | interviewing each twin at least twice and at different points of time |
| c. | refraining from contacting their parents |
| d. | refraining from administering a psychological assessment |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Biological Research Strategies
OBJ: 7 MSC: Applied
- Measurable heritable characteristics like brain abnormalities, attention processing deficits, or eye movements that give clues about specific genes involved in psychological disorders are called ____.
| a. | endophenotypes | c. | base rates for a behavior |
| b. | iatrogenic effects | d. | genetic linkages |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Biological Research Strategies
OBJ: 7 MSC: Factual
- A characteristic of all endophenotypes is that they are ____.
| a. | associated with a person’s physical environment |
| b. | inheritable |
| c. | manifest only in an individual who has the disorder |
| d. | detectable on brain scans |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Biological Research Strategies
OBJ: 7 MSC: Factual
- Mrs. Yarnell was given large doses of antipsychotic medications that had side effects including twitches and dizziness. These side effects were misinterpreted as additional psychopathology. Such a mistaken diagnosis illustrates ____.
| a. | the value of single-subject experiments |
| b. | a negative effect of experimentation on humans |
| c. | the power of endophenotypes |
| d. | an iatrogenic condition |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Biological Research Strategies
OBJ: 7 MSC: Applied
- People with schizophrenia who are given large doses of certain medications begin to smack their lips and grimace. They look as though they are getting worse instead of better. The fact that treatment leads to these additional symptoms illustrates ____.
| a. | that the medication is pathognomonic for schizophrenia |
| b. | iatrogenic effects |
| c. | analogue effects |
| d. | the need for double-blind research designs |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Biological Research Strategies
OBJ: 7 MSC: Conceptual
- Conclusions of the research conducted by Moos (2005) and Bootzin and Bailey (2005) suggests that ____.
| a. | some group-based prevention and treatment programs have resulted in increases in substance use and delinquent behaviors instead of decreases in these behaviors |
| b. | all group-based prevention and treatment programs yield similar results in drug taking and delinquent behaviors |
| c. | iatrogenic effects are the intended effects of therapy |
| d. | memories are usually less accurate in depressed individuals |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Biological Research Strategies
OBJ: 7 MSC: Factual
- The degree to which a genetic characteristic is manifested by individuals carrying a specific gene is called ____.
| a. | concordance | c. | penetrance |
| b. | discordance | d. | genetic linkage |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Biological Research Strategies
OBJ: 7 MSC: Factual
- In biological research, ____ are conducted to determine if a specific substance has an effect on an individual’s behavior.
| a. | iatrogenic effect tests | c. | longitudinal research studies |
| b. | animal model studies | d. | biological challenge tests |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Biological Research Strategies
OBJ: 7 MSC: Factual
- A study of childhood depression examines 6-year-olds for symptoms of depression, then reassesses these individuals when they are 8 and 12 years old. What kind of research is this?
| a. | historical | c. | epidemiological |
| b. | longitudinal | d. | case study |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Epidemiological and Other Forms of Research
OBJ: 8 MSC: Conceptual
- A researcher interested in sex differences in the diagnosis of childhood disorders reviews teachers’ comments on report cards issued to boys and girls during the 1930s and compares them with teachers’ comments on report cards during the 1980s. This study illustrates ____.
| a. | historical research | c. | program evaluation |
| b. | survey research | d. | longitudinal research |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Epidemiological and Other Forms of Research
OBJ: 8 MSC: Applied
- Fifty survivors of an airplane crash are given questionnaires to fill out two weeks, six weeks, and thirty weeks after the crash. This study combines what types of research?
| a. | longitudinal and historical | c. | single-subject experiment and survey |
| b. | case study and analogue | d. | longitudinal and survey |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Epidemiological and Other Forms of Research
OBJ: 8 MSC: Applied
- The town of Mayberry wants to know if a new suicide prevention telephone line has reduced the number of suicides in town. What kind of research should the town do to find out?
| a. | case study | c. | program evaluation |
| b. | analogue research | d. | historical research |
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Epidemiological and Other Forms of Research
OBJ: 8 MSC: Applied
- Dr. Richards focuses her research on how and why treatment is effective. She is conducting what type of study?
| a. | historical | c. | treatment outcome |
| b. | program evaluation | d. | treatment process |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Epidemiological and Other Forms of Research
OBJ: 8 MSC: Applied
- Research that examines the rate and distribution of mental disorders in the population is called ____.
| a. | historical research | c. | nomothetic research |
| b. | epidemiological research | d. | analogue research |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Epidemiological and Other Forms of Research
OBJ: 8 MSC: Factual
- Dr. Chin told his students, “Incidence rates tell us the percentage of individuals in a targeted population who have a particular disorder during a specified period of time, while prevalence rates describe the number of new cases within a specified period. Shorter periods of time generally reveal higher prevalence rates. Moreover, incidence rates are likely to be lower than prevalence rates.” Which part of Dr. Chin’s statement is accurate?
| a. | Incidence rates tell us the percentage of individuals in a targeted population who have a particular disorder during a specific period of time. |
| b. | Prevalence rates describe the number of new cases within a specified period. |
| c. | Shorter periods of time generally reveal higher prevalence rates. |
| d. | Incidence rates are likely to be lower than prevalence rates. |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Epidemiological and Other Forms of Research
OBJ: 8 MSC: Applied
- Prevalence is to ____ as incidence is to ____.
| a. | uncovered; hidden | c. | rare; common |
| b. | many; few | d. | total number; new cases |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Epidemiological and Other Forms of Research
OBJ: 8 MSC: Conceptual
- A school psychologist was concerned with the number of children being diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). If she were interested in learning how many new cases of ADHD had been diagnosed within the last two years, she would look at ____.
| a. | concordance rates | c. | sampling rates |
| b. | incidence rates | d. | prevalence rates |
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Epidemiological and Other Forms of Research
OBJ: 8 MSC: Applied
- In addition to describing the distribution of disorders in populations, epidemiological research is also important for____.
| a. | analyzing the possible causal factors that contribute to disorders |
| b. | describing treatment effectiveness for disorders |
| c. | protecting the rights of research participants |
| d. | encouraging the development of new treatments for disorders |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Epidemiological and Other Forms of Research
OBJ: 8 MSC: Factual
- Which statement concerning twin studies is accurate?
| a. | The value of twin studies involves the ability to determine incidence rates in the greater population. |
| b. | The value of twin studies involves the ability to account for the placebo effect. |
| c. | The value of twin studies involves the ability to detect deception in responding. |
| d. | The value of twin studies involves the ability to evaluate the influence of heredity and environment. |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Epidemiological and Other Forms of Research
OBJ: 8 MSC: Factual
- Dr. Barnes says this about The Human Genome Project: “The Human Genome Project is a modest project that involves the deciphering, mapping, and identifying DNA sequencing patterns and variations in approximately 500 genes in human DNA. Scientist hope to determining the “message” contained in the DNA patterns that may contribute to human attributes and diseases. Such research diffuses ethical, legal, and social concerns.” Which portion of Dr. Barnes’s statement is accurate?
| a. | It is accurate to say that the Human Genome Project is a modest project. |
| b. | It is accurate to say that the Human Genome Project involves the mapping and DNA sequencing patterns and variations in approximately 500 genes in human DNA. |
| c. | It is accurate to say that the Human Genome Project diffuses ethical, legal, and social concerns. |
| d. | It is accurate to say that scientist hope to determining the “message” contained in the DNA patterns that may contribute to human attributes and diseases. |
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Epidemiological and Other Forms of Research
OBJ: 8 MSC: Applied
- Investigators using research designs involving components such as placebo trial and random assignment must consider ____.
| a. | the possible risks to participants involved |
| b. | the effect of making the data obtained from participants public |
| c. | using research assistants of the same ethnic group as the population they are researching |
| d. | frequently using deception because faking is very common |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Epidemiological and Other Forms of Research
OBJ: 8 MSC: Factual
- Research designs involving random assignment allows an investigator to ____.
| a. | have confidence that differences found in the study are due to differences in treatment |
| b. | have confidence that differences found in the study are due to differences in the individual characteristics of member of each research group |
| c. | have confidence that differences found in the study are due to the impact of sociopolitical factors |
| d. | have confidence that differences found in the study are due to cultural dimension that affect participants’ perceptions |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Epidemiological and Other Forms of Research
OBJ: 8 MSC: Factual
- Investigators using research designs involving a placebo group allows the investigator to ____.
| a. | compare effects from factors such as expectations and attention with the effects of the medication or other treatment |
| b. | determine whether pain is inflicted on research participants |
| c. | determine the value of the research design |
| d. | consider the degree of relationship between two variables |
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Epidemiological and Other Forms of Research
OBJ: 8 MSC: Factual
ESSAY
- Suppose you are interested in the relationship between stress and overeating. Describe two research studies on the topic, one a laboratory experiment and the other a correlational study. Provide operational definitions of stress and overeating. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each form of research.
ANS:
In an experiment, the researcher manipulates the independent variable and randomly assigns subjects to at least two groups: one where the independent variable is present and one (the control group) where it is not. The independent variable in the proposed study is stress. This could be operationally defined as requiring participants to solve an insolvable problem in a specific amount of time. In a hypothetical experiment, one-half of the participants would be given a problem that has no solution (the experimental group), and the other half (control group) would receive a problem that can be easily solved. Both groups would have the same amount of time to “solve” their problems. Participants would be allowed to eat as much of some snack foods that were made available as they wished, so the dependent variable of overeating would be defined in terms of caloric intake of the snack foods provided. Average differences in the amounts eaten by experimental and control subjects would then be calculated.
In a correlational study, subjects might be asked to list all of the stressful events that had occurred in their lives over the past thirty days. Each person would also be asked how much he or she ate in the past 24 hours (another definition of eating). If reported eating increased as reported stress increased, we could assume a positive correlation between the two variables.
The experiment would allow inferences about cause and effect (stress caused eating), but the correlational study would not allow such inferences since eating might induce stress or both eating and stress might be influenced by a third variable. The experiment’s weakness would be the artificiality of the situation, reducing our confidence in generalizing results to the “real world.” The weakness of the correlation is not only the inability to make causal inferences but also inaccuracies that come from self-reports.
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- What are some of the ways that psychologists attempt to understand human thoughts, feelings, and behaviors? Describe some of the obstacles psychologists encounter as well as ways they attempt to overcome these obstacles.
ANS:
Psychologists use the scientific method in their approach to understanding human cognitive, affective, and behavioral processes. Research must have the potential for self-correction, clear hypotheses about the relationships among variables studied, use of clear operational definitions of variables being studied, reliability and validity of instruments used to measure the variables being studied, and an acknowledgment of base rates.
Among the many research designs used by psychologists are experiments; correlational studies; analogue, field, and single-participant studies; biological research strategies; and epidemiological research. The experiment is the only way to determine a cause-and-effect relationship between any given event and a particular behavior. Among the obstacles encountered in using experiments is the ability to control potentially confounding variables (i.e., extraneous factors other than those being studied that may affect the outcome of the experiment). One way to overcome this is to conduct research in a laboratory; however, that creates a problem of generalizability, or external validity—that the findings from the laboratory may not be applicable to the “real world.” Control groups (research participants who are similar to participants in the experimental group in all ways except for the manipulation of the independent variable) would be used to eliminate the question of whether a positive outcome resulted from the intervention itself or from other intervening variables (such as passage of time or the placebo effect). Placebo groups (who are told they are receiving a treatment that will have a particular effect) may be used to overcome concerns that the experimental group improved due to expectancy effects—i.e., believing the treatment they are getting will have an effect. Expectancy effects are also reduced through blind studies in which the participants are not aware of the experimental conditions, or a double-blind study in which individuals working directly with the participants are also unaware of the experimental conditions.
It is not always ethical or practical to conduct research with humans. One way around this is by using correlational studies to look at the extent to which one variable increases or decreases in relation to other variables. A major drawback of correlational studies is that they cannot tell us anything about cause and effect, merely the strength of the relationship between variables. Analogue studies are another strategy for dealing with ethical or practical limitations of experiments. Under controlled conditions, these studies try to simulate real life, using rats, students, or other convenient participants in place of the actual population to which an intervention would be applied. To overcome the problems that analogue studies may present by being contrived rather than applied to real life situations, highly trained researchers sometimes use field studies in which behaviors and events are observed and recorded in a natural environment. However, limitations include difficulty determining causality, an overwhelming number of uncontrollable variables, and the potential for the observed behavior to be influenced by the presence of the researchers. Case studies and single-participant experiments are used to examine rare or unusual phenomena or to test specific treatments, but findings from these studies are not generalizable to larger populations. However, the findings can generate useful hypotheses to be tested on larger groups. Genetic linkage studies look for genetic patterns, but are limited by changing diagnostic criteria and accuracy of family reporting, which is often remedied by using multiple informants. Epidemiological research examines the rate and distribution of mental disorders in a population and can offer insight into what groups are at risk for certain disorders and what factors might influence the prevalence and incidence of particular disorders. Such large studies are expensive and apply to groups, not necessarily individuals.
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- Discuss the different research strategies employed by investigators to gather information about disorders and their treatment.
ANS:
Experimental, correlational, or single-participant methods vary depending on the research strategy used. The different research strategies include: Survey, longitudinal, and historical research; twin studies, treatment outcome, treatment process, and program evaluation studies. Survey research allows for the collection of data from all or part of a population to assess the relative prevalence, distribution, and interrelationships of different phenomena. Longitudinal research examines behaviors over a long period of time. Historical research reconstructs the past by reviewing data from historical documents. Twin studies are generally used to evaluate the influence of heredity and environment. Treatment outcome studies helps answer the question of whether treatment is effective. Treatment process studies focuses on how or why treatment is effective. Program evaluation studies analyze the effectiveness of an intervention or prevention program. It is common for researchers to combine elements of different methods in their research, such as a treatment outcome study utilizing both surveys and longitudinal strategies to gather information.
These strategies are used to determine the extent of mental disturbance found in a targeted population and the factors that influence the rate of mental disturbance. Prevalence and incidence describe the rates of mental disturbance. Prevalence rate is the percentage of individuals in a targeted population who have a particular disorder during a specific period of time. Incidence rate is the number of new cases of a disorder that appear in an identified population within a specified time period.
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