ASPPB Abnormal Psychology 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The term 'psychosis' specifically refers to:
- Any severe mental disorder requiring hospitalization
- A loss of contact with reality, including hallucinations and delusions (Correct answer)
- A pervasive developmental disability present from birth
- Extreme emotional dysregulation in response to stress
Correct answer: A loss of contact with reality, including hallucinations and delusions
Psychosis is defined by positive symptoms representing a break from reality, primarily hallucinations (perceptions without stimuli) and delusions (fixed false beliefs).
Question 2: Epidemiological research consistently shows that which demographic factor is most strongly associated with elevated rates of most mental disorders?
- Male sex
- Older age
- Low socioeconomic status (Correct answer)
- Rural residence
Correct answer: Low socioeconomic status
Low socioeconomic status is robustly associated with higher rates of most mental disorders due to increased stressors, reduced resources, and limited healthcare access.
Question 3: A client describes feeling detached from their mental processes, as if they are observing themselves from outside their body. This experience is called:
- Derealization
- Depersonalization (Correct answer)
- Dissociative amnesia
- Déjà vu
Correct answer: Depersonalization
Depersonalization involves feelings of unreality or detachment from one's own mind or body, often described as being an outside observer of one's thoughts or sensations.
Question 4: Which of the following is TRUE about the relationship between creativity and mood disorders?
- There is no empirical support for any association
- Higher rates of mood disorders, particularly bipolar disorder, are found among creative professionals (Correct answer)
- Schizophrenia, not mood disorders, is most linked to creativity
- Unipolar depression is more strongly linked to creativity than bipolar disorder
Correct answer: Higher rates of mood disorders, particularly bipolar disorder, are found among creative professionals
Research including studies by Kay Redfield Jamison suggests elevated rates of bipolar spectrum disorders among artists, writers, and other creative professionals.
Question 5: Under the DSM-5, which duration criterion distinguishes Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia) from Major Depressive Disorder?
- Symptoms must last at least two weeks for PDD vs. two months for MDD
- Symptoms must be present for at least two years for PDD, vs. two weeks for MDD (Correct answer)
- PDD requires impairment in three life domains; MDD requires only one
- PDD onset must be before age 21; MDD has no age restriction
Correct answer: Symptoms must be present for at least two years for PDD, vs. two weeks for MDD
Persistent Depressive Disorder requires a depressed mood for at least two years (one year for children/adolescents), compared to two weeks for a major depressive episode.
Question 6: In the assessment of dangerousness, actuarial risk assessment tools are preferred over unstructured clinical judgment primarily because:
- They are always more accurate in every individual case
- They show superior predictive validity at a group level and reduce inconsistency (Correct answer)
- They eliminate the need for clinical interviews
- They are legally required by all state licensing boards
Correct answer: They show superior predictive validity at a group level and reduce inconsistency
Actuarial instruments demonstrate better predictive validity for violence risk at the group level compared to unstructured clinical judgment, reducing subjective bias.
Question 7: Which model of abnormality emphasizes the role of irrational beliefs and cognitive distortions as the primary cause of psychological disturbance?
- Biological model
- Psychodynamic model
- Cognitive-behavioral model (Correct answer)
- Sociocultural model
Correct answer: Cognitive-behavioral model
The cognitive-behavioral model, championed by theorists like Beck and Ellis, holds that maladaptive thoughts and beliefs drive emotional disturbance and behavioral problems.
ASPPB Abnormal Psychology 5
The term 'psychosis' specifically refers to: