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Abnormal Psychology and DSM Flashcards

7 cards from real Psychology Degree practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

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  1. Rosenhan's 1973 'On Being Sane in Insane Places' study primarily challenged:

    Answer: The reliability and validity of psychiatric diagnosis

    Rosenhan's pseudopatient study showed that psychiatric staff could not distinguish sane pseudopatients from real patients, raising serious questions about diagnostic reliability and labeling.

  2. Which of the following best describes the difference between a delusion and an overvalued idea?

    Answer: Overvalued ideas are held with less absolute certainty than delusions

    An overvalued idea is an unreasonable, sustained belief held with less than delusional intensity—the person may acknowledge some doubt—whereas delusions are fixed, false beliefs held with absolute certainty.

  3. In DSM-5, Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia) requires depressed mood for at least:

    Answer: 2 years

    PDD requires depressed mood for at least 2 years in adults (1 year in children/adolescents), with no symptom-free period lasting more than 2 months.

  4. A combat veteran experiences flashbacks, avoids war movies, has negative beliefs about the world, and is hypervigilant. The DSM-5 PTSD criterion cluster that includes hypervigilance is:

    Answer: Criterion E – Alterations in arousal and reactivity

    Criterion E of DSM-5 PTSD covers alterations in arousal and reactivity, including hypervigilance, exaggerated startle response, sleep disturbance, irritability, and reckless behavior.

  5. The term 'ego-syntonic' is most applicable to which of the following disorders?

    Answer: Anorexia Nervosa

    Ego-syntonic symptoms feel consistent with the person's values and self-image; in Anorexia Nervosa, restrictive eating is often experienced as desirable and consistent with self-concept, making treatment-seeking less likely.

  6. Which neurotransmitter system is most implicated in the dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia?

    Answer: Mesolimbic and mesocortical pathways show excess and deficit respectively

    The revised dopamine hypothesis posits excess dopaminergic activity in mesolimbic pathways (positive symptoms) and reduced activity in mesocortical pathways (negative/cognitive symptoms).

  7. In cultural formulation, the DSM-5 concept of 'idioms of distress' refers to:

    Answer: Culturally shared ways of expressing suffering that may not map onto DSM categories

    Idioms of distress are culturally patterned expressions of suffering (e.g., 'nerves,' 'heart distress') that communicate distress within a cultural framework, which may overlap with but not correspond directly to DSM diagnoses.