1
PSY 402 ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY FOR SEXUALITY AND
GENDER ISSUES FINAL EXAM STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS 2026 VERSION
1. How do values play a role when it comes to sex, gender, and
abnormal psychology?
This task is difficult because terms that some people find appropriate, others
object to—which is why accepted terms change over time.
“atypical sexual activity is not a de facto indicator of mental illness” (Kamens,
2011, p. 40)
2. Define basic sex and gender terms.
Sex: One’s biological status as male, female, or intersex.
Gender: Attitudes, feelings, and behaviors a culture associates with a person’s
biological sex.
Gender identity: One’s persistent sense of belonging to a male, female, or non-
binary gender category. (form of gender expression: haircut)
Transgender: Term for people whose gender identity, expression, or behavior is
different from what is typically associated with their birth-assigned sex;
shorthand: “trans.”
Cisgender: Term for people whose gender identity and birth sex match;
,2
shorthand: “cis.”
,3
Sexual orientation: Types of people one is attracted to (one’s own gender, a
different gender, all genders/sexes, no genders/sexes, etc.).
Coming out: Process by which people accept and publicly declare their sexual
orientation or gender identity.
Heterosexism: Prejudice against any form of non-heterosexuality.
Ally: Someone who confronts heterosexism to support sexual minority persons.
3. Name and define the sexual dysfunctions and paraphilias listed in the DSM-
5-TR and ICD-11.
Sexual dysfunctions: Defined by DSM and ICD as disturbances in responding
sexually or experiencing sexual pleasure.
ICD-11 considers sexual dysfunctions “conditions related to sexual health.” The
only sex-related diagnoses that ICD still deems mental disorders are paraphilias.
This potentially decreases stigma by reframing such concerns in less psychological
terms, but it also runs the risk of over-medicalizing them (Parameshwaran &
Chandra, 2019).
Some see moving sex and gender diagnoses out of the mental disorders section
of ICD as an effort to overcome the mind/ body separation that often ensnares
understanding of these issues (G. M. Reed et al., 2016).
, 4
ICD sexual interest/arousal disorders:
2
PSY 402 ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY FOR SEXUALITY AND
GENDER ISSUES FINAL EXAM STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS 2026 VERSION
1. How do values play a role when it comes to sex, gender, and
abnormal psychology?
This task is difficult because terms that some people find appropriate, others
object to—which is why accepted terms change over time.
“atypical sexual activity is not a de facto indicator of mental illness” (Kamens,
2011, p. 40)
2. Define basic sex and gender terms.
Sex: One’s biological status as male, female, or intersex.
Gender: Attitudes, feelings, and behaviors a culture associates with a person’s
biological sex.
Gender identity: One’s persistent sense of belonging to a male, female, or non-
binary gender category. (form of gender expression: haircut)
Transgender: Term for people whose gender identity, expression, or behavior is
different from what is typically associated with their birth-assigned sex;
shorthand: “trans.”
Cisgender: Term for people whose gender identity and birth sex match;
,2
shorthand: “cis.”
,3
Sexual orientation: Types of people one is attracted to (one’s own gender, a
different gender, all genders/sexes, no genders/sexes, etc.).
Coming out: Process by which people accept and publicly declare their sexual
orientation or gender identity.
Heterosexism: Prejudice against any form of non-heterosexuality.
Ally: Someone who confronts heterosexism to support sexual minority persons.
3. Name and define the sexual dysfunctions and paraphilias listed in the DSM-
5-TR and ICD-11.
Sexual dysfunctions: Defined by DSM and ICD as disturbances in responding
sexually or experiencing sexual pleasure.
ICD-11 considers sexual dysfunctions “conditions related to sexual health.” The
only sex-related diagnoses that ICD still deems mental disorders are paraphilias.
This potentially decreases stigma by reframing such concerns in less psychological
terms, but it also runs the risk of over-medicalizing them (Parameshwaran &
Chandra, 2019).
Some see moving sex and gender diagnoses out of the mental disorders section
of ICD as an effort to overcome the mind/ body separation that often ensnares
understanding of these issues (G. M. Reed et al., 2016).
, 4
ICD sexual interest/arousal disorders:
2
