PSYCHOLOGY 451 (ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY/PSYCHOPATHOLOGY) TEST 1. NEWEST
COMPLETE 100 QUESTIONS AND CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS| ALREADY GRADED A+
Question 1
Which of the following elements is NOT typically found in the clinical definition of a
psychological disorder?
A) Personal distress
B) Impaired social or occupational functioning
C) Use of psychotropic medications
D) Psychological dysfunction
E) Atypical or not culturally expected responses
Correct Answer: C) Use of psychotropic medications
Rationale: The definition of a psychological disorder focuses on the behavioral,
psychological, or biological dysfunctions that are unexpected in their cultural context and
associated with present distress and impairment in functioning. Whether or not a person is
taking medication is a treatment factor, not a diagnostic criterion used to define the
existence of the disorder itself.
Question 2
Regarding the concept of "abnormality," which of the following statements is most accurate
when a behavior deviates from the statistical average?
A) Normality is purely a statistical measure; behavior is only "abnormal" if it deviates from the
mean.
B) The social standards of "normal" are identical across every human culture.
C) A given behavior can be statistically abnormal without being pathological or indicative of a
disorder.
D) Statistical deviation is the only requirement for a diagnosis in the DSM-5.
E) Only behaviors that occur in more than 50% of the population are considered healthy.
Correct Answer: A) normality is a statistical measure; that is, something is only considered
"abnormal" if it deviates from the average
Rationale: From a purely psychometric or statistical standpoint, abnormality is defined by
how far a score or behavior deviates from the average (the mean). However, in clinical
psychology, we must distinguish between "statistically rare" (like high IQ) and "clinically
abnormal" (which requires distress or impairment).
Question 3
Bailey wants to pursue a graduate degree focusing on the scientific study of psychological
disorders. Which specific field of study should he prioritize?
A) Developmental psychology
B) Educational psychology
C) School psychology
D) Psychopathology
E) Forensic anthropology
Correct Answer: D) a program in psychopathology
, Page 2
Rationale: Psychopathology is the specialized field dedicated to the scientific study of
psychological disorders, including their etiology (causes), symptoms, and treatments. While
developmental or school psychology may touch on these areas, psychopathology is the
primary focus Bailey is seeking.
Question 4
Which of the following mental health professionals is most likely to have earned a medical
degree (MD) and has the legal authority to prescribe medication?
A) A psychiatrist
B) A clinical social worker
C) A clinical psychologist
D) A counseling psychologist
E) A psychiatric technician
Correct Answer: A) A psychiatrist
Rationale: Psychiatrists attend medical school and receive an MD or DO, followed by
specialized residency training in mental health. This medical background allows them to
focus on the biological aspects of mental illness and prescribe pharmacological treatments.
Psychologists (PhD/PsyD) and Social Workers (MSW/LCSW) focus primarily on
psychotherapy and social interventions.
Question 5
A man experiences a short-term bout of Major Depressive Disorder following a major life
stressor. You believe he will make a full recovery with therapy. You might say to him, "The
________ is very good!"
A) Incidence
B) Prevalence
C) Prognosis
D) Etiology
E) Comorbidity
Correct Answer: C) prognosis
Rationale: Prognosis refers to the predicted future course and outcome of a disorder.
Etiology refers to the cause; incidence refers to the number of new cases in a period; and
prevalence refers to the total number of cases in a population at a given time.
Question 6
During the Great Persian Empire (900 to 600 B.C.), mental and physical disorders were
traditionally viewed as:
A) An imbalance of the four humors.
B) Adaptations to environmental stressors.
C) The work of the devil or evil spirits.
D) Unconscious conflicts bubbling below awareness.
E) Chemical imbalances in the brain.
, Page 3
Correct Answer: C) the work of the devil
Rationale: Historical records from the Persian Empire indicate a supernatural tradition
where all illnesses, particularly those affecting the mind, were attributed to demonic
possession or the influence of evil forces. This led to treatments focused on exorcism and
religious rituals.
Question 7
Which psychological concept is believed to underlie "mass hysteria," where large groups of
people exhibit bizarre and disturbed behavior simultaneously?
A) Emotional contagion
B) Acedia
C) Demonology
D) Tarantism
E) Cognitive Dissonance
Correct Answer: A) Emotional contagion
Rationale: Emotional contagion is the phenomenon where the experience of an emotion
spreads from one person to those around them. In cases of mass hysteria, the panic or
physical symptoms of one individual are subconsciously mimicked by others, creating a
large-scale outbreak of shared behavior.
Question 8
Which Roman physician extended Hippocrates’ theories, suggesting that normal brain function is
tied to the balance of four bodily fluids (humors)?
A) Galen
B) Mesmer
C) Kraepelin
D) Areteus
E) Pinel
Correct Answer: A) Galen
Rationale: Galen adopted the Hippocratic "humoral theory." He believed that levels of
blood, black bile, yellow bile, and phlegm determined personality and health. For example,
too much black bile was thought to cause melancholia (depression). This biological
perspective dominated Western medicine for centuries.
Question 9
In the late 1800s, it was discovered that "general paresis" (advanced syphilis) could be cured by
which unusual method?
A) Subjecting patients to electrical shocks.
B) Placing patients in a spinning chair to "realign" the brain.
C) Using emetics to induce violent vomiting.
D) Injecting patients with the blood of someone suffering from malaria.
E) Performing a frontal lobotomy.
, Page 4
Correct Answer: D) injecting them with the blood of a person who was suffering from
malaria
Rationale: Physicians noticed that patients with syphilis who contracted malaria and
experienced high fevers often saw their paralysis and madness disappear. The high fever
from malaria killed the syphilis bacteria. This was one of the first times a mental symptom
was linked directly to a biological infection.
Question 10
If a physician in 1930s Vienna, such as Manfred Sakel, treated a patient for psychosis, which
treatment would he most likely utilize?
A) Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
B) Insulin shock therapy
C) Deep brain stimulation (DBS)
D) Opium derivatives combined with antipsychotics
E) Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
Correct Answer: B) insulin shock therapy
Rationale: Sakel discovered that high doses of insulin could induce coma and convulsions in
psychotic patients, which occasionally resulted in temporary symptom reduction. This was
a precursor to more refined biological treatments like ECT, though it was extremely
dangerous and often fatal.
Question 11
The "moral treatment" system, which advocated for humane care of the mentally ill, was
formalized at the Parisian hospital La Bicêtre by:
A) Marie Salpêtrière
B) Matthias Lindstrom
C) Gaston Bethlehem
D) Philippe Pinel
E) Jean-Martin Charcot
Correct Answer: D) phillipe pinel
Rationale: Philippe Pinel was a leader in the French "moral therapy" movement. He
famously unchained patients at La Bicêtre and Salpêtrière, proving that treating patients
with kindness, dignity, and social interaction led to better outcomes than incarceration.
Question 12
Which statement is FALSE regarding the spread of "moral therapy" in the United States?
A) It was introduced in New Hampshire after a physician visited London.
B) It transformed asylums from prisons into therapeutic environments.
C) Incurable patients at Worcester State Hospital showed improvement with this method.
D) It declined in the mid-19th century due to overcrowding and the Mental Hygiene Movement.
E) It emphasized the importance of labor and social outings.
Correct Answer: A) moral therapy was introduced at a hospital in new Hampshire after its
COMPLETE 100 QUESTIONS AND CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS| ALREADY GRADED A+
Question 1
Which of the following elements is NOT typically found in the clinical definition of a
psychological disorder?
A) Personal distress
B) Impaired social or occupational functioning
C) Use of psychotropic medications
D) Psychological dysfunction
E) Atypical or not culturally expected responses
Correct Answer: C) Use of psychotropic medications
Rationale: The definition of a psychological disorder focuses on the behavioral,
psychological, or biological dysfunctions that are unexpected in their cultural context and
associated with present distress and impairment in functioning. Whether or not a person is
taking medication is a treatment factor, not a diagnostic criterion used to define the
existence of the disorder itself.
Question 2
Regarding the concept of "abnormality," which of the following statements is most accurate
when a behavior deviates from the statistical average?
A) Normality is purely a statistical measure; behavior is only "abnormal" if it deviates from the
mean.
B) The social standards of "normal" are identical across every human culture.
C) A given behavior can be statistically abnormal without being pathological or indicative of a
disorder.
D) Statistical deviation is the only requirement for a diagnosis in the DSM-5.
E) Only behaviors that occur in more than 50% of the population are considered healthy.
Correct Answer: A) normality is a statistical measure; that is, something is only considered
"abnormal" if it deviates from the average
Rationale: From a purely psychometric or statistical standpoint, abnormality is defined by
how far a score or behavior deviates from the average (the mean). However, in clinical
psychology, we must distinguish between "statistically rare" (like high IQ) and "clinically
abnormal" (which requires distress or impairment).
Question 3
Bailey wants to pursue a graduate degree focusing on the scientific study of psychological
disorders. Which specific field of study should he prioritize?
A) Developmental psychology
B) Educational psychology
C) School psychology
D) Psychopathology
E) Forensic anthropology
Correct Answer: D) a program in psychopathology
, Page 2
Rationale: Psychopathology is the specialized field dedicated to the scientific study of
psychological disorders, including their etiology (causes), symptoms, and treatments. While
developmental or school psychology may touch on these areas, psychopathology is the
primary focus Bailey is seeking.
Question 4
Which of the following mental health professionals is most likely to have earned a medical
degree (MD) and has the legal authority to prescribe medication?
A) A psychiatrist
B) A clinical social worker
C) A clinical psychologist
D) A counseling psychologist
E) A psychiatric technician
Correct Answer: A) A psychiatrist
Rationale: Psychiatrists attend medical school and receive an MD or DO, followed by
specialized residency training in mental health. This medical background allows them to
focus on the biological aspects of mental illness and prescribe pharmacological treatments.
Psychologists (PhD/PsyD) and Social Workers (MSW/LCSW) focus primarily on
psychotherapy and social interventions.
Question 5
A man experiences a short-term bout of Major Depressive Disorder following a major life
stressor. You believe he will make a full recovery with therapy. You might say to him, "The
________ is very good!"
A) Incidence
B) Prevalence
C) Prognosis
D) Etiology
E) Comorbidity
Correct Answer: C) prognosis
Rationale: Prognosis refers to the predicted future course and outcome of a disorder.
Etiology refers to the cause; incidence refers to the number of new cases in a period; and
prevalence refers to the total number of cases in a population at a given time.
Question 6
During the Great Persian Empire (900 to 600 B.C.), mental and physical disorders were
traditionally viewed as:
A) An imbalance of the four humors.
B) Adaptations to environmental stressors.
C) The work of the devil or evil spirits.
D) Unconscious conflicts bubbling below awareness.
E) Chemical imbalances in the brain.
, Page 3
Correct Answer: C) the work of the devil
Rationale: Historical records from the Persian Empire indicate a supernatural tradition
where all illnesses, particularly those affecting the mind, were attributed to demonic
possession or the influence of evil forces. This led to treatments focused on exorcism and
religious rituals.
Question 7
Which psychological concept is believed to underlie "mass hysteria," where large groups of
people exhibit bizarre and disturbed behavior simultaneously?
A) Emotional contagion
B) Acedia
C) Demonology
D) Tarantism
E) Cognitive Dissonance
Correct Answer: A) Emotional contagion
Rationale: Emotional contagion is the phenomenon where the experience of an emotion
spreads from one person to those around them. In cases of mass hysteria, the panic or
physical symptoms of one individual are subconsciously mimicked by others, creating a
large-scale outbreak of shared behavior.
Question 8
Which Roman physician extended Hippocrates’ theories, suggesting that normal brain function is
tied to the balance of four bodily fluids (humors)?
A) Galen
B) Mesmer
C) Kraepelin
D) Areteus
E) Pinel
Correct Answer: A) Galen
Rationale: Galen adopted the Hippocratic "humoral theory." He believed that levels of
blood, black bile, yellow bile, and phlegm determined personality and health. For example,
too much black bile was thought to cause melancholia (depression). This biological
perspective dominated Western medicine for centuries.
Question 9
In the late 1800s, it was discovered that "general paresis" (advanced syphilis) could be cured by
which unusual method?
A) Subjecting patients to electrical shocks.
B) Placing patients in a spinning chair to "realign" the brain.
C) Using emetics to induce violent vomiting.
D) Injecting patients with the blood of someone suffering from malaria.
E) Performing a frontal lobotomy.
, Page 4
Correct Answer: D) injecting them with the blood of a person who was suffering from
malaria
Rationale: Physicians noticed that patients with syphilis who contracted malaria and
experienced high fevers often saw their paralysis and madness disappear. The high fever
from malaria killed the syphilis bacteria. This was one of the first times a mental symptom
was linked directly to a biological infection.
Question 10
If a physician in 1930s Vienna, such as Manfred Sakel, treated a patient for psychosis, which
treatment would he most likely utilize?
A) Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
B) Insulin shock therapy
C) Deep brain stimulation (DBS)
D) Opium derivatives combined with antipsychotics
E) Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
Correct Answer: B) insulin shock therapy
Rationale: Sakel discovered that high doses of insulin could induce coma and convulsions in
psychotic patients, which occasionally resulted in temporary symptom reduction. This was
a precursor to more refined biological treatments like ECT, though it was extremely
dangerous and often fatal.
Question 11
The "moral treatment" system, which advocated for humane care of the mentally ill, was
formalized at the Parisian hospital La Bicêtre by:
A) Marie Salpêtrière
B) Matthias Lindstrom
C) Gaston Bethlehem
D) Philippe Pinel
E) Jean-Martin Charcot
Correct Answer: D) phillipe pinel
Rationale: Philippe Pinel was a leader in the French "moral therapy" movement. He
famously unchained patients at La Bicêtre and Salpêtrière, proving that treating patients
with kindness, dignity, and social interaction led to better outcomes than incarceration.
Question 12
Which statement is FALSE regarding the spread of "moral therapy" in the United States?
A) It was introduced in New Hampshire after a physician visited London.
B) It transformed asylums from prisons into therapeutic environments.
C) Incurable patients at Worcester State Hospital showed improvement with this method.
D) It declined in the mid-19th century due to overcrowding and the Mental Hygiene Movement.
E) It emphasized the importance of labor and social outings.
Correct Answer: A) moral therapy was introduced at a hospital in new Hampshire after its
