Abnormal Child and Adolescent Psychology DSM-5
Update 8th Edition
By Rita Wicks-Nelson
, CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
Answers at the end of each Chapter
TRUE OR FALSE
1. Abnormal means “away” or “from,” whereas “normal” refers to “average” or “standard.”
Thus, abnormal is defined as something the deviates from the average.
2. Age is an important developmental index in judging behavior.
3. Cultural norms for behavior rarely impact diagnostic rates for a disorder.
4. Ethnicity denotes common customs, values, language or traits that are associated with
national origin or geographic area.
5. A child’s behavior should be consistent and not vary across settings (e.g., classroom,
playground, home).
6. In most cultures boys are expected to be less active and less aggressive than girls. This
expectation is an example of a situational norm.
7. Youth rarely refer themselves for clinical evaluation.
8. According to the American Psychological Association, 10 percent of youth have a serious
mental health disorder.
9. Quantifying the prevalence of disorders is difficult because it depends on several factors,
including the definition of disorders, the population examined, and the methods used to identify
the problem.
,10. Changing social conditions may increase the risk of disorders in young people.
11. Early disturbances, for example, feeding issues or sleep disorders in infancy, do not have
developmental consequences.
12. One difficulty in establishing the age of onset of any behavioral disorder is that the onset
may occur gradually, so that age of onset may be an arbitrary estimation rather than a precise
age.
13. Schizophrenia is a disorder that typically begins during childhood.
14. Males are more vulnerable than females to neurodevelopmental disorders that occur early
in life.
15. One explanation for differing rates of behavioral disorder between boys and girls is
gender differences in disruptive behavior, which can result in gender differences in referrals for
clinical services.
16. The conceptualization of adolescence as a distinct period of life began in the 17th and
18th centuries.
17. Somatogenesis refers to the belief that behavioral disturbance results from a person’s
being possessed or influenced by devils or some similar force.
18. Kraepelin is credited with creating a system to classify mental disturbances that serve as
the basis for modern classification systems.
, 19. The belief that mental problems are caused by psychological variables is called
psychogenesis.
20. Freud contributed to the field of childhood behavioral disorder by positing that early,
unresolved psychological conflict is the source of emotional problems.
21. Behavior modification or behavior therapy is the explicit application of learning
principles for the assessment and treatment of behavioral problems.
22. Longitudinal studies, focusing on normal development, assisted in the understanding and
study of child and adolescent disorders.
23. Anna Freud, a mother and visionary, advocated establishing a Child Welfare Research
Station at the University of Iowa.
24. Psychiatrists earn an M.D. and psychologists earn a Ph.D.
MULTIPLE CHOICE
25. Joe is in the second grade and cannot stay focused. He cannot read and tests below grade
level in all subjects. He is rarely in trouble at school or at home. Joe
a. is free from all behavior disorders.
b. may have a behavioral disorder and should be evaluated.
c. is a typical boy.
d. is none of the above.
26. Which is least likely to be considered an indication of problem behavior in youth?
a. A behavior is excessively intense.
b. A behavior is qualitatively atypical.