NRNP 6645 Psychotherapy with Individuals and
Families Midterm Examination, Walden
University, 2026/2027 – PMHNP Psychotherapy
Competency Assessment
DOMAIN I: FOUNDATIONAL PSYCHOTHERAPY
THEORIES & KEY FIGURES (Questions 1-10)
Question 1
Which theorist is credited with developing client-centered therapy?
A) B.F. Skinner
B) Carl Rogers
C) Aaron Beck
D) Albert Ellis
Correct Answer: B – Carl Rogers
Rationale: Carl Rogers developed client-centered (person-centered) therapy,
emphasizing three core conditions for therapeutic change: unconditional
positive regard, empathy, and congruence. This humanistic approach
contrasts with the behavioral focus of Skinner (A), the cognitive focus of Beck
(C), and Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy of Ellis (D) .
Source: NRNP 6645 Psychotherapy with Individuals and Families Midterm
Examination Resource; Docsity .
Question 2
In classical psychoanalysis, the part of the personality that operates on the
reality principle is the:
A) Id
B) Ego
,C) Superego
D) Collective unconscious
Correct Answer: B – Ego
Rationale: The ego mediates between the id (pleasure principle) and reality,
operating on the reality principle to help the individual adapt to the external
world. The id seeks immediate gratification, the superego represents
internalized morals, and the collective unconscious is a Jungian concept .
Source: NRNP 6645 Psychotherapy with Individuals and Families Midterm
Examination Resource; Docsity .
Question 3
Hildegard Peplau developed the psychodynamic interpersonal model for
psychiatric nursing based on which theorist's framework?
A) Eric Erikson
B) Sigmund Freud
C) Margaret Mahler
D) Harry Stack Sullivan
Correct Answer: D – Harry Stack Sullivan
Rationale: Peplau's interpersonal model is significantly influenced by Harry
Stack Sullivan's interpersonal theory of psychiatry. Sullivan emphasized the
role of interpersonal relationships and social forces in personality
development and mental illness, which became foundational to Peplau's
nursing framework .
Source: NRNP 6645 Psychotherapy with Individuals and Families Midterm
Examination Resource; Walden University .
Question 4
The concept of "overdeterminism" in psychotherapy refers to:
A) A single cause for all psychological problems
B) The idea that a single symptom or event can have multiple causes
, C) The deterministic nature of behaviorism
D) The genetic basis of mental illness
*Correct Answer: B – The idea that a single symptom or event can have
multiple causes
Rationale: Overdeterminism is the concept that a single symptom, behavior,
or event (such as a dream) can have multiple, layered causes or meanings,
particularly in psychodynamic theory. It recognizes that mental phenomena
are rarely the result of a single factor but emerge from the convergence of
many influences .
Source: NRNP 6645 Psychotherapy Midterm Exam Study Guide; Stuvia .
Question 5
What does the biological basis of psychotherapy refer to?
A) The use of medications in treatment
B) How brain systems and physiology influence mental health and how
treatment can affect functioning
C) Genetic testing for mental disorders
D) The medical model of psychiatry
*Correct Answer: B – How brain systems and physiology influence mental
health and how treatment can affect functioning
Rationale: The biological basis of psychotherapy refers to neuroplasticity—
the brain's ability to reorganize and form new neural connections.
Psychotherapy can change brain function and structure, influencing
neurotransmitter regulation and brain systems involved in mental health.
This is the foundation of integrating biological and psychological treatments .
Source: Walden NRNP 6645 Psychotherapy Midterm Exam Complete Study
Guide; Stuvia .
Question 6
According to Freud, failure to successfully accomplish the tasks of learning
independence and control is associated with which problematic trait?
Families Midterm Examination, Walden
University, 2026/2027 – PMHNP Psychotherapy
Competency Assessment
DOMAIN I: FOUNDATIONAL PSYCHOTHERAPY
THEORIES & KEY FIGURES (Questions 1-10)
Question 1
Which theorist is credited with developing client-centered therapy?
A) B.F. Skinner
B) Carl Rogers
C) Aaron Beck
D) Albert Ellis
Correct Answer: B – Carl Rogers
Rationale: Carl Rogers developed client-centered (person-centered) therapy,
emphasizing three core conditions for therapeutic change: unconditional
positive regard, empathy, and congruence. This humanistic approach
contrasts with the behavioral focus of Skinner (A), the cognitive focus of Beck
(C), and Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy of Ellis (D) .
Source: NRNP 6645 Psychotherapy with Individuals and Families Midterm
Examination Resource; Docsity .
Question 2
In classical psychoanalysis, the part of the personality that operates on the
reality principle is the:
A) Id
B) Ego
,C) Superego
D) Collective unconscious
Correct Answer: B – Ego
Rationale: The ego mediates between the id (pleasure principle) and reality,
operating on the reality principle to help the individual adapt to the external
world. The id seeks immediate gratification, the superego represents
internalized morals, and the collective unconscious is a Jungian concept .
Source: NRNP 6645 Psychotherapy with Individuals and Families Midterm
Examination Resource; Docsity .
Question 3
Hildegard Peplau developed the psychodynamic interpersonal model for
psychiatric nursing based on which theorist's framework?
A) Eric Erikson
B) Sigmund Freud
C) Margaret Mahler
D) Harry Stack Sullivan
Correct Answer: D – Harry Stack Sullivan
Rationale: Peplau's interpersonal model is significantly influenced by Harry
Stack Sullivan's interpersonal theory of psychiatry. Sullivan emphasized the
role of interpersonal relationships and social forces in personality
development and mental illness, which became foundational to Peplau's
nursing framework .
Source: NRNP 6645 Psychotherapy with Individuals and Families Midterm
Examination Resource; Walden University .
Question 4
The concept of "overdeterminism" in psychotherapy refers to:
A) A single cause for all psychological problems
B) The idea that a single symptom or event can have multiple causes
, C) The deterministic nature of behaviorism
D) The genetic basis of mental illness
*Correct Answer: B – The idea that a single symptom or event can have
multiple causes
Rationale: Overdeterminism is the concept that a single symptom, behavior,
or event (such as a dream) can have multiple, layered causes or meanings,
particularly in psychodynamic theory. It recognizes that mental phenomena
are rarely the result of a single factor but emerge from the convergence of
many influences .
Source: NRNP 6645 Psychotherapy Midterm Exam Study Guide; Stuvia .
Question 5
What does the biological basis of psychotherapy refer to?
A) The use of medications in treatment
B) How brain systems and physiology influence mental health and how
treatment can affect functioning
C) Genetic testing for mental disorders
D) The medical model of psychiatry
*Correct Answer: B – How brain systems and physiology influence mental
health and how treatment can affect functioning
Rationale: The biological basis of psychotherapy refers to neuroplasticity—
the brain's ability to reorganize and form new neural connections.
Psychotherapy can change brain function and structure, influencing
neurotransmitter regulation and brain systems involved in mental health.
This is the foundation of integrating biological and psychological treatments .
Source: Walden NRNP 6645 Psychotherapy Midterm Exam Complete Study
Guide; Stuvia .
Question 6
According to Freud, failure to successfully accomplish the tasks of learning
independence and control is associated with which problematic trait?
