1. According to the authors of your textbook, the definition of a psychological disorder is associated with
___________.
a. stress b. impaired functioning
c. culturally expected responses d. psychotic symptoms
ANSWER: b
POINTS: 1
DIFFICULTY: Easy
REFERENCES: Understanding Psychopathology
OTHER: TYPE: Factual
2. Regarding the criteria that define abnormality, it would be correct to state that
a. no one criterion has yet been developed that fully defines abnormality.
b. personal distress is the one criterion that defines abnormality.
c. the criteria differ depending on the cause of the psychological disorder.
d. the criteria differ depending on whether the individual has a psychological disorder or a psychological
dysfunction.
ANSWER: a
POINTS: 1
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
REFERENCES: Understanding Psychopathology
OTHER: TYPE: Conceptual
3. The criterion that a particular behavior be atypical or not culturally expected is insufficient to define abnormality
because
a. behavior that occurs infrequently is considered abnormal in every culture.
b. society is less willing to tolerate eccentricity in people who are productive.
c. behaviors vary very little from one culture to another.
d. many people behave in ways that deviate from the average, but this doesn't mean that they have a disorder.
ANSWER: d
POINTS: 1
DIFFICULTY: Difficult
REFERENCES: Understanding Psychopathology
OTHER: TYPE: Conceptual
4. A psychological dysfunction refers to
a. a breakdown in cognitive functioning. b. a breakdown in emotional functioning.
c. a breakdown in behavioral functioning. d. any one or combination of the above
ANSWER: d
POINTS: 1
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
REFERENCES: Understanding Psychopathology
OTHER: TYPE: Factual
,5. Behaviors that deviate from the norm are
a. always seen as a disorder if they violate social norms.
b. considered a disorder regardless of culture.
c. typically seen as a disorder when they impair function.
d. never judged on the basis of the person who does them.
ANSWER: c
POINTS: 1
DIFFICULTY: Difficult
REFERENCES: Understanding Psychopathology
OTHER: TYPE: Conceptual
6. A male college student begins feeling sad and lonely. Although still able to go to classes and work at his job, he
finds himself feeling down much of the time and worrying about what is happening to him. Which part of the
definition of abnormality applies to his situation?
a. Personal distress b. Cultural factors
c. Impaired functioning d. Violation of societal norms
ANSWER: a
POINTS: 1
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
REFERENCES: Understanding Psychopathology
OTHER: TYPE: Applied
7. The typical profile or prototype of a disorder reflects the ___________ as described in DSM-IV as well as those
emerging from DSM-5.
a. theoretical perspectives on abnormality
b. treatments for mental disorders
c. causes of mental illness
d. diagnostic criteria for psychological disorders
ANSWER: d
POINTS: 1
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
REFERENCES: Understanding Psychopathology
OTHER: TYPE: Conceptual
, 8. Rocky Starr is a rocker who wears outlandish female makeup and women’s clothing when performing on stage.
This behavior is considered
a. more abnormal than that of a business man who suddenly starts to do so.
b. less abnormal than that of the business man because it contributes to his job success.
c. less abnormal than that of a female who wears makeup every day.
d. just as abnormal as that of the business man who starts wearing makeup.
ANSWER: b
POINTS: 1
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
REFERENCES: Understanding Psychopathology
OTHER: TYPE: Applied
9. The scientific study of psychological disorders is called __________.
a. psychopathology b. psychoanalysis
c. pseudoscience d. parapsychology
ANSWER: a
POINTS: 1
DIFFICULTY: Easy
REFERENCES: Understanding Psychopathology
OTHER: TYPE: Factual
10. After college graduation, two of your friends are interested in careers in the helping professions. Anna wants to
become a psychiatrist; Carl plans on becoming a psychologist. Since you are taking a course in Abnormal
Psychology, they ask you for career advice. You would tell
a. Anna to apply to medical school and Carl to study psychology at the graduate level.
b. Carl to apply to medical school and Anna to study psychology at the graduate level.
c. both of them to apply to medical school.
d. both of them to apply to graduate school.
ANSWER: a
POINTS: 1
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
REFERENCES: Understanding Psychopathology
OTHER: TYPE: Applied
, 11. Dr. Okalemi Watabe is a mental health practioner. All of the following are ways in which she might function as a
scientist-practitioner EXCEPT
a. analyzing her own motivations and reasons for helping people with psychological problems.
b. evaluating her own assessments and treatments for effectiveness.
c. conducting research leading to new information about mental disorders and their treatments.
d. using the most current diagnostic and treatment procedures.
ANSWER: a
POINTS: 1
DIFFICULTY: Difficult
REFERENCES: Understanding Psychopathology
OTHER: TYPE: Applied
12. A ___________ is what first brought the individual to therapy; the ____________ represents the unique
combination of behaviors, thoughts, and feelings that make up a specific disorder.
a. diagnosis; symptoms b. incidence, prevalence
c. clinical description; presenting problem d. presenting problem; clinical description
ANSWER: d
POINTS: 1
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
REFERENCES: Understanding Psychopathology
OTHER: TYPE: Conceptual
13. Prevalence refers to
a. how many people in the population as a whole have a particular disorder.
b. how many new cases of a disorder occur during a given period of time.
c. the percentage of males and females who have a disorder.
d. how many people have recovered from a disorder in a given period of time.
ANSWER: a
POINTS: 1
DIFFICULTY: Easy
REFERENCES: Understanding Psychopathology
OTHER: TYPE: Factual
14. Incidence refers to
a. how many people in the population as a whole have a disorder.
b. how many new cases of a disorder occur during a given period of time.
c. the percentage of males and females who have a disorder.
d. how many people have recovered from a disorder in a given period of time.
ANSWER: b
POINTS: 1
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
REFERENCES: Understanding Psychopathology
OTHER: TYPE: Factual
___________.
a. stress b. impaired functioning
c. culturally expected responses d. psychotic symptoms
ANSWER: b
POINTS: 1
DIFFICULTY: Easy
REFERENCES: Understanding Psychopathology
OTHER: TYPE: Factual
2. Regarding the criteria that define abnormality, it would be correct to state that
a. no one criterion has yet been developed that fully defines abnormality.
b. personal distress is the one criterion that defines abnormality.
c. the criteria differ depending on the cause of the psychological disorder.
d. the criteria differ depending on whether the individual has a psychological disorder or a psychological
dysfunction.
ANSWER: a
POINTS: 1
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
REFERENCES: Understanding Psychopathology
OTHER: TYPE: Conceptual
3. The criterion that a particular behavior be atypical or not culturally expected is insufficient to define abnormality
because
a. behavior that occurs infrequently is considered abnormal in every culture.
b. society is less willing to tolerate eccentricity in people who are productive.
c. behaviors vary very little from one culture to another.
d. many people behave in ways that deviate from the average, but this doesn't mean that they have a disorder.
ANSWER: d
POINTS: 1
DIFFICULTY: Difficult
REFERENCES: Understanding Psychopathology
OTHER: TYPE: Conceptual
4. A psychological dysfunction refers to
a. a breakdown in cognitive functioning. b. a breakdown in emotional functioning.
c. a breakdown in behavioral functioning. d. any one or combination of the above
ANSWER: d
POINTS: 1
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
REFERENCES: Understanding Psychopathology
OTHER: TYPE: Factual
,5. Behaviors that deviate from the norm are
a. always seen as a disorder if they violate social norms.
b. considered a disorder regardless of culture.
c. typically seen as a disorder when they impair function.
d. never judged on the basis of the person who does them.
ANSWER: c
POINTS: 1
DIFFICULTY: Difficult
REFERENCES: Understanding Psychopathology
OTHER: TYPE: Conceptual
6. A male college student begins feeling sad and lonely. Although still able to go to classes and work at his job, he
finds himself feeling down much of the time and worrying about what is happening to him. Which part of the
definition of abnormality applies to his situation?
a. Personal distress b. Cultural factors
c. Impaired functioning d. Violation of societal norms
ANSWER: a
POINTS: 1
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
REFERENCES: Understanding Psychopathology
OTHER: TYPE: Applied
7. The typical profile or prototype of a disorder reflects the ___________ as described in DSM-IV as well as those
emerging from DSM-5.
a. theoretical perspectives on abnormality
b. treatments for mental disorders
c. causes of mental illness
d. diagnostic criteria for psychological disorders
ANSWER: d
POINTS: 1
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
REFERENCES: Understanding Psychopathology
OTHER: TYPE: Conceptual
, 8. Rocky Starr is a rocker who wears outlandish female makeup and women’s clothing when performing on stage.
This behavior is considered
a. more abnormal than that of a business man who suddenly starts to do so.
b. less abnormal than that of the business man because it contributes to his job success.
c. less abnormal than that of a female who wears makeup every day.
d. just as abnormal as that of the business man who starts wearing makeup.
ANSWER: b
POINTS: 1
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
REFERENCES: Understanding Psychopathology
OTHER: TYPE: Applied
9. The scientific study of psychological disorders is called __________.
a. psychopathology b. psychoanalysis
c. pseudoscience d. parapsychology
ANSWER: a
POINTS: 1
DIFFICULTY: Easy
REFERENCES: Understanding Psychopathology
OTHER: TYPE: Factual
10. After college graduation, two of your friends are interested in careers in the helping professions. Anna wants to
become a psychiatrist; Carl plans on becoming a psychologist. Since you are taking a course in Abnormal
Psychology, they ask you for career advice. You would tell
a. Anna to apply to medical school and Carl to study psychology at the graduate level.
b. Carl to apply to medical school and Anna to study psychology at the graduate level.
c. both of them to apply to medical school.
d. both of them to apply to graduate school.
ANSWER: a
POINTS: 1
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
REFERENCES: Understanding Psychopathology
OTHER: TYPE: Applied
, 11. Dr. Okalemi Watabe is a mental health practioner. All of the following are ways in which she might function as a
scientist-practitioner EXCEPT
a. analyzing her own motivations and reasons for helping people with psychological problems.
b. evaluating her own assessments and treatments for effectiveness.
c. conducting research leading to new information about mental disorders and their treatments.
d. using the most current diagnostic and treatment procedures.
ANSWER: a
POINTS: 1
DIFFICULTY: Difficult
REFERENCES: Understanding Psychopathology
OTHER: TYPE: Applied
12. A ___________ is what first brought the individual to therapy; the ____________ represents the unique
combination of behaviors, thoughts, and feelings that make up a specific disorder.
a. diagnosis; symptoms b. incidence, prevalence
c. clinical description; presenting problem d. presenting problem; clinical description
ANSWER: d
POINTS: 1
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
REFERENCES: Understanding Psychopathology
OTHER: TYPE: Conceptual
13. Prevalence refers to
a. how many people in the population as a whole have a particular disorder.
b. how many new cases of a disorder occur during a given period of time.
c. the percentage of males and females who have a disorder.
d. how many people have recovered from a disorder in a given period of time.
ANSWER: a
POINTS: 1
DIFFICULTY: Easy
REFERENCES: Understanding Psychopathology
OTHER: TYPE: Factual
14. Incidence refers to
a. how many people in the population as a whole have a disorder.
b. how many new cases of a disorder occur during a given period of time.
c. the percentage of males and females who have a disorder.
d. how many people have recovered from a disorder in a given period of time.
ANSWER: b
POINTS: 1
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
REFERENCES: Understanding Psychopathology
OTHER: TYPE: Factual
