2007 HUMAN BEHAVIOR COURSE BLOCK 3 EXAM KEY

[See highlights below: two answers were miscoded and

will be corrected on regrading of the test after challenges]

1. D 21. A
2. E 22. A
3. A 23. E
4. E 24. B
5. D 25. D [Miscode: correct answer is A]
6. C 26. B
7. E 27. E
8. E 28. E
9. C 29. D
10. D 30. D
11. C 31. D
12. D 32. C
13. D 33. E
14. A 34. A
15. B 35. C
16. B 36. C
17. C 37. B
18. A 38. D
19. C 39. C [Miscode: correct answer is A]
20. E 40. E
 !! ANSWER KEY !!
2007 Human Behavior Course Block 3 Exam
[See highlights below: two answers were miscoded and
will be corrected on regrading of the test after challenges]

LAST NAME FIRST NAME

DATE

PLEASE DO NOT START THE TEST UNTIL YOU

ARE INSTRUCTED TO DO SO.

When you receive the exam, first CHECK that all

pages are present. You should have 10 pages and
40 questions counting the front and back cover
pages.

DIRECTIONS: Each of the questions or incomplete

statements below is followed by five suggested
responses or completions. Select the one that is
best in each case.

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1. Individuals with borderline and narcissistic personality disorders often tend to inaccurately
perceive and consequently treat people as if there were either “all good” or “all bad” with no
in between. This defense mechanism is called
A. repression
B. oppression
C. rationalization
D. XX splitting
E. none of the above

2. Which of the following best describes the relationship between obsessive-compulsive

anxiety disorder and obsessive compulsive personality disorder?
A. Both are characterized by obsessions
B. Both are characterized by compulsions
C. The majority of people with obsessive compulsive anxiety disorder have obsessive
compulsive personality disorder
D. Clomipramine is an effective treatment for both
E. XX No specific personality type has been associated with obsessive compulsive anxiety
disorder

3. People with many of the personality disorders, especially those with paranoid personality
disorder, tend to blame all their problems on the faults or actions of others. This defense
mechanism is called
A. XX externalization
B. splitting
C. repression
D. intellectualization
E. passive-aggressive behavior

4. Beta adrenergic receptor antagonists (“beta blockers”) are an effective treatment for
A. panic disorder
B. hypochondriasis
C. generalized anxiety disorder
D. obsessive-compulsive disorder
E. XX none of the above

5. Which of the following personality disorders falls in the “anxious” or “fearful” cluster of
disorders?
A. dependent personality disorder
B. obsessive compulsive personality disorder
C. avoidant personality disorder
D. XX all of the above
E. none of the above

6. Disabling fear of having a panic attack in a public place

A. acrophobia
B. social phobia
C. XX agoraphobia
D. specific phobia
E. panic attack

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7. Which of the following personality disorders is an enduring pattern and is inflexible and
pervasive across a broad range of personal and social situations?
A. borderline personality disorder
B. obsessive compulsive personality disorder
C. histrionic personality disorder
D. dependent personality disorder
E. XX all of the above

8. Which of the following are common symptoms of anxiety?

A. chest pain
B. nausea
C. hot or cold sensations
D. apprehension
E. XX all of the above

Questions 9 to 10 relate to the person described in question 9, Willie B. Skaird

9. Willie B. Skaird is a 36 year old man who has become increasingly disabled since 3 months
ago when he first experienced a sudden 10-15 minute episode of chest discomfort,
sweating, nausea, palpitations, and a profound sense of impending doom. He has had a
number of these episodes since then. He has twice gone to the emergency room thinking he
was having a heart attack, but eventually an extensive medical evaluation was completely
negative. Mr. Skaird fears having an episode in public without a place to escape, so he now
stays at home all the time. The best diagnosis for Mr. Skaird is
A. Social phobia
B. specific phobia
C. XX panic disorder with agoraphobia
D. Panic disorder
E. Obsessive-compulsive disorder

10. Which of the following is the best treatment for Mr. Skaird’s condition?
A. Reassurance
B. Buspirone
C. Propranolol
D. XX Fluoxetine
E. All of the above

11. Acute stress disorder is

A. a disorder one must have to eventually meet criteria for PTSD
B. a disorder one must have to eventually meet criteria for adjustment disorder
C. XX usually self-limited (most people recover)
D. always leads to PTSD
E. always leads to adjustment disorder

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12. Which of the following anxiety disorders is most common but least disabling?
A. obsessive compulsive disorder
B. generalized anxiety disorder
C. panic disorder
D. XX specific phobia
E. Post-traumatic stress disorder

13. Which personality disorder falls in the “odd” or “eccentric” cluster?

A. borderline personality disorder
B. avoidant personality disorder
C. dependent personality disorder
D. XX paranoid personality disorder
E. all of the above

14. Alprazolam is an effective treatment for

A. XX generalized anxiety disorder
B. hypochondriasis
C. specific phobia
D. post-traumatic stress disorder
E. none of the above

15. Which of the following personality disorders falls in the “dramatic” or “erratic” cluster of
disorders?
A. obsessive compulsive personality disorder
B. XX narcissistic personality disorder
C. schizotypal personality disorder
D. schizoid personality disorder
E. all of the above

16. Personality disorders

A. are uncommon in clinical practice
B. XX are relatively treatment refractory
C. start in adulthood
D. typically result in introversion
E. all of the above

Questions 17 to 18 relate to the individual described in question 17, SGT Slick.

17. SGT Joe Slick was evacuated from the battlefield with a broken ankle just hours before his
unit was to mount a full-scale assault on highly fortified enemy troops. After the evacuation,
three soldiers in SGT Slick’s unit told the company commander that they watched SGT Slick
deliberately break his ankle. SGT Slick is confronted and confessed that he broke his ankle
because he didn’t want to risk his life in the impending battle. What is the best diagnosis for
SGT Slick?
A. somatization disorder
B. factitious disorder
C. XX malingering
D. neurasthenia
E. conversion disorder

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18. Which personality disorder is most commonly associated with SGT Slick’s diagnosis?
A. XX antisocial personality disorder
B. avoidant personality disorder
C. schizoid personality disorder
D. dependent personality disorder
E. all of the above

19. Mr. Cho is a 43 year old man, never married, who has never had any significant friends. He
is generally cold and aloof to others, often doesn’t reply back when spoken to, his affect is
flat, and his speech is typically almost a whisper. He has no desire for intimacy whatsoever
and prefers solitary activities. Which diagnosis is best?
A. antisocial personality disorder
B. avoidant personality disorder
C. XX schizoid personality disorder
D. dependent personality disorder
E. obsessive compulsive personality disorder

20. “Cued” panic attacks may occur in

A. post-traumatic stress disorder
B. specific phobia
C. social phobia
D. obsessive compulsive anxiety disorder
E. XX all of the above

21. Food & Drug Administration approved treatment for PTSD includes
A. XX Sertraline
B. imipramine
C. ziprasidone
D. diazepam
E. propranolol

22. Obsessive-Compulsive anxiety disorder is very common in

A. XX Tourette’s disorder
B. smokers
C. myasthenia gravis
D. medical students
E. alcohol intoxication

23. Dissociative symptoms (also known as dissociation or dissociative experiences) include

which of the following?
A. derealization
B. depersonalization
C. amnesia
D. detachment (emotional unresponsiveness)
E. XX all of the above

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24. Free-floating anxiety is a central feature of
A. panic disorder
B. XX generalized anxiety disorder
C. obsessive-compulsive anxiety disorder
D. specific phobia
E. body dysmorphic disorder

Questions 25 to 28 relate to the person described in question 25, Sam.

25. Sam is a 35 year old man with a pattern of different medically unexplained physical
problems dating back to his teens. These problems have sometimes included joint pain,
headaches, constipation, pain with swallowing, abdominal pain, shortness of breath, and
pain with intercourse to name only a few. Sam’s doctors (he has had many) only rarely find
a medical cause or objective evidence of his problems. Sam is adamant that his problems
are medical, denies stress plays any role, and often demands specific medical tests even
when doctor tell him they are unnecessary. What is the best diagnosis?
A. somatization disorder
B. neurasthenia
C. pain disorder
D. XX hypochondriasis [WRONG! Miscode – Answer is A]
E. factitious disorder

26. Sam’s condition

A. Occurs mainly in men
B. XX Occurs mainly in women
C. Occurs mainly in the elderly
D. Involves feigned (i.e., faked) symptoms
E. Usually resolves within a year

27. Women in Sam’s immediate family are at increased risk of

A. body dysmorphic disorder
B. antisocial personality disorder
C. alcohol dependence
D. cancer
E. XX iatrogenic complications of medical care

28. Which of the following is the best management for Sam’s condition?
A. analgesics PRN (as needed) for pain
B. benzodiazepine sedative-hypnotics for symptom-related insomnia
C. exhaustive medical workup for new physical complaints
D. follow-up as needed whenever new physical complaints occur
E. XX single primary care physician

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29. Mr. Gold is a 57 year old CEO of a major corporation. He has always been known for his
ruthlessness in the boardroom and his willingness to intimidate and terminate employees for
his own gain. He has been married a half-dozen times, the longest for 3 years, and has is
known as a notorious womanizer who dates, seduces, and dumps beautiful blonde
statuesque models routinely still. His only long term and closest friend is a 5 term US
Congressman (“he’s only person I’ve met who is worthy of my confidence,” he says). He has
confided in the Senator that he has always been lonely, but once he gets to know the
women he meets, he grows a disdain for them and has to leave them before his anger
toward them “starts to waste my valuable energy.” Mr. Gold has no children and his parents
are deceased. What is the best diagnosis?
A. schizotypal personality disorder
B. histrionic personality disorder
C. avoidant personality disorder
D. XX narcissistic personality disorder
E. dependent personality disorder

30. A “flashback”
A. is an obsession
B. is a sign of psychosis
C. is a trauma-related nightmare
D. XX is a waking state of intrusive traumatic event recall
E. all of the above

31. Which of the following is classified as an anxiety disorder within the Diagnostic & Statistical
Manual for Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV)?
A. conversion disorder
B. factitious disorder
C. adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood
D. XX acute stress disorder
E. all of the above

32. Risk factors for developing PTSD among victims of a traumatic event include
A. male gender
B. good premorbid functioning
C. XX intensity (degree) of trauma exposure
D. brief duration of trauma exposure
E. none of the above

33. Compulsions are characterized by

A. Multiple worries
B. Periods of intense, sudden, episodic anxiety
C. Fear of public embarrassment
D. Pervasive perfectionism
E. XX None of the above

34. Which of the following might precipitate acute stress disorder (ASD)?
A. XX handling dead bodies
B. recent marriage
C. recent divorce
D. getting fired from a job
E. none of the above

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35. External benefit derived from a somatic symptom is
A. Usually conscious benefit
B. primary gain
C. XX secondary gain
D. malingering
E. all of the above

36. Which of the following personality disorders is sometimes managed using low dose
antipsychotic medications?
A. dependent personality disorder
B. histrionic personality disorder
C. XX borderline personality disorder
D. obsessive-compulsive personality disorder
E. narcissistic personality disorder

37. Fabulo is a handsome 33 year old man repeatedly seeks cosmetic surgery for correction of
perceived imperfections. Even though these surgeries have always achieved high quality
outcomes, Fabulo never feels satisfied even though most men would “kill” to look so
fabulous. Fabulo continues to seek cosmetic surgery even though his insurance doesn’t
cover it, and he has gone broke trying to pay for it. What is the best diagnosis?
A. hypochondriasis
B. XX body dysmorphic disorder
C. somatization disorder
D. factitious disorder
E. obsessive-compulsive disorder

38. Ms. Prim is a 40 something “desperate housewife” who has been married for 23 years but
and fundamentally bored in the relationship. She and her husband have a 17 year old son.
Mr. Prim spends long hours away from the home to avoid Ms. Prim’s controlling manner.
She controls the kitchen with an iron fist, watches every penny and never spends a penny
unless she has to. Her house is spotless from top to bottom and she becomes angry and
hostile whenever her son or husband enters a room she has just cleaned. Her dress is
always immaculate with nary a hair out of place. Mr. and Mrs. Prim have not had sex for
years, because Ms. Prim finds “the act repulsive and smelly.” Even when they had regular
sex years ago, it was only at certain times on certain days and in certain places. What is the
best diagnosis?
A. paranoid personality disorder
B. schizoid personality disorder
C. avoidant personality disorder
D. XX obsessive-compulsive personality disorder
E. antisocial personality disorder

39. Which of the following is true about the traumatic events that lead to PTSD?
A. they must be “outside the realm of normal human experience”
B. most Americans experience one or more in their lifetime
C. XX women experience them more often than men [WRONG! Miscode -- Answer is A]
D. they must involve violence
E. none of the above

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40. Mr. Wimpy is a 32 year old man who married 12 years ago to a wealthy woman 12 years
older than him. He’s always been a sort of helpless type, and his wife now pretty much
manages his whole life – his money, his schedule, his relationships, and his clothing. He
refuses to work outside the home because “she won’t let me.” Mr. Wimpy is chronically
unhappy with the way his wife treats him, but when he tries to complain, she always
demeans him and threatens to leave him. Mr. Wimpy gets distraught at the thought of losing
his wife, and cannot imagine trying to manage his own money or affairs, and so he remains.
Recently, Mr. Wimpy’s wife has started demanding they welcome another man into their
bedroom and that Mr. Wimpy perform sexual acts on the man. Mr. Wimpy resents this, but
fears losing his wife. What is the best diagnosis?
A. avoidant personality disorder
B. histrionic personality disorder
C. antisocial personality disorder
D. borderline personality disorder
E. XX dependent personality disorder

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 !! ANSWER KEY !!

You have completed the exam.

Please make sure your answer sheet contains one

and only one response on all 40 of the exam
questions.

Turn in your exam before you leave the room. Your

exam will be returned to you via your student
mailbox with an answer key once all the students
have taken the exam.

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