● 1) Juan is a freshman at a local university.

He gets up at the same time each

day and follows the same pattern: showering and shaving, dressing, and checking
his backpack for required books, notebooks, and pens. Early in the first semester,
this behavior took approximately 30 minutes. As the semester progressed, Juan
spent more and more time checking and rechecking his backpack to make sure he
had everything he needed. Toward the end of the semester, Juan was always late
for his first class because of his “thoroughness.” A psychologist might conclude
that Juan’s behavior is
A) typical for a conscientious student.
B) dysfunctional even if not distressful.
C) not abnormal because it does not cause problems for others.
D) worrisome, and Juan may need some intervention (e.g. therapy or medication).

2) According to our lecture, abnormal behavior is defined as behavior that is

inconsistent with the individual’s developmental, cultural, and societal norms, creates
emotional distress, or
A) is seen by others as deviant.
B) interferes with daily functioning.
C) is “culturally bound, or sanctioned.”

3) Approximately what total percentage of adults in the U.S. have suffered from a
psychological disorder at some time in their lives?
A) 10%
B) 30%
C) 50%
D) 90%

4) When using the DSM-5 system to define a behavior as abnormal, which of the
following statements is TRUE?
A) The person’s behavior is assessed both categorically and dimensionally.
B) The person either falls into a category or does not fall into a category.
C) The person’s level of dysfunction is not considered.
D) The behavior is not considered within a cultural context.

5) Men are MORE likely than women to suffer from

A) alcohol and drug abuse.
B) mood disorders and anxiety disorders.
C) alcohol abuse and mood disorders.
D) depression and anxiety disorders.

6) Except for drug and alcohol abuse, the highest rates of psychological disorders are
found among persons with the lowest incomes and
A) least amount of education.
B) highest number of siblings.
 C) female gender.
D) suburban places of residence.

7) What system comprises the ‘fight or flight’ response?

A) Sympathetic Nervous System
B) Parasympathetic Nervous System
C) female gender
D) Prefrontal Cortex

8) The concept of “developmental trajectory” (or how symptoms express themselves

over the course of the lifespan) descibes the idea that
A) symptoms of a disorder are always most severe in childhood.
B) symptoms of a disorder may vary depending on a person’s age.
C) age determines the presence of a disorder but not symptom expression.
D) a person’s developmental stage has little bearing on a given diagnosis.

9) In medieval Europe, mental illness was thought to be caused by

A) retribution from the gods.
B) evil or demonic spirits.
C) a wandering uterus.
D) a dysfunctional family.

10) What factors play a role in an anxious response?

A) Cognitive (thoughts)
B) Behavioral (actions)
C) Environmental
D) All of the Above

11) Anxiety is a result of:

A) Thoughts about the past
B) Bad dreams
C) Future-oriented concerns
D) Bad genes

12) Which of the following could be characterized as an Anxiety Disorder?

A) Major Depressive Disorder
B) Schizophrenia
C) Kleptomania
D) Agoraphobia

13) Research suggests there are a few effective, evidence-based models to deal with
anxiety:
A) exposure therapy, benzodiazepines, talk therapy
B) frontal lobotomy
C) Benzodiazepines only
D) Hydrotherapy
14) If a psychologist defines herself as a “scientist-practitioner,” what do we
automatically know about her through this label?
A) She is focused on pure research and practices and sound methodological
principles.
B) She relies on the latest research findings in providing quality care and treatment to
patients.
C) She takes a behavioral approach, only trying to change dysfunctional behaviors
that are observable.
D) She is not focused on the etiology of a disorder but on a research-based treatment
approach.

15) Neurons release neurotransmitters into synapses. These neurotransmitters

A) land on the RECEPTOR site of the next neuron, causing it to fire.
B) block further messages.
C) land on an AXON, causing it to fire and send an electrical impulse.
D) establish a permanent link between one nerve cell and the next.

16) Biological scarring, as seen in some disorders such as PTSD, demonstrates that
A) the brain is capable of healing itself after a trauma, without intervention.
B) the brain may change as a result of the disorder.
C) genetics plays a vital role in vulnerability to a disorder.
D) brain plasticity is not possible.

17) Typically children diagnosed with ADHD exhibit:

A) Depressed mood
B) Hypersomnulence
C) Inattention and impulsivity
D) Callous affect

18) Typically children on the Autistic Spectrum display behaviors characterized by:
A) Sadness
B) Lack of goal-orientation
C) Stereotypical motor behaviors paired with communication deficits
D) Lack of cognitive function

19) Whereas the behavioral approach focuses on ________, the cognitive model
targets _______ in explaining behavior.
A) external events; mental processes
B) mental processes; external events
C) thought distortions; punishment
D) punishment; thought distortions

20) Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A) Modern psychologists believe that psychopathology is physiologically based.
B) Abnormal behavior may be best understood using a single theoretical framework.
 C) Understanding abnormal behaviors requires an integration of models.
D) Sociocultural factors are the best explanation for disordered behavior.

21) The two factors most closely associated with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder are:
A) Fear and Anxiety
B) Obsessions and Compulsions
C) Crying and Temper Tantrums
D) Giggling and Laughter

22) This model of abnormal behavior acknowledges an interaction between

biological, psychological, and social factors in the development of mental health
disorders.
A) biological model
B) sociocultural model
C) biopsychosocial model
D) psychological model

23) The human nervous system is composed of two parts, the

A) autonomic nervous system and the central nervous system.
B) peripheral nervous system and the autonomic nervous system.
C) peripheral nervous system and the brain nervous system.
D) sympathetic nervous system and the peripheral nervous system.

24) The oldest part of the brain is the

A) brain stem/midbrain.
B) cerebellum.
C) prefrontal cortex.
D) ears.

25) Which of the following is the primary function of the hypothalamus?

A) Regulation of sleep
B) Maintenance of homeostasis and hormones
C) Coordination of fine motor movement
D) Regulation of emotions

26) People most likely to be afflicted with OCD are:

A) Women
B) Men
C) Both genders
D) Elderly people, above 75

27) The brain area that is the center of visual processing is the _____ lobe.
A) frontal
B) temporal
C) occipital
 D) parietal

28) Kathleen has been arrested several times for shoplifting. Because she is a repeat
offender, the judge requested a psychological evaluation. The results show a young
woman with difficulty thinking through problems and generating appropriate solutions.
In addition, she has impaired judgment and difficulty controlling impulses. What brain
lobe would most likely be involved in this type of cognitive dysfunction?
A) Frontal
B) Temporal
C) Occipital
D) Parietal

29) You are walking toward your car in the campus parking garage late at night.
Suddenly, you hear a car horn and are startled. Instantaneously, your heart begins to race
and your breathing becomes shallow. Which system of your body responded to the car
horn?
A) Sympathetic nervous system
B) Parasympathetic nervous system
C) Peripheral nervous system
D) Sensory-somatic nervous system

30) The endocrine system regulates bodily systems through

A) electrical impulses.
B) neural pathways.
C) hormones.
D) neural impulses.

31) The most important function of neurotransmitters in the brain is to relay electrical
signals
A) down to the stomach.
B) through the spine.
C) across the synapse.
D) between the brain hemispheres.

32) The term “polygenetic trait” implies that

A) two genes alone interact to form complex behavioral patterns seen in
psychological disorders.
B) genes mutate under the influence of environmental factors resulting in complex
behavioral patterns.
C) the environment is more influential in the development of complex behaviors
such as those seen in mental illness.
D) given mental disorders or behavioral traits are influenced by many genes in
interaction with environmental factors.
33) Adoption studies provide a rich setting for discriminating between the
contributions of genetics and environment on behavior. In such a study, which of the
following would indicate an environmental influence on behavior?
A) An adoptive parent selects a child to adopt who is similar in temperament.
B) An adopted child is more similar in behavior to a biological parent than to an
adoptive parent.
C) The adopted child and the adoptive parent are similar in a behavioral trait.
D) An adoptee in a selective placement is similar in behavior to the adoptive parent.

34) Why might you use a case study method (e.g. one individual) to examine
psychopathology? Which of the following IS a benefit of the case study method?
A) It allows for the examination of rare disorders or conditions.
B) It provides generalizable, valuable data about the development of mental illness
across the lifespan.
C) It allows for the evaluation of large groups with rare disorders.
D) It allows researchers to draw cause-and-effect conclusion.

35) A researcher is interested in studying the effect of orange juice on test

performance. She will evaluate the test performance of students who drink the juice a
half-hour before the test against the performance of students who receive nothing to drink
before the test. The groups are equivalent in terms of demographics, intelligence, and
prior college classes. In this example, the orange juice would be the
A) developmental variable.
B) independent variable.
C) control variable.
D) comparison control.

36) A psychologist designs a study to investigate the effect of diaphragmatic breathing

on test anxiety. After recruiting test-anxious subjects, the researcher splits the group so
that two equivalent groups are created. One group is taught the method of breathing and
asked to use it before taking a verbal memory test, while the other group is not taught the
technique. After scoring the tests and conducting a statistical test, the researcher finds that
the group that received the training significantly outperformed the other group. In this
design, the test scores for each group would be
A) an example of a correlational outcome.
B) the independent variable.
C) the dependent variable.
D) considered random.

37) To maximize the internal validity of an experiment, it is best to make sure that
A) patients are fully aware of which condition of the independent variable they are
receiving.
B) a heterogeneous group of patients are selected for the study.
C) the control and experimental groups receive the same experience except for the
dependent variable.
 D) the control and experimental groups receive the same experience during the study
except for the independent variable.

38) Which of the following designs captures a “snapshot” of a cohort at one time?
A) Cross-sectional
B) Longitudinal
C) Randomized controlled
D) ABAB reversal

39) Longitudinal studies provide valuable data about which of the following?
A) how mental illness is currently perceived by people in different regions of the
country
B) how mental illness develops across the life span
C) how labels for mental illness currently vary from one culture to the next
D) how labels for mental illness stigmatize persons when they apply for a job

40) A major purpose of a diagnosis is to

A) aid communication among researchers and clinicians.
B) help patients understand the root cause of their problems.
C) assist the referral source in nutritional advice.
D) communicate the psychologist’s theoretical orientation to treatment.

41) When considering a “normative” approach to interpreting a patient’s score on an

assessment instrument, the psychologist is interested in comparing the patient’s score
with
A) scores of all persons who have taken the test.
B) earlier scores for the same patient.
C) scores of a comparable subgroup.
D) scores of persons not in treatment.

42) In research, the hormone oxytocin is most closely linked to our ability to:
A) form close relationships.
B) wiggle our toes.
C) form sensory memories.
D) discriminate physiological sensations.

43) Developmental factors should be reflected in diagnostic systems because

A) patterns of symptoms and behaviors may vary across the life span, even if the
diagnosis stays the same.
B) age often determines the credibility of interview information.
C) comorbid diagnoses are more likely at some developmental stages.
D) they increase the cross-cultural generalization of diagnostic categories.

44) Compared with a categorical system, a dimensional approach to classification

A) allows all symptoms to be described regardless of cut-off scores (e.g mild vs.
severe depression).
 B) allows all disorders to be classified into discrete, valid categories (e.g. male vs
female).
C) would be more promising if it decreased interrater reliability.
D) would allow symptoms to be rated cross-culturally.

45) A client is diagnosed as having an anxiety disorder using a categorical system of

classification. Knowing this, what else might you suspect about this client?
A) The client falls into a single category with no other overlap in other categories.
B) The client’s issues are developmental and rooted in a life-span challenge.
C) There is a 45% chance she also has at least one other disorder.
D) There is no likelihood of comorbidity.