AP Psychology : AP Psychology

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Psychology

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Example Questions

Example Question #4 : Psychological Abnormalities

Which of the following therapies is used to treat drug-resistant or especially severe psychiatric disorders such a major depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia?

Possible Answers:

Congitive therapy

Phototherapy

Behavorial therapy

Electroconvulsive therapy

Group therapy

Correct answer:

Electroconvulsive therapy

Explanation:

Electroconvulsive therapy is the use of electric shock to produce convulsions and treat drug-resistant or particularly severe psychiatric disorders. It is frequently seen as a last resort.

Phototherapy is treatment with bright white fluorescent lights, generally used to treat seasonal disorders. Behavorial therapy is used to change maladaptive behaviors such as smoking or alcohol abuse. Cognitive therapy is used to remove negative thoughts that harm a person's emotional health. Psychotherapy is any means of treating psychiatric disorders by mental rather than pharmacological means. 

Example Question #5 : Psychological Abnormalities

Although Sigmund Freud is widely criticized for his theories of psychology, he also came up with the famous talk-therapy, which is a highly-recommended treatment for many different problems and disorders. The ideal way talk-therapy works is to help the patient understand and change the underlying causes of their suffering and psychological distress.

What are the potential consequences of other therapeutic treatments that do not address the cause of a mental illness?

Possible Answers:

Symptom substitution

More success, especially in the cause of prescribing drugs

Further mental decay

No hope of relief for the patient

All of these

Correct answer:

Symptom substitution

Explanation:

Any therapeutic treatment that does not address the underlying cause of a disorder can and will most often lead to symptom substitution. For instance, if one is feeling depressed due to strong feelings of abandonment rooted from their personal history, and they do not address this as being the cause, the depression will more often than not manifest in some other disorder. If the therapeutic diagnosis is something like "improve you lifestyle by eating right and exercising", this may improve a person's overall mood and help tremendously, but will not address the unresolved problems in this person's past. As a result, they may become absolutely fixated on living a healthy lifestyle to the point that it turns into a paranoid obsession. And thus arises another problem, and the symptoms of depression become symptoms of obsession.

This is one of the great merits of talk therapy, as it is designed for the patient to exmaine themselves and investigate the causes of their problems, which can hopefully lead to long-term mental health.

Example Question #6 : Psychological Abnormalities

What are some of the side effects of electroconvulsive therapy?

Possible Answers:

Brief seizure

Nausea

Memory loss

All of these

Brief loss of consciousness

Correct answer:

All of these

Explanation:

Electrconvulsive therapy is used to send electric current through the brain. It is most commonly used for depression when no other forms of treatment have worked. Unfortunately it comes with unpleasant side effects, such as memory loss, a brief seizure, a brief loss of consciousness, and nausea or vomiting. Electroconvulsive therapy is generally considered a last resort treatment.

Example Question #111 : Ap Psychology

In order to help an alcoholic stop drinking, a drug that causes nausea has been mixed with an alcoholic drink. What type of therapy is this?

Possible Answers:

Inception Point Therapy

Resistance Therapy

Preventative Medicine

Systematic Desensitization

Aversion Therapy

Correct answer:

Aversion Therapy

Explanation:

The correct answer is: Aversion Therapy.

Aversion therapy pairs an undesired behavior with another stimulus that causes discomfort.

Preventative Medicine is concerned with preventing diseases before they occur.

The other answer choices are incorrect.

Example Question #7 : Psychological Abnormalities

Which of the following schools of psychotherapy is not correctly matched with its main goals?

Possible Answers:

Behaviorism - reinforce good behaviors, alter unhealthy environments

Psychopharmacology - identify and treat patient's genetic conditions, correct chemical imbalances

CBT- identify patient's irrational and/or maladaptive schemae and act to change them

Humanism - teach the patient to accept the problems in his/her life and think purely logically

Psychodynamics - reveal patient's unconscious desires that create conflict and confront them

Correct answer:

Humanism - teach the patient to accept the problems in his/her life and think purely logically

Explanation:

Humanism, or Client-Centered Therapy, works to help a patient live up to his/her full potential while becoming more aware of their feelings.

Example Question #2 : Psychological Abnormalities

Which of the following best describes the distinction between psychiatry and psychotherapy?

Possible Answers:

Psychiatrists have graduate degrees, whereas psychotherapists do not.

Psychiatrists provide psychoanalytic therapy, whereas psychotherapists provide a humanistic approach to therapy.

Psychiatrists focus more on treating personality disorders, whereas psychotherapists treat mood or anxiety disorders.

Psychiatrists have medical degrees, whereas psychotherapists have doctoral or master's degrees and licenses to practice counseling or therapy.

Correct answer:

Psychiatrists have medical degrees, whereas psychotherapists have doctoral or master's degrees and licenses to practice counseling or therapy.

Explanation:

Psychiatrists are physicians, whose medical degrees allow them to specialize in diagnosing and treating mental disorders with a combination of biomedical treatment (medication) and psychotherapy. Psychotherapists do not have medical degrees, and instead have doctoral or master's degrees and licenses to practice therapy. They focus on therapeutic, rather than biomedical, interventions. Psychiatrists and psychotherapists often work together to provide the best possible treatment for a patient.

Example Question #11 : Therapy

Which of the following is not a technique used by psychodynamic therapists?

Possible Answers:

Systematic desensitization

Projective tests

Free association

Dream analysis

Correct answer:

Systematic desensitization

Explanation:

Dream analysis, free association, and projective tests are all used by psychodynamic therapists to reveal the unconscious conflicts that cause clients' behaviors. Systematic desensitization is a behavioral technique used by therapists to help clients cope with anxiety or phobias through counterconditioning.

Example Question #112 : Ap Psychology

Which of the following is a humanistic therapy?

 

Possible Answers:

Virtual reality exposure therapy

Client-centered therapy

Conditioning therapy

Active listening 

Biomedical therapy

Correct answer:

Client-centered therapy

Explanation:

Humanistic therapy focuses on boosting patient's self-fulfillment via growth in self-awareness and self-acceptance. Active listening is a technique that may be used in humanistic therapies, such as client-centered therapy, but is a tool used within that kind of therapy, not a discrete kind of therapy unto itself. The other options would be considered behavioral therapy. 

Example Question #113 : Ap Psychology

Most psychotherapists would say they use a variety of different psychotherapies with their patients. This is known as __________.

Possible Answers:

the Eclectic Approach

Client-centered Therapy

psychotherapy

Insight Therapy

comorbidity 

Correct answer:

the Eclectic Approach

Explanation:

Using a blend of therapies is considered an approach in itself. While studying the various schools of psychology it is important to keep in mind that most practicing therapists are not actually ideologically focused in their approach, but rather choose to use a mix of therapies tailored to the needs of their specific clients. 

Example Question #12 : Therapy

Do antipsychotic drugs consistently treat the behaviors of schizophrenia?

Possible Answers:

No, they can only treat the symptoms

No, they are ineffective at treating symptoms and behaviors

Yes, they can treat both behaviors and symptoms

Yes, they can only treat the beahaviors

Correct answer:

No, they can only treat the symptoms

Explanation:

Antipsychotic drugs are popular and often effective at treating symptoms of schizophrenia such as delusions or hallucinations but not the behaviors associated with the disorder. Long-term behavioral therapy is often necessary to treat behaviors that come with the mental disorder.

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