All AP Psychology Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #21 : Psychological Abnormalities
Aurelia’s therapist provides her with positive acceptance and accepts what Aurelia says with little criticism. The therapist is genuinely empathetic and emphasizes her human freedom. Her therapist probably subscribes to which of the following psychological perspectives?
Behavioral
Psychoanalytic
Neo-psychoanalytic
Humanistic
Humanistic
Aurelia's therapist is most certainly a humanistic therapist. That is to say, her therapist is trained as person-centered (also known as client-centered) clinician following the theory of Carl Rogers. According to this approach, the three primary components of effective therapy are unconditional positive regard, empathy, and authenticity. This approach, unlike the others, also stresses the role of human freedom (sometimes, this is referred to as free will).
Example Question #22 : Psychological Abnormalities
What was the most common result of psychosurgery?
The patient would feel better, and would usually be able to return to their usual activities
The treated person would die
The treated person would feel healthier for the most part with some minor side effects, including impaired motor function
The patient would often be left in a vegetative state
None of these
The patient would often be left in a vegetative state
Psychosurgery most often involved a prefrontal lobotomy, which involved taking out a part of or the whole prefrontal cortex. People hypothesized that the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for our conscious thought, went awry in the minds of mentally ill people and that taking it out would cure their mental illness. The results, however, were often tragic and mentally ill people would be left in a vegetative state.
Example Question #23 : Psychological Abnormalities
A client diagnosed with borderline personality disorder is most likely to benefit from which of the following therapeutic modalities?
All of these
Interpersonal therapy
Dialectical behavioral therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy
Emotionally focused therapy
Dialectical behavioral therapy
“Dialectical behavioral therapy” uses the pillars of mindfulness, emotional regulations, distress tolerance, and interpersonal skills to help individuals develop a more adaptive means of coping. It is particularly effective for clients with borderline personality disorder to assist them in managing their emotions and improving their interpersonal relationships.
Example Question #24 : Psychological Abnormalities
Which of the following is not considered to be one of Yalom's therapeutic factors?
Imitative behavior
Universality
Altruism
Joining
Instillation of hope
Joining
Yalom's therapeutic factors include all of the choices except: joining. Yalom identified 11 factors that he believed influenced the process of change and recovery among therapy clients. Of these factors, “joining” was not included.
Example Question #25 : Psychological Abnormalities
Sam is a behavioral therapist. How might he treat a patient who has an extreme phobia of spiders?
Systematic desensitization
Self-actualization
Counterconditioning
Aversive conditioning
Systematic desensitization
Systematic desensitization is the best answer as it is a behavioral technique that is most often used to extinguish a phobia. Counterconditioning and aversive conditioning are also behavioral forms of therapy; however, they are not the most successful ways of extinguishing phobias. Self-actualization is a humanistic form of therapy.
Example Question #26 : Psychological Abnormalities
Luke is terribly afraid of spiders. Ben thinks he should take Luke to a spider farm to "shock" the fear out of him. What method of therapy is influencing Ben's decision?
Insight therapy
Flooding
Systematic desensitization
Rational emotive behavioral therapy
Flooding
Ben's technique is indicative of "flooding," which pushes the client to address their most frightening scenario first. This induces great anxiety; however, after nothing life threatening happens, the client will realize that their fear is irrational. This is the opposite of systematic desensitization, which starts with a stimulus which induces low anxiety and then builds onward to higher anxiety inducing stimuli.
Example Question #27 : Psychological Abnormalities
What is the main difference between a psychiatrist and a counseling psychologist?
Counseling psychologists need a medical degree and a psychology degree.
A psychiatrist is trained in Freudian methods.
None of these
A psychiatrist can prescribe medication.
Counseling psychologists need a PhD.
A psychiatrist can prescribe medication.
"A psychiatrist can prescribe medication" is the correct answer. Psychiatrists can prescribe medication to individuals whom they believe have some sort of chemical imbalance or other psychological disorders. On the other hand, counseling psychologists only need a graduate degree in psychology. Last, "a psychiatrist is trained in Freudian methods" is false because psychoanalysts are trained in Freudian theory.
Example Question #28 : Psychological Abnormalities
A 12-year-old patient comes to you with a diagnosis of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Which of the following is not a proven treatment option for this disorder?
A behavior modification program
Parent training
Cognitive behavioral therapy
Electroconvulsive therapy
A stimulant drug (e.g. amphetamine)
Electroconvulsive therapy
"Electroconvulsive therapy" is a procedure in which small electric currents are passed through the brain to trigger a seizure. This procedure is only used to treat very serious illnesses (e.g. severe depression, schizophrenia), not ADHD. All of the other answer choices demonstrate some efficacy in treating those with ADHD.
Example Question #29 : Psychological Abnormalities
Which of the following is a commonly utilized component of humanistic therapy?
Maladaptive cognitions
Unconditional positive regard
Defense mechanisms
The unconscious
Biofeedback
Unconditional positive regard
Humanistic psychology emphasizes an individual's inherent drive towards self-actualization and creativity. "Unconditional positive regard" is the basic acceptance and support of a person regardless of what the person says or does. Humanistic therapists use unconditional positive regard to establish a strong connection with their clients.
Example Question #30 : Psychological Abnormalities
Which therapeutic orientation utilizes positive reinforcement?
Social-emotional
Etiological
Psychoanalytic
Behavioral
Humanistic
Behavioral
Positive reinforcement is a behavior-management strategy. The goal of positive reinforcement is to give something to someone to make a desirable behavior more likely to occur in the future. For example, a dog is more likely to obey his owner when he receives his favorite bone.