AP Psychology : Psychological Abnormalities

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Psychology

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Example Questions

Example Question #231 : Psychological Abnormalities

Which of the following is an example of clanging? 

Possible Answers:

I don't like her, she has too much "paucity"

I had my lunch when it's brunch it makes a crunch in a bunch

I don't bike lats. ("I don't like bats")

None of these

I like fishing. Fish are creatures of the sea. Creatures can be fantasy or fiction, my brother really likes fantasy. He's tall.

Correct answer:

I had my lunch when it's brunch it makes a crunch in a bunch

Explanation:

Clanging is a positive symptom of schizophrenia where the affected person will rhyme words despite the resulting utterance meaning nothing. For instance, although "I had my lunch when it's brunch it makes a crunch in a bunch" may convey meaning it will often not mean anything in context. The other answers are examples of a neologism, tangentiality, and an unrelated speech production error common among non-affected people (e.g. "I don't bike lats").

Example Question #231 : Psychological Abnormalities

Which of the following is a type of delusion typical of paranoid schizophrenics? 

Possible Answers:

Paranoid delusions

Delusions of reference

All of these

Somatic delusions

Delusions of grandeur

Correct answer:

All of these

Explanation:

All of the answer choices are kinds of delusions that a paranoid schizophrenic typically experiences. "Paranoid delusions" are "beliefs of persecution" typified by a conception of the world as a place where everyone is out to get you. "Delusions of grandeur" involve beliefs that you possess special powers such as the ability to see the future. "Somatic delusions" involve false beliefs about abnormalities in the individual's body. Last, "delusions of reference" involve beliefs that things in your environment are directly related to you somehow, like believing someone built a random building for you. 

Works Cited:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Mental Health, 1999. (https://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/ps/access/NNBBHS.pdf).

Example Question #232 : Psychological Abnormalities

Which of the following are kinds of hallucinations a paranoid schizophrenic may experience?

Possible Answers:

Auditory

Visual

Olfactory

Tactile

All of these

Correct answer:

All of these

Explanation:

All of these are kinds of hallucinations a paranoid schizophrenic may experience, an additional one being gustatory hallucinations (i.e. tasting things that aren't there). "Visual," "auditory," "tactile," and "olfactory" hallucinations are when one believes they are seeing, hearing, touching, and smelling things that are not there. Hallucinations are disturbing experiences that perpetuates the paranoid schizophrenic's sense of fear.

Works Cited:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Mental Health, 1999. (https://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/ps/access/NNBBHS.pdf).

Example Question #38 : Schizophrenia

Can schizophrenia be passed down genetically?

Possible Answers:

None of these

Schizophrenia is strictly related to genetics

No, schizophrenia is strictly related to nurture

All of these

Yes, though it will often take environmental factors for schizophrenia to develop

Correct answer:

Yes, though it will often take environmental factors for schizophrenia to develop

Explanation:

Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder that can be passed down genetically though is more often inherited by men. Symptoms are often seen in adolescence to early adulthood and are sometimes triggered by environmental stressors such as the death of a family member, physical illness or other trauma. Much research has been done on the disease and the exact causes and origins are largely unknown though nature and nurture play a huge role.  

Example Question #1 : Other Psychological Disorders

Which is not a type of anxiety disorder?

Possible Answers:

Depression

Obsessive compulsive disorder

Post traumatic stress disorder

Phobias

Panic disorder

Correct answer:

Depression

Explanation:

Depression is a mood disorder. All of the other choices represent anxiety disorders.

Example Question #2 : Other Psychological Disorders

What is hypochondriasis?

Possible Answers:

A disorder characterized by hallucinations and delusions

A disorder triggered when someone experiences/witnesses a terrifying event

A disorder where someone fears having a certain illness when no illness is present

A disorder characterized by chronic anxiety, even when there is little or nothing to worry about

A disorder where someone is plagued with irrational and specific fears even when no danger is present

Correct answer:

A disorder where someone fears having a certain illness when no illness is present

Explanation:

Hypochondriasis is a disorder in which people perceive the presence of an illness when there is none. This is a type of somatoform disorder.

Example Question #131 : Defining Abnormalities And Disorders

Body dysmorphic disorder and pain disorders are both examples of __________.

Possible Answers:

mood disorders

trauma disorders

personality disorders

somatoform diseases

phobias

Correct answer:

somatoform diseases

Explanation:

A somatoform disorder is a condition in which a patient experiences physical symptoms that cannot be explained by a medical or neurological diagnosis. Individuals with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) become fixated upon their actual or imagined physical flaws. Individuals with pain disorders experience physical pain that is triggered by psychological distress. These physical manifestations of psychological symptoms constitute somatoform disorders.

Example Question #4 : Other Psychological Disorders

John randomly falls asleep for periods of time.  From which of the following disorders does John suffer?

Possible Answers:

Narcolepsy

Insomnia

Night terrors

Sleep apnea

Correct answer:

Narcolepsy

Explanation:

Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder characterized by sudden sleep attacks, as well as overwhelming drowsiness.

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by pauses in breathing or infrequent breathing during sleep. Night terrors are episodes of screaming, intense fear, and flailing while still asleep. Often compared to nightmares, night terrors are much more intense. Insomnia is a sleep disorder characterized by difficulty falling and/or staying asleep.

Example Question #5 : Other Psychological Disorders

Which one of the following disorders does not fall under autism spectrum disorder?

Possible Answers:

Autism

Childhood disintegrative disorder

Pervasive developmental disorder

Generalized anxiety disorder

Asperger's syndrome

Correct answer:

Generalized anxiety disorder

Explanation:

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is unrelated to autism spectrum disorder. GAD is an anxiety disorder characterized by chronic anxiety with no known triggers. 

Example Question #6 : Other Psychological Disorders

Morphine and heroin are two examples of __________.

Possible Answers:

Anti-psychotics

Opiates

Tranquilizers

Hallucinogens

Depressants

Correct answer:

Opiates

Explanation:

Derived from the opium poppy, opiates, including heroin and morphine, are used to relieve pain and elevate moods. While heroin is strictly an illegal, recreational drug, morphine is often used in medical treatment for patients in intense physical distress.

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