GRE Subject Test: Psychology : Clinical & Abnormal

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GRE Subject Test: Psychology

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Example Questions

Example Question #4 : Clinical Assessment

Gambling addiction and drug addiction have many similar diagnostic criteria. Which of the following is a difference in diagnosing these disorders?

Possible Answers:

A drug addict's recurrent use of the substance resulting in a failure to fulfill major role obligations at work, school, or home.

A gambling addict is often preoccupied with gambling.

A gambler feels restless or irritable when attempting to cut back. 

A gambling addict will lie about or attempt to conceal their usage. 

A drug addict has a persistent desire or unsuccessful effort to cut down or control use of the substance.

Correct answer:

A gambling addict will lie about or attempt to conceal their usage. 

Explanation:

Concealment or lying is not a part of the diagnostic criteria in the DSM-5 for drug addiction, only gambling addiction. The rest of these options apply to both drug and gambling addicts. 

Example Question #1 : Causes & Development Of Disorders

Increased melatonin production by the pineal gland and a lack of sunshine can cause which of the following?

Possible Answers:

Obsessive-compulsive disorder

Seasonal affective disorder

Generalized anxiety disorder

Bipolar disorder

Major depression

Correct answer:

Seasonal affective disorder

Explanation:

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a mood disorder associated with episodes of depression in the fall and winter months. It appears to be related to a lack of sunshine, causing increased melatonin production by the pineal gland. Seasonal affective disorder can be helped by phototherapy with bright white fluorescent lights. 

Example Question #31 : Clinical & Abnormal

When a person has experienced a life-threatening accident, loss of a loved one, abuse, or a natural disaster they may present with __________.

Possible Answers:

somatoform disorder

panic disorder

situational phobias

generalized anxiety disorder

posttraumatic stress disorder

Correct answer:

posttraumatic stress disorder

Explanation:

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) occurs when a person who has gone through a significant trauma shows stress symptoms that impair the person's ability to function. The trauma can be combat, torture or abuse, a life-threatening accident, a natural disater, or loss of a loved one.

Generalized anxiety disorder consists of persistent, excessive worrying that is not focused on one particular situation. Panic disorder is characterized by sudden, brief attacks of intense fear that rise abruptly, often for no reason. Situational phobias involve a fear of specific situations; crowded spaces, heights, flying, and confined spaces. Somatoform disorder occurs when there is no identifiable physical cause to explain physical symptoms. 

Example Question #3 : Causes & Development Of Disorders

The double-bind hypothesis in clinical psychology offers an etiological explanation for which of the following disorders?

Possible Answers:

None of these

Bipolar disorder 

Generalized anxiety disorder

Major depressive disorder

Schizophrenia

Correct answer:

Schizophrenia

Explanation:

The double-bind hypothesis suggests that in childhood, individuals with schizophrenia received disorganized and contradictory messages from his or her mother. For instance, a child may have been told to eat as much as he wanted, but punished after he finished eating. According to the theory, these individuals internalize the disorganized messages and lead to a warped perception of reality.

Example Question #4 : Causes & Development Of Disorders

Which of the following are considered factors of sensation seeking?

Possible Answers:

Disinhibition

Thrill and adventure seeking

All of these

Experience seeking

Correct answer:

All of these

Explanation:

Sensation seeking is an important factor in understanding the cause and development of addictions—including substance abuse. When sensation seeking is elevated in a given individual, it can sometimes be channeled into healthy avenues that include competitive sports and leadership; however, it often results in seeking pleasurable experiences that end up becoming harmful habits. Individuals with elevated sensation seeking tendencies require more stimulation than the average individual to feel the same amount of pleasure or satisfaction.

Example Question #5 : Causes & Development Of Disorders

Which of the following theorists developed theories associated with the concept of the cognitive triad of depression?

Possible Answers:

Aaron Beck

Albert Ellis

Sigmund Freud

Carl Jung

Correct answer:

Aaron Beck

Explanation:

Aaron Beck—a cognitive psychologist—hypothesized that depression was the result of cognitive errors. In other words, depressed people were more likely to interpret the world in a maladaptive way. They have negative thoughts about themselves, the world around them, and the future. He hypothesized that all three of these cognitive beliefs feed into one another and fuel depressive thoughts that produces a vicious cycle.

Example Question #1 : Treatment Of Disorders

Which of the following mood stabilizers is used for mania and the prevention of future mania in bipolar disorder?

Possible Answers:

Fluvoxamine (Luvox)

Lithium

Paroxeline (Paxil)

Carbamazepine (Tegretol)

Lamotrigine (Lamictal)

Correct answer:

Lithium

Explanation:

Lithium is a salt that is 60% effective in the treatment of the manic episode of bipolar disorder. It acts as a mood stabilizer. Tegretol, Lamictal, Luvrox, and Paxil are all used to treat depression. 

Example Question #2 : Treatment Of Disorders

Antipsychotic medications such as risperidone, olanzapine, and quetiapine are used to treat which of the following?

Possible Answers:

Paranoid personality disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder

Schizophrenia

Posttraumatic stress disorder

Bipolar disorder

Correct answer:

Schizophrenia

Explanation:

Schizophrenia is a form of psychosis, and as such is treated with antipsychotic medications such as olanzapine, quetiapine, and risperidone either singularly or in combination if necessary.

Cognitive behavioral therapy and a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) such as Zoloft, Paxil or Luvox are used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder. Posttraumatic stress disorder is also treated with SSRIs. Both the manic and depressive stages of bipolar disorder can be treated with the mood stabilizer lithium, while SSRIs can be used to treat the depressive state. Treatment for personality disorders is not successful.

Example Question #3 : Treatment Of Disorders

Diarrhea, drowsiness, loss of appetite, muscle weakness and tembling, and slurred speech are signs of an overdose of which mood stabilizing medication?

Possible Answers:

Zoloft

Paxil

Luvox

Lithium

Inderal

Correct answer:

Lithium

Explanation:

Blood levels of lithium have to be monitored, and signs of overdose include diarrhea, drowsiness, loss of appetite, muscle weakness and trembling, and slurred speech. Lithium is a mood stabilizer used in the treatment of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Paxil, Luvox, and Zoloft are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) used to treat depression. Inderal is a antiadrenergic agent used to treat posttraumatic stress disorder. 

Example Question #4 : Treatment Of Disorders

A psychotherapist determines that a client's depressive symptoms may be the result of their interpretations of events in their life. Her theoretical orientation is most likely based on which of the following?

Possible Answers:

Psychoanalytic

Cognitive

Behaviorist 

Humanistic

Correct answer:

Cognitive

Explanation:

Cognitive therapy, pioneered by psychologists like Albert Ellis and Aaron Beck, emphasizes the power of our thoughts in determining how we feel and behave. According to Beck's negative triad theory, depression is the result of negative thoughts about oneself, one's experiences, and one's future. A depressed person's thinking is often shaped by distortions like overgeneralization (e.g. “I always mess up in interviews”) and selective abstraction, in which one detail of an incident is emphasized and interpreted in the wrong context (e.g. a person focuses on the single negative aspect of a date).

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