AP Psychology : Psychological Abnormalities

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Psychology

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Example Questions

Example Question #241 : Psychological Abnormalities

Someone suffering from agnosia has problems with __________.

Possible Answers:

language

processing sensory information

emotional regulation

making decisions

remembering things

Correct answer:

processing sensory information

Explanation:

While people suffering from agnosia are still capable of hearing, seeing, feeling, smelling and tasting new stimuli, their brains are unable to process that information into a recognizable experience.

Example Question #1 : Other Psychological Disorders

Which of the following is a defining characteristic of a patient with autism?

Possible Answers:

They do not need as much emotional and social contact

They have difficulty paying attention due to hyperactivity

They have delusional thinking about the world

They seek less emotional and social contact

Correct answer:

They seek less emotional and social contact

Explanation:

While autism presents as a relative indifference to emotional and social context, those that display autistic tendencies can still benefit from exposure to social normality and emotional closeness. Many people with autism may prefer and enjoy their own company, it is not a universal characteristic of those diagnosed with autism. In fact, they may need more social or emotional support than their peers in order to learn how to interact with people and enjoy a more connected life in society.

A general characteristic of autism is that those diagnosed are much less likely to seek out emotional or social support, as compared to those without the disorder.  

Example Question #243 : Psychological Abnormalities

Which of these psychological disorders is not diagnosed in children under the age of 18?

Possible Answers:

Separation anxiety disorder

Depression

Antisocial personality disorder

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Autism

Correct answer:

Antisocial personality disorder

Explanation:

Antisocial personality disorder is characterized by a long-standing disregard for the rights and feelings of others. Although this disorder has roots in childhood and adolescence, only adults over the age of eighteen can be given an official diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder. The other answer choices can all be diagnosed in children as young as three years old.

Example Question #1 : Other Psychological Disorders

Which of the following factors is a major contributor to substance dependence?

Possible Answers:

Cultural norms

Impulsivity

All of these factors

Self-medicating behavior

Correct answer:

All of these factors

Explanation:

Substance dependence, or drug addiction, refers to continuing use of a drug despite severe costs. It results from a combination of biological and environmental factors. Impulsivity, for example, is rooted in a person's genetic makeup. Cultural norms, familial values, and pure circumstance also play key roles. Self-medication refers to a person's tendency to use alcohol or other substances to cope with physical pain or mental illness.

Example Question #11 : Other Psychological Disorders

What is a somatoform disorder?

Possible Answers:

A disorder in which patient fears their skin is falling off

A disorder in which patients lie about having physical problems 

A disorder where a patient has unexplained physical pain but is unconcerned by it

The medical term for having a disability

A distressing disorder in which there is physical pain that can't be traced to a physical cause

Correct answer:

A distressing disorder in which there is physical pain that can't be traced to a physical cause

Explanation:

A somatoform disorder can be defined as "a distressing disorder in which there is physical pain that can't be traced to a physical cause." People with a somatoform disorder are typically very distressed about their physical health and tend to assume and worry that small symptoms of illness, such as a sore throat, are a sign of a terrible illness, like throat cancer. Somatoform disorders do not have to do with the skin specifically, and people with somatoform disorders are truly convinced of their physical ailments. Furthermore, somatoform disorders can be disabling but somatoform disorders account for a very small percentage of disabilities and are not the medical term for having a disability. 

Example Question #12 : Other Psychological Disorders

Which disorder has many skeptics that question the legitimacy of its existence?

Possible Answers:

Major Depressive Disorder

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

Generalized anxiety disorder

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Correct answer:

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

Explanation:

DID occurs when, usually as a result of early childhood trauma and abuse, someone has two or more distinct personalities rather than one integrated one. The media has been fascinated with DID, leading to well-known movies such as Sybil. However, tests conducted on patients with DID have been inconclusive and it is strange that nearly all of the cases of reported DID have been in the US. These factors have led many people to question the true existence of the disorder, unlike the well-documented and well-researched disorders of OCD, PTSD, major depressive disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. 

Example Question #143 : Types Of Disorders

Which of the following is not a characteristic of people suffering from Bulimia Nervosa?

Possible Answers:

Body weight and shape influences feelings of self-esteem and self evaluation

Binge eating 

Refusing to eat

Purging

Correct answer:

Refusing to eat

Explanation:

Refusing to eat is more common in Anorexia Nervosa cases than in Bulimia Nervosa cases. A person suffering from Bulimia Nervosa typically binge eats—they over-eat and consume a large amount of calories in a short amount of time. Following this eating, they purge—they rid themselves of what they have eaten by using laxatives, diuretics, or making themselves vomit.

Example Question #144 : Types Of Disorders

Camille sometimes wakes up multiple times in the middle of the night, coughing and gasping for air. Based on Camille's symptoms, which of the following sleep disorders could be interrupting her sleep pattern?

Possible Answers:

Sleep apnea

Sleep talking

None of these

Narcolepsy

Insomnia

Correct answer:

Sleep apnea

Explanation:

Camille's symptoms are indicative of sleep apnea, which is characterized by temporary cessations of breathing during sleep that cause repeated momentary awakenings throughout the night. In this way, sleep apnea can disrupt slow-wave, deep sleep.

Example Question #13 : Other Psychological Disorders

According to the DSM, which of the following is a somatoform disorder?

Possible Answers:

Generalized anxiety disorder

Schizoaffective disorder

Conversion disorder

Bipolar disorder

Dissociative identity disorder

Correct answer:

Conversion disorder

Explanation:

Somatoform disorders involve physical symptoms that have no known physiological cause, which may or may not be due to a psychological problem. Conversion disorder is a somatoform disorder that includes the presence of neurological symptoms without an identified cause. Schizoaffective disorder involves symptoms of both schizophrenia and a mood disorder, such as depression or Bipolar disorder. Generalized anxiety disorder is an anxiety disorder that involves anxiety and worry over a number of things in one's life. Dissociative identity disorder falls under the category of dissociative disorders and includes the presence of multiple personalities. Bipolar disorder involves at least one episode of mania (i.e. high energy, grandiosity, impulsivity), and may or may not include periods of depression.

Example Question #146 : Types Of Disorders

Which of the following disorders is more common in men than women?

Possible Answers:

Depression

Antisocial personality disorder

Separation anxiety disorder

Bulimia nervosa

Factitious disorder

Correct answer:

Antisocial personality disorder

Explanation:

"Antisocial personality disorder" (ASPD) is characterized by a disregard for the safety and feelings of others, impulsivity, deceitfulness, and law breaking. ASPD is three times more common in men than in women, while all of the other answer choices are more commonly seen in women.

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