LSP Child & Adolescent Psychology 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which parenting style, characterized by high warmth and high control, is most consistently linked to positive outcomes in children?
- Authoritarian
- Permissive
- Authoritative (Correct answer)
- Uninvolved
Correct answer: Authoritative
Authoritative parenting combines high responsiveness with high demandingness and is associated with better academic, social, and emotional outcomes.
Question 2: A therapist uses exposure and response prevention (ERP) with a 12-year-old who has intrusive thoughts about harm and compulsive checking rituals. This treatment targets:
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- Separation Anxiety Disorder
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (Correct answer)
- PTSD
Correct answer: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
ERP is the gold-standard behavioral treatment for OCD, reducing anxiety by preventing the compulsive response that reinforces obsessions.
Question 3: According to Vygotsky, the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) refers to:
- Skills a child can perform independently
- The gap between what a child can do alone and with guidance (Correct answer)
- The range of ages when learning is most efficient
- The developmental sequence from concrete to abstract thought
Correct answer: The gap between what a child can do alone and with guidance
The ZPD is the space between a child's independent problem-solving ability and what they can achieve with skilled adult or peer support.
Question 4: Which neurotransmitter system is primarily targeted by stimulant medications used to treat ADHD?
- Serotonin and GABA
- Dopamine and Norepinephrine (Correct answer)
- Acetylcholine and Histamine
- Glutamate and Dopamine
Correct answer: Dopamine and Norepinephrine
Stimulants like methylphenidate and amphetamines increase dopamine and norepinephrine availability in prefrontal circuits, improving attention and impulse control.
Question 5: A 16-year-old presents with a 6-month history of restricting food intake, intense fear of weight gain, and a BMI of 16.5. The most likely diagnosis is:
- Bulimia Nervosa
- Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder
- Anorexia Nervosa, Restricting Type (Correct answer)
- Binge-Eating Disorder
Correct answer: Anorexia Nervosa, Restricting Type
Anorexia Nervosa, Restricting Type is characterized by food restriction, fear of weight gain, body image disturbance, and significantly low weight.
Question 6: In the Strange Situation procedure, an infant who shows minimal distress upon separation and ignores the caregiver upon reunion most likely has which attachment style?
- Secure
- Anxious-Ambivalent
- Avoidant (Correct answer)
- Disorganized
Correct answer: Avoidant
Avoidantly attached infants suppress attachment behaviors, showing apparent indifference to caregiver absence and return due to learned suppression of needs.
Question 7: A 15-year-old reports racing thoughts, decreased need for sleep, grandiosity, and risky behavior for 5 days. He has no prior depressive episodes. What is the most appropriate diagnosis?
- Major Depressive Disorder with Mixed Features
- Bipolar I Disorder (Correct answer)
- Bipolar II Disorder
- Cyclothymic Disorder
Correct answer: Bipolar I Disorder
A full manic episode lasting at least 4 days (here 5 days with marked impairment/symptoms) meets criteria for Bipolar I Disorder.
LSP Child & Adolescent Psychology 3
Which parenting style, characterized by high warmth and high control, is most consistently linked to positive outcomes in children?