Psychology Degree FREE Psychology Degree Abnormal Psychology and DSM Questions and Answers 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following best describes the concept of comorbidity in abnormal psychology?
- The presence of two or more disorders in the same individual at the same time (Correct answer)
- The progression of one disorder into another over time
- The genetic transmission of a disorder from parent to child
- The recurrence of a disorder after a period of remission
Correct answer: The presence of two or more disorders in the same individual at the same time
Comorbidity refers to the co-occurrence of two or more psychological disorders within the same person simultaneously.
Question 2: In the DSM-5, what replaced the previous multiaxial diagnostic system?
- A nonaxial documentation approach combining former Axes I, II, and III (Correct answer)
- A six-axis system with added cultural considerations
- A single-axis system based solely on symptom severity
- A binary classification of organic versus functional disorders
Correct answer: A nonaxial documentation approach combining former Axes I, II, and III
The DSM-5 moved to a nonaxial system that combines the former first three axes into a single list of diagnoses with separate notations for psychosocial and disability factors.
Question 3: Which theoretical model of abnormal behavior emphasizes the role of classical and operant conditioning in the development of psychological disorders?
- Behavioral model (Correct answer)
- Psychodynamic model
- Humanistic-existential model
- Cognitive model
Correct answer: Behavioral model
The behavioral model explains abnormal behavior as learned responses acquired through classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and modeling.
Question 4: A clinician using the DSM-5 would classify intellectual developmental disorder under which diagnostic category?
- Neurodevelopmental disorders (Correct answer)
- Neurocognitive disorders
- Personality disorders
- Disruptive, impulse-control, and conduct disorders
Correct answer: Neurodevelopmental disorders
Intellectual developmental disorder is classified under neurodevelopmental disorders in the DSM-5, alongside conditions like ADHD and autism spectrum disorder.
Question 5: What is the primary distinction between acute stress disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) according to the DSM-5?
- Duration of symptoms after the traumatic event (Correct answer)
- Severity of the traumatic event experienced
- Number of symptoms required for diagnosis
- Whether the trauma was directly experienced or witnessed
Correct answer: Duration of symptoms after the traumatic event
Acute stress disorder is diagnosed when symptoms last between 3 days and 1 month after trauma, while PTSD is diagnosed when symptoms persist beyond 1 month.
Question 6: Which of the following is a key feature of the diathesis-stress model of psychopathology?
- A biological or psychological predisposition interacts with environmental stressors to produce a disorder (Correct answer)
- All psychological disorders have purely genetic origins
- Stress alone is sufficient to cause any mental disorder regardless of vulnerability
- Diathesis refers exclusively to childhood trauma experiences
Correct answer: A biological or psychological predisposition interacts with environmental stressors to produce a disorder
The diathesis-stress model proposes that disorders result from the interaction between a pre-existing vulnerability (diathesis) and life stressors.
Psychology Degree FREE Psychology Degree Abnormal Psychology and DSM Questions and Answers 2
Which of the following best describes the concept of comorbidity in abnormal psychology?