Therapy III final EXAM 2026–2027 Exam
Questions and Verified Correct Answers
Define personality - CORRECT ANSWER an individual's characteristic
pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting. The aspects of their character
that make them different from other people
What is the prevalence of personality disorders in general population vs
in outpatient treatment? - CORRECT ANSWER General population: 4-
13%
Mental health outpatient: 20-40%
Examples of emotional dysregulation - CORRECT ANSWER Irritability,
outbursts, anger, lower frustration tolerance, lack of empathy,
impulsivity, inappropriate social behaviors, difficulty with social cues,
apathy
How would you define personality disorders when describing them to a
patient? - CORRECT ANSWER Personality disorders are an enduring
pattern of inner experience and behavior that deviates markedly from
the expectations of the individual's culture
Major principles of psychodynamic personality assessment - CORRECT
ANSWER Personality is a major part of case formulation
Personality can help explain the roots of mental disorders even in
people without personality disorders (e.g., neurotic --> anxiety)
,Seven capacities of personality that can be assessed in clinical interview
- CORRECT ANSWER 1) Identity: to view others and self in complex,
stable, accurate ways
2) Objectrelations: To maintain intimate, stable, and satisfying
relationships
3) Affect
tolerance: To experience in self and perceive in others the full
range of age expected affects
4) Affectregulation: to regulate impulse and affects in the ways that
foster adaptation and satisfaction, with flexibility in using defenses of
coping strategies
5) Superego
integration: To function according to a consistent and
mature moral sensibility
6) Realitytesting: To appreciate, if not necessarily conform to,
conventional notions of what is realistic 7) Ego strength and
resilience: To respond to stress resourcefully and to recover from
painful events without undue difficulty
Do all orientations view personality as important? - CORRECT ANSWER
No, some find it important for case conceptualization and treatment
planning while others find it irrelevant and harmful.
What is adaptive capacity? - CORRECT ANSWER How well the system
handles anxiety, conflict, and emotional experience before becoming
overloaded and symptomatic
,What is the role of defense mechanism assessment in this model? -
CORRECT ANSWER helps clarify between mature, neurotic, and
primitive defenses
Co-morbidities with personality disorders (cluster A, B, C) - CORRECT
ANSWER Substance use and Cluster B
Anxiety disorders and Cluster C
Somatization and Clusters B and C
What might multiple diagnoses in one client indicate to a provider? -
CORRECT ANSWER Possible underlying personality disorder
How does diagnosis with a personality disorder and an Axis 1 disorder
affect risk? - CORRECT ANSWER Higher risk of suicide (16x in men, 20x
in women)
What personality disorders are heritable? - CORRECT ANSWER All of
them
What personality traits are heritable? - CORRECT ANSWER Negative
emotionality, high impulsivity, low agreeableness, introversion
How does the stress-diathesis model apply to personality disorders? -
CORRECT ANSWER Like an Achilles' heel, personality disorders lead to
certain clinical features when individual is under challenges and
, experiences trauma (e.g.,. COVID pandemic --> someone with anxiety
disorder (the diathesis) may become more isolated and wtihdrawn -->
avoidant personality disorder)
Describe hypothesized causative factors for PD from a developmental
perspective - CORRECT ANSWER Failure of the separation-individuation
phase of development
Intense feelings of abandonment --> defense mechanisms impede
normal development to stage of autonomy.
How does trauma impact development and course of personality
disorder? - CORRECT ANSWER ACEs and verbal abuse associated with
greater incidence and severity of PDs. Trauma connected to inability to
modulate emotions. People with BPD have highest rates of trauma,
especially sexual abuse.
Is there evidence linking BPD and attachment style? - CORRECT
ANSWER Yes. Insecure attachment is connected to BPD.
How could attachment style be related to development of personality
disorders? -
CORRECT ANSWER Unresolved attachment leads to failure to develop
mentalization (ability to conceptualize mental states of others).
Feelings of abandonment --> defense mechanisms that impede normal
development to autonomy
Questions and Verified Correct Answers
Define personality - CORRECT ANSWER an individual's characteristic
pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting. The aspects of their character
that make them different from other people
What is the prevalence of personality disorders in general population vs
in outpatient treatment? - CORRECT ANSWER General population: 4-
13%
Mental health outpatient: 20-40%
Examples of emotional dysregulation - CORRECT ANSWER Irritability,
outbursts, anger, lower frustration tolerance, lack of empathy,
impulsivity, inappropriate social behaviors, difficulty with social cues,
apathy
How would you define personality disorders when describing them to a
patient? - CORRECT ANSWER Personality disorders are an enduring
pattern of inner experience and behavior that deviates markedly from
the expectations of the individual's culture
Major principles of psychodynamic personality assessment - CORRECT
ANSWER Personality is a major part of case formulation
Personality can help explain the roots of mental disorders even in
people without personality disorders (e.g., neurotic --> anxiety)
,Seven capacities of personality that can be assessed in clinical interview
- CORRECT ANSWER 1) Identity: to view others and self in complex,
stable, accurate ways
2) Objectrelations: To maintain intimate, stable, and satisfying
relationships
3) Affect
tolerance: To experience in self and perceive in others the full
range of age expected affects
4) Affectregulation: to regulate impulse and affects in the ways that
foster adaptation and satisfaction, with flexibility in using defenses of
coping strategies
5) Superego
integration: To function according to a consistent and
mature moral sensibility
6) Realitytesting: To appreciate, if not necessarily conform to,
conventional notions of what is realistic 7) Ego strength and
resilience: To respond to stress resourcefully and to recover from
painful events without undue difficulty
Do all orientations view personality as important? - CORRECT ANSWER
No, some find it important for case conceptualization and treatment
planning while others find it irrelevant and harmful.
What is adaptive capacity? - CORRECT ANSWER How well the system
handles anxiety, conflict, and emotional experience before becoming
overloaded and symptomatic
,What is the role of defense mechanism assessment in this model? -
CORRECT ANSWER helps clarify between mature, neurotic, and
primitive defenses
Co-morbidities with personality disorders (cluster A, B, C) - CORRECT
ANSWER Substance use and Cluster B
Anxiety disorders and Cluster C
Somatization and Clusters B and C
What might multiple diagnoses in one client indicate to a provider? -
CORRECT ANSWER Possible underlying personality disorder
How does diagnosis with a personality disorder and an Axis 1 disorder
affect risk? - CORRECT ANSWER Higher risk of suicide (16x in men, 20x
in women)
What personality disorders are heritable? - CORRECT ANSWER All of
them
What personality traits are heritable? - CORRECT ANSWER Negative
emotionality, high impulsivity, low agreeableness, introversion
How does the stress-diathesis model apply to personality disorders? -
CORRECT ANSWER Like an Achilles' heel, personality disorders lead to
certain clinical features when individual is under challenges and
, experiences trauma (e.g.,. COVID pandemic --> someone with anxiety
disorder (the diathesis) may become more isolated and wtihdrawn -->
avoidant personality disorder)
Describe hypothesized causative factors for PD from a developmental
perspective - CORRECT ANSWER Failure of the separation-individuation
phase of development
Intense feelings of abandonment --> defense mechanisms impede
normal development to stage of autonomy.
How does trauma impact development and course of personality
disorder? - CORRECT ANSWER ACEs and verbal abuse associated with
greater incidence and severity of PDs. Trauma connected to inability to
modulate emotions. People with BPD have highest rates of trauma,
especially sexual abuse.
Is there evidence linking BPD and attachment style? - CORRECT
ANSWER Yes. Insecure attachment is connected to BPD.
How could attachment style be related to development of personality
disorders? -
CORRECT ANSWER Unresolved attachment leads to failure to develop
mentalization (ability to conceptualize mental states of others).
Feelings of abandonment --> defense mechanisms that impede normal
development to autonomy
