NUR 256 PSYCH EXAM 2 2026 GALEN
COLLEGE OF NURSING COMPREHENSIVE
STUDY GUIDE SOLVED QUESTION SET
◉ Mild anxiety. Answer: This first level of anxiety occurs in the normal
experience of everyday living and allows people to perceive reality in
sharp focus.
◉ Moderate anxiety. Answer: Perceptual field is narrowed, grasps less
information.
Experiences pounding heart, increased pulse, voice tremors, shakiness,
etc.
◉ Severe anxiety. Answer: Perceptual field is greatly reduced.
May only be able to focus on one small detail or many scattered details.
Learning and problem solving not possible. Hyperventilation, sense of
impending doom/dread, etc.
◉ Panic-level anxiety. Answer: Unable to process what is occurring in
environment, losing touch with reality.
,May be pacing, screaming, running, etc. May experience hallucinations.
Acute panic can lead to exhaustion.
◉ Tools to assess anxiety. Answer: Hamilton Anxiety Scale and Beck
Anxiety Inventory (BAI)
◉ Defense Mechanisms (definition). Answer: Automatic coping styles
that protect people from anxiety and enable them to maintain their self-
image by blocking feelings, conflicts, and memories.
Operate all the time, but not always apparent to the individual using
them.
◉ Altruism. Answer: Defense mechanism. Largely unconscious
motivation to feel caring and concern for others and act for the well-
being of others.
◉ Compensation. Answer: Defense mechanism. Used to counterbalance
perceived deficiencies by emphasizing strengths.
◉ Conversion. Answer: Defense mechanism. Unconscious
transformation of anxiety into a physical symptom with no organic
cause.
ALWAYS PATHALOGIC
,◉ Denial. Answer: A defense mechanism that involves forceful refusal
to acknowledge an emotionally painful memory
◉ Displacement. Answer: Defense mechanism that shifts sexual or
aggressive impulses toward a more acceptable or less threatening object
or person, as when redirecting anger toward a safer outlet
◉ Dissociation. Answer: Defense mechanism. Disconnection from
perception of your environment.
◉ Identification. Answer: Defense mechanism. Person tries to be
like/copies characteristics from an idol/trusted figure.
◉ Intellectualization. Answer: Defense mechanism wherein one
approaches a potentially threatening topic without anxiety by studying it
in a removed, academic manner
◉ Projection. Answer: Defense mechanism. Rejection of emotionally
unacceptable features and attributing them to others.
◉ Rationalization. Answer: defense mechanism that offers self-
justifying explanations in place of the real, more threatening,
unconscious reasons for one's actions
, "I didn't get a raise cuz the boss doesn't like me."
◉ Reaction formation. Answer: Defense mechanism by which people
behave in a way opposite to what their true but anxiety-provoking
feelings would dictate.
Recovering alcoholic constantly talks about dangers of alcohol due to
fear of relapse.
◉ Regression. Answer: Defense mechanism. Reverting to an earlier,
more primitive and childlike pattern of behavior that may or may not
have been exhibited previously.
◉ Repression. Answer: Defense mechanism. Unconscious exclusion of
unpleasant or unwanted experiences, emotions, or ideas from conscious
awareness.
◉ Splitting. Answer: Defense mechanism. Inability to integrate the
positive and negative qualities of oneself or others into a cohesive
image.
◉ Sublimation. Answer: Defense mechanism. Unconscious process of
transforming negative impulses into less damaging and even productive
impulses.
COLLEGE OF NURSING COMPREHENSIVE
STUDY GUIDE SOLVED QUESTION SET
◉ Mild anxiety. Answer: This first level of anxiety occurs in the normal
experience of everyday living and allows people to perceive reality in
sharp focus.
◉ Moderate anxiety. Answer: Perceptual field is narrowed, grasps less
information.
Experiences pounding heart, increased pulse, voice tremors, shakiness,
etc.
◉ Severe anxiety. Answer: Perceptual field is greatly reduced.
May only be able to focus on one small detail or many scattered details.
Learning and problem solving not possible. Hyperventilation, sense of
impending doom/dread, etc.
◉ Panic-level anxiety. Answer: Unable to process what is occurring in
environment, losing touch with reality.
,May be pacing, screaming, running, etc. May experience hallucinations.
Acute panic can lead to exhaustion.
◉ Tools to assess anxiety. Answer: Hamilton Anxiety Scale and Beck
Anxiety Inventory (BAI)
◉ Defense Mechanisms (definition). Answer: Automatic coping styles
that protect people from anxiety and enable them to maintain their self-
image by blocking feelings, conflicts, and memories.
Operate all the time, but not always apparent to the individual using
them.
◉ Altruism. Answer: Defense mechanism. Largely unconscious
motivation to feel caring and concern for others and act for the well-
being of others.
◉ Compensation. Answer: Defense mechanism. Used to counterbalance
perceived deficiencies by emphasizing strengths.
◉ Conversion. Answer: Defense mechanism. Unconscious
transformation of anxiety into a physical symptom with no organic
cause.
ALWAYS PATHALOGIC
,◉ Denial. Answer: A defense mechanism that involves forceful refusal
to acknowledge an emotionally painful memory
◉ Displacement. Answer: Defense mechanism that shifts sexual or
aggressive impulses toward a more acceptable or less threatening object
or person, as when redirecting anger toward a safer outlet
◉ Dissociation. Answer: Defense mechanism. Disconnection from
perception of your environment.
◉ Identification. Answer: Defense mechanism. Person tries to be
like/copies characteristics from an idol/trusted figure.
◉ Intellectualization. Answer: Defense mechanism wherein one
approaches a potentially threatening topic without anxiety by studying it
in a removed, academic manner
◉ Projection. Answer: Defense mechanism. Rejection of emotionally
unacceptable features and attributing them to others.
◉ Rationalization. Answer: defense mechanism that offers self-
justifying explanations in place of the real, more threatening,
unconscious reasons for one's actions
, "I didn't get a raise cuz the boss doesn't like me."
◉ Reaction formation. Answer: Defense mechanism by which people
behave in a way opposite to what their true but anxiety-provoking
feelings would dictate.
Recovering alcoholic constantly talks about dangers of alcohol due to
fear of relapse.
◉ Regression. Answer: Defense mechanism. Reverting to an earlier,
more primitive and childlike pattern of behavior that may or may not
have been exhibited previously.
◉ Repression. Answer: Defense mechanism. Unconscious exclusion of
unpleasant or unwanted experiences, emotions, or ideas from conscious
awareness.
◉ Splitting. Answer: Defense mechanism. Inability to integrate the
positive and negative qualities of oneself or others into a cohesive
image.
◉ Sublimation. Answer: Defense mechanism. Unconscious process of
transforming negative impulses into less damaging and even productive
impulses.
