Abnormal Psychology 17th Edition - Test Bank
TEST BANK
Abnormal Psychology
Jill M. Hooley, James N. Butcher & Matthew K. Nock
17th Edition
, Abnormal Psychology 17th Edition - Test Bank
Chapter 1 Abnormal Psychology: Overview and Research Approaches
Section 1 Test Item File
Multiple-Choice Questions
1. Which of the following is an example of family aggregation?
a. Both Jane and her husband are alcoholics.
b. Jim and John, 21-year-old friends, are both schizophrenics.
c. Karen, her mother, and her grandmother all have been diagnosed with generalized anxiety
disorder.
d. Kim’s suicide was apparently a reaction to her mother’s abuse.
Answer: c. Karen, her mother, and her grandmother all have been diagnosed with generalized anxiety
disorder.
Difficulty: 1
Page: 3
Skill: Apply What You Know
Learning Objective: N/A
2. What does Monique’s case best illustrate?
a. Most individuals with mental disorders are violent.
b. Women are more likely to commit suicide than men.
c. Most individuals who experience a mental breakdown are clearly unwell long before treatment
is sought.
d. Mental illness can have a significant impact on one’s life.
Answer: d. Mental illness can have a significant impact on one’s life.
Difficulty: 1
Page: 2
Skill: Understand the Concepts
Learning Objective: N/A
3. What does Monique’s case best illustrate?
a. Abnormal behavior usually produces more distress in others than the person who engages in the
abnormal behavior.
b. Abnormal behavior covers a wide range of behavioral disturbances.
c. Most people who suffer from abnormal behavior are quickly identified as deviant by other
people.
d. When people suffer from mental disorders, they are unable to work or live independently.
Answer: b. Abnormal behavior covers a wide range of behavioral disturbances.
Difficulty: 1
Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2013 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
3
, Abnormal Psychology 17th Edition - Test Bank
Page: 2
Skill: Understand the Concepts
Learning Objective: N/A
4. What does Scott’s case best illustrate?
a. The problems associated with higher education in America today.
b. That homelessness often causes psychopathology.
c. That some psychological conditions are “late onset” —initially occurring in adolescence or
young adulthood.
d. That lower social economic status is a causal factor of psychosis.
Answer: c. That some psychological conditions are “late onset” —initially occurring in adolescence or
young adulthood.
Difficulty: 1
Page: 2
Skill: Understand the Concepts
Learning Objective: N/A
5. Scott is most likely suffering from what psychological condition?
a. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
b. Depression
c. Schizophrenia
d. Dissociative Identity Disorder
Answer: c. Schizophrenia.
Difficulty: 1
Page: 2
Skill: Understand the Concepts
Learning Objective: N/A
6. What makes defining abnormality difficult?
a. There are so many types of abnormal behavior that they can’t be accurately described.
b. There is no one behavior that serves to make someone abnormal.
c. Most of us are abnormal much of the time so that we cannot tell what is normal.
d. Criteria for abnormality have yet to be developed.
Answer: b. There is no one behavior that serves to make someone abnormal.
Difficulty: 2
Page: 3
Skill: Remember the Facts
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how we define abnormality and classify mental disorders.
7. Which of the following is a sufficient element to determine abnormality?
a. Suffering
b. Maladaptiveness
c. Deviancy
d. There is no single sufficient element.
Answer: d. There is no single sufficient element.
Difficulty: 2
Page: 3
Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2013 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
4
, Abnormal Psychology 17th Edition - Test Bank
Skill: Remember the Facts
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how we define abnormality and classify mental disorders.
8. The fact that body piercings are commonplace today while they would once have been viewed as
abnormal illustrates that
a. modern society is unlikely to change.
b. what is acceptable for men and women is no longer different.
c. American culture values independence.
d. the values of a society may change over time.
Answer: d. the values of a society may change over time.
Difficulty: 2
Page: 5
Skill: Understand the Concepts
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how we define abnormality and classify mental disorders.
9. Brett persistently injects himself with pain killers. This has greatly increased his chance of
overdosing and dying. His behavior harms no one else. According to the DSM-5, is Brett’s behavior
consistent with the definition of a mental disorder?
a. Yes, because many people in society engage in this behavior.
b. Yes, because he is persistently acting in a way that harms him.
c. No, because his behavior must also harm the well-being of others in the community.
d. No, because there is no evidence that his actions are out of his own control.
Answer: b. Yes, because he is persistently acting in a way that harms him.
Difficulty: 2
Page: 5
Skill: Apply What You Know
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how we define abnormality and classify mental disorders.
10. According to the DSM, when is deviant behavior viewed as indicative of a mental disorder?
a. Always
b. Only when the behavior is inconsistent with cultural norms
c. When it is a symptom of a dysfunction in the individual
d. Never
Answer: c. When it is a symptom of a dysfunction in the individual
Difficulty: 1
Page: 7
Skill: Remember the Facts
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how we define abnormality and classify mental disorders.
11. In the field of abnormal psychology, what does DSM stand for?
a. Disorders, Science, and the Mind
b. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
c. Descriptors for the Science of the Mind
d. Diagnostic Science of the Mind
Answer: b. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
Difficulty: 1
Page: 7
Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2013 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
5
, Abnormal Psychology 17th Edition - Test Bank
Skill: Remember the Facts
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how we define abnormality and classify mental disorders.
12. Which of the following is included in the DSM-5?
a. A discussion of the various causes of mental disorders
b. A means of identifying different mental disorders
c. A description of all conditions for mental illness
d. A description of all of the possible treatments for each disorder
Answer: b. A means of identifying different mental disorders
Difficulty: 1
Page: 7
Skill: Apply What You Know
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how we define abnormality and classify mental disorders.
13. In the United States, the standard for defining types of mental disorders is contained in the
________
a. American Psychological Association’s bylaws.
b. American Psychiatric Association’s bylaws.
c. World Health Organization’s classification code.
d. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
Answer: d. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
Difficulty: 1
Page: 7
Skill: Remember the Facts
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how we define abnormality and classify mental disorders.
14. Which of the following best describes the DSM?
a. A complete guide to the origin, diagnosis, and treatment of mental disorders
b. A work in progress that classifies mental disorders based on what is currently known
c. A fundamentally flawed collection of unfounded assumptions about mental disorders
d. A collection of random opinions about diagnosing mental disorders
Answer: b. A work in progress that classifies mental disorders based on what is currently known
Difficulty: 2
Page: 7
Skill: Understand the Concepts
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how we define abnormality and classify mental disorders.
15. According to the case study in the textbook, for Zell Kravinsky the burden of _______ was almost
unbearable.
a. hoarding personal possessions
b. washing his hands compulsively
c. refusing to help others
d. writing and rewriting letters to his family
Answer: c. refusing to help others.
Difficulty: 1
Page: 6
Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2013 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
6
, Abnormal Psychology 17th Edition - Test Bank
Skill: Remember the Facts
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how we define abnormality and classify mental disorders.
16. What is a reason for classifying mental disorders?
a. A classification system allows information to be organized.
b. So that professionals won’t need to look at as much information about a person.
c. So that professionals can make assumptions about people based on their diagnoses.
d. The diagnosis can have an effect on people’s behaviors.
Answer: a. A classification system allows information to be organized.
Difficulty: 1
Page: 7
Skill: Remember the Facts
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how we define abnormality and classify mental disorders.
17. Which concept provides psychologists with a consistent naming system that can be used to organize
and identify information in a helpful manner?
a. Epidemiology
b. Classification
c. Brain research
d. Labeling
Answer: b. Classification
Difficulty: 1
Page: 7
Skill: Remember the Facts
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how we define abnormality and classify mental disorders.
18. The International Classification of Diseases, revision 10 (ICD 10) is produced by ________
a. the American Psychological Association.
b. the American Psychiatric Association.
c. the World Health Organization.
d. the American Medical Association.
Answer: c. the World Health Organization
Difficulty: 1
Page: 7
Skill: Remember the Facts
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how we define abnormality and classify mental disorders.
19. Which of the following is a disadvantage of having a classification system for mental disorders?
a. A classification system establishes the types of problems that mental professionals can treat.
b. When a label is used to describe an individual’s behavior, information about the person is lost.
c. A classification system allows for research to advance.
d. Identifying the disorder that an individual has guides treatment.
Answer: b. When a label is used to describe an individual’s behavior, information about the person is lost.
Difficulty: 1
Page: 8
Skill: Understand the Concepts
Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2013 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
7
, Abnormal Psychology 17th Edition - Test Bank
Learning Objective: 1.2: Describe the advantages and disadvantages of classification.
20. Which of the following statements is true concerning classification systems for mental disorders?
a. It is far more important that they be reliable than it is for them to be valid.
b. Classification systems make it more difficult to gather statistics on the incidence and prevalence
of disorders.
c. Classification systems meet the needs of medical insurance companies who need diagnoses in
order to authorize payment of claims.
d. Although they assist scientists who are researching disorders, they always inhibit our ability to
communicate about abnormal behavior in a consistent way.
Answer: c. Classification systems meet the needs of medical insurance companies who need diagnoses in
order to authorize payment of claims.
Difficulty: 2
Page: 8
Skill: Understand the Concepts
Learning Objective: 1.2: Describe the advantages and disadvantages of classification.
21. All of the following are disadvantages of classifying and diagnosing mental disorders except
________
a. stereotyping.
b. labeling.
c. stigma.
d. structure.
Answer: d. structure.
Difficulty: 1
Page: 8
Skill: Remember the Facts
Learning Objective: 1.2: Describe the advantages and disadvantages of classification.
22. Stereotyping is an example of the stigma of mental illness. It means ________
a. people are reluctant to discuss their psychological problems because they are afraid others won’t
like them.
b. people feel very sad and upset when they find out they have a mental illness.
c. the automatic and often incorrect beliefs people have about people with mental illness.
d. the problem of removing the diagnosis, even if people make a full recovery from mental illness.
Answer: c. the automatic and often incorrect beliefs people have about people with mental illness.
Difficulty: 1
Page: 8
Skill: Remember the Facts
Learning Objective: 1.2: Describe the advantages and disadvantages of classification.
23. What is wrong with describing someone as being “schizophrenic”?
a. It implies someone is depressed.
b. Such a definitive diagnosis is rare.
c. The behavior of the schizophrenic changes so rapidly that this is only true a small percentage of
the time.
d. Labels should be applied to disorders, not to people.
Answer: d. Labels should be applied to disorders, not to people.
Difficulty: 2
Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2013 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
8
, Abnormal Psychology 17th Edition - Test Bank
Page: 8
Skill: Understand the Concepts
Learning Objective: 1.2: Describe the advantages and disadvantages of classification.
24. Which of the following has been shown to reduce stigma of the mentally ill?
a. Educating people that a mental illness is a “real” brain disorder
b. Referring to a mental illness as a “mental disease”
c. Increasing contact with individuals who have a mental illness
d. Applying labels to individuals, such as “schizophrenic” or “bipolar”
Answer: c. Increasing contact with individuals who have a mental illness.
Difficulty: 2
Page: 10
Skill: Remember the Facts
Learning Objective: 1.2: Describe the advantages and disadvantages of classification.
25. What does the case of JGH, a Native American elder, illustrate?
a. Alcoholism has long lasting effects on mood and behavior, even when drinking has ceased.
b. A person may focus on somatic symptoms, rather than mood, when depressed.
c. Depression is not universal.
d. The symptoms of some illnesses are not apparent until after lengthy psychological evaluation.
Answer: b. A person may focus on somatic symptoms, rather than mood, when depressed.
Difficulty: 1
Page: 11
Skill: Apply What You Know
Learning Objective: 1.3: Explain how culture affects what is considered abnormal and describe two
different culture-specific disorders.
25. What is a culture-specific disorder?
a. A disorder seen in all cultures
b. A disorder that is seen universally, but presents itself differently depending on cultural factors
c. A disorder that is a product of cultural stressors
d. A disorder seen only in certain cultures
Answer: d. A disorder seen only in certain cultures
Difficulty: 1
Page: 11
Skill: Remember the Facts
Learning Objective: 1.3: Explain how culture affects what is considered abnormal and describe two
different culture-specific disorders.
26. Practically speaking, “abnormal” behavior means
a. any behavior that is “away from the normal“ and causes any distress.
b. any behavior that causes the person distress.
c. any behavior that causes us to consider our values.
d. any behavior that deviates from the norms of the society in which the person lives.
Answer: d. any behavior that deviates from the norms of the society in which the person lives.
Difficulty: 1
Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2013 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
9
, Abnormal Psychology 17th Edition - Test Bank
Page: 12
Skill: Understand the Concepts
Learning Objective: 1.3: Explain how culture affects what is considered abnormal and describe two
different culture-specific disorders.
27. Maria believes that her dead grandmother occasionally speaks to her. In deciding if Maria has a
mental illness or not, which of the following should first be evaluated?
a. How old is Maria?
b. Is Maria’s belief consistent with the beliefs of her culture?
c. Do people in general consider Maria’s belief to be abnormal?
d. Does her belief match any of the symptoms in the disorders in the DSM?
Answer: b. Is Maria’s belief consistent with the beliefs of her culture?
Difficulty: 1
Page: 11
Skill: Understand the Concepts
Learning Objective: 1.3: Explain how culture affects what is considered abnormal and describe two
different culture-specific disorders.
28. Why is it important to know how many people have diagnosable mental illnesses?
a. Such information is needed to plan for the provision of adequate services.
b. The number of people with mental illness and the level of crime are highly correlated.
c. If the incidence of mental illness is rising, there needs to be a corresponding increase in the level
of funding for medical research.
d. Pharmaceutical companies need such information to ensure the appropriate level of drug
production.
Answer: a. Such information is needed to plan for the provision of adequate services.
Difficulty: 1
Page: 12
Skill: Remember the Facts
Learning Objective: 1.4: Distinguish between incidence and prevalence and identify the most common
and prevalent mental disorders.
29. ___________ refers to the estimated proportion of actual, active cases of a disorder in a given
population at a given point of time.
a. Point prevalence
b. Absolute prevalence
c. 1-year prevalence
d. Lifetime prevalence
Answer: a. Point prevalence.
Difficulty: 2
Page: 12
Skill: Remember the Facts
Learning Objective: 1.4: Distinguish between incidence and prevalence and identify the most common
and prevalent mental disorders.
30. What is epidemiology?
a. The exploration of what forms of treatment are most effective
b. A form of psychotherapy
c. The study of the role of genes in mental illness
d. The study of the distribution of a disorder in a population
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10
, Abnormal Psychology 17th Edition - Test Bank
Answer: d. The study of the distribution of a disorder in a population
Difficulty: 1
Page: 12
Skill: Remember the Facts
Learning Objective: 1.4: Distinguish between incidence and prevalence and identify the most common
and prevalent mental disorders.
31. Mental health epidemiology is
a. the study of epidemics in mental disorders among the general population.
b. the study of organic brain diseases among different ethnic populations of a defined geographic
region.
c. the study of the distribution of mental disorders in a given population.
d. a sociological study of psychological disorders.
Answer: c. the study of the distribution of mental disorders in a given population.
Difficulty: 2
Page: 12
Skill: Remember the Facts
Learning Objective: 1.4: Distinguish between incidence and prevalence and identify the most common
and prevalent mental disorders.
32. What does it mean if a disorder is said to be highly prevalent?
a. It is common.
b. It is not curable.
c. It is treatable.
d. It is contagious.
Answer: a. It is common.
Difficulty: 1
Page: 12
Skill: Remember the Facts
Learning Objective: 1.4: Distinguish between incidence and prevalence and identify the most common
and prevalent mental disorders.
33. What type of prevalence estimate tends to be lowest?
a. Point prevalence
b. 1-year prevalence
c. Lifetime prevalence
d. Virtual prevalence
Answer: a. Point prevalence
Difficulty: 1
Page: 12
Skill: Remember the Facts
Learning Objective: 1.4: Distinguish between incidence and prevalence and identify the most common
and prevalent mental disorders.
34. ________ rates may be reported in terms of the lifetime risk of contracting a particular disorder.
a. Prevalence
b. Point prevalence
c. Point incidence
d. Incidence
Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2013 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
11
TEST BANK
Abnormal Psychology
Jill M. Hooley, James N. Butcher & Matthew K. Nock
17th Edition
, Abnormal Psychology 17th Edition - Test Bank
Chapter 1 Abnormal Psychology: Overview and Research Approaches
Section 1 Test Item File
Multiple-Choice Questions
1. Which of the following is an example of family aggregation?
a. Both Jane and her husband are alcoholics.
b. Jim and John, 21-year-old friends, are both schizophrenics.
c. Karen, her mother, and her grandmother all have been diagnosed with generalized anxiety
disorder.
d. Kim’s suicide was apparently a reaction to her mother’s abuse.
Answer: c. Karen, her mother, and her grandmother all have been diagnosed with generalized anxiety
disorder.
Difficulty: 1
Page: 3
Skill: Apply What You Know
Learning Objective: N/A
2. What does Monique’s case best illustrate?
a. Most individuals with mental disorders are violent.
b. Women are more likely to commit suicide than men.
c. Most individuals who experience a mental breakdown are clearly unwell long before treatment
is sought.
d. Mental illness can have a significant impact on one’s life.
Answer: d. Mental illness can have a significant impact on one’s life.
Difficulty: 1
Page: 2
Skill: Understand the Concepts
Learning Objective: N/A
3. What does Monique’s case best illustrate?
a. Abnormal behavior usually produces more distress in others than the person who engages in the
abnormal behavior.
b. Abnormal behavior covers a wide range of behavioral disturbances.
c. Most people who suffer from abnormal behavior are quickly identified as deviant by other
people.
d. When people suffer from mental disorders, they are unable to work or live independently.
Answer: b. Abnormal behavior covers a wide range of behavioral disturbances.
Difficulty: 1
Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2013 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
3
, Abnormal Psychology 17th Edition - Test Bank
Page: 2
Skill: Understand the Concepts
Learning Objective: N/A
4. What does Scott’s case best illustrate?
a. The problems associated with higher education in America today.
b. That homelessness often causes psychopathology.
c. That some psychological conditions are “late onset” —initially occurring in adolescence or
young adulthood.
d. That lower social economic status is a causal factor of psychosis.
Answer: c. That some psychological conditions are “late onset” —initially occurring in adolescence or
young adulthood.
Difficulty: 1
Page: 2
Skill: Understand the Concepts
Learning Objective: N/A
5. Scott is most likely suffering from what psychological condition?
a. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
b. Depression
c. Schizophrenia
d. Dissociative Identity Disorder
Answer: c. Schizophrenia.
Difficulty: 1
Page: 2
Skill: Understand the Concepts
Learning Objective: N/A
6. What makes defining abnormality difficult?
a. There are so many types of abnormal behavior that they can’t be accurately described.
b. There is no one behavior that serves to make someone abnormal.
c. Most of us are abnormal much of the time so that we cannot tell what is normal.
d. Criteria for abnormality have yet to be developed.
Answer: b. There is no one behavior that serves to make someone abnormal.
Difficulty: 2
Page: 3
Skill: Remember the Facts
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how we define abnormality and classify mental disorders.
7. Which of the following is a sufficient element to determine abnormality?
a. Suffering
b. Maladaptiveness
c. Deviancy
d. There is no single sufficient element.
Answer: d. There is no single sufficient element.
Difficulty: 2
Page: 3
Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2013 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
4
, Abnormal Psychology 17th Edition - Test Bank
Skill: Remember the Facts
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how we define abnormality and classify mental disorders.
8. The fact that body piercings are commonplace today while they would once have been viewed as
abnormal illustrates that
a. modern society is unlikely to change.
b. what is acceptable for men and women is no longer different.
c. American culture values independence.
d. the values of a society may change over time.
Answer: d. the values of a society may change over time.
Difficulty: 2
Page: 5
Skill: Understand the Concepts
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how we define abnormality and classify mental disorders.
9. Brett persistently injects himself with pain killers. This has greatly increased his chance of
overdosing and dying. His behavior harms no one else. According to the DSM-5, is Brett’s behavior
consistent with the definition of a mental disorder?
a. Yes, because many people in society engage in this behavior.
b. Yes, because he is persistently acting in a way that harms him.
c. No, because his behavior must also harm the well-being of others in the community.
d. No, because there is no evidence that his actions are out of his own control.
Answer: b. Yes, because he is persistently acting in a way that harms him.
Difficulty: 2
Page: 5
Skill: Apply What You Know
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how we define abnormality and classify mental disorders.
10. According to the DSM, when is deviant behavior viewed as indicative of a mental disorder?
a. Always
b. Only when the behavior is inconsistent with cultural norms
c. When it is a symptom of a dysfunction in the individual
d. Never
Answer: c. When it is a symptom of a dysfunction in the individual
Difficulty: 1
Page: 7
Skill: Remember the Facts
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how we define abnormality and classify mental disorders.
11. In the field of abnormal psychology, what does DSM stand for?
a. Disorders, Science, and the Mind
b. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
c. Descriptors for the Science of the Mind
d. Diagnostic Science of the Mind
Answer: b. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
Difficulty: 1
Page: 7
Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2013 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
5
, Abnormal Psychology 17th Edition - Test Bank
Skill: Remember the Facts
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how we define abnormality and classify mental disorders.
12. Which of the following is included in the DSM-5?
a. A discussion of the various causes of mental disorders
b. A means of identifying different mental disorders
c. A description of all conditions for mental illness
d. A description of all of the possible treatments for each disorder
Answer: b. A means of identifying different mental disorders
Difficulty: 1
Page: 7
Skill: Apply What You Know
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how we define abnormality and classify mental disorders.
13. In the United States, the standard for defining types of mental disorders is contained in the
________
a. American Psychological Association’s bylaws.
b. American Psychiatric Association’s bylaws.
c. World Health Organization’s classification code.
d. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
Answer: d. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
Difficulty: 1
Page: 7
Skill: Remember the Facts
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how we define abnormality and classify mental disorders.
14. Which of the following best describes the DSM?
a. A complete guide to the origin, diagnosis, and treatment of mental disorders
b. A work in progress that classifies mental disorders based on what is currently known
c. A fundamentally flawed collection of unfounded assumptions about mental disorders
d. A collection of random opinions about diagnosing mental disorders
Answer: b. A work in progress that classifies mental disorders based on what is currently known
Difficulty: 2
Page: 7
Skill: Understand the Concepts
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how we define abnormality and classify mental disorders.
15. According to the case study in the textbook, for Zell Kravinsky the burden of _______ was almost
unbearable.
a. hoarding personal possessions
b. washing his hands compulsively
c. refusing to help others
d. writing and rewriting letters to his family
Answer: c. refusing to help others.
Difficulty: 1
Page: 6
Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2013 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
6
, Abnormal Psychology 17th Edition - Test Bank
Skill: Remember the Facts
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how we define abnormality and classify mental disorders.
16. What is a reason for classifying mental disorders?
a. A classification system allows information to be organized.
b. So that professionals won’t need to look at as much information about a person.
c. So that professionals can make assumptions about people based on their diagnoses.
d. The diagnosis can have an effect on people’s behaviors.
Answer: a. A classification system allows information to be organized.
Difficulty: 1
Page: 7
Skill: Remember the Facts
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how we define abnormality and classify mental disorders.
17. Which concept provides psychologists with a consistent naming system that can be used to organize
and identify information in a helpful manner?
a. Epidemiology
b. Classification
c. Brain research
d. Labeling
Answer: b. Classification
Difficulty: 1
Page: 7
Skill: Remember the Facts
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how we define abnormality and classify mental disorders.
18. The International Classification of Diseases, revision 10 (ICD 10) is produced by ________
a. the American Psychological Association.
b. the American Psychiatric Association.
c. the World Health Organization.
d. the American Medical Association.
Answer: c. the World Health Organization
Difficulty: 1
Page: 7
Skill: Remember the Facts
Learning Objective: 1.1: Explain how we define abnormality and classify mental disorders.
19. Which of the following is a disadvantage of having a classification system for mental disorders?
a. A classification system establishes the types of problems that mental professionals can treat.
b. When a label is used to describe an individual’s behavior, information about the person is lost.
c. A classification system allows for research to advance.
d. Identifying the disorder that an individual has guides treatment.
Answer: b. When a label is used to describe an individual’s behavior, information about the person is lost.
Difficulty: 1
Page: 8
Skill: Understand the Concepts
Copyright © 2017, 2014, 2013 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
7
, Abnormal Psychology 17th Edition - Test Bank
Learning Objective: 1.2: Describe the advantages and disadvantages of classification.
20. Which of the following statements is true concerning classification systems for mental disorders?
a. It is far more important that they be reliable than it is for them to be valid.
b. Classification systems make it more difficult to gather statistics on the incidence and prevalence
of disorders.
c. Classification systems meet the needs of medical insurance companies who need diagnoses in
order to authorize payment of claims.
d. Although they assist scientists who are researching disorders, they always inhibit our ability to
communicate about abnormal behavior in a consistent way.
Answer: c. Classification systems meet the needs of medical insurance companies who need diagnoses in
order to authorize payment of claims.
Difficulty: 2
Page: 8
Skill: Understand the Concepts
Learning Objective: 1.2: Describe the advantages and disadvantages of classification.
21. All of the following are disadvantages of classifying and diagnosing mental disorders except
________
a. stereotyping.
b. labeling.
c. stigma.
d. structure.
Answer: d. structure.
Difficulty: 1
Page: 8
Skill: Remember the Facts
Learning Objective: 1.2: Describe the advantages and disadvantages of classification.
22. Stereotyping is an example of the stigma of mental illness. It means ________
a. people are reluctant to discuss their psychological problems because they are afraid others won’t
like them.
b. people feel very sad and upset when they find out they have a mental illness.
c. the automatic and often incorrect beliefs people have about people with mental illness.
d. the problem of removing the diagnosis, even if people make a full recovery from mental illness.
Answer: c. the automatic and often incorrect beliefs people have about people with mental illness.
Difficulty: 1
Page: 8
Skill: Remember the Facts
Learning Objective: 1.2: Describe the advantages and disadvantages of classification.
23. What is wrong with describing someone as being “schizophrenic”?
a. It implies someone is depressed.
b. Such a definitive diagnosis is rare.
c. The behavior of the schizophrenic changes so rapidly that this is only true a small percentage of
the time.
d. Labels should be applied to disorders, not to people.
Answer: d. Labels should be applied to disorders, not to people.
Difficulty: 2
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8
, Abnormal Psychology 17th Edition - Test Bank
Page: 8
Skill: Understand the Concepts
Learning Objective: 1.2: Describe the advantages and disadvantages of classification.
24. Which of the following has been shown to reduce stigma of the mentally ill?
a. Educating people that a mental illness is a “real” brain disorder
b. Referring to a mental illness as a “mental disease”
c. Increasing contact with individuals who have a mental illness
d. Applying labels to individuals, such as “schizophrenic” or “bipolar”
Answer: c. Increasing contact with individuals who have a mental illness.
Difficulty: 2
Page: 10
Skill: Remember the Facts
Learning Objective: 1.2: Describe the advantages and disadvantages of classification.
25. What does the case of JGH, a Native American elder, illustrate?
a. Alcoholism has long lasting effects on mood and behavior, even when drinking has ceased.
b. A person may focus on somatic symptoms, rather than mood, when depressed.
c. Depression is not universal.
d. The symptoms of some illnesses are not apparent until after lengthy psychological evaluation.
Answer: b. A person may focus on somatic symptoms, rather than mood, when depressed.
Difficulty: 1
Page: 11
Skill: Apply What You Know
Learning Objective: 1.3: Explain how culture affects what is considered abnormal and describe two
different culture-specific disorders.
25. What is a culture-specific disorder?
a. A disorder seen in all cultures
b. A disorder that is seen universally, but presents itself differently depending on cultural factors
c. A disorder that is a product of cultural stressors
d. A disorder seen only in certain cultures
Answer: d. A disorder seen only in certain cultures
Difficulty: 1
Page: 11
Skill: Remember the Facts
Learning Objective: 1.3: Explain how culture affects what is considered abnormal and describe two
different culture-specific disorders.
26. Practically speaking, “abnormal” behavior means
a. any behavior that is “away from the normal“ and causes any distress.
b. any behavior that causes the person distress.
c. any behavior that causes us to consider our values.
d. any behavior that deviates from the norms of the society in which the person lives.
Answer: d. any behavior that deviates from the norms of the society in which the person lives.
Difficulty: 1
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9
, Abnormal Psychology 17th Edition - Test Bank
Page: 12
Skill: Understand the Concepts
Learning Objective: 1.3: Explain how culture affects what is considered abnormal and describe two
different culture-specific disorders.
27. Maria believes that her dead grandmother occasionally speaks to her. In deciding if Maria has a
mental illness or not, which of the following should first be evaluated?
a. How old is Maria?
b. Is Maria’s belief consistent with the beliefs of her culture?
c. Do people in general consider Maria’s belief to be abnormal?
d. Does her belief match any of the symptoms in the disorders in the DSM?
Answer: b. Is Maria’s belief consistent with the beliefs of her culture?
Difficulty: 1
Page: 11
Skill: Understand the Concepts
Learning Objective: 1.3: Explain how culture affects what is considered abnormal and describe two
different culture-specific disorders.
28. Why is it important to know how many people have diagnosable mental illnesses?
a. Such information is needed to plan for the provision of adequate services.
b. The number of people with mental illness and the level of crime are highly correlated.
c. If the incidence of mental illness is rising, there needs to be a corresponding increase in the level
of funding for medical research.
d. Pharmaceutical companies need such information to ensure the appropriate level of drug
production.
Answer: a. Such information is needed to plan for the provision of adequate services.
Difficulty: 1
Page: 12
Skill: Remember the Facts
Learning Objective: 1.4: Distinguish between incidence and prevalence and identify the most common
and prevalent mental disorders.
29. ___________ refers to the estimated proportion of actual, active cases of a disorder in a given
population at a given point of time.
a. Point prevalence
b. Absolute prevalence
c. 1-year prevalence
d. Lifetime prevalence
Answer: a. Point prevalence.
Difficulty: 2
Page: 12
Skill: Remember the Facts
Learning Objective: 1.4: Distinguish between incidence and prevalence and identify the most common
and prevalent mental disorders.
30. What is epidemiology?
a. The exploration of what forms of treatment are most effective
b. A form of psychotherapy
c. The study of the role of genes in mental illness
d. The study of the distribution of a disorder in a population
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10
, Abnormal Psychology 17th Edition - Test Bank
Answer: d. The study of the distribution of a disorder in a population
Difficulty: 1
Page: 12
Skill: Remember the Facts
Learning Objective: 1.4: Distinguish between incidence and prevalence and identify the most common
and prevalent mental disorders.
31. Mental health epidemiology is
a. the study of epidemics in mental disorders among the general population.
b. the study of organic brain diseases among different ethnic populations of a defined geographic
region.
c. the study of the distribution of mental disorders in a given population.
d. a sociological study of psychological disorders.
Answer: c. the study of the distribution of mental disorders in a given population.
Difficulty: 2
Page: 12
Skill: Remember the Facts
Learning Objective: 1.4: Distinguish between incidence and prevalence and identify the most common
and prevalent mental disorders.
32. What does it mean if a disorder is said to be highly prevalent?
a. It is common.
b. It is not curable.
c. It is treatable.
d. It is contagious.
Answer: a. It is common.
Difficulty: 1
Page: 12
Skill: Remember the Facts
Learning Objective: 1.4: Distinguish between incidence and prevalence and identify the most common
and prevalent mental disorders.
33. What type of prevalence estimate tends to be lowest?
a. Point prevalence
b. 1-year prevalence
c. Lifetime prevalence
d. Virtual prevalence
Answer: a. Point prevalence
Difficulty: 1
Page: 12
Skill: Remember the Facts
Learning Objective: 1.4: Distinguish between incidence and prevalence and identify the most common
and prevalent mental disorders.
34. ________ rates may be reported in terms of the lifetime risk of contracting a particular disorder.
a. Prevalence
b. Point prevalence
c. Point incidence
d. Incidence
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