PSYC2101 Final Exam questions well
answered to pass
Abnormal - correct answer ✔✔Statistically Infrequent
Violate social norms
Cause distress
Cause impairment
Mental disorder - correct answer ✔✔Characteristic cluster of abnormal thoughts and
behaviours.
The three Ds of abnormality - correct answer ✔✔Distress
Deviant
Dysfunctional
Why classify mental disorders? - correct answer ✔✔Common vocab
Provides a guide to treatments and prognosis
Third party considerations
Limitations of the categorical approach - correct answer ✔✔If there isn't a category, does that
mean it doesn't exist?
People can be diagnosed with the same disorder without sharing any symptoms.
Over-diagnoses, mis-diagnosis.
Stigma & misconceptions.
,Limitations of the dimensional approach - correct answer ✔✔No common vocabulary
Harder to discern implications for treatment.
How do you go about a diagnosis?
R-DoC (Research Domain Criteria) Project - correct answer ✔✔DSM diagnoses are based on
clinical symptoms
R-DoC is based on objective laboratory measures.
- Equivalent to diagnosing physical illnesses
- Weakness is lack of validity
Assumptions
- Mental disorders are biological disorders
- This will be better for treatment
- Approach based on bio as well as symptoms must not be constrained by the current DSM
categories.
Anxiety - correct answer ✔✔Negative affect
Tension
Future oriented
Feelings that one cannot predict or control upcoming events.
Fear - correct answer ✔✔Negative affect
Strong sympathetic nervous system arousal
Alarm reaction
Fight or flight
,When does anxiety become a disorder? - correct answer ✔✔Duration
Intensity
Appropriateness of response
Interference and distress
Neurotransmitters involved in Anxiety - correct answer ✔✔Depleted levels of GABA
Serotonin also involved.
Specific Phobias DSM-5 criteria - correct answer ✔✔Marked fear about a specific object or
situation
The phobic object or situation almost always provokes immediate fear or anxiety
The phobic object or situation is actively avoided or endured with intense fear or anxiety
The fear or anxiety is out of proportion to the actual danger posed by the specific object or
situation.
The fear is persistent, typically lasting 6 months or more
Interference/impairment in life or marked distress
Not better explained by another mental disorder.
Subtypes of specific phobias - correct answer ✔✔Animal
Natural Environment
Blood-injection/injury type
Situational
Other
Prevalence and course of specific phobias - correct answer ✔✔10% lifetime prevalence
Female/male ratio is 4:1
, Behaviourist view of specific phobias - correct answer ✔✔Acquired by classical conditioning
Maintained by operant conditioning (taking the stress away by avoiding the feared stimulus)
Limitations:
- Not all phobias require a bad experience
- Many bad experiences don't result in phobias
- Some stimuli can be conditioned more easily
Preparedness Theory of specific phobias - correct answer ✔✔Predisposition to be afraid of
certain stimuli, evolution.
Cognitive theory of specific phobias - correct answer ✔✔Appraisals
- Danger and harm
- Uncontrollability
- Unpredictability
Treatment for specific phobias - correct answer ✔✔Exposure therapy
Cognitive behavioural treatment
- Education
- Graded exposure
- Challenging faulty appraisals.
DSM-5 Criteria for Panic Disorder - correct answer ✔✔Recurrent, unexpected panic attacks
At least one attack has been followed by 1 month or more of the following:
- Persistent concern about having additional attacks or their consequences.
- A significant maladaptive change in behaviour.
answered to pass
Abnormal - correct answer ✔✔Statistically Infrequent
Violate social norms
Cause distress
Cause impairment
Mental disorder - correct answer ✔✔Characteristic cluster of abnormal thoughts and
behaviours.
The three Ds of abnormality - correct answer ✔✔Distress
Deviant
Dysfunctional
Why classify mental disorders? - correct answer ✔✔Common vocab
Provides a guide to treatments and prognosis
Third party considerations
Limitations of the categorical approach - correct answer ✔✔If there isn't a category, does that
mean it doesn't exist?
People can be diagnosed with the same disorder without sharing any symptoms.
Over-diagnoses, mis-diagnosis.
Stigma & misconceptions.
,Limitations of the dimensional approach - correct answer ✔✔No common vocabulary
Harder to discern implications for treatment.
How do you go about a diagnosis?
R-DoC (Research Domain Criteria) Project - correct answer ✔✔DSM diagnoses are based on
clinical symptoms
R-DoC is based on objective laboratory measures.
- Equivalent to diagnosing physical illnesses
- Weakness is lack of validity
Assumptions
- Mental disorders are biological disorders
- This will be better for treatment
- Approach based on bio as well as symptoms must not be constrained by the current DSM
categories.
Anxiety - correct answer ✔✔Negative affect
Tension
Future oriented
Feelings that one cannot predict or control upcoming events.
Fear - correct answer ✔✔Negative affect
Strong sympathetic nervous system arousal
Alarm reaction
Fight or flight
,When does anxiety become a disorder? - correct answer ✔✔Duration
Intensity
Appropriateness of response
Interference and distress
Neurotransmitters involved in Anxiety - correct answer ✔✔Depleted levels of GABA
Serotonin also involved.
Specific Phobias DSM-5 criteria - correct answer ✔✔Marked fear about a specific object or
situation
The phobic object or situation almost always provokes immediate fear or anxiety
The phobic object or situation is actively avoided or endured with intense fear or anxiety
The fear or anxiety is out of proportion to the actual danger posed by the specific object or
situation.
The fear is persistent, typically lasting 6 months or more
Interference/impairment in life or marked distress
Not better explained by another mental disorder.
Subtypes of specific phobias - correct answer ✔✔Animal
Natural Environment
Blood-injection/injury type
Situational
Other
Prevalence and course of specific phobias - correct answer ✔✔10% lifetime prevalence
Female/male ratio is 4:1
, Behaviourist view of specific phobias - correct answer ✔✔Acquired by classical conditioning
Maintained by operant conditioning (taking the stress away by avoiding the feared stimulus)
Limitations:
- Not all phobias require a bad experience
- Many bad experiences don't result in phobias
- Some stimuli can be conditioned more easily
Preparedness Theory of specific phobias - correct answer ✔✔Predisposition to be afraid of
certain stimuli, evolution.
Cognitive theory of specific phobias - correct answer ✔✔Appraisals
- Danger and harm
- Uncontrollability
- Unpredictability
Treatment for specific phobias - correct answer ✔✔Exposure therapy
Cognitive behavioural treatment
- Education
- Graded exposure
- Challenging faulty appraisals.
DSM-5 Criteria for Panic Disorder - correct answer ✔✔Recurrent, unexpected panic attacks
At least one attack has been followed by 1 month or more of the following:
- Persistent concern about having additional attacks or their consequences.
- A significant maladaptive change in behaviour.
