NSG 527 / NSG527
Final Exam Q & A
Psychopathology, Theories, and Advanced Clinical Modalities
Already Graded A | Verified Answers | Latest 2026/2027
Wilkes University Passan School of Nursing
Total Questions Format Cognitive Levels
100 Multiple Choice (A-D) 25% Recall | 50% Application | 25% Analysis
Comprehensive Q&A with Wilkes University Course-Specific Rationales
,NSG 527 Final Exam | Psychopathology, Theories & Advanced Clinical Modalities | Wilkes University
Section 1: Foundational Theories and Conceptual Frameworks
Q1: According to Viktor Frankl's existential philosophy, what is the primary human drive that motivates
individuals to find meaning in their suffering?
A. Pleasure seeking and pain avoidance
B. The will to meaning - the search for purpose and significance [CORRECT]
C. The drive for power and dominance over others
D. The need for social approval and belonging
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Frankl's logotherapy is built on the premise that the primary motivational force in human beings is the will to meaning - the
striving to find and fulfill meaning in one's life, even in suffering. This distinguishes his approach from Freud's pleasure principle and
Adler's drive for power. Frankl believed that meaning can be found through creative works, experiences, and the attitude one takes toward
unavoidable suffering.
Q2: Rollo May emphasized that anxiety arises from which fundamental source in existential psychotherapy?
A. Chemical imbalances in neurotransmitter systems
B. Our personal need to survive and preserve our being [CORRECT]
C. Unresolved childhood conflicts and repressed memories
D. Maladaptive thought patterns and cognitive distortions
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Rollo May taught that anxiety arises from our personal need to survive and preserve our being - it is an inevitable condition of
living that emerges from the confrontation with the 'givens' of existence. This distinguishes existential anxiety from pathologic anxiety. May
viewed anxiety not as a symptom to eliminate but as a dynamic to be understood and confronted courageously as part of authentic living.
Q3: Irvin Yalom identified the 'givens' of existence. Which of the following is NOT one of Yalom's existential
givens?
A. Freedom and Responsibility
B. Isolation
C. Meaninglessness
D. Unconditional positive regard [CORRECT]
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Yalom identified four ultimate concerns or 'givens' of existence: Death, Freedom (and Responsibility), Isolation (existential),
and Meaninglessness. Unconditional positive regard is one of Carl Rogers' core conditions for therapeutic change in person-centered
therapy, not an existential given. These givens represent unavoidable realities that every person must confront, and therapeutic work
involves helping clients face these realities.
Q4: In existential psychotherapy, 'Eigenwelt' refers to which dimension of human experience?
A. The relationship with the natural world and environment
B. The relationship with ourselves - our inner subjective world [CORRECT]
C. The relationship with other people and social connections
D. The relationship with the transcendent or spiritual dimension
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Eigenwelt refers to 'the relationship with ourselves' - one's inner subjective experience, self-awareness, and personal identity.
The four modes of being in existential therapy include: Eigenwelt (self-relationship), Mitwelt (relationship with others), Umwelt
(relationship with the natural world), and Uberwelt (relationship with the transcendent). Understanding the client's Eigenwelt is central to
existential therapeutic work.
Page 2
, NSG 527 Final Exam | Psychopathology, Theories & Advanced Clinical Modalities | Wilkes University
Q5: What is the primary function of the existential therapist in the therapeutic relationship?
A. To provide prescriptive interventions to eliminate symptoms
B. To understand the client's subjective world and help them confront existential givens [CORRECT]
C. To interpret unconscious conflicts and transference patterns
D. To restructure cognitive distortions using evidence-based techniques
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The existential therapist's primary function is to understand the client's subjective world - their unique experience, perceptions,
and way of being in the world. The therapist does not provide ready-made solutions but helps clients face anxieties, freely choose life
direction, take responsibility for choices, and create meaningful existence. This contrasts with directive or interpretive therapeutic
approaches.
Q6: A PMHNP is working with a client who says, 'I feel like my life has no purpose since my children left
home.' Using Frankl's approach, the PMHNP should help the client explore:
A. Cognitive distortions related to empty nest syndrome
B. New possibilities for meaning through creative works, relationships, and attitudinal change [CORRECT]
C. Behavioral activation strategies to increase social engagement
D. Psychopharmacological treatment for depression symptoms
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Frankl's approach would guide the PMHNP to help the client discover new meaning through three avenues: creative values
(meaning through creating or accomplishing), experiential values (meaning through encountering beauty, nature, or love), and attitudinal
values (meaning through the stance taken toward unavoidable suffering). While other interventions may be helpful adjuncts, the existential
approach prioritizes meaning-making and the client's search for purpose.
Q7: In Gestalt therapy, what is the 'impasse' and how does it manifest in a client's therapeutic process?
A. A state of psychological crisis requiring hospitalization
B. A point where clients do not progress in self-support maturity and continue manipulating their environment to get
support [CORRECT]
C. A therapeutic breakthrough where insight leads to lasting change
D. A defense mechanism involving intellectualization of emotions
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The impasse in Gestalt therapy is the point where clients stop growing in self-support maturity and continue to manipulate their
environment - including other people - to survive and get their needs met. Clients may play helpless, crazy, angry, or use various strategies
rather than develop their own internal resources. The Gestalt therapist helps clients recognize and move through the impasse toward
increased self-support and authentic contact.
Q8: Gestalt therapy was founded by Frederick and Laura Perls. Which of the following is a primary goal of
Gestalt therapy?
A. Intellectual understanding of childhood origins of problems
B. Awareness and restoring the natural state of self-regulation [CORRECT]
C. Elimination of all anxiety and negative emotions
D. Behavior modification through operant conditioning principles
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Gestalt therapy aims for awareness and restoring the natural state of self-regulation - the goal is NOT intellectual
understanding or discovering the 'why's' of problems. The focus is on present-moment experience, bodily sensations, and accepting personal
responsibility for one's experiences including consequences of actions. Gestalt therapy emphasizes moving from environmental support to
self-support.
Page 3
Final Exam Q & A
Psychopathology, Theories, and Advanced Clinical Modalities
Already Graded A | Verified Answers | Latest 2026/2027
Wilkes University Passan School of Nursing
Total Questions Format Cognitive Levels
100 Multiple Choice (A-D) 25% Recall | 50% Application | 25% Analysis
Comprehensive Q&A with Wilkes University Course-Specific Rationales
,NSG 527 Final Exam | Psychopathology, Theories & Advanced Clinical Modalities | Wilkes University
Section 1: Foundational Theories and Conceptual Frameworks
Q1: According to Viktor Frankl's existential philosophy, what is the primary human drive that motivates
individuals to find meaning in their suffering?
A. Pleasure seeking and pain avoidance
B. The will to meaning - the search for purpose and significance [CORRECT]
C. The drive for power and dominance over others
D. The need for social approval and belonging
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Frankl's logotherapy is built on the premise that the primary motivational force in human beings is the will to meaning - the
striving to find and fulfill meaning in one's life, even in suffering. This distinguishes his approach from Freud's pleasure principle and
Adler's drive for power. Frankl believed that meaning can be found through creative works, experiences, and the attitude one takes toward
unavoidable suffering.
Q2: Rollo May emphasized that anxiety arises from which fundamental source in existential psychotherapy?
A. Chemical imbalances in neurotransmitter systems
B. Our personal need to survive and preserve our being [CORRECT]
C. Unresolved childhood conflicts and repressed memories
D. Maladaptive thought patterns and cognitive distortions
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Rollo May taught that anxiety arises from our personal need to survive and preserve our being - it is an inevitable condition of
living that emerges from the confrontation with the 'givens' of existence. This distinguishes existential anxiety from pathologic anxiety. May
viewed anxiety not as a symptom to eliminate but as a dynamic to be understood and confronted courageously as part of authentic living.
Q3: Irvin Yalom identified the 'givens' of existence. Which of the following is NOT one of Yalom's existential
givens?
A. Freedom and Responsibility
B. Isolation
C. Meaninglessness
D. Unconditional positive regard [CORRECT]
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Yalom identified four ultimate concerns or 'givens' of existence: Death, Freedom (and Responsibility), Isolation (existential),
and Meaninglessness. Unconditional positive regard is one of Carl Rogers' core conditions for therapeutic change in person-centered
therapy, not an existential given. These givens represent unavoidable realities that every person must confront, and therapeutic work
involves helping clients face these realities.
Q4: In existential psychotherapy, 'Eigenwelt' refers to which dimension of human experience?
A. The relationship with the natural world and environment
B. The relationship with ourselves - our inner subjective world [CORRECT]
C. The relationship with other people and social connections
D. The relationship with the transcendent or spiritual dimension
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Eigenwelt refers to 'the relationship with ourselves' - one's inner subjective experience, self-awareness, and personal identity.
The four modes of being in existential therapy include: Eigenwelt (self-relationship), Mitwelt (relationship with others), Umwelt
(relationship with the natural world), and Uberwelt (relationship with the transcendent). Understanding the client's Eigenwelt is central to
existential therapeutic work.
Page 2
, NSG 527 Final Exam | Psychopathology, Theories & Advanced Clinical Modalities | Wilkes University
Q5: What is the primary function of the existential therapist in the therapeutic relationship?
A. To provide prescriptive interventions to eliminate symptoms
B. To understand the client's subjective world and help them confront existential givens [CORRECT]
C. To interpret unconscious conflicts and transference patterns
D. To restructure cognitive distortions using evidence-based techniques
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The existential therapist's primary function is to understand the client's subjective world - their unique experience, perceptions,
and way of being in the world. The therapist does not provide ready-made solutions but helps clients face anxieties, freely choose life
direction, take responsibility for choices, and create meaningful existence. This contrasts with directive or interpretive therapeutic
approaches.
Q6: A PMHNP is working with a client who says, 'I feel like my life has no purpose since my children left
home.' Using Frankl's approach, the PMHNP should help the client explore:
A. Cognitive distortions related to empty nest syndrome
B. New possibilities for meaning through creative works, relationships, and attitudinal change [CORRECT]
C. Behavioral activation strategies to increase social engagement
D. Psychopharmacological treatment for depression symptoms
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Frankl's approach would guide the PMHNP to help the client discover new meaning through three avenues: creative values
(meaning through creating or accomplishing), experiential values (meaning through encountering beauty, nature, or love), and attitudinal
values (meaning through the stance taken toward unavoidable suffering). While other interventions may be helpful adjuncts, the existential
approach prioritizes meaning-making and the client's search for purpose.
Q7: In Gestalt therapy, what is the 'impasse' and how does it manifest in a client's therapeutic process?
A. A state of psychological crisis requiring hospitalization
B. A point where clients do not progress in self-support maturity and continue manipulating their environment to get
support [CORRECT]
C. A therapeutic breakthrough where insight leads to lasting change
D. A defense mechanism involving intellectualization of emotions
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The impasse in Gestalt therapy is the point where clients stop growing in self-support maturity and continue to manipulate their
environment - including other people - to survive and get their needs met. Clients may play helpless, crazy, angry, or use various strategies
rather than develop their own internal resources. The Gestalt therapist helps clients recognize and move through the impasse toward
increased self-support and authentic contact.
Q8: Gestalt therapy was founded by Frederick and Laura Perls. Which of the following is a primary goal of
Gestalt therapy?
A. Intellectual understanding of childhood origins of problems
B. Awareness and restoring the natural state of self-regulation [CORRECT]
C. Elimination of all anxiety and negative emotions
D. Behavior modification through operant conditioning principles
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Gestalt therapy aims for awareness and restoring the natural state of self-regulation - the goal is NOT intellectual
understanding or discovering the 'why's' of problems. The focus is on present-moment experience, bodily sensations, and accepting personal
responsibility for one's experiences including consequences of actions. Gestalt therapy emphasizes moving from environmental support to
self-support.
Page 3
