PSYC 324 EXAM PREP QUESTIONS WITH
ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS
| American Public University
1. A program or study does the following: tracking nonfatal overdoses to detect changes in the illicit drug
supply. Which concept is being used most directly?
A. Medication take-back program
B. Dietary supplement quality assurance
C. Relative risk
D. Public-health surveillance
Correct Answer: D. Public-health surveillance
Explanation: This application reflects Public-health surveillance because systematic collection and analysis of
population data to identify trends, disparities, and emerging substance-related harms.
2. A careful assessment identifies clinically significant problems involving Dextromethorphan. Which
management approach is most consistent with current evidence and safety principles?
A. prevention depends on labeled dosing, avoiding duplicate acetaminophen-containing products, and urgent
poison guidance after suspected overdose
B. pain treatment should use individualized risk-benefit assessment; OUD is treated with evidence-based
medications and behavioral support
C. use should follow labeled dosing; severe overdose requires emergency evaluation
D. management of severe toxicity is supportive and may require emergency care; recurrent misuse is addressed
behaviorally
Correct Answer: D. management of severe toxicity is supportive and may require emergency care; recurrent
misuse is addressed behaviorally
Explanation: The most appropriate direction is that management of severe toxicity is supportive and may require
emergency care; recurrent misuse is addressed behaviorally. Treatment should be individualized to severity,
co-occurring conditions, patient preference, and acute medical risk.
3. A person who has used Cannabis THC repeatedly stops or sharply reduces use. Which statement about
withdrawal or post-use effects is most accurate?
A. withdrawal after heavy regular use can include irritability, sleep difficulty, decreased appetite, anxiety, and
craving
B. abrupt cessation after heavy misuse may lead to fatigue, dysphoria, and sleep change
C. there is no psychoactive withdrawal syndrome
D. a classic withdrawal syndrome is not usually the major concern; recurrent use may still become problematic
Correct Answer: A. withdrawal after heavy regular use can include irritability, sleep difficulty, decreased
appetite, anxiety, and craving
Explanation: The expected pattern is that withdrawal after heavy regular use can include irritability, sleep
difficulty, decreased appetite, anxiety, and craving. Withdrawal syndromes differ substantially across drug classes,
so management should be substance-specific.
,4. Which distinction about Twelve-step facilitation is most accurate?
A. it addresses acute physiologic danger, whereas relapse-prevention therapy targets longer-term behavior
B. the therapy is professionally delivered whereas mutual-support meetings themselves are peer-based
C. unlike methadone it is a partial rather than full opioid agonist
D. it differs from varenicline in mechanism and from NRT because it contains no nicotine
Correct Answer: B. the therapy is professionally delivered whereas mutual-support meetings themselves are
peer-based
Explanation: The important distinction is that the therapy is professionally delivered whereas mutual-support
meetings themselves are peer-based. Understanding how treatments differ prevents false either-or choices and
mechanism errors.
5. A toxicology case shows dissociation, analgesia, nystagmus, agitation, altered perception, and impaired
judgment. Which paired substance-and-mechanism interpretation is internally consistent?
A. The findings are compatible with PCP, whose key mechanism is that noncompetitive NMDA receptor
antagonism disrupts glutamatergic signaling
B. The findings point most strongly to Alcohol, because enhances inhibitory signaling and disrupts several
neurotransmitter systems in a dose-dependent manner
C. The findings point most strongly to Caffeine, because primarily antagonizes adenosine receptors, reducing
adenosine-mediated sleepiness
D. The findings point most strongly to Cocaine, because blocks reuptake of dopamine, norepinephrine, and
serotonin, increasing synaptic monoamines
Correct Answer: A. The findings are compatible with PCP, whose key mechanism is that noncompetitive
NMDA receptor antagonism disrupts glutamatergic signaling
Explanation: The internally consistent pair is PCP with the mechanism that noncompetitive NMDA receptor
antagonism disrupts glutamatergic signaling. Matching mechanism and presentation reduces errors caused by
overlapping symptoms across drug classes.
6. Which statement most usefully distinguishes Oxycodone from a commonly confused substance or concept?
A. a legal OTC product can be psychoactively misused when taken far above labeled doses
B. toxicity and addiction are separate concepts; a nonaddictive drug can still be dangerous when misused
C. therapeutic dependence can occur without compulsive addiction, so diagnosis depends on behavior and
impairment rather than withdrawal alone
D. taking oxycodone exactly as prescribed is different from crushing, escalating, or using it for euphoria
Correct Answer: D. taking oxycodone exactly as prescribed is different from crushing, escalating, or using it
for euphoria
Explanation: The key distinction is that taking oxycodone exactly as prescribed is different from crushing,
escalating, or using it for euphoria. Examining mechanism, time course, and purpose of use is often more
informative than relying on street labels.
,7. A person who has used Zolpidem repeatedly stops or sharply reduces use. Which statement about
withdrawal or post-use effects is most accurate?
A. withdrawal can be life-threatening, with seizures and delirium possible after heavy dependence
B. a classic withdrawal syndrome is not usually the major concern; recurrent use may still become problematic
C. withdrawal is variable and may include irritability, sleep disturbance, nausea, or tremor after chronic heavy
exposure
D. withdrawal or rebound insomnia can occur after sustained heavy use
Correct Answer: D. withdrawal or rebound insomnia can occur after sustained heavy use
Explanation: The expected pattern is that withdrawal or rebound insomnia can occur after sustained heavy use.
Withdrawal syndromes differ substantially across drug classes, so management should be substance-specific.
8. Which statement most usefully distinguishes Alcohol from a commonly confused substance or concept?
A. psilocybin and LSD share serotonergic hallucinogenic mechanisms but differ in duration and
pharmacokinetics
B. nitrous oxide is distinct from volatile solvents but both are inhaled and can cause acute impairment
C. heroin is an opioid agonist, whereas naloxone and naltrexone are opioid antagonists
D. unlike most stimulants, alcohol generally slows central nervous system activity even though low doses may
initially feel disinhibiting
Correct Answer: D. unlike most stimulants, alcohol generally slows central nervous system activity even
though low doses may initially feel disinhibiting
Explanation: The key distinction is that unlike most stimulants, alcohol generally slows central nervous system
activity even though low doses may initially feel disinhibiting. Examining mechanism, time course, and purpose of
use is often more informative than relying on street labels.
9. Which situation is the best match for using Disulfiram?
A. a carefully selected, motivated patient who understands the reaction and can adhere to treatment
B. stimulant use disorder or other settings where objective target behaviors can be measured frequently
C. a patient with persistent depression and alcohol use disorder who needs both conditions assessed and treated
D. someone uncertain about reducing or stopping substance use
Correct Answer: A. a carefully selected, motivated patient who understands the reaction and can adhere to
treatment
Explanation: The best match is a carefully selected, motivated patient who understands the reaction and can adhere
to treatment. Treatment selection should fit diagnosis, severity, safety, preference, and practical access.
10. Which reasoning error would most clearly undermine correct use of Sociocultural model of addiction?
A. assuming brain change means recovery is impossible
B. stereotyping individuals based on group averages
C. describing dopamine as the sole cause of all substance use disorders
D. ignoring how immediate rewards can outweigh delayed harms in decision making
Correct Answer: B. stereotyping individuals based on group averages
Explanation: The error is stereotyping individuals based on group averages. Correct use of Sociocultural model of
addiction depends on recognizing that a model emphasizing norms, social networks, inequality, availability,
marketing, policy, and cultural context.
, 11. Which situation is the best match for using Family-based adolescent treatment?
A. a patient with persistent depression and alcohol use disorder who needs both conditions assessed and treated
B. a teenager whose substance use occurs within family, school, and peer systems
C. a person whose social environment strongly supports continued use
D. people who use opioids, family members, peers, and communities with overdose risk
Correct Answer: B. a teenager whose substance use occurs within family, school, and peer systems
Explanation: The best match is a teenager whose substance use occurs within family, school, and peer systems.
Treatment selection should fit diagnosis, severity, safety, preference, and practical access.
12. Consider this situation: linking mu-opioid receptor activation with analgesia and respiratory depression.
Which concept is most directly illustrated?
A. Additive interaction
B. Synergistic interaction
C. Blood-brain barrier
D. Pharmacodynamics
Correct Answer: D. Pharmacodynamics
Explanation: This is an example of Pharmacodynamics because it involves what a drug does to the body, including
receptor actions and resulting physiologic or behavioral effects. The scenario shows how the term functions in real
decisions rather than only as a definition.
13. Which distinction about Recovery housing is most accurate?
A. the therapy is professionally delivered whereas mutual-support meetings themselves are peer-based
B. developmental treatment differs from simply applying an adult individual therapy without modification
C. unlike naltrexone it activates rather than blocks opioid receptors
D. housing support addresses environmental stability rather than directly changing receptor function or
withdrawal
Correct Answer: D. housing support addresses environmental stability rather than directly changing receptor
function or withdrawal
Explanation: The important distinction is that housing support addresses environmental stability rather than
directly changing receptor function or withdrawal. Understanding how treatments differ prevents false either-or
choices and mechanism errors.
14. Which implication follows most logically from the concept of Synergistic interaction?
A. dependence can be expected with some medications and should be managed safely rather than stigmatized
B. after each half-life about half of the remaining amount persists, so elimination is gradual
C. drug chemistry influences central nervous system exposure and onset of psychoactive effects
D. drug interactions can make a familiar dose far more dangerous in combination
Correct Answer: D. drug interactions can make a familiar dose far more dangerous in combination
Explanation: The strongest implication is that drug interactions can make a familiar dose far more dangerous in
combination. This follows directly from the meaning of Synergistic interaction and avoids overgeneralizing beyond
the evidence.
ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS
| American Public University
1. A program or study does the following: tracking nonfatal overdoses to detect changes in the illicit drug
supply. Which concept is being used most directly?
A. Medication take-back program
B. Dietary supplement quality assurance
C. Relative risk
D. Public-health surveillance
Correct Answer: D. Public-health surveillance
Explanation: This application reflects Public-health surveillance because systematic collection and analysis of
population data to identify trends, disparities, and emerging substance-related harms.
2. A careful assessment identifies clinically significant problems involving Dextromethorphan. Which
management approach is most consistent with current evidence and safety principles?
A. prevention depends on labeled dosing, avoiding duplicate acetaminophen-containing products, and urgent
poison guidance after suspected overdose
B. pain treatment should use individualized risk-benefit assessment; OUD is treated with evidence-based
medications and behavioral support
C. use should follow labeled dosing; severe overdose requires emergency evaluation
D. management of severe toxicity is supportive and may require emergency care; recurrent misuse is addressed
behaviorally
Correct Answer: D. management of severe toxicity is supportive and may require emergency care; recurrent
misuse is addressed behaviorally
Explanation: The most appropriate direction is that management of severe toxicity is supportive and may require
emergency care; recurrent misuse is addressed behaviorally. Treatment should be individualized to severity,
co-occurring conditions, patient preference, and acute medical risk.
3. A person who has used Cannabis THC repeatedly stops or sharply reduces use. Which statement about
withdrawal or post-use effects is most accurate?
A. withdrawal after heavy regular use can include irritability, sleep difficulty, decreased appetite, anxiety, and
craving
B. abrupt cessation after heavy misuse may lead to fatigue, dysphoria, and sleep change
C. there is no psychoactive withdrawal syndrome
D. a classic withdrawal syndrome is not usually the major concern; recurrent use may still become problematic
Correct Answer: A. withdrawal after heavy regular use can include irritability, sleep difficulty, decreased
appetite, anxiety, and craving
Explanation: The expected pattern is that withdrawal after heavy regular use can include irritability, sleep
difficulty, decreased appetite, anxiety, and craving. Withdrawal syndromes differ substantially across drug classes,
so management should be substance-specific.
,4. Which distinction about Twelve-step facilitation is most accurate?
A. it addresses acute physiologic danger, whereas relapse-prevention therapy targets longer-term behavior
B. the therapy is professionally delivered whereas mutual-support meetings themselves are peer-based
C. unlike methadone it is a partial rather than full opioid agonist
D. it differs from varenicline in mechanism and from NRT because it contains no nicotine
Correct Answer: B. the therapy is professionally delivered whereas mutual-support meetings themselves are
peer-based
Explanation: The important distinction is that the therapy is professionally delivered whereas mutual-support
meetings themselves are peer-based. Understanding how treatments differ prevents false either-or choices and
mechanism errors.
5. A toxicology case shows dissociation, analgesia, nystagmus, agitation, altered perception, and impaired
judgment. Which paired substance-and-mechanism interpretation is internally consistent?
A. The findings are compatible with PCP, whose key mechanism is that noncompetitive NMDA receptor
antagonism disrupts glutamatergic signaling
B. The findings point most strongly to Alcohol, because enhances inhibitory signaling and disrupts several
neurotransmitter systems in a dose-dependent manner
C. The findings point most strongly to Caffeine, because primarily antagonizes adenosine receptors, reducing
adenosine-mediated sleepiness
D. The findings point most strongly to Cocaine, because blocks reuptake of dopamine, norepinephrine, and
serotonin, increasing synaptic monoamines
Correct Answer: A. The findings are compatible with PCP, whose key mechanism is that noncompetitive
NMDA receptor antagonism disrupts glutamatergic signaling
Explanation: The internally consistent pair is PCP with the mechanism that noncompetitive NMDA receptor
antagonism disrupts glutamatergic signaling. Matching mechanism and presentation reduces errors caused by
overlapping symptoms across drug classes.
6. Which statement most usefully distinguishes Oxycodone from a commonly confused substance or concept?
A. a legal OTC product can be psychoactively misused when taken far above labeled doses
B. toxicity and addiction are separate concepts; a nonaddictive drug can still be dangerous when misused
C. therapeutic dependence can occur without compulsive addiction, so diagnosis depends on behavior and
impairment rather than withdrawal alone
D. taking oxycodone exactly as prescribed is different from crushing, escalating, or using it for euphoria
Correct Answer: D. taking oxycodone exactly as prescribed is different from crushing, escalating, or using it
for euphoria
Explanation: The key distinction is that taking oxycodone exactly as prescribed is different from crushing,
escalating, or using it for euphoria. Examining mechanism, time course, and purpose of use is often more
informative than relying on street labels.
,7. A person who has used Zolpidem repeatedly stops or sharply reduces use. Which statement about
withdrawal or post-use effects is most accurate?
A. withdrawal can be life-threatening, with seizures and delirium possible after heavy dependence
B. a classic withdrawal syndrome is not usually the major concern; recurrent use may still become problematic
C. withdrawal is variable and may include irritability, sleep disturbance, nausea, or tremor after chronic heavy
exposure
D. withdrawal or rebound insomnia can occur after sustained heavy use
Correct Answer: D. withdrawal or rebound insomnia can occur after sustained heavy use
Explanation: The expected pattern is that withdrawal or rebound insomnia can occur after sustained heavy use.
Withdrawal syndromes differ substantially across drug classes, so management should be substance-specific.
8. Which statement most usefully distinguishes Alcohol from a commonly confused substance or concept?
A. psilocybin and LSD share serotonergic hallucinogenic mechanisms but differ in duration and
pharmacokinetics
B. nitrous oxide is distinct from volatile solvents but both are inhaled and can cause acute impairment
C. heroin is an opioid agonist, whereas naloxone and naltrexone are opioid antagonists
D. unlike most stimulants, alcohol generally slows central nervous system activity even though low doses may
initially feel disinhibiting
Correct Answer: D. unlike most stimulants, alcohol generally slows central nervous system activity even
though low doses may initially feel disinhibiting
Explanation: The key distinction is that unlike most stimulants, alcohol generally slows central nervous system
activity even though low doses may initially feel disinhibiting. Examining mechanism, time course, and purpose of
use is often more informative than relying on street labels.
9. Which situation is the best match for using Disulfiram?
A. a carefully selected, motivated patient who understands the reaction and can adhere to treatment
B. stimulant use disorder or other settings where objective target behaviors can be measured frequently
C. a patient with persistent depression and alcohol use disorder who needs both conditions assessed and treated
D. someone uncertain about reducing or stopping substance use
Correct Answer: A. a carefully selected, motivated patient who understands the reaction and can adhere to
treatment
Explanation: The best match is a carefully selected, motivated patient who understands the reaction and can adhere
to treatment. Treatment selection should fit diagnosis, severity, safety, preference, and practical access.
10. Which reasoning error would most clearly undermine correct use of Sociocultural model of addiction?
A. assuming brain change means recovery is impossible
B. stereotyping individuals based on group averages
C. describing dopamine as the sole cause of all substance use disorders
D. ignoring how immediate rewards can outweigh delayed harms in decision making
Correct Answer: B. stereotyping individuals based on group averages
Explanation: The error is stereotyping individuals based on group averages. Correct use of Sociocultural model of
addiction depends on recognizing that a model emphasizing norms, social networks, inequality, availability,
marketing, policy, and cultural context.
, 11. Which situation is the best match for using Family-based adolescent treatment?
A. a patient with persistent depression and alcohol use disorder who needs both conditions assessed and treated
B. a teenager whose substance use occurs within family, school, and peer systems
C. a person whose social environment strongly supports continued use
D. people who use opioids, family members, peers, and communities with overdose risk
Correct Answer: B. a teenager whose substance use occurs within family, school, and peer systems
Explanation: The best match is a teenager whose substance use occurs within family, school, and peer systems.
Treatment selection should fit diagnosis, severity, safety, preference, and practical access.
12. Consider this situation: linking mu-opioid receptor activation with analgesia and respiratory depression.
Which concept is most directly illustrated?
A. Additive interaction
B. Synergistic interaction
C. Blood-brain barrier
D. Pharmacodynamics
Correct Answer: D. Pharmacodynamics
Explanation: This is an example of Pharmacodynamics because it involves what a drug does to the body, including
receptor actions and resulting physiologic or behavioral effects. The scenario shows how the term functions in real
decisions rather than only as a definition.
13. Which distinction about Recovery housing is most accurate?
A. the therapy is professionally delivered whereas mutual-support meetings themselves are peer-based
B. developmental treatment differs from simply applying an adult individual therapy without modification
C. unlike naltrexone it activates rather than blocks opioid receptors
D. housing support addresses environmental stability rather than directly changing receptor function or
withdrawal
Correct Answer: D. housing support addresses environmental stability rather than directly changing receptor
function or withdrawal
Explanation: The important distinction is that housing support addresses environmental stability rather than
directly changing receptor function or withdrawal. Understanding how treatments differ prevents false either-or
choices and mechanism errors.
14. Which implication follows most logically from the concept of Synergistic interaction?
A. dependence can be expected with some medications and should be managed safely rather than stigmatized
B. after each half-life about half of the remaining amount persists, so elimination is gradual
C. drug chemistry influences central nervous system exposure and onset of psychoactive effects
D. drug interactions can make a familiar dose far more dangerous in combination
Correct Answer: D. drug interactions can make a familiar dose far more dangerous in combination
Explanation: The strongest implication is that drug interactions can make a familiar dose far more dangerous in
combination. This follows directly from the meaning of Synergistic interaction and avoids overgeneralizing beyond
the evidence.
