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PSYC 210 Final Exam – Abnormal
Psychology | Comprehensive Exam Questions,
Answers & Verified Rationales | Complete
Exam Preparation Guide
1. A 28-year-old graduate student reports persistent, uncontrollable worry about coursework,
finances, and relationships, accompanied by muscle tension and irritability for the past eight
months. These symptoms MOST accurately reflect which condition?
A. Panic disorder
B. Generalized anxiety disorder
C. Social anxiety disorder
D. Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Rationale: GAD involves continual worry, physical tension, and irritability across many life
areas, matching this presentation.
2. A patient reports that television news anchors are inserting messages specifically meant for
him into their broadcasts. This symptom is BEST classified as:
A. Somatic delusion
B. Delusion of reference
C. Thought insertion
D. Nihilistic delusion
Rationale: Delusions of reference involve believing external events or people are directed
specifically at oneself.
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3. During an interview, a patient shows almost no facial movement, speaks in a monotone, and
displays no emotional reactivity when discussing a family death. This symptom is BEST
described as:
A. Anhedonia
B. Avolition
C. Flat affect
D. Alogia
Rationale: Flat affect is the complete absence of emotional expression, distinct from blunting,
which is a severe reduction.
4. A 22-year-old reports hearing critical voices commenting on his behavior when alone in his
apartment. He is certain the voices originate outside his head. This experience is BEST classified
as:
A. A delusion of persecution
B. An intrusive thought
C. A hallucination
D. A dissociative experience
Rationale: Hallucinations are false sensory experiences, and hearing voices is a classic auditory
hallucination in schizophrenia.
5. A therapist who encourages clients to take responsibility for their choices and believes people
can control their own behavior is MOST aligned with which approach?
A. Psychodynamic therapy
B. Cognitive-behavioral therapy
C. Humanistic therapy
D. Medical model therapy
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Rationale: Humanistic therapy assumes people control their behavior, make choices, and are
responsible for solving their own problems.
6. A 35-year-old man has no close friends, shows little emotional expression, and prefers solitary
activities. He expresses no desire for social relationships. This presentation MOST closely
matches:
A. Schizotypal personality disorder
B. Schizoid personality disorder
C. Avoidant personality disorder
D. Paranoid personality disorder
Rationale: Schizoid personality disorder features persistent avoidance of social relationships
and little expression of emotion.
7. A patient with narcolepsy is found to have low levels of a neurotransmitter that promotes
wakefulness and prevents REM sleep. This neurotransmitter is:
A. Serotonin
B. Dopamine
C. Hypocretin
D. Acetylcholine
Rationale: Hypocretin deficiency is associated with narcolepsy and helps sustain alertness and
prevent REM sleep.
8. A 30-year-old woman reports feeling like she is watching herself from outside her body and
cannot remember large portions of her childhood. She also reports being told she sometimes
speaks in a different voice and uses a different name. This presentation is MOST consistent with:
A. Schizophrenia
B. Dissociative amnesia
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C. Dissociative identity disorder
D. Borderline personality disorder
Rationale: DID involves two or more distinct and alternating personalities, formerly called
multiple personality disorder.
9. A patient taking an SSRI for depression asks how the medication works. The BEST
explanation is that SSRIs:
A. Block dopamine receptors in the brain
B. Keep serotonin active in the brain longer
C. Increase GABA production
D. Reduce norepinephrine reuptake
Rationale: SSRIs selectively inhibit serotonin reuptake, keeping serotonin active longer and
improving mood.
10. A defendant in a criminal trial is found unable to conform his behavior to the law because of
a severe mental disorder. This legal determination is called:
A. Competency
B. Civil commitment
C. Insanity
D. Parens patriae
Rationale: Insanity is a legal term for a person unable to conform behavior to the law due to
mental disorder or defect.
11. A 19-year-old avoids parties, class presentations, and dating because she fears humiliation
and negative evaluation. She desperately wants friends but is paralyzed by fear. This presentation
BEST matches:
PSYC 210 Final Exam – Abnormal
Psychology | Comprehensive Exam Questions,
Answers & Verified Rationales | Complete
Exam Preparation Guide
1. A 28-year-old graduate student reports persistent, uncontrollable worry about coursework,
finances, and relationships, accompanied by muscle tension and irritability for the past eight
months. These symptoms MOST accurately reflect which condition?
A. Panic disorder
B. Generalized anxiety disorder
C. Social anxiety disorder
D. Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Rationale: GAD involves continual worry, physical tension, and irritability across many life
areas, matching this presentation.
2. A patient reports that television news anchors are inserting messages specifically meant for
him into their broadcasts. This symptom is BEST classified as:
A. Somatic delusion
B. Delusion of reference
C. Thought insertion
D. Nihilistic delusion
Rationale: Delusions of reference involve believing external events or people are directed
specifically at oneself.
,2
3. During an interview, a patient shows almost no facial movement, speaks in a monotone, and
displays no emotional reactivity when discussing a family death. This symptom is BEST
described as:
A. Anhedonia
B. Avolition
C. Flat affect
D. Alogia
Rationale: Flat affect is the complete absence of emotional expression, distinct from blunting,
which is a severe reduction.
4. A 22-year-old reports hearing critical voices commenting on his behavior when alone in his
apartment. He is certain the voices originate outside his head. This experience is BEST classified
as:
A. A delusion of persecution
B. An intrusive thought
C. A hallucination
D. A dissociative experience
Rationale: Hallucinations are false sensory experiences, and hearing voices is a classic auditory
hallucination in schizophrenia.
5. A therapist who encourages clients to take responsibility for their choices and believes people
can control their own behavior is MOST aligned with which approach?
A. Psychodynamic therapy
B. Cognitive-behavioral therapy
C. Humanistic therapy
D. Medical model therapy
,3
Rationale: Humanistic therapy assumes people control their behavior, make choices, and are
responsible for solving their own problems.
6. A 35-year-old man has no close friends, shows little emotional expression, and prefers solitary
activities. He expresses no desire for social relationships. This presentation MOST closely
matches:
A. Schizotypal personality disorder
B. Schizoid personality disorder
C. Avoidant personality disorder
D. Paranoid personality disorder
Rationale: Schizoid personality disorder features persistent avoidance of social relationships
and little expression of emotion.
7. A patient with narcolepsy is found to have low levels of a neurotransmitter that promotes
wakefulness and prevents REM sleep. This neurotransmitter is:
A. Serotonin
B. Dopamine
C. Hypocretin
D. Acetylcholine
Rationale: Hypocretin deficiency is associated with narcolepsy and helps sustain alertness and
prevent REM sleep.
8. A 30-year-old woman reports feeling like she is watching herself from outside her body and
cannot remember large portions of her childhood. She also reports being told she sometimes
speaks in a different voice and uses a different name. This presentation is MOST consistent with:
A. Schizophrenia
B. Dissociative amnesia
, 4
C. Dissociative identity disorder
D. Borderline personality disorder
Rationale: DID involves two or more distinct and alternating personalities, formerly called
multiple personality disorder.
9. A patient taking an SSRI for depression asks how the medication works. The BEST
explanation is that SSRIs:
A. Block dopamine receptors in the brain
B. Keep serotonin active in the brain longer
C. Increase GABA production
D. Reduce norepinephrine reuptake
Rationale: SSRIs selectively inhibit serotonin reuptake, keeping serotonin active longer and
improving mood.
10. A defendant in a criminal trial is found unable to conform his behavior to the law because of
a severe mental disorder. This legal determination is called:
A. Competency
B. Civil commitment
C. Insanity
D. Parens patriae
Rationale: Insanity is a legal term for a person unable to conform behavior to the law due to
mental disorder or defect.
11. A 19-year-old avoids parties, class presentations, and dating because she fears humiliation
and negative evaluation. She desperately wants friends but is paralyzed by fear. This presentation
BEST matches:
