PSYC 435 ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS
WITH ANSWERS 2025/2026
Does DP look for predictors of later maladaptive development? - No it aims to
investigate the the interactive processes that lead to the emergence of psychopathology
Are neurobiological development and experience mutually influencing? - Yes
Conduct disorder: genetic and attachment (harsh family atmosphere)
How are neurobiological development and experience mutually influencing - Plasticity
due to experience dependent synaptogenesis
pertubations that occur in the developing brain can trigger a cascade of growth and
changes that lead the neural system down a path that deviates from that usually taken
in normal development
Why is interdisciplinary integration important - Can be used to fully understand the
complexity in psychopathology (cognitive, behavioural, emotional, etc)
because these processes are interactive and this influences development
Improtant future scholars are educated in all of these areas
Can the D.P be racist? - Yes difference versus defecti
Minority populations may develop differently but this does not mean it is a defecit
D.P matured to be more integrative amongst more cultures
Although d.p discovers important phenomenon, what must occur? - Be translated into
practical applications
What in infancy can lead to ADHD - Proper caregivers who understand when their baby
is too aroused (looks away) by slowing reading and building up again when baby is
ready help baby cope with increasing arousal
If you intensely stimulate an infant who is over aroused, diminish the childs ability to
cope with arousal.
This can disrupt growing capabilities for regulation and lead to ADHD.
Does childhood predict adult depression - No (trait model) thereby suggests two distinct
phenomena
What predicts depression more than co-morbid disorders and preceeding disorders -
developmental antecedents such as early abuse
What can influence adolescent depression - Maternal depression (environment) but this
interacts with gender (nature)
,- greater for girls
What influences childhood depression - Environment: abuse, family stress
What are savants - Autistic people with great talents in narrow areas
What the important of EBP - Helping is the goal
Finite resources (should put money into things that are shown to work)
Cost of getting peoples hopes up
- learned helplessness (depression)
- dissonance of child not being smart
- sunk costs
Bias
What do professional writings in clinical psychology espouse? - a scientist-practitioner
model of practice
What is the scientist-practitioner model of practice? - Scientists should produce good
emipircal research and practitioners Be a good consumer of empirical research and
learn how to apply it in clinical practice
What is a core competency for clinical psychology - Discipline and knowledge of
scientific foundations and research
This competency covers the integration of science and practice in clinical psychology
What does the ongoing use of invalidated practices insinuate - Bad practice and
unethical Ollendick & Davis 2004
What did the NZ ministry of health want to do - Move away from opinion based practice
to ebp
What is the research to practice gap - There is a gap between best practice and actual
practice
Typical professional psychologists dont
engage in research
publish
have positive attitude toward research
Survey of psychologists in 2013
What issues are important when discussing the research to practice gap - Are research
and practice culturally congruent
Is the research within the practitioners capabilities
,How are research and practice driven - Research is endogenously driven - lack of
literature
Practice is exogenously driven - deal with what comes through the door
What are ideological issues with the research-practice gap - clients preference
Researchers and practitioners anchor onto things they have found useful in the past
When has EBP become popular - Yes EBP has surged in past ten years accompanied
by improvements in clinical research and the connection of practice with the latest
research
What are issues with EBP - How will it be delivered? (modality, content, etc)
Language suggests objectively right, everything else is wrong,
In contrast to what it should mean: shown to work
Oppossing world views? What Maori perceive as good development may be different to
European so intervention may be not needed or different
Opposing empirical perspectives? individualised treatments vs prescriptive treatment
based on diagnosis
How do you deliver good practice - With three legged stool! All factors must be strong
and congruent (Roberts)
Use best research avaliable to merge client characteristics with the resources the
practitioner has (clinical expertise)
What does EBP blur> - The distinction between applied science (answering quesions in
the real world) and basic science (fill knowledge we dont have)
Is research practice model unidirectional? - No, context matters! - useability
Why did we build a new science of implementation? - Understand the factors that
influence the usability of scientific interventions in real world scenarios
What is Pasteurs quadrant - Two dimensions
understanding and useability, must have both to be an effective form of treatment
What are two reccomendations that can be used to ground practice in science? -
bidirectionality between practice and research to blur distinction between basic and
applied research
Think about both practical and statistical significance (can it make a difference in
peoples lives)
Appreciate a place for different roles
, research both efficacy and effectivness
researchers and knowledge brokers
What are efficacy and effectiveness researchers - Efficacy can it work? (in controlled
settings)
Effectivness Does it work? (in the real world)
What is the difference between a researcher and a knowledge broker? - A knowledge
broker is a middle man can inform practice and policy decisions
- consumers and disseminator of findings
informs practitioners of findings
informs researchers of usability
Does EBP include rules driven by passion - No, only rules driven by science, but
passion drives action.
Can values and evidence contradict each other? - Yes, corporal punishment
People claim religious value (spare the rod, spoil the child), cultural mores and rights to
discipline child, whilst some people hink its abuse
Hard to determine which one of these BELIEFS SHOULD INFORM PRACTICE,
neither, use eivdence (children more compliant, but more aggressive, worse mental
health and relationship with parent)
Should practice be based on research - Yes but not just research, but analysed, peer
reviewed research.
You can act on beliefs if those beliefs are grounded in science
Is the discipline of psychology culturally competent in NZ - Not really values european
streams of knowledge over Maori streams of knowledge
What is Maori theory on behaviour? - derived from cultural epistemology and
metaphysical foundations
refers to ways of doing based on ways of knowing (behaviour occurs in response to
knowledge)
Psychologists must be educated on why maori behave in certain ways to certain things
Is western psychological knowledge cultural bound? - Yes, and therefore cannot be
directly applied to Maori populations
Why do we need to blend knowledge of streams - To facilitate greater sociocultural
understanding and thereby better outcomes for indigenous groups
To be able to apply western psychological knowledge to minority population
WITH ANSWERS 2025/2026
Does DP look for predictors of later maladaptive development? - No it aims to
investigate the the interactive processes that lead to the emergence of psychopathology
Are neurobiological development and experience mutually influencing? - Yes
Conduct disorder: genetic and attachment (harsh family atmosphere)
How are neurobiological development and experience mutually influencing - Plasticity
due to experience dependent synaptogenesis
pertubations that occur in the developing brain can trigger a cascade of growth and
changes that lead the neural system down a path that deviates from that usually taken
in normal development
Why is interdisciplinary integration important - Can be used to fully understand the
complexity in psychopathology (cognitive, behavioural, emotional, etc)
because these processes are interactive and this influences development
Improtant future scholars are educated in all of these areas
Can the D.P be racist? - Yes difference versus defecti
Minority populations may develop differently but this does not mean it is a defecit
D.P matured to be more integrative amongst more cultures
Although d.p discovers important phenomenon, what must occur? - Be translated into
practical applications
What in infancy can lead to ADHD - Proper caregivers who understand when their baby
is too aroused (looks away) by slowing reading and building up again when baby is
ready help baby cope with increasing arousal
If you intensely stimulate an infant who is over aroused, diminish the childs ability to
cope with arousal.
This can disrupt growing capabilities for regulation and lead to ADHD.
Does childhood predict adult depression - No (trait model) thereby suggests two distinct
phenomena
What predicts depression more than co-morbid disorders and preceeding disorders -
developmental antecedents such as early abuse
What can influence adolescent depression - Maternal depression (environment) but this
interacts with gender (nature)
,- greater for girls
What influences childhood depression - Environment: abuse, family stress
What are savants - Autistic people with great talents in narrow areas
What the important of EBP - Helping is the goal
Finite resources (should put money into things that are shown to work)
Cost of getting peoples hopes up
- learned helplessness (depression)
- dissonance of child not being smart
- sunk costs
Bias
What do professional writings in clinical psychology espouse? - a scientist-practitioner
model of practice
What is the scientist-practitioner model of practice? - Scientists should produce good
emipircal research and practitioners Be a good consumer of empirical research and
learn how to apply it in clinical practice
What is a core competency for clinical psychology - Discipline and knowledge of
scientific foundations and research
This competency covers the integration of science and practice in clinical psychology
What does the ongoing use of invalidated practices insinuate - Bad practice and
unethical Ollendick & Davis 2004
What did the NZ ministry of health want to do - Move away from opinion based practice
to ebp
What is the research to practice gap - There is a gap between best practice and actual
practice
Typical professional psychologists dont
engage in research
publish
have positive attitude toward research
Survey of psychologists in 2013
What issues are important when discussing the research to practice gap - Are research
and practice culturally congruent
Is the research within the practitioners capabilities
,How are research and practice driven - Research is endogenously driven - lack of
literature
Practice is exogenously driven - deal with what comes through the door
What are ideological issues with the research-practice gap - clients preference
Researchers and practitioners anchor onto things they have found useful in the past
When has EBP become popular - Yes EBP has surged in past ten years accompanied
by improvements in clinical research and the connection of practice with the latest
research
What are issues with EBP - How will it be delivered? (modality, content, etc)
Language suggests objectively right, everything else is wrong,
In contrast to what it should mean: shown to work
Oppossing world views? What Maori perceive as good development may be different to
European so intervention may be not needed or different
Opposing empirical perspectives? individualised treatments vs prescriptive treatment
based on diagnosis
How do you deliver good practice - With three legged stool! All factors must be strong
and congruent (Roberts)
Use best research avaliable to merge client characteristics with the resources the
practitioner has (clinical expertise)
What does EBP blur> - The distinction between applied science (answering quesions in
the real world) and basic science (fill knowledge we dont have)
Is research practice model unidirectional? - No, context matters! - useability
Why did we build a new science of implementation? - Understand the factors that
influence the usability of scientific interventions in real world scenarios
What is Pasteurs quadrant - Two dimensions
understanding and useability, must have both to be an effective form of treatment
What are two reccomendations that can be used to ground practice in science? -
bidirectionality between practice and research to blur distinction between basic and
applied research
Think about both practical and statistical significance (can it make a difference in
peoples lives)
Appreciate a place for different roles
, research both efficacy and effectivness
researchers and knowledge brokers
What are efficacy and effectiveness researchers - Efficacy can it work? (in controlled
settings)
Effectivness Does it work? (in the real world)
What is the difference between a researcher and a knowledge broker? - A knowledge
broker is a middle man can inform practice and policy decisions
- consumers and disseminator of findings
informs practitioners of findings
informs researchers of usability
Does EBP include rules driven by passion - No, only rules driven by science, but
passion drives action.
Can values and evidence contradict each other? - Yes, corporal punishment
People claim religious value (spare the rod, spoil the child), cultural mores and rights to
discipline child, whilst some people hink its abuse
Hard to determine which one of these BELIEFS SHOULD INFORM PRACTICE,
neither, use eivdence (children more compliant, but more aggressive, worse mental
health and relationship with parent)
Should practice be based on research - Yes but not just research, but analysed, peer
reviewed research.
You can act on beliefs if those beliefs are grounded in science
Is the discipline of psychology culturally competent in NZ - Not really values european
streams of knowledge over Maori streams of knowledge
What is Maori theory on behaviour? - derived from cultural epistemology and
metaphysical foundations
refers to ways of doing based on ways of knowing (behaviour occurs in response to
knowledge)
Psychologists must be educated on why maori behave in certain ways to certain things
Is western psychological knowledge cultural bound? - Yes, and therefore cannot be
directly applied to Maori populations
Why do we need to blend knowledge of streams - To facilitate greater sociocultural
understanding and thereby better outcomes for indigenous groups
To be able to apply western psychological knowledge to minority population
