Abnormal Psychology Final Exam / 256Verified
Questions & Correct Answers / Newest
2025/2026.
abnormal behavior - AnswerPatterns of thought, emotion, and actions that are
deviant, unexpected, or "away from the standard" based on statistical, social-cultural,
and/or functional standards.
abnormal psychology - AnswerThe scientific study of abnormal behavior in order to
describe, predict, explain, and ultimately change abnormal patterns of functioning.
acute stress disorder - AnswerAn anxiety disorder in which fear and related
symptoms are experienced soon after a traumatic event, often including amnesia about
the event, emotional numbing, and derealization, and lasting less than a month. Many
victims later develop posttraumatic stress disorder.
addiction - AnswerPhysical dependence on a substance marked by tolerance,
withdrawal symptoms during abstinence, or both.
affect - AnswerA subjective feeling of emotion or mood often accompanied by bodily
expressions noticeable to others.
age of onset - AnswerPerson's age when he or she develops or exhibits symptoms
of a disorder.
agnosia - AnswerInability to recognize and name objects; may be a symptom of
dementia or other brain disorders.
agoraphobia - AnswerAnxiety about being in places or situations from which escape
might be difficult (or embarrassing) or help unavailable if panic symptoms were to occur.
alogia - AnswerDeficiency in the amount or content of speech, a disturbance often
seen in people with schizophrenia. Also known as poverty of speech.
alternate personalities / alters - AnswerIn dissociative identity disorder, the
additional identities along with the host identity. Also known as subpersonalities.
American Law Institute (ALI) test (1955) - AnswerA legal test for insanity that holds
a person to be insane at the time of committing a crime, if during criminal conduct, the
,individual could not judge right from wrong or control his or her behavior as required by
law. Compare M'Naghten Rule and irresistible impulse.
amnestic disorders - AnswerOrganic disorders in which the primary symptom is
memory loss.
anhedonia - AnswerInability to experience pleasure, associated with some mood
and schizophrenic disorders.
anorexia nervosa - AnswerEating disorder characterized by continual food refusal
and the pursuit of extreme thinness, leading to dangerously low body weight.
antisocial personality disorder - AnswerA personality disorder marked by a
pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others. Deceitful,
unremorseful, manipulative, lacks anxiety and guilt.
anxiety - AnswerMood state characterized by marked negative affect, behaviors,
and bodily symptoms of tension in which a person apprehensively anticipates future
danger or misfortune.
anxiety disorders - AnswerA varied group of disorders that all have anxiety, fear, or
tension as an essential feature. Includes specific phobias, social phobia, panic disorder,
generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and posttraumatic stress
disorder.
aphasia - AnswerImpairment or loss of language skills resulting from brain damage
caused by stroke, Alzheimer's disease, or other illness or trauma.
apraxia - AnswerLoss of motor activities (such as walking); one of the symptoms of
dementia.
Asperger's disorder - AnswerA pervasive developmental disorder in which
individuals display profound social impairment and restricted or unusual behaviors, but
without language delays seen in autism.
attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) - AnswerDevelopmental disorder in
which persons are unable to focus their attention, they behave hyperactively or
impulsively, or both.
auditory hallucinations - AnswerPsychotic disturbance in perception in which a
person hears sounds or voices although these are not real or actually present. The
voices are often critical, accusatory, or demanding.
, attributional style - AnswerThe relatively consistent explanations a person forms
about why personal stressors or other negative life events occur, taking the form of
internal vs. external, stable vs. unstable, and global vs. specific.
autistic disorder (autism) - AnswerPervasive developmental disorder characterized
by significant impairment in social interactions, extreme unresponsiveness to others,
poor communication skills, and highly repetitive and rigid behavior.
avoidant personality disorder - AnswerA personality disorder featuring a pervasive
pattern of social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and extremely sensitive to criticism.
avolition - AnswerA symptom of schizophrenia marked by apathy, and an inability to
initiate or complete important activities.
behavior therapy - AnswerAn group of therapy methods based on the principles of
behavioral and cognitive science as well as principles of learning as applied to clinical
problems. It considers specific behaviors rather than inferred internal factors as targets
for change. Also known as behavior modification.
behavioral medicine - AnswerInterdisciplinary approach applying behavioral science
to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of medical problems.
behaviorism - AnswerThe view that psychology (1) should be an objective science
that (2) studies behavior, including dysfunction, without reference to mental processes.
Most research psychologists today agree with (1) but not with (2).
binge-eating disorder - AnswerAn eating disorder involving consumption of large
amounts of food in a short period of time, uncontrollable and distressing to the individual
but not followed by compensatory behaviors.
biological paradigm - AnswerExplanation of psychological dysfunction that primarily
emphasizes biological process in the brain or illness as the cause.
biopsychosocial model - AnswerThe model that psychological disorders are not
caused by one or two factors in a linear way; rather, they are a product of a continual
interaction of a number of biological, psychological and social factors.
bipolar I disorder - AnswerMood disorder characterized by the alternation of major
depressive episodes with full manic episodes.
bipolar II disorder - AnswerMood disorder characterized by the alternation of major
depressive episodes with hypomanic (not full manic) episodes.
Questions & Correct Answers / Newest
2025/2026.
abnormal behavior - AnswerPatterns of thought, emotion, and actions that are
deviant, unexpected, or "away from the standard" based on statistical, social-cultural,
and/or functional standards.
abnormal psychology - AnswerThe scientific study of abnormal behavior in order to
describe, predict, explain, and ultimately change abnormal patterns of functioning.
acute stress disorder - AnswerAn anxiety disorder in which fear and related
symptoms are experienced soon after a traumatic event, often including amnesia about
the event, emotional numbing, and derealization, and lasting less than a month. Many
victims later develop posttraumatic stress disorder.
addiction - AnswerPhysical dependence on a substance marked by tolerance,
withdrawal symptoms during abstinence, or both.
affect - AnswerA subjective feeling of emotion or mood often accompanied by bodily
expressions noticeable to others.
age of onset - AnswerPerson's age when he or she develops or exhibits symptoms
of a disorder.
agnosia - AnswerInability to recognize and name objects; may be a symptom of
dementia or other brain disorders.
agoraphobia - AnswerAnxiety about being in places or situations from which escape
might be difficult (or embarrassing) or help unavailable if panic symptoms were to occur.
alogia - AnswerDeficiency in the amount or content of speech, a disturbance often
seen in people with schizophrenia. Also known as poverty of speech.
alternate personalities / alters - AnswerIn dissociative identity disorder, the
additional identities along with the host identity. Also known as subpersonalities.
American Law Institute (ALI) test (1955) - AnswerA legal test for insanity that holds
a person to be insane at the time of committing a crime, if during criminal conduct, the
,individual could not judge right from wrong or control his or her behavior as required by
law. Compare M'Naghten Rule and irresistible impulse.
amnestic disorders - AnswerOrganic disorders in which the primary symptom is
memory loss.
anhedonia - AnswerInability to experience pleasure, associated with some mood
and schizophrenic disorders.
anorexia nervosa - AnswerEating disorder characterized by continual food refusal
and the pursuit of extreme thinness, leading to dangerously low body weight.
antisocial personality disorder - AnswerA personality disorder marked by a
pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others. Deceitful,
unremorseful, manipulative, lacks anxiety and guilt.
anxiety - AnswerMood state characterized by marked negative affect, behaviors,
and bodily symptoms of tension in which a person apprehensively anticipates future
danger or misfortune.
anxiety disorders - AnswerA varied group of disorders that all have anxiety, fear, or
tension as an essential feature. Includes specific phobias, social phobia, panic disorder,
generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and posttraumatic stress
disorder.
aphasia - AnswerImpairment or loss of language skills resulting from brain damage
caused by stroke, Alzheimer's disease, or other illness or trauma.
apraxia - AnswerLoss of motor activities (such as walking); one of the symptoms of
dementia.
Asperger's disorder - AnswerA pervasive developmental disorder in which
individuals display profound social impairment and restricted or unusual behaviors, but
without language delays seen in autism.
attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) - AnswerDevelopmental disorder in
which persons are unable to focus their attention, they behave hyperactively or
impulsively, or both.
auditory hallucinations - AnswerPsychotic disturbance in perception in which a
person hears sounds or voices although these are not real or actually present. The
voices are often critical, accusatory, or demanding.
, attributional style - AnswerThe relatively consistent explanations a person forms
about why personal stressors or other negative life events occur, taking the form of
internal vs. external, stable vs. unstable, and global vs. specific.
autistic disorder (autism) - AnswerPervasive developmental disorder characterized
by significant impairment in social interactions, extreme unresponsiveness to others,
poor communication skills, and highly repetitive and rigid behavior.
avoidant personality disorder - AnswerA personality disorder featuring a pervasive
pattern of social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and extremely sensitive to criticism.
avolition - AnswerA symptom of schizophrenia marked by apathy, and an inability to
initiate or complete important activities.
behavior therapy - AnswerAn group of therapy methods based on the principles of
behavioral and cognitive science as well as principles of learning as applied to clinical
problems. It considers specific behaviors rather than inferred internal factors as targets
for change. Also known as behavior modification.
behavioral medicine - AnswerInterdisciplinary approach applying behavioral science
to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of medical problems.
behaviorism - AnswerThe view that psychology (1) should be an objective science
that (2) studies behavior, including dysfunction, without reference to mental processes.
Most research psychologists today agree with (1) but not with (2).
binge-eating disorder - AnswerAn eating disorder involving consumption of large
amounts of food in a short period of time, uncontrollable and distressing to the individual
but not followed by compensatory behaviors.
biological paradigm - AnswerExplanation of psychological dysfunction that primarily
emphasizes biological process in the brain or illness as the cause.
biopsychosocial model - AnswerThe model that psychological disorders are not
caused by one or two factors in a linear way; rather, they are a product of a continual
interaction of a number of biological, psychological and social factors.
bipolar I disorder - AnswerMood disorder characterized by the alternation of major
depressive episodes with full manic episodes.
bipolar II disorder - AnswerMood disorder characterized by the alternation of major
depressive episodes with hypomanic (not full manic) episodes.
