CPSY 4311 Exam 1 Study Guide
questions with verified answers
What proportion of all adults with mental illness report having symptoms by age 14? - correct
answer ✔✔1/2 of all adults
What is Abnormal? - correct answer ✔✔(Ab=away from) = Atypical, Odd, Different from normal
(outside of the average)
How does the DSM-V define mental disorder? - correct answer ✔✔" A syndrome characterized
by clinically significant disturbance in an individual's cognition, emotion reg. or behavior that
reflects a dysfunction in the psychological, biological, or developmental processes underlying
mental functioning "
What are the 3 key criteria for defining a behavior as a "clinically significant disturbance"? -
correct answer ✔✔1. Deviate from dev, situational & societal norms
2. Behaviors qualitatively diff. from norm
3. Maladaptive behaviors
4 factors of concern for Deviation from dev. norms - correct answer ✔✔1. Role of context
(percept. & expect. of individuals around child).
2. Incomplete understanding of norm dev.
3. Lack of well-established norms in certain areas.
4. Lack def. of how much deviance necessary for behavior to be abnormal
,4 ways that deviation from developmental norms may be manifested? - correct answer ✔✔1.
Delays (motor movement)
2. Regression or Deterioration (Rhetts)
3. Behaviors persist beyond what's dev. appropriate (bed wetting)
4. Behaviors that deviate from dev. norms in freq/intensity
Behaviors qualitatively different from norm? - correct answer ✔✔Where does sanity begin &
end?
Quantitative (Extreme ends of Continua) vs. Qualitative (Discrete Categorical, DSM approach)
Why does it matter whether we think of behavioral & emotional problems in terms of
categories or continua? - correct answer ✔✔Limits who is diagnosed (reduces individual diffs),
Intervention, Stigma
Understanding underlying mechanisms
What are some examples of disorders that may be better thought of as categories vs. continua?
- correct answer ✔✔Socially awkward vs. ASD
Hearing voices (3/4 of ppl) vs. Schizophrenia
Deviations from Situational norms - correct answer ✔✔Behavior inappropriate for situation.
E.g. Fear may be appropriate in some situations, but not when
*excessive
*intense
,*irrational
*Doesn't weaken over time
What would be an example of a behavior that deviates from situational norms? - correct answer
✔✔Walking home @ 3am vs. Walking home @ 7pm
Depends on situation, maybe not normal & not clinical
Maladaptive Behaviors - correct answer ✔✔Behaviors that cause sig. distress/disability, &
interfere w/ functioning (Bipolar/Social Anxiety)
What are problems w/defining a disorder as "maladaptive" or involving distress/disability? -
correct answer ✔✔1. Some ppl can function despite symptoms/behaviors (Sub. Abuse)
2. Some behaviors cause distress to others, but not the individual (Ana)
Deviation from societal norms - correct answer ✔✔Norms vary from culture to culture &
change over time within same culture
What are implications of societal norms determining what is "abnormal"? - correct answer
✔✔Change over time, abnormal now might be normal later on.
E.g. same-sex marriage perceptions shifted
What are 4 possible reasons for comorbidity between disorders? - correct answer ✔✔1. Shared
genetic or neurobiological substrates
2. Shared environ. risk factors (dep. + conduct)
, 3. Symptoms shared between disorders (dep. + anxiety)
4. 1 disorder may lead to dev. of another (ODD & sub.)
Define Continuity vs. Discontinuity in psychopathology - correct answer ✔✔Continuity: Could
you see signs prior to diagnosis
Discontinuity: Could be argued, single instance/down fall
What are the 2 implications for how we think about behavior & emotional disorders in kids? -
correct answer ✔✔1. If ppl have 2 disorders consistently, would criteria become combined?
2. Is it worth separating disorders when many occur together
How was mental illness conceptualized in ancient history? - correct answer ✔✔Ascribed mental
illness to supernatural forces (punished by the gods/possessed by demons)
Ancient times interventions for mental illness were aimed at? - correct answer ✔✔Punish the
person (kill/humiliate), appease gods, release evil spirits (cut hole in skull). Sometimes
confined/abandoned by family.
What were a few humane interventions used in ancient times? - correct answer ✔✔Music
Dancing
Painting
How did Hippocrates explain mental illness? - correct answer ✔✔Postulated that we have 4
"humors" in body & explained dev of disorders based off of their imbalance
1. Phlegm (water)
questions with verified answers
What proportion of all adults with mental illness report having symptoms by age 14? - correct
answer ✔✔1/2 of all adults
What is Abnormal? - correct answer ✔✔(Ab=away from) = Atypical, Odd, Different from normal
(outside of the average)
How does the DSM-V define mental disorder? - correct answer ✔✔" A syndrome characterized
by clinically significant disturbance in an individual's cognition, emotion reg. or behavior that
reflects a dysfunction in the psychological, biological, or developmental processes underlying
mental functioning "
What are the 3 key criteria for defining a behavior as a "clinically significant disturbance"? -
correct answer ✔✔1. Deviate from dev, situational & societal norms
2. Behaviors qualitatively diff. from norm
3. Maladaptive behaviors
4 factors of concern for Deviation from dev. norms - correct answer ✔✔1. Role of context
(percept. & expect. of individuals around child).
2. Incomplete understanding of norm dev.
3. Lack of well-established norms in certain areas.
4. Lack def. of how much deviance necessary for behavior to be abnormal
,4 ways that deviation from developmental norms may be manifested? - correct answer ✔✔1.
Delays (motor movement)
2. Regression or Deterioration (Rhetts)
3. Behaviors persist beyond what's dev. appropriate (bed wetting)
4. Behaviors that deviate from dev. norms in freq/intensity
Behaviors qualitatively different from norm? - correct answer ✔✔Where does sanity begin &
end?
Quantitative (Extreme ends of Continua) vs. Qualitative (Discrete Categorical, DSM approach)
Why does it matter whether we think of behavioral & emotional problems in terms of
categories or continua? - correct answer ✔✔Limits who is diagnosed (reduces individual diffs),
Intervention, Stigma
Understanding underlying mechanisms
What are some examples of disorders that may be better thought of as categories vs. continua?
- correct answer ✔✔Socially awkward vs. ASD
Hearing voices (3/4 of ppl) vs. Schizophrenia
Deviations from Situational norms - correct answer ✔✔Behavior inappropriate for situation.
E.g. Fear may be appropriate in some situations, but not when
*excessive
*intense
,*irrational
*Doesn't weaken over time
What would be an example of a behavior that deviates from situational norms? - correct answer
✔✔Walking home @ 3am vs. Walking home @ 7pm
Depends on situation, maybe not normal & not clinical
Maladaptive Behaviors - correct answer ✔✔Behaviors that cause sig. distress/disability, &
interfere w/ functioning (Bipolar/Social Anxiety)
What are problems w/defining a disorder as "maladaptive" or involving distress/disability? -
correct answer ✔✔1. Some ppl can function despite symptoms/behaviors (Sub. Abuse)
2. Some behaviors cause distress to others, but not the individual (Ana)
Deviation from societal norms - correct answer ✔✔Norms vary from culture to culture &
change over time within same culture
What are implications of societal norms determining what is "abnormal"? - correct answer
✔✔Change over time, abnormal now might be normal later on.
E.g. same-sex marriage perceptions shifted
What are 4 possible reasons for comorbidity between disorders? - correct answer ✔✔1. Shared
genetic or neurobiological substrates
2. Shared environ. risk factors (dep. + conduct)
, 3. Symptoms shared between disorders (dep. + anxiety)
4. 1 disorder may lead to dev. of another (ODD & sub.)
Define Continuity vs. Discontinuity in psychopathology - correct answer ✔✔Continuity: Could
you see signs prior to diagnosis
Discontinuity: Could be argued, single instance/down fall
What are the 2 implications for how we think about behavior & emotional disorders in kids? -
correct answer ✔✔1. If ppl have 2 disorders consistently, would criteria become combined?
2. Is it worth separating disorders when many occur together
How was mental illness conceptualized in ancient history? - correct answer ✔✔Ascribed mental
illness to supernatural forces (punished by the gods/possessed by demons)
Ancient times interventions for mental illness were aimed at? - correct answer ✔✔Punish the
person (kill/humiliate), appease gods, release evil spirits (cut hole in skull). Sometimes
confined/abandoned by family.
What were a few humane interventions used in ancient times? - correct answer ✔✔Music
Dancing
Painting
How did Hippocrates explain mental illness? - correct answer ✔✔Postulated that we have 4
"humors" in body & explained dev of disorders based off of their imbalance
1. Phlegm (water)
