Diagnosis and Psychopathology Midterm Ques ons and
answers Newest RATED A+ 2025/2026 NEW!! UPDATED
Criteria to determine presence of psychopathology? - Ans 1. Psychological dysfunc on with
cogni ve processes and/or behavior and/or emo on
2. Distress and/or func onal impairment in social and/or voca onal and/or educa on and/or
daily life
3. Culturally Unexpected
When was the "birth date" of psychology? - Ans 1886
Who was Wilhelm Wundt - Ans German, First psychological lab, one of the first to iden fy the
limits of short-term memory
Who was thought of as the first Clinical Psychologist? - Ans Lightner Witmer
Who developed the first widely used intelligence test - Ans Binet and Simon
What ini ated the development of the first DSM? - Ans Assessment was inconsistent.
Agreement for diagnosis was at approximately 20%.
When did Beck publish his study on diagnos c agreement? What did he find? - Ans 1962 -
A5er the first DSM was published, level of agreement increased to 32%-42%.
When was psychology recognized for treatment with psychotherapy? - Ans During and a5er
WWII
DSM III - Ans established in 1980, heavy dose of empiricism in DSM
,concrete, discrete popula ons, use of field trials to check the check lists.
DSM III-R - Ans 1987, new symptom checklists, more e ology
DSM IV - Ans 1994
What are some problems with the DSM-5? - Ans 1. The shi5 from mul racial diagnosis (Axis I
and Axis II),
2. Psychological disorder may be less categorical and more dimensional, people below the
threshold are suffering maybe just as much as people above the threshold, 3.Generalizability-
field trials done mainly in the USA which may or may not apply to various cultures, 4.
Controversy with proposed diagnos c categories for the future 5. Rampant comorbidity- hard to
do research on an individual diagnos c criteria-adds to unreliability, 6. symptom clusters seem
to overlap 7. having a DSM in the first place creates a code for s gma zing people
Defining Features of Psychological Disorders - Ans 1. discontrol-lack of self-control, inhibi on
(discontrol is a key element of substance use disorders, ADHD, personality disorders 2.
impairment-- What is clinically significant in regards to impairment? ex: Au sm disorder used to
be diagnosed only if severe, non-verbal. What's viewed as significant has changed over the
years.
Note: unclear boundaries are o5en prevalent in diagnosis (ex: same treatment used to address
depressive and anxiety disorders)
Who ini ated the categorical model, recognizing its gray area? - Ans Kraeplin, he began
insis ng clear dis nc ons between normality and psychopathology.
Theories of dual diagnosis - Ans Primary/Secondary Theory-Psychological disorder first, then
substance use disorders (SUD). Substance use is aGempt at self-medica on, SUD related to
neurocogini ve deficits related to disorders (ex: schizophrenia symptoms may put someone at a
, higher risk for SUD). OR SUD is primary and psychological condi on is secondary (ex: SUD
primary, MDD secondary). cycle of need would drive to MDD-feeling hopeless
Bidirec onal Causality Model- SU influences psych disorder at the same me psych disorder is
influencing SU. cyclic in nature ex: anxiety disorders and dual diagnosis
Common Factors Model- ASP disorder common factor to explain disorder and SUD, not a lot of
good studies with conclusive factors.
DSM-IV-TR - Ans 2000
Strengths of categorical system - Ans Simplicity
Credibility
What was the Epidemiological Catchment Area (ECA)? - Ans Largest and most comprehensive
study of mental disorders ever completed in the United States. The study collected data on the
prevalence and incidence of mental disorders in the United States.
Characteris cs of Dual Diagnosis? - Ans Treatment compliance is terrible.
Higher rates of homelessness, legal trouble, treatable illnesses.
They consume the most health care dollars (despite the fact that they have trouble with
treatment compliance).
DSM 5 - Ans 2013
What are some assump ons about the DSM? - Ans 1. It iden fies/classifies things that are
readily dis nguishable 2. the accurate diagnosis of disorder is actually important -Dx facilitates
choice of a specific treatment that is effec ve for that disorder 3. substan ates a medical model
answers Newest RATED A+ 2025/2026 NEW!! UPDATED
Criteria to determine presence of psychopathology? - Ans 1. Psychological dysfunc on with
cogni ve processes and/or behavior and/or emo on
2. Distress and/or func onal impairment in social and/or voca onal and/or educa on and/or
daily life
3. Culturally Unexpected
When was the "birth date" of psychology? - Ans 1886
Who was Wilhelm Wundt - Ans German, First psychological lab, one of the first to iden fy the
limits of short-term memory
Who was thought of as the first Clinical Psychologist? - Ans Lightner Witmer
Who developed the first widely used intelligence test - Ans Binet and Simon
What ini ated the development of the first DSM? - Ans Assessment was inconsistent.
Agreement for diagnosis was at approximately 20%.
When did Beck publish his study on diagnos c agreement? What did he find? - Ans 1962 -
A5er the first DSM was published, level of agreement increased to 32%-42%.
When was psychology recognized for treatment with psychotherapy? - Ans During and a5er
WWII
DSM III - Ans established in 1980, heavy dose of empiricism in DSM
,concrete, discrete popula ons, use of field trials to check the check lists.
DSM III-R - Ans 1987, new symptom checklists, more e ology
DSM IV - Ans 1994
What are some problems with the DSM-5? - Ans 1. The shi5 from mul racial diagnosis (Axis I
and Axis II),
2. Psychological disorder may be less categorical and more dimensional, people below the
threshold are suffering maybe just as much as people above the threshold, 3.Generalizability-
field trials done mainly in the USA which may or may not apply to various cultures, 4.
Controversy with proposed diagnos c categories for the future 5. Rampant comorbidity- hard to
do research on an individual diagnos c criteria-adds to unreliability, 6. symptom clusters seem
to overlap 7. having a DSM in the first place creates a code for s gma zing people
Defining Features of Psychological Disorders - Ans 1. discontrol-lack of self-control, inhibi on
(discontrol is a key element of substance use disorders, ADHD, personality disorders 2.
impairment-- What is clinically significant in regards to impairment? ex: Au sm disorder used to
be diagnosed only if severe, non-verbal. What's viewed as significant has changed over the
years.
Note: unclear boundaries are o5en prevalent in diagnosis (ex: same treatment used to address
depressive and anxiety disorders)
Who ini ated the categorical model, recognizing its gray area? - Ans Kraeplin, he began
insis ng clear dis nc ons between normality and psychopathology.
Theories of dual diagnosis - Ans Primary/Secondary Theory-Psychological disorder first, then
substance use disorders (SUD). Substance use is aGempt at self-medica on, SUD related to
neurocogini ve deficits related to disorders (ex: schizophrenia symptoms may put someone at a
, higher risk for SUD). OR SUD is primary and psychological condi on is secondary (ex: SUD
primary, MDD secondary). cycle of need would drive to MDD-feeling hopeless
Bidirec onal Causality Model- SU influences psych disorder at the same me psych disorder is
influencing SU. cyclic in nature ex: anxiety disorders and dual diagnosis
Common Factors Model- ASP disorder common factor to explain disorder and SUD, not a lot of
good studies with conclusive factors.
DSM-IV-TR - Ans 2000
Strengths of categorical system - Ans Simplicity
Credibility
What was the Epidemiological Catchment Area (ECA)? - Ans Largest and most comprehensive
study of mental disorders ever completed in the United States. The study collected data on the
prevalence and incidence of mental disorders in the United States.
Characteris cs of Dual Diagnosis? - Ans Treatment compliance is terrible.
Higher rates of homelessness, legal trouble, treatable illnesses.
They consume the most health care dollars (despite the fact that they have trouble with
treatment compliance).
DSM 5 - Ans 2013
What are some assump ons about the DSM? - Ans 1. It iden fies/classifies things that are
readily dis nguishable 2. the accurate diagnosis of disorder is actually important -Dx facilitates
choice of a specific treatment that is effec ve for that disorder 3. substan ates a medical model
