BEHAVIORAL HEALTH NURSING EXAM 3
COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE 2026
PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND ACCURATE
ANSWERS GRADED A+
◉ explain what speech patterns means in relation to the mental
status exam Answer: -Slowness or rapid speech
-Pressure of speech (frenzied)
-Volume
-Aphasia (difficulty in forming/thinking of specific words)
◉ explain what attitude means in relation to the mental status exam
Answer: -Cooperative/uncooperative
-Friendly/hostile
-Uninterested/apathetic
-Guarded/suspicious
◉ explain what emotions means in relation to the mental status
exam Answer: Mood
-Depressed
-Irritable
-Anxious
,-Elated
-Euphoric
-Fearful
-Guilty
-Labile (mood swings)
◉ explain what affect means in relation to the mental status exam
Answer: the behavioral expression of emotion
-Constricted or blunted (minimal emotional expression)
-Flat (absence of emotional expression)
-Appropriate
-Inappropriate
◉ explain what thought processes means in relation to the mental
status exam Answer: -Form of thought
-Content of thought (hallucinations/delusions)
◉ explain what cognitive ability means in relation to the mental
status exam Answer: -Level of alertness
Clear-minded/attentive
-Orientation
Time
, Place
Person
Situation
-Memory
Recent
Remote
Confabulation (create content for memory gaps)
◉ What is the mini mental status exam? Answer: Brief screening
tool to assess cognition and change over time
◉ explain shaping Answer: reinforcements are given for increasingly
closer approximations for the desired response. Ex: teachers may
reward an autistic child for doing things to form words, rewarding
one step at a time.
◉ explain modeling Answer: learning new behaviors by imitating
the behavior of others. Ex: role models, children imitating the
behaviors of their older siblings or parents, observing television-
can lead to maladaptive behaviors.
◉ Explain Premack Principle Answer: a frequently occurring
response can serve as positive reinforcement to response 2 that
occurs less frequently, Applied when response 1 to only occur after
COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE 2026
PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND ACCURATE
ANSWERS GRADED A+
◉ explain what speech patterns means in relation to the mental
status exam Answer: -Slowness or rapid speech
-Pressure of speech (frenzied)
-Volume
-Aphasia (difficulty in forming/thinking of specific words)
◉ explain what attitude means in relation to the mental status exam
Answer: -Cooperative/uncooperative
-Friendly/hostile
-Uninterested/apathetic
-Guarded/suspicious
◉ explain what emotions means in relation to the mental status
exam Answer: Mood
-Depressed
-Irritable
-Anxious
,-Elated
-Euphoric
-Fearful
-Guilty
-Labile (mood swings)
◉ explain what affect means in relation to the mental status exam
Answer: the behavioral expression of emotion
-Constricted or blunted (minimal emotional expression)
-Flat (absence of emotional expression)
-Appropriate
-Inappropriate
◉ explain what thought processes means in relation to the mental
status exam Answer: -Form of thought
-Content of thought (hallucinations/delusions)
◉ explain what cognitive ability means in relation to the mental
status exam Answer: -Level of alertness
Clear-minded/attentive
-Orientation
Time
, Place
Person
Situation
-Memory
Recent
Remote
Confabulation (create content for memory gaps)
◉ What is the mini mental status exam? Answer: Brief screening
tool to assess cognition and change over time
◉ explain shaping Answer: reinforcements are given for increasingly
closer approximations for the desired response. Ex: teachers may
reward an autistic child for doing things to form words, rewarding
one step at a time.
◉ explain modeling Answer: learning new behaviors by imitating
the behavior of others. Ex: role models, children imitating the
behaviors of their older siblings or parents, observing television-
can lead to maladaptive behaviors.
◉ Explain Premack Principle Answer: a frequently occurring
response can serve as positive reinforcement to response 2 that
occurs less frequently, Applied when response 1 to only occur after
