1. One who systematically gathers information in order to describe, predict, and explain
abnormality is a clinical:
A) mentalist.
B) legalist.
C) scientist.
D) practitioner.
2. If a person wants a career focused on detecting, assessing, and treating abnormal
patterns of functioning, that person should look into becoming a clinical:
A) practitioner.
B) researcher.
C) historian.
D) statistician.
3. The stated and unstated rules for proper conduct that a society establishes are referred
to as:
A) norms.
B) culture.
C) morality.
D) conventions.
4. Just decades ago, a woman's love for racecar driving would have been considered
abnormal. This statement illustrates:
A) how dangerous most mentally ill people actually are.
B) that abnormality can be situational.
C) that everyone is a little eccentric.
D) that drug use causes people to become mentally ill.
5. The history, values, institutions, habits, skills, technology, and art of a society make
up that society's:
A) laws.
B) norms.
C) culture.
D) conventions.
6. Behavior that violates legal norms is:
A) deviant and criminal.
B) distressful and criminal.
C) deviant and psychopathological.
D) distressful and psychopathological.
Page 1
, 7. Which depressed person would be the LEAST likely to be diagnosed with a mental
disorder, because of specific circumstances?
A) someone whose mother was depressed
B) someone whose community was destroyed by a tornado
C) someone who was experiencing a chemical brain imbalance
D) someone who was also an alcoholic
8. If a person experienced anxiety or depression following a significant natural disaster,
we would say that the person was:
A) suffering from a mental illness.
B) deviant but not dangerous.
C) exhibiting a typical reaction.
D) statistically deviant.
9. George hears voices that others do not but is not distressed by them. This illustrates
that:
A) distress must always be used to determine abnormality.
B) behavior that is not really dangerous can never be considered abnormal.
C) distress does not have to be present for a person's behavior to be considered
abnormal.
D) behavior that is not distressful is not abnormal.
10. People who engage in frenetic, manic activity may not experience distress even though
their behaviors are problematic. They are:
A) nevertheless considered to be abnormal.
B) not abnormal because abnormality requires distress.
C) doing something illegal, not abnormal.
D) no longer considered abnormal but were considered abnormal in the past.
11. An individual has a 9-to-5 job. However, this person seldom gets up early enough to be
at work on time and expresses great distress over this behavior. This individual's
behavior would be considered abnormal because it is:
A) disturbed.
B) deviant.
C) dysfunctional.
D) dangerous.
Page 2
,12. Which aspect of the definition of abnormality includes the inability to care for oneself
and work productively?
A) distress
B) deviance
C) dysfunction
D) danger to self or others
13. Which person would NOT be considered abnormal, despite the fact that the person's
behavior is dysfunctional?
A) someone who is too confused to drive safely
B) someone who parties so much that he or she cannot go to class
C) someone who goes on a hunger strike to protest social injustice
D) someone who cannot stay alone for even one night
14. A person who is suicidal and can see no reason for living BEST fits which definition of
abnormality?
A) deviance
B) distress
C) danger
D) dysfunction
15. A Secret Service agent steps in front of the president of the United States, prepared to
be killed or injured if the president's safety is threatened. Psychologically speaking, the
Secret Service agent's behavior is:
A) distressing and psychologically abnormal.
B) functional and not psychologically abnormal.
C) dysfunctional and psychologically abnormal.
D) dangerous but not psychologically abnormal.
16. Despite popular misconceptions, most people with psychological problems are not:
A) dysfunctional.
B) dangerous.
C) distressing.
D) deviant.
17. According to Thomas Szasz's views, the deviations that some call mental illness are
really:
A) mental illnesses.
B) problems in living.
C) caused by one's early childhood experiences.
D) eccentric behaviors with a biological cause.
Page 3
, 18. A researcher spends 15 or more hours per day conducting experiments or doing library
reading and records observations on color-coded index cards. This person lives alone in
the country but doesn't interfere with others' lives. The BEST description of the
researcher's behavior is that it is:
A) eccentric.
B) abnormal.
C) dangerous.
D) dysfunctional.
19. College students who drink so much that it interferes with their lives, health, and
academic careers are often not diagnosed as engaging in abnormal behavior because:
A) the behavior is not illegal.
B) they are just considered eccentric.
C) they are not harming anyone but themselves.
D) drinking is considered part of the college subculture.
20. Using “the four Ds” to define abnormal behavior:
A) allows us to create diagnoses that are clear-cut and not debatable.
B) allows us to eliminate those who are merely eccentric.
C) allows us to include those who experience no distress.
D) is still often vague and subjective.
21. Lady Gaga and other eccentrics are usually not considered to be experiencing a mental
illness because:
A) they are not deviant.
B) they freely choose and enjoy their behavior.
C) they are only dangerous to others, not to themselves.
D) while they are distressed by their behavior, others are not.
22. Which is NOT a characteristic of eccentric individuals noted by researchers in the field?
A) being a poor speller
B) having a diagnosable mental illness
C) being creative
D) a mischievous sense of humor
23. Studies show that eccentric individuals are more likely than those with mental
disorders to say:
A) I feel like my behavior has been thrust on me.
B) I'm different and I like it.
C) I am in a lot of pain and I suffer a great deal.
D) I wish I were not so “unique.”
Page 4
abnormality is a clinical:
A) mentalist.
B) legalist.
C) scientist.
D) practitioner.
2. If a person wants a career focused on detecting, assessing, and treating abnormal
patterns of functioning, that person should look into becoming a clinical:
A) practitioner.
B) researcher.
C) historian.
D) statistician.
3. The stated and unstated rules for proper conduct that a society establishes are referred
to as:
A) norms.
B) culture.
C) morality.
D) conventions.
4. Just decades ago, a woman's love for racecar driving would have been considered
abnormal. This statement illustrates:
A) how dangerous most mentally ill people actually are.
B) that abnormality can be situational.
C) that everyone is a little eccentric.
D) that drug use causes people to become mentally ill.
5. The history, values, institutions, habits, skills, technology, and art of a society make
up that society's:
A) laws.
B) norms.
C) culture.
D) conventions.
6. Behavior that violates legal norms is:
A) deviant and criminal.
B) distressful and criminal.
C) deviant and psychopathological.
D) distressful and psychopathological.
Page 1
, 7. Which depressed person would be the LEAST likely to be diagnosed with a mental
disorder, because of specific circumstances?
A) someone whose mother was depressed
B) someone whose community was destroyed by a tornado
C) someone who was experiencing a chemical brain imbalance
D) someone who was also an alcoholic
8. If a person experienced anxiety or depression following a significant natural disaster,
we would say that the person was:
A) suffering from a mental illness.
B) deviant but not dangerous.
C) exhibiting a typical reaction.
D) statistically deviant.
9. George hears voices that others do not but is not distressed by them. This illustrates
that:
A) distress must always be used to determine abnormality.
B) behavior that is not really dangerous can never be considered abnormal.
C) distress does not have to be present for a person's behavior to be considered
abnormal.
D) behavior that is not distressful is not abnormal.
10. People who engage in frenetic, manic activity may not experience distress even though
their behaviors are problematic. They are:
A) nevertheless considered to be abnormal.
B) not abnormal because abnormality requires distress.
C) doing something illegal, not abnormal.
D) no longer considered abnormal but were considered abnormal in the past.
11. An individual has a 9-to-5 job. However, this person seldom gets up early enough to be
at work on time and expresses great distress over this behavior. This individual's
behavior would be considered abnormal because it is:
A) disturbed.
B) deviant.
C) dysfunctional.
D) dangerous.
Page 2
,12. Which aspect of the definition of abnormality includes the inability to care for oneself
and work productively?
A) distress
B) deviance
C) dysfunction
D) danger to self or others
13. Which person would NOT be considered abnormal, despite the fact that the person's
behavior is dysfunctional?
A) someone who is too confused to drive safely
B) someone who parties so much that he or she cannot go to class
C) someone who goes on a hunger strike to protest social injustice
D) someone who cannot stay alone for even one night
14. A person who is suicidal and can see no reason for living BEST fits which definition of
abnormality?
A) deviance
B) distress
C) danger
D) dysfunction
15. A Secret Service agent steps in front of the president of the United States, prepared to
be killed or injured if the president's safety is threatened. Psychologically speaking, the
Secret Service agent's behavior is:
A) distressing and psychologically abnormal.
B) functional and not psychologically abnormal.
C) dysfunctional and psychologically abnormal.
D) dangerous but not psychologically abnormal.
16. Despite popular misconceptions, most people with psychological problems are not:
A) dysfunctional.
B) dangerous.
C) distressing.
D) deviant.
17. According to Thomas Szasz's views, the deviations that some call mental illness are
really:
A) mental illnesses.
B) problems in living.
C) caused by one's early childhood experiences.
D) eccentric behaviors with a biological cause.
Page 3
, 18. A researcher spends 15 or more hours per day conducting experiments or doing library
reading and records observations on color-coded index cards. This person lives alone in
the country but doesn't interfere with others' lives. The BEST description of the
researcher's behavior is that it is:
A) eccentric.
B) abnormal.
C) dangerous.
D) dysfunctional.
19. College students who drink so much that it interferes with their lives, health, and
academic careers are often not diagnosed as engaging in abnormal behavior because:
A) the behavior is not illegal.
B) they are just considered eccentric.
C) they are not harming anyone but themselves.
D) drinking is considered part of the college subculture.
20. Using “the four Ds” to define abnormal behavior:
A) allows us to create diagnoses that are clear-cut and not debatable.
B) allows us to eliminate those who are merely eccentric.
C) allows us to include those who experience no distress.
D) is still often vague and subjective.
21. Lady Gaga and other eccentrics are usually not considered to be experiencing a mental
illness because:
A) they are not deviant.
B) they freely choose and enjoy their behavior.
C) they are only dangerous to others, not to themselves.
D) while they are distressed by their behavior, others are not.
22. Which is NOT a characteristic of eccentric individuals noted by researchers in the field?
A) being a poor speller
B) having a diagnosable mental illness
C) being creative
D) a mischievous sense of humor
23. Studies show that eccentric individuals are more likely than those with mental
disorders to say:
A) I feel like my behavior has been thrust on me.
B) I'm different and I like it.
C) I am in a lot of pain and I suffer a great deal.
D) I wish I were not so “unique.”
Page 4
