UNIVERSITY OF GHANA (All rights reserved)

B.A. SECOND SEMESTER EXAMINATIONS: 2014/2015

COURSE CODE: PSYC 338, 316 306

COURSE TITLE: ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY

(Credit) (3 credits)

INDEXNO ____________________________________________________ __

LEG ON AND ACCRA CITY CAMPUSES

TIME: TWO HOURS THIRTY MINUTES (2 hours 30 minutes)

INSTRUCTIONS: SECTION A. ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS IN THIS SECTION SECTION B - ANS'VER THREE QUESTIONS IN THE EXAM BOOKLET

(DO NOT REMOVE ANY PART OF THIS BOOKLET - (CIRCLE THE CORRECT ANSWER)

SECTION A ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS

1. Although no else can hear them, Jack says that he hears voices accusing him of terribie crimes. He also reports that insects are crawling under his skin. Jack is suffering from

a. Delusions b. Extreme dysfunction c. · Hallucinations d. Disorientation

2. Dysfunction is assessed in temlS of the discrepancy between

. a. Thoughts and feelings b. Expectations and attitudes c. Cultural norms and actual behavior d. Personal potential and actual perfomlance

Examiners: Professor C. Charles Mate-Kole Page 1 of 11

~1-3. Teresa, normally an energetic mother of three small children, is suddenly unable to go

shopping, prepare meals, or even dress her children. Teresa's behavior illustrates the definition of abnormality called

a. Disorientation b. Discomfort c. Dysfunction d. Deviance

4. A psychologist determines abnormality on the basis of how the behavior is seen by society, the individual performing it, and the psychologist herself. This psychologist is using a definition of abnormality that is

a. Psychogenic b. Based on cultural universality c. Integrated d. Based on statistical rarity

5. Abnormal behavior may be defined as behavior that

a. Departs from cultural norms and harnls the individual or others b. Is deviant in every 'culture c. Departs from cultural norms d. Represents severe mental illness

6. Epidemiological studies are useful for providing

a. Clear criteria allowing mental health professionals to distinguish people who are normal from those who are abnormal

b. Specific criteria concerning the etiology of various disorders c. Information about large numbers of people who represent various segments of the

population d. Experimental data on cause-and-effect relationship

7. Suppose that in one region of the country we had two fast-growing populations: those over the age of sixty-five, and men in their late teens and early twenties. We could predict increasing rates of which disorders?

a. Schizophrenia and anxiety b. Depression and phobias c. Cognitive impairments and drug dependence d. Schizophrenia and depression

Examiners: Professor C. Charles Mate-Kole Page 2 ofll

8. A respected doctor in a small rural village stated, "Individuals who have mental illness cannot be cured and probably cannot hold down ajob." This statement

a. Gives the impression that people with mental disorders can cure themselves only with willpower

b. Assumes that we can easily identify people with mental illness c. Suggests that people who suffer psychological problems cannot make meaningful

contributions to society d. Assumes that mental disorders are caused predominantly by environmental factors

9. Many psychological problems stem from situations that are not under an individual's control. This fact counters the myth that

a. Mental illness is incurable b. Mental patients are usually dangerous c. Most mental disorders are caused by inherited biological defects, although the specific

nature of the deficiency is unknown d. Mental illness is caused by weak personal willpower

10. In some non-Western societies today, headaches, depression, and seizures are all believed to be caused by offended ancestral spirits or by evil forces that possess the sufferer. This type of explanation is called

a. Naturalism b. Demonology c. Trephining d. Exorcism

11 . A psychologist says, "There are certain emotional disorders for which we can find no evidence of brain pathology. "This psychologist ' s statement reflects a(n) viewpoint

a. Organic b. Biogenic c. Humanistic d. Psychological

12. What was a significant effect on the drug revolution on mental health care?

a. It greatly increased the number of people dependent on illegal drugs b. It showed that troublesome psychiatric symptoms are caused primarily by biological

factors c. It helped reduce the number of patients in mental institutions d. It led directly to the managed care movement

Examiners: Professor C. Charles Mate-Kale Page 3 of 11

13. Dr. Colletti is thinking about two patients: "how ironic that Mrs. A has Parkinson ' s disease because she has too little of it and her daughter, Joan suffers from schizophrenia because she has too much." What is the "it" the doctor is thinking about?

a. Dopamine b. Axon terminals c. GABA d. The neurotransmitter Lithium

14. A person' s observable physical or behavioral characteristics are the

a. Same thing as their genotype b. Result of inheritance c. Results of environmental factors only d. Same thing as their phenotype

15. Which statement about the biological model is accurate?

a. It has helped find effective drugs for treating disorders b. It has shown that the phenotypes of most disorders result from similar genotypes c. It has shown that genotype and phenotype are identical for most disorders d. It has shown inheritance is the direct cause of most disorders

16. The central concept that represents the core of Freud's theory of psychopathology is

a. Anxiety caused by unconscious conflicts b. Irrational thinking c. Imitation of faulty role models d. Disturbed family interactions

1 7. Defense mechanisms are used to protect

a. Unconscious material from being exposed to the id b. The ego from anxiety and guilt caused by unacceptable impUlses c. The id from being deceived by the superego d. The ego from an unrt'alistic perception of reality

18. Classical conditioning is a form of associative learning. What exactly is associated?

a. Internal models of the world and behavior b. Responses to new stimuli c. A behavior and its consequence

Examiners: Professor C. Charles Mate-Kole Page 4 of 11

d. Unconscious motivations and internal needs

19. Erin' s problem is that she talks incessantly and in a disjointed manner. This is an example of voluntary behaviors, so therapy based on principles is least likely to be helpful

a. Cognitive b. Classical conditioning c. Modeling d. Operant conditioning

20. If we take current trends as a way of predicting the future, mental health professionals appear to be moving toward

a. Refused to treat their clients from more than one theoretical viewpoint b. Abandoned the biological model completely c. Abandoned the multicultural model completely d. Integrating contrasting views to develop a more eclectic approach

21 . A company that wants to market computer assessment would best advertise its product as a substitute for

a. Clinical interviewing b. Naturalistic observation c. Projective personality testing d. PET and CAT scan testing

22. 'Which of the following is a hallmark of the scientific method?

a. Systematic data collection for the testing hypotheses b. Maintaining the privacy of researchers ' methods so that ideas are not stolen c. Research conducted without the restrictions that hypotheses and theories put on our

conception of phenomena d. Rejection ofthe concept "self-corrections"

23. Suppose that one-third of a sample of teenage girls thought they were too fat despite being normal weight. If these thoughts were taken as a sign of eating disorders, the problem would be that

a. No boys were included in the sample b. There is too small a sanlple on which to base the conclusion c. There is confusion about what reliability and validity mean d. There are no base rates for control and eating disorder popUlations

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24. Catharsis assumes that 2//

a. Abnom1al behavior is affected primarily by cultural nOffi1S b. Reliving forgotten emotions reduces suffering c. Astrology and planetary movements affect human emotions d. Drug treatment, coupled with social skills training, improves mental functioning

25. Models do all of the following except

a. Provide a clear and definitive explanation for phenomena b. Describe a theoretical approach c. Provide an analogy for a phenomenon d. Apply teffi1S from other fields to describe a phenomenon

26. Which statement about neurotransmitters is accurate

a. Neurotransmitters are released by the dendrites into the axon b. Drugs that block or facilitate neurotransmitter activity can alleviate symptoms of

mental disorders c. Neurotransmitters consistently have an excitatory effect on the human nervous system d. Only a few neurotransmitters have been identified by scientists

27. Dopamine is related to several mental disorders. Insufficient dopamine is a possible cause of , while receptors that are oversensitive to dopamine may be related to the disorder called - ---

a. Parkinson' s disease; bipolar disorder b. Parkinson's disease; schizophrenia c. Schizophrenia; Parkinson's disease d. Schizophrenia; depression

28. Which of the following is an accurate criticism of the biological model?

a. It deemphasizes scientific investigation b. It has failed to identify specific neurotransmitters related to specific disorders c. It cannot tell whether disorders can cause biochemical changes or biochemical changes

cause disorders d. It burdens patients with the feeling that they are responsible for their disorders

29. Suppose Kojo feels an overwhelming need for sex and a complete inability to delay his desires. According to a psychoanalytic thinker, at that moment Kojo's personality is dominated by the a. Superego

Examiners: Professor C. Charles Mate-Kole Page 6 of 11

b. Reality principle c. Id d. Ego

30. Defense mechanisms have all of the following characteristics except

a. They operate unconsciously b. They protect individuals from anxiety c. They are used by neurotic people d. They distort reality

31 . If a loud siren is sounded, any newborn infant will automatically scream. In classical conditioning technology, the siren is

a. a conditioned response b. an unconditioned response c. an unconditioned stimulus d. a conditioned stimulus

32. Which of the following is the best exanlple of operant conditioning?

a. A man gets nauseated when he smells the same kind of food that once caused him food pOlsonmg

b. a man asks for a raise because in the past, his requests were successful c. a woman has been frightened by thunderstorms all her life d. a child watches a friend steal from a store so he thinks he might steal sometimes in the

future

33. All of the following are strengths of the behavioral models except

a. they emphasize the impact of environment on behavior b. they have questioned the adequacy of the biological model c. they have required strict adherence to scientific methodology d. they highlight the subjective life of the individual

34. The humanistic perspective is most associated with which pair of names?

a. Thorndike and Skinner b. Ellis and Beck c. Maslow and Rogers d .. Adler and Jung

35. Which of the following is a negative symptom of schizophrenia?

Examiners: Professor C. Charles Mate-Kole Page 70f11

a. Social withdrawal b. Thought disorders c. Hallucinations d. Delusions

36. Beck characterized the pessimistic thinking of depressed patients in terms of which of the following?

a. Tricyclic response b. Diathesis-stress schema c. Cognitive triad d. Affect-cognition cycle

37. Ama has social phobia; Akosua suffers from agoraphobia. -Based on research, what will be the most effective treatment for Ama and Akosua?

a. Ama is best treated with antidepressants, Akosua with beta blockers b. Ama and Akosua are best treated with antidepressants c. Ama is best treated with antidepressants, Akosua with behavioral treatment d. Both will benefit most from behavioral methods

38. One limitation of the unstructured clinical interview is that the unstructured interview a. can downplay the client's nonverbal behavior b. can be difficult to compare when information is gathered by different assessors c. requires information from other informants, such as the client's parents d. is standardized and may not ask about issues important to particular individuals .

39. A person who has experienced (for the past month) a loss of interest in his or her usual activities, in addition to psychomotor agitation, increased appetite, insomnia, and thoughts of committing suicide, would be diagnosed as having:

a. Double depression b. Bipolar II disorder c. Major depression d. Cyclothymic disorder.

40. A person who alternates between episodes of hypomania and moderate depression chronically for at least 2 years would be diagnosed as having:

a. Bipolar I Disorder b. Bipolar II Disorder c. Rapid cycling bipolar disorder

Examiners: Professor C. Charles Mate-Kole Page 8 of 11

d. Cyclothymic disorder.

41. A false belief in which an individual believes that they are being watched or tormented by agencies or persons in authority with whom they have never interacted is known as a

a. grandiose delusion. b. delusion of thought control. c. delusion of reference. d. persecutory delusion

42. Abena experiences delusions of being controlled by a neighbor's television remote control. She visits the neighbor and demands that he hand over his remote, which he refuses to do, calling her "crazy." She takes his refusal as further evidence of a plot against her life organized by the entire neighborhood. Alicia is most likely experiencing:

a. self-deception. b. undifferentiated schizophrenia. c. paranoid schizophrenia. d. disorganized (hebephrenic) schizophrenia.

43. Wendy, who has suffered two acute episodes of schizophrenia involving delusions and hallucinations, but who now experiences only mild hallucinations and flattened affect, would most likely be diagnosed with:

a. residual schizophrenia. b. paranoid schizophrenia. c. undifferentiated schizophrenia. d. disorganized (hebephrenic) schizophrenia.

44. Julie's son, Winston, just fell dovm and hurt himself. She rushes to comfort him, takes him into her arms lovingly and says, "You stupid little boy! Watch where you walk!" This is an example of

a. a double bind. b. a schizophrenogenic mother. c. communication deviance. d. expressed emotion.

45. Which of the following best describes expressed emotion, as characterized by schizophrenia researchers?

a. families Ihat routinely express their emotions to the exclusion of rational

Exanliners: Professor C. Charles Mate-Kole Page 9 of 11

46.

ivl S" and reasonable interactions, create an enviromnent that facilitates relapse by

creating stress for the schizophrenic family member, who cannot deal with the constant emotion.

b. families that express, rather than inhibit or suppress their emotions, actively model maladaptive behavior patterns that the schizophrenic picks up through observation; he or she then feels no restrictions upon expressing

delusional beliefs and describing hallucinations c. families in which the members are over-involved with each other, who

express self-sacrificing attitudes toward the schizophrenic member but also appear cold, resentful, and rejecting; create an atmosphere that puts the schizophrenic family member at a greater risk for relapse.

d. families that are high in expressed emotion tend to show abnormally high levels of affection and concern for one another, yet they show the schizophrenic family member practically no warmth or concern at all.

_ _ ____ __ , a movement disorder marked by persistent, involuntary movements of the face and mouth may occur in schizophrenia as a result of

a. Akinesia; neuroleptic drug treatment b. Tardive dyskinesia; c10zapine drug treatment c. Parkinson's disease; increased levels of dopanline d. Tardive dyskinesia; phenothiazine drug treatment

47. "Reliving a traumatic experience and trying to avoid reminders of it for between two and thirty days and doing this within four weeks of the original stressor

event" defines

a. posttraumatic stress disorder b. acute stress disorder c. generalized anxiety disorder d. simple stress disorder

48 . If after reading about four different disorders, you believe you have all of them, you are probably

a. suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder b. experiencing catharsis c. experiencing medical student syndrome d. severely mentally disordered

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tub 49. Which is a distinction between bipolar disorder and major depression?

a. bipolar symptoms are less pronounced but more chronic b. bipolar disorders never involve depression c. major depression never involves mania d. major depression requires the presence of delusions

50. Research on the genetic factors in mood disorders indicates that a. genetic factors are more important in unipolar than bipolar disorder b. unipolar and bipolar disorders have equally strong genetic basis c. neither unipolar nor bipolar appear to have a genetic basis; both are thought to be caused more by environmental factors d. genetic factors are more important in bipolar than in unipolar disorder

SECTION B ANSWER ANY THREE QUESTIONS (ALL QUESTIONS IN THE ANSWER BOOKLET)

1. Why are cultural factors important in the assessment and treatment of mental disorders?

2. Was Freud right about his theories on the role of the unconscious in understanding mental illness?

3. Describe the symptoms, causes and treatment of two types of anxiety disorders.

4. Describe the mood disorders and distinguish them from normal mood changes.

5. Critically examine the cognitive models of abnormality.

Examiners : Professor C. Charles Mate-Kole Page 11 of 11