PSYC 435 - Abnormal Psychology Quiz 1
Concepts. Exam Questions With Correct
Answers
Why is abnormality so difficult to define? - answerWhat is considered abnormal by one may
be considered normal by another
What characteristics help us recognize abnormality? - answer1. subjective distress
2. m...
Why is abnormality so difficult to define? - answer✔What is considered abnormal by one may
be considered normal by another
What characteristics help us recognize abnormality? - answer✔1. subjective distress
2. maladaptiveness
3. statistical deviancy
4. violation of the standards of society
5. social discomfort
6. irrationality and unpredictability
7. dangerousness
What is stigma? How common is it? - answer✔Preconceived negative attitudes about a particular
subject that are extremely common
What challenges are involved in reducing stigma toward people with mental illness? -
answer✔Knowledge alone is not enough to remove stigmas
A person's self-concept may be directly affected by being given a diagnosis - perpetuating stigma
Fear of individuals who exhibit dangerous or unpredictable behavior perpetuates stigma
What is epidemiology? - answer✔involves the study of the distribution and frequency of
disorders
What is the difference between prevalence and incidence? - answer✔Incidence is the number of
new cases in a population within a certain period. Prevalence is the total number of cases in a
population in a certain period - including both new and existing cases
What are the most common mental disorders? - answer✔Mood, anxiety, and substance abuse
disorders
How is illness severity associated with comorbidity? - answer✔Comorbidity is positively
correlated with illness severity
What are the strengths and limitations of case studies? - answer✔new ideas and stimulus for
research. insight into rare clinical conditions
Studying and drawing inferences from past case studies alone often leads to erroneous thinking
as we often focus on data that confirm our ideas of how things are.
Why is it desirable not to rely solely on self-report data as a source of information? -
answer✔Because people will occasionally lie, misinterpret the question, or desire to present
themselves in a particularly favorable (or unfavorable) light
What is the difference between self-report and observational data? - answer✔Self-report data is
the individual's personal subjective experience, whereas observational data is what is observable
to everyone as it currently is
What range of measures could be considered to reflect observational data? - answer✔Direct
observation, biological, laboratory, technological, clinical
Explain what the term representative sample means - answer✔A group that is as indicative of
what the entire population is as possible
What is a sample of convenience? - answer✔A sample of what is most readily available, though
not necessarily most indicative of the entire population
What is the difference between internal and external validity? How can external validity be
maximized? - answer✔Internal: how confident we are in the results of that study
External: the extent to which we can generalize the findings of a study
Create a sample that has wide ranges of various factors to represent the most of the population
Why are comparison or control groups so important? - answer✔researchers cannot test their
hypothesis adequately. The control group must be comparable in all major respects to the
criterion group except for the fact that they do not exhibit the disorder of interest.
• comparison of the variables of interest shows if there are significant differences.
How is experimental research different from correlational research? - answer✔Experimental
research manipulates the variables and environments whereas correlational research observes
without interference
In experimental research, which variable (independent or dependent) is manipulated? -
answer✔Independent
What is a placebo? - answer✔A treatment that has no effect.
Explain the process of performing an ABAB design. Why are such designs helpful to clinicians
and researchers? - answer✔With/without/with/without treatment - infer causal relationships and
determine how well the treatment works
Explain how we define abnormality and classify mental disorders. - answer✔• A precise
definition of abnormality remains elusive. Consider subjective distress, maladaptiveness,
statistical deviancy, violation of societal norms, social discomfort, irrationality and
unpredictability, and dangerousness.
• The DSM employs a category type of classification similar to that used in medicine. Disorders
are
regarded as discrete clinical entities, though not all clinical disorders may be best considered in
this way.
• Even though it is not without problems, the DSM provides us with working criteria that help
clinicians and researchers identify and study specific difficulties that affect the lives of many
people. It is far from a "finished product." However, familiarity with the DSM is essential to
significant study of the field.
Describe the advantages and disadvantages of classification. - answer✔• Pros:
Classifying disorders provides a common language as well as a communication shorthand
Structures and organises information facilitating research and treatment.
Defines the types of psychological difficulties that warrant insurance reimbursement and
identifies the disorders that mental health professionals treat.
• Cons:
lose detailed personal information about the person with the disorder.
can facilitate stigma, stereotyping, and labelling, (not caused by the classification system itself)
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