a male college student begins feeling sad and lonely although still able to go to classes and work at his job he finds himself feeling down much of th

ATI RN

Psychological Exam

1. A male college student begins feeling sad and lonely. Although still able to go to classes and work at his job, he finds himself feeling down much of the time and worrying about what is happening to him. Which part of the definition of abnormality applies to his situation?

A. Personal distress
B. Cultural factors
C. Impaired functioning
D. Violation of societal norms

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: Personal distress. In this scenario, the student is experiencing personal distress as he feels sad and lonely, despite being able to function in his daily life. Personal distress is a key criterion for determining abnormality as it signifies significant emotional discomfort. Choices B, C, and D are incorrect as cultural factors, impaired functioning, and violation of societal norms are not the primary factors highlighted in the student's situation.

2. Which of the following is an appropriate description of a child with conduct disorder?

A. They may argue repeatedly with adults, ignore adult rules and requests, deliberately annoy other people, and feel much anger and resentment
B. They have great difficulty attending to tasks, or behave overactively and impulsively, or both
C. Marked by extreme unresponsiveness to other people, severe communication deficits, and highly rigid and repetitive behaviors, interests, and activities
D. They are often aggressive, deliberately destroy other people's property, steal or lie, skip school, or run away from home

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A. Children with conduct disorder often exhibit behaviors such as arguing with adults, ignoring rules, deliberately annoying others, and displaying anger and resentment. Choice B describes symptoms more characteristic of ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder). Choice C describes symptoms commonly seen in individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Choice D outlines behaviors associated with oppositional defiant disorder rather than conduct disorder.

3. Neural plasticity is ________.

A. the process by which neurotransmitters are broken down in the brain.
B. the flexibility of the brain—existing neural circuits can change or new ones can be made.
C. strong evidence of brain damage, leading to the development of a mental disorder.
D. the best indicator of temperament and its effect on the personality development of a child.

Correct answer: B

Rationale: Neural plasticity refers to the brain's flexibility to change existing neural circuits or create new ones. Choice A is incorrect as it describes neurotransmitter breakdown, not neural plasticity. Choice C is incorrect because neural plasticity does not necessarily indicate brain damage leading to mental disorders. Choice D is incorrect because neural plasticity is not specifically related to temperament or personality development in children.

4. What is extinction and how might it be used in treating a disorder?

A. Extinction strengthens the conditioned response by continuously pairing the conditioned stimulus with the unconditioned stimulus.
B. Extinction is the process of eliminating a conditioned response by repeatedly presenting the conditioned stimulus without the unconditioned stimulus.
C. Extinction is ineffective and is not used in treating disorders.
D. Extinction is the process of intensifying the conditioned response by pairing the conditioned stimulus with a stronger unconditioned stimulus.

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B. Extinction is the process of eliminating a conditioned response by repeatedly presenting the conditioned stimulus without the unconditioned stimulus. This helps in reducing or eliminating undesired behaviors. Choice A is incorrect because extinction does not strengthen the conditioned response but weakens it. Choice C is also incorrect as extinction is a valid technique used in treating disorders by reducing unwanted behaviors. Choice D is incorrect as extinction does not involve intensifying the conditioned response but rather diminishing it.

5. Which of the following is true about subjective distress?

A. All individuals with mental illness experience some degree of distress
B. Distress is the only criterion in diagnosing abnormality
C. Its presence is enough for a clinician to determine if someone has a mental illness
D. Some individuals with a mental disorder may not experience subjective distress

Correct answer: D

Rationale: Subjective distress is not universal among individuals with a mental disorder. Choice A is incorrect as not all individuals with mental illness experience distress. Choice B is incorrect because distress is just one of the criteria used in diagnosing abnormality, not the only one. Choice C is incorrect because the presence of subjective distress alone is not sufficient for a clinician to determine if someone has a mental illness.