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ID: Name _____________________________
Psych 2AP3 Test #1: Introduction, ADHD, Autism (2011-12, Term 1)
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Instructions: You have 50 minutes to complete the following 40 questions. Please print your name and student ID number at the top
of this paper, and return it with your scan sheet. On the scan sheet, print your ID number in the leftmost 7 boxes in the section at the
top left marked "IDENTIFICATION NUMBER", and fill in the appropriate circle beneath each box. Please be sure to code your ID
correctly, since it is the ONLY way the computer has of identifying you!! Please PRINT your name in the space marked "NAME" at
the top right of the form, and SIGN your name underneath. In answering questions, be sure to mark darkly. IF YOU CAN STILL
READ THE NUMBER IN THE BUBBLE YOUR MARKING IS TOO LIGHT.
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1.
Which of the following was NOT one of the weaknesses we discussed concerning the use of a purely statistical criterion to define
pathological abnormality?
a. It is not clear where the diving line between normal and pathological should be drawn.
b. We do not usually consider individuals with too much of a positive quality (e.g., happiness, optimism) to be pathological.
c. There are negative qualities (e.g. laziness, greed) that we almost never consider pathological no matter how far they are from
the norm or average.
d. Individuals may change their position on the statistical distribution of some quality, so statistical criteria are unreliable.
[Correct]
e. all of the above ARE criticisms we discussed.
2.
A.J. is brought to a mental health clinic by family members. A.J. has been leaving the house late at night, wandering the streets
talking to himself and yelling obscenities and threats at people. A.J. seems depressed and angry, and is disturbed by his thoughts
and behavior. A.J. works as a writer, and so far has been able to work productively and maintain normal social relationships
despite his nocturnal behavior. Which aspect of A.J.'s case would be most relevant to a decision about mental disorder based on
adjustment criteria?
a. his ability to continue working productively and maintain relationships with others [Correct]
b. the fact that his behavior is very uncommon
c. the fact that his behavior is socially unacceptable
d. the fact that he finds his thoughts and behavior upsetting
e. the fact that his behavior is disturbing to others
3.
Which of the following is NOT true of the medical model of mental disorder?
a. The model argues that a mental disorder is really a physical disorder that causes psychological symptoms.
b. The model began with the observation that syphilitic infection and mercury poisoning could cause mental and behavioral
symptoms.
c. The model is especially well suited for those situations in which physical problems (e.g., cancer) cause psychological distress
(e.g., anxiety, depression.) [Correct]
d. The medical model leads to a bias towards using physical treatments (e.g., drugs) to treat psychological symptoms.
e. all of the above are TRUE.
4.
Which of the following is NOT true of the cognitive model of mental disorder?
a. The model argues that mental disorder results from maladaptive or incorrect ways of selecting information or interpreting
events around us.
b. The model argues that mental disorder is largely due to inappropriate learning or experience.
c. Treatments based on the model typically involve training individual to think differently about themselves, their situation, and
the world around them.
d. Disorders that seem to be handled well by the model include schizophrenia and somatoform disorders. [Correct]
e. all of the above are TRUE.
5.
In comparing the several models of psychopathology we find that:
a. both the medical model and the psychodynamic model agree that pathological behavior is merely a symptom of some inner
problem that must be detected. [Correct]
b. both the behavioral and the psychodynamic model agree that abnormal behavior is a disorder, and not a symptom of some
hidden problem.
c. both the medical and the sociocultural model stress the importance of environmental factors in producing psychopathology.
d. both the psychodynamic model and the sociocultural model stress the importance of the cultural and social environment in
creating psychopathology.
e. more than one of the above
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6.
Which of the following statements about the meaning of DSM categories is NOT true?
a. DSM categories are diagnostic labels used to describe and classify the clinical presentation of symptoms.
b. DSM categories are based on our current understanding of the etiological relationships between disorders. [Correct]
c. DSM categories are designed to help clinicians decide which treatments are most appropriate for their patients.
d. DSM categories are designed to standardize professional communication about mental disorder, so every professional knows
what a given diagnostic label means.
e. all of the above are TRUE
7.
In discussing classification systems for mental disorders, your text notes that:
a. It is far more important that they be reliable than it is for them to be valid.
b. Classification systems make it more difficult to gather statistics on the incidence and prevalence of disorders.
c. Classification systems meet the needs of medical insurance companies who need diagnoses in order to authorize payment of
claims. [Correct]
d. Although they assist scientists who are researching disorders, they inhibit our ability to communicate about abnormal behavior
in a precise way.
e. All of the above
8.
Your text notes that Jerome Wakefield's definition of "mental disorder" has three components, which are:
a. statistical rarity, distress to others in society, and unexpected behavior.
b. distress, dangerousness, and mental dysfunction.
c. distress or disability, unexpected response to events, and mental dysfunction. [Correct]
d. biological deficit or dysfunction, social condemnation, and statistical rarity.
e. None of the above
9.
Suppose we discover that damage to the prefrontal cortex always results in symptoms of ADHD, but only when the individual has
a defect in gene P32. ADHD does not occur if the prefrontal cortex is damaged without the P32 defect, or if the P32 defect occurs
without prefrontal damage. If there were no other causes for ADHD we could say that:
a. both prefrontal cortex damage and a P32 defect are sufficient causes of ADHD.
b. prefrontal cortex damage is a sufficient cause of ADHD, and a P32 defect is a necessary cause of ADHD.
c. prefrontal cortex damage is a necessary cause of ADHD, and a P32 defect is a sufficient cause of ADHD.
d. a P32 defect is a necessary cause of ADHD, but prefrontal cortex damage is neither a necessary nor a sufficient cause of
ADHD.
e. none of the above. [Correct]
10. In the diathesis-stress model of mental illness, the diathesis refers to
a. any predisposition to develop the disorder, whether a genetic, neurochemical, or structural. [Correct]
b. a genetic predisposition to a mental disorder.
c. an environmental condition that triggers the onset of a particular disorder.
d. any condition, internal or external, that is a necessary cause of the disorder.
e. none of the above
11. As your text notes, the additive model of the diathesis stress theory proposes that:
a. people with a very high level of a diathesis may need a very large amount of stress to develop the disorder.
b. people with a very high level of a diathesis may need only a small amount of stress to develop the disorder. [Correct]
c. someone with no diathesis will never develop the disorder.
d. someone with no genes for the disorder will never develop the disorder.
e. None of the above
12. According to the text, which of the following has NOT been identified as a potential protective factor against mental disorder?
a. exposure to moderate stressors
b. high intelligence
c. an outgoing personality [Correct]
d. a warm and supportive parent
e. All of the above have been identified as potential protective factors
Page 3 of 6
13. In discussing levels of analysis in mental disorder, I used the treatment of depression with drugs and cognitive therapy to make the
point that:
a. the causal chain in mental disorder does not necessarily move from lower levels of analysis (e.g., neurotransmitters levels) to
higher levels (e.g., thought processes).
b. treatments directed at 'higher' levels of activity (e.g., problematic thoughts) can be the cause of changes in 'lower' levels of
activity (e.g., neurotransmitter levels).
c. the arrow of causality always moves from lower level causes (e.g. genetics) to higher level effects (e.g., structural changes in
the brain.)
d. all of the above
e. a and b only [Correct]
14. Which of the following was NOT one of the reasons for the growth of the deinstitutionalization movement in the treatment of
mental disorders, according to your text?
a. a desire to involve the family in the care of the mentally ill. [Correct]
b. it was thought to be more humane.
c. the belief that new medications might allow patients to successfully return to their former lives.
d. it was thought to be more cost effective.
e. All of the above ARE reasons for the growth of the deinstitutionalization movement.
15. John is assessed in a school clinic. His primary symptoms are difficulty paying attention in class, a tendency to be easily distracted
by events around him, and a failure to complete assignments, often because he has misplaced materials necessary to the task. If we
decide that these symptoms warrant the description 'ADHD', the diagnostic category most appropriate for this pattern of symptoms
would be:
a. ADHD-C
b. ADHD-PI [Correct]
c. ADHD-PHI
d. ADHD-PIP
e. none of the above
16. I could calculate the annual prevalence of disorder X without knowing which of the following things?
a. How many people there are in the population.
b. How many people in the population first developed the symptoms of disorder X sometime during the past 12 months.
c. How many people showed symptoms of disorder X at any time during the past 12 months.
d. The average length of time that individuals show symptoms of disorder X.
e. I would not need to know either (b) or (d) to calculate the annual prevalence of disorder X. [Correct]
17. The best (and average) estimate for the annual prevalence of ADHD is:
a. about 50 cases per 10,000 members of the population (.5%)
b. about 250 cases per 10,000 members of the population (2.5%)
c. about 500 cases per 10,000 members of the population (5%) [Correct]
d. about 1000 cases per 10,000 members of the population (1%)
e. none of the Which above
18. of the following statements about the epidemiology of ADHD is NOT true?
a. ADHD accounts for about half of all childhood psychiatric patients.
b. diagnoses of ADHD have increased substantially in the past 10-15 years.
c. a high proportion of children diagnosed as ADHD also meet the diagnostic criteria for Conduct Disorder or Oppositional
Defiant Disorder
d. about 50% of adults with ADHD also meet the criteria for Antisocial Personality Disorder. [Correct]
e. all of the above are TRUE
19. In discussing the role of executive functions (cognitive control) in ADHD, we noted that ADHD children show deficits in:
a. impulse control.
b. response inhibition. [Correct]
c. working memory, especially verbal working memory.
d. planning and executing behavior sequences.
e. all of the above
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20. In discussing brain wave data in ADHD, we noted that:
a. 50% of ADHD children have abnormal EEG findings.
b. ADHD children show less right-left asymmetry in electrical activity in the prefrontal cortex. [Correct]
c. ADHD children often show lower levels of slow wave activity, suggesting cortical under arousal.
d. ADHD children often show stronger evoked potentials to stimuli, consistent with poor impulse control.
e. none of the above
21. The cerebellum seems to be involved somehow in ADHD symptoms. We noted that:
a. the cerebellum has complex connections with the sensory cortex and hippocampus.
b. the cerebellum is involved in many functions involving working memory and response initiation and inhibition.
c. parts of the cerebellum seem to be larger in ADHD children than in non-ADHD children.
d. all of the above
e. none of the above [Correct]
22. The prefrontal cortex seems to be involved somehow in ADHD. Which of the following is NOT true of the prefrontal cortex?
a. parts of the prefrontal cortex are involved in working memory.
b. parts of the prefrontal cortex are associated with response inhibition.
c. the prefrontal areas is among the last brain areas to mature.
d. activity in the prefrontal area seems to be higher in ADHD children than in other children. [Correct]
e. all of the above are TRUE
23. In our discussion of epigenetic factors we noted that epigenetic markers:
a. determine which genes are active, and which are not.
b. can be added or removed as a result of specific life experiences.
c. can be passed on from parents to offspring.
d. are different in different cell types, e.g., kidney cells versus neurons.
e. all of the above [Correct]
24. Suppose that a study estimates that the heritability coefficient for IQ in Canada is .50. Which of the following statements would be
appropriate or correct?
a. "Research shows that 50% of your IQ is due to your genes, and 50% is due to your upbringing and experiences."
b. "There is a 50% chance that your IQ is due primarily to your genes, and a 50% chance that it is due primarily you your
upbringing and experiences."
c. "Based on this research, we can estimate that 200 years ago, the heritability coefficient for IQ was about 50%."
d. "Based on this research, we can estimate that the heritability coefficient for IQ in England and France is about 50%."
e. none of the above statements is appropriate or correct. [Correct]
25. An endophenotype for a mental disorder:
a. is an aspect or characteristic of the disorder that cannot be directly observed, but can be measured.
b. is an underlying process, structure, or function that is thought to be responsible for producing the observable symptoms of a
disorder. [Correct]
c. the characteristics signs and symptoms that occur only in the mental disorder, and not in other mental disorders.
d. is the pattern of signs and symptoms that is most characteristic of the disorder.
e. none of the above
26. We mentioned two candidate genes that had ben explored for their relationship to ADHD and noted that:
a. both genes involved the neurotransmitter dopamine. [Correct]
b. both genes more than doubled the risk of having the symptoms of ADHD.
c. the alleles identified as being involved in ADHD were both uncommon in the population.
d. both genes were close together on the same chromosomes.
e. more than one of the above.
27. Which of the following was NOT an environmental factor associated with an elevated risk of ADHD?
a. low birth weight
b. prenatal nicotine exposure
c. pre- or post-natal exposure to lead or mercury.
d. exposure to air or water pollution [Correct]
e. all of the above ARE factors that increase the risk of ADHD
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28. The term 'Autism Spectrum Disorders' is used to refer to the combination of Autistic Disorder with which of the following two
other disorders?
a. Rett's Disorder and Aspergers Disorder.
b. PDD-NOS and Rett's Disorder.
c. Asperger's Disorder and PDD-NOS. [Correct]
d. Asperger's Disorder and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder
e. PDD-NOS and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder
29. A number of symptoms are common in Autistic Disorder, though they are not part of the diagnostic criteria for the disorder. Which
of the following is NOT one of these associated symptoms?
a. impulsivity
b. Indecisiveness [Correct]
c. self-injurious behaviors
d. a high tolerance for pain
e. all of the above symptoms ARE associated with Autistic Disorder, though not part of its diagnostic criteria.
30. In discussing the prevalence of Pervasive Developmental Disorders we noted that:
a. DSM-IV estimates the prevalence of autism at 8-10 cases per 10,000 individuals.
b. Volkmar estimates that the prevalence rate Autistic Disorder is about 13 cases per 10,000 individuals. [Correct]
c. Volkmar estimates that the overall prevalence rate for ASD is about 50 cases per 10,000 individuals.
d. Volkmar estimates that the prevalence of Aspergers Disorder is about half that of Autistic Disorder.
e. More than one of the above
31. With respect to cognitive abilities, we noted that individuals with autism:
a. are poor on tasks requiring abstract reasoning or visuo-spatial processing, but much better on tasks requiring attention to detail
or rote memory.
b. are poor on tasks requiring language or visuo-spatial processing, but much better on tasks requiring abstract reasoning or rote
memory.
c. are poor on tasks requiring language or abstract reasoning, but much better on tasks requiring visuo-spatial processing or rote
memory. [Correct]
d. are poor on tasks requiring visuo-spatial processing or rote memory, but much better on tasks requiring attention to detail and
eye-hand coordination.
e. none of the above
32. Which of the following aspects of autism is NOT easily accounted for in the Theory of Mind (ToM) approach to autism?
a. difficulties in knowing when others know or do not know something.
b. difficulties in understanding deception or lying by others.
c. difficulties in understanding the real meaning of irony or sarcasm.
d. echolalia and other repetitive aspects of language use. [Correct]
e. All of the above ARE accounted for by the ToM approach.
33. According to the weak central coherence theory of autism, the fundamental problem of individuals with autism is that they:
a. do not integrate information into its entire context, but focus on local details instead. [Correct]
b. cannot bring cognitive and emotional responses to events and people together in a single coherent central representation.
c. have trouble with the planning and temporal sequencing of behaviors.
d. do not have an adequate internal representation of the thoughts and emotions of others.
e. none of the above
34. Which of the following statements about the intense world theory is NOT TRUE?
a. It is based on the assumption that the strong response to sensory stimulation in autism is at the root of the entire autism
spectrum.
b. It points to the fact that there is a high rate of autism among children of mothers who took valproic acid (VPA).
c. It points to the fact that VPA rats show stereotyped motor behavior and low levels of reactivity to sensory stimuli. [Correct]
d. It points to the fact that VPA rats have more cortical cells, and more neural connections between the cortex and other areas of
the brain.
e. all of the above ARE TRUE
Page 6 of 6
35. The idea that individuals can be categorized as systematizers or empathizers is the basis for which account of autism?
a. the Theory of Mind
b. the weak central coherence theory
c. the intense world hypothesis
d. the empathy imbalance hypothesis
e. None of the above [Correct]
36. Which of the following is NOT one of the structural and functional abnormalities reported in autism?
a. Reduced functional connectivity between Wernickes and Brocas area during language processing in autism.
b. Reduced cell density and dendritic connections in the amygdala, cerebellum, and prefrontal cortex.
c. Reduced interaction between the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex during face processing.
d. Reduced blood flow in the prefrontal lobes, especially in the left hemisphere.
e. all of the above ARE reported abnormalities in autism [Correct]
37. Which of the following observations is consistent with the notion of variable expressivity in the genetic bases of autism?
a. Individuals who carry the genes responsible for autism may not have autism itself, but only some of its characteristics to a
lesser degree. [Correct]
b. Individuals who carry the genes responsible for autism may not have autism spectrum disorder, but one of a number of other,
different disorders instead.
c. Several different sets of genes may be involved in predisposing an individual to the symptoms of autism.
d. Individuals with a subset of the genes involved in autism may show no symptoms at all, but show the full range of symptoms
when the entire subset is present.
e. none of the above
38. According to your text, which of the following is NOT a risk factors for Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Conduct Disorder?
a. parental psychopathology.
b. familial dysfunction.
c. economic disadvantage.
d. childhood obesity. [Correct]
e. All of the above ARE risk factors for ODD and CD
39. As your text notes, which of the following is NOT an element of a therapeutic alliance?
a. a sense of working together to solve a problem
b. client acceptance of the therapist's theoretical orientation [Correct]
c. agreement between client and therapist about the goals of therapy
d. an affective bond between the client and therapist
e. All of the above ARE elements of a therapeutic alliance
40. As your text notes, a quantitative analysis of 26 efficacy studies of brief psychodynamic psychotherapy found that:
a. results of this therapy are quite impressive. [Correct]
b. results of this therapy are largely unsuccessful.
c. those which stress traditional psychoanalytic principles have the highest degree of success.
d. the interpersonal forms of treatment are among the least useful.
e. None of the above
The End