Multiple Choice Questions Part 2

1) What best describes bipolar disorder?

    (a) mood swings
    (b) episodes of extreme mania followed by episodes of severe depression
    (c) feelings of joy and excitement
    (d) periods of increased body function
    (e) the urge to hug every polar bear in sight


2) What is Mania?

     (a) elevated feelings of giddyness
     (b) a mood disorder marked by a hyperactive, wildly optimistic state
     (c) feelings of hopelessness and helplessness
     (d) feeling of uneasiness and unrest
     (e) a dissociative disorder


3) What is dissociative identity disorder?

    (a) a disorder in which a person cannot remember a traumatic life event
    (b) a disorder in which the person inexplicably falls straight into REM sleep
    (c) a disorder in which someone begins to feel like they are in the wrong place
    (d) a disorder in which a person exhibits two or more distinct alternating personalities
    (e) a disorder in which two people switch bodies, and live each others lives


4) The relationship between schizophrenia and Parkinson’s disease is that:

    (a) both are caused by too little dopamine.
    (b) both are treated by antipsychotic drugs.
    (c) both can be caused by excessive use of amphetamines.
    (d) schizophrenia is associated with too much dopamine and Parkinson’s with too little.
    (e) Parkinson’s is associated with too much dopamine and schizophrenia with too little.


5) Juan hears voices that tell him to kill people. Juan is experiencing

    (a) delusions
    (b) obsessions
    (c) anxiety
    (d) hallucinations
    (e) compulsions


6) Which of the following is not an anxiety disorder?

    (a) obsessive-compulsive disorder
    (b) conversion disorder
    (c) zoophobia
    (d) post-traumatic stress disorder
    (e) panic disorder


7) Which of the following best describes schizophrenia?

    (a) a mood swing
    (b) an eating disorder
    (c) a group of severe disorders characterized by disorganized and delusional thinking
    (d) a disorder in which the person believes that they are an animal and must act accordingly
    (e) a personality disorder in which a person cannot function normally, and must be treated medically.


8) Depression is associated with low levels of:

    (a) acetylcholine
    (b) epinephrine
    (c) serotonin
    (d) dopamine
    (e) GABA


9) Andrew is unable to move his right arm. He has been to scores of physicians seeking a cure, but none have been able to find any physiological reason for his paralysis. Andrew may be suffering from:

    (a) conversion disorder
    (b) fugue
    (c) hypochondriasis
    (d) SAD
    (e) OCD


10) “I am the most important person in the world” is a statement that might characterize the views of someone with which of the following personality disorders?

    (a) schizoid
    (b) antisocial
    (c) histrionic
    (d) dependent
    (e) narcissistic


Answers and reasons:

1) the correct answer is (b). In Myers' Psychology text, Tenth Edition, bipolar disorder is described as a mood disorder in which a person alternates between the hopelessness and lethargy of depression and the overexcited state of mania

2) the correct answer is (b). This is the exact way that it is defined in the Myers Psychology Text

3) the correct answer is (d). Again, this is almost exactly how it is defined in the Myers Psychology Text, as well as other sources. This is a rare psychological disorder, and not very many people have it in the world. It is estimated to affect 1% of the population

4) the correct answer is (d). Schizophrenia is associated with high levels of dopamine and Parkinson’s disease with low levels of dopamine. Schizophrenia is often treated with antipsychotic drugs. Excessive use of amphetamines is associated with both high levels of dopamine and schizophrenic-like symptoms

5) the correct answer is (d). Perceiving sensory stimulation when none exists defines a hallucination. Delusions are irrational thoughts but do not involve a belief in the existence of sensory stimulation. Obsessions are persistent, unwanted thoughts. Compulsions are unwanted, repetitive actions that people engage in to reduce anxiety.

6) the correct answer is (b). Conversion disorder is a type of somatoform disorder in which a psychological problem manifests itself in one, often serious, physical symptom such as blindness or paralysis. All of the other disorders listed are anxiety disorders.

7) the correct answer is (c). Schizophrenia is a personality disorder that affects about 1.1 % of Americans, and sometimes goes untreated. A person may experience delusions or hallucinations in their schizophrenic state, and may not be able to separate their hallucinations from reality. Left untreated, schizophrenia will only get worse as it is degenerative.

8) the correct answer is (c). Depression is associated with low levels of serotonin.

9) the correct answer is (a). Andrews’s symptoms suggest he has conversion disorder, a type of somatoform disorder. Fugue is a dissociative disorder which involves amnesia and relocation. Hypochondriasis is a different kind of somatoform disorder that involves constant, minor physical complaints and the belief that these minor problems are indicative of a serious, medical problem. SAD, seasonal affective disorder, is a type of affective disorder in which people become depressed during prolonged periods of bad weather. OCD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, is an anxiety disorder in which unwanted, persistent thoughts push people to perform unwanted, repetitive actions to reduce anxiety.

10) the correct answer is (e). Narcissism is the love of oneself. People who view themselves as the focus of the world would most likely be classified as having narcissistic personality disorder.

**Several questions have been taken and adapted from Barron's AP Psychology, 5th Edition**