Free Abnormal Psychology MCQs with Answers

• A. a split between thought and emotion
• B. having more than one personality
• C. the same thing as a dissociative reaction
• D. that a person is insane

Explanation: Schizophrenia literally refers to a splitting of psychological functions, historically described as a disconnection between thought and…

• A. catatonic episodes
• B. paranoid schizophrenia
• C. manic episodes
• D. borderline schizophrenia

Explanation: Catatonic episodes may involve mutism, stupor, greatly reduced responsiveness, and sometimes rigid or unusual postures.

• A. engaging in behaviors that are merely inconvenient and those that are disruptive
• B. having positive and negative feelings toward an object or event
• C. thought that are evidence of neurosis or those that are evidence of psychosis
• D. having repetitious thoughts or engaging in repetitious actions

Explanation: Obsessions are recurrent, intrusive thoughts or urges, whereas compulsions are repetitive behaviours or mental acts performed in response…

• A. somatic delusions
• B. delusions of grandeur
• C. delusions of influence
• D. delusions of perception

Explanation: A false belief that the body is diseased, decaying, or rotting is a somatic delusion because it concerns bodily functioning or health.

• A. avoids other people as much as possible
• B. is relatively easy to treat effectively by psychotherapy
• C. tend to be selfish and locking remorse
• D. usually gives a bad first impression

Explanation: Antisocial personality disorder is associated with exploitation, selfishness, deceitfulness, and lack of remorse for harming others.

• A. drug psychosis
• B. a substance related disorder
• C. an orthopsychosis
• D. a psychotropic disorder

Explanation: A substance-related disorder involves clinically significant problems caused by the use of a psychoactive substance, including dependence…

• A. brain pathology
• B. a traumatic childhood
• C. inconsistent and ineffective parenting
• D. persistent delusional thoughts

Explanation: Alzheimer’s disease is associated with progressive brain pathology, including neuronal loss and abnormal amyloid and tau deposits.

• A. paranoid schizophrenia
• B. borderline schizophrenia
• C. catatonic schizophrenia
• D. disorganized schizophrenia

Explanation: Disorganized schizophrenia, now generally termed disorganized or hebephrenic presentation, involves severely disorganized speech and…

• A. mood disorder
• B. conversion disorder
• C. schizophrenia
• D. somatoform disorder

Explanation: Dysthymic disorder, now called persistent depressive disorder, and cyclothymic disorder are both mood disorders involving long-lasting…

• A. bipolar disorder
• B. multiple personality disorder
• C. delusional disorder
• D. dissociative disorder

Explanation: Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder because it involves episodes of mania or hypomania and usually depression.

• A. attacks of fear or panic
• B. silliness, laughter, and bizarre behavior
• C. delusions of persecution
• D. severe depression

Explanation: Disorganized schizophrenia is marked by disorganized behaviour and inappropriate emotional expression, often appearing as silliness…

• A. Korsakoff syndrome
• B. delirium tremens
• C. schizotypical psychosis
• D. general paresis

Explanation: General paresis is a late neuropsychiatric consequence of untreated syphilis in which infection damages the brain, producing psychosis and…

• A. mania
• B. Hispania
• C. locura
• D. ague

Explanation: Locura is a Spanish term used in some Latin American contexts for severe or chronic mental disturbance, including psychosis.

• A. phobic disorder
• B. amnesia
• C. paranoia
• D. depression

Explanation: Amnesia is a dissociative symptom involving a disruption or loss of memory, often for important personal information.

• A. Catatonic
• B. Disorganized
• C. Paranoid
• D. Undifferentiated

Explanation: Paranoid schizophrenia traditionally involves prominent delusions of persecution, reference, or grandeur, sometimes accompanied by…

• A. amphetamines and amphetamine receptors
• B. adrenaline and noradrenaline
• C. histamine and noradrenaline
• D. dopamine and dopamine receptors

Explanation: Schizophrenia has been strongly linked with excessive dopamine activity, especially at dopamine receptors in relevant brain pathways.

• A. panic
• B. post - traumatic stress
• C. phobia
• D. obsessive - compulsive

Explanation: Post-traumatic stress disorder can follow combat or another severe trauma and involves persistent anxiety, fear, intrusive memories…

• A. block the action of dopamine
• B. facilitate the action of dopamine
• C. increase levels of dopamine
• D. decrease levels of dopamine

Explanation: Major antipsychotic drugs reduce psychotic symptoms primarily by blocking dopamine receptors, especially D2 receptors.

• A. they are potentially harmful and dangerous to others
• B. they resist the attempts of others to offer help
• C. their serve hallucinations make reasoning with them impossible
• D. psychiatric hospitals are primarily for psychotics

Explanation: People with paranoid delusions often distrust others and may interpret offers of treatment as threats or attempts to control them, so they…

• A. anxieties
• B. dissociation's
• C. phobias
• D. obsessions

Explanation: A phobia is an excessive, irrational fear tied to a particular object or situation and maintained despite little or no actual danger.