Exam Simulation - Test 2 Flashcards
Dr. Andy Amato works as a psychotherapist at a community mental health clinic and has just tested positive for the HIV virus. In terms of ethical requirements, Dr. Amato:
Select one:
A.
should inform his clients of his medical condition as soon as possible.
B.
should inform his clients and employer of his medical condition as soon as possible.
C.
should refrain from initiating any professional activities that might be adversely affected by his medical condition.
D.
is not obligated to take any particular action in this situation.
Standard 2.06 of the APA’s Ethics Code and Principle II.11 of the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists apply to this situation.
a. Incorrect See explanation for response c.
b. Incorrect See explanation for response c.
c. CORRECT This answer is most consistent with ethical guidelines. For example, Standard 2.06 requires psychologists to “refrain from initiating an activity when they know or should know that there is a substantial likelihood that their personal problems will prevent them from performing their work-related activities in a competent manner.” Personal problems include health-related issues that might compromise a psychologist’s job performance.
d. Incorrect See explanation for response c.
The correct answer is: should refrain from initiating any professional activities that might be adversely affected by his medical condition.
Dr. Aimee A. is in private practice and, based on her experience and the experience of her colleagues, she has concluded that clients with signs of Malingering are at high risk for suing their therapists for malpractice. As a result, Dr. A. has decided to refer clients who exhibit signs of Malingering during the first therapy session to another therapist she knows is willing to work with them. Dr. A’s practice is:
Select one:
A.
unethical.
B.
ethical only if she makes her policy about decisions related to accepting clients clear at the outset of therapy.
C.
ethical only if she makes the referral before a therapeutic relationship has been established with the client.
D.
ethical.
Although this issue isn’t directly addressed by ethical guidelines, the guidelines permit (or recommend) termination of services under certain circumstances [see, e.g., Standard 10.10 of the APA’s Ethics Code and Principle I and II (Values) and Principles II.34 and II.37 of the Canadian Code of Ethics].
a. Incorrect See explanation for response d.
b. Incorrect See explanation for response d.
c. Incorrect See explanation for response d.
d. CORRECT Psychologists in private practice do not have an ethical or legal duty to provide professional services to individuals they do not want to serve. Therefore, it would be acceptable to make the decision to refer a client who is exhbiting signs of Malingering after an intial therapy session. (Ethical guidelines require psychologists not to discriminate on the basis of race, gender, or any other basis proscribed by law, but litigious clients do not fall into this category.)
The correct answer is: ethical.
: Which of the following techniques would be useful for predicting status on a single dichotomous criterion using two or more predictors when the assumptions for a discriminant analysis are not met?
Select one:
A.
canonical correlation
B.
path analysis
C.
logistic regression
D.
multiple regression
For the exam, you want to be familiar with the techniques listed in the answers to this questions. Information about these techniques is provided in the Statistics and Research Design chapter of the written study materials.
a. Incorrect See explanation for response c.
b. Incorrect See explanation for response c.
c. CORRECT Logistic regression is considered more flexible than discriminanant analysis since it can be used when the data violate some of the assumptions of discriminant analysis (e.g., the assumptions of linearity, normality, and/or homogeneity of variances).
d. Incorrect See explanation for response c.
The correct answer is: logistic regression
Most children do not understand that death is irreversible and universal until about _____ years of age.
Select one:
A.
four
B.
seven
C.
ten
D.
thirteen
Research has found that children typically progress through predictable stages in acquiring an understanding of death.
a. Incorrect See explanation for answer c
b. Incorrect See explanation for answer c.
c. CORRECT The age at which children understand that death is irreversible and universal varies, depending on certain factors. In general, however, most children achieve this understanding at about ten years of age.
d. Incorrect See explanation for answer c.
The correct answer is: ten
Before conducting a court-ordered evaluation of a minor, you should:
Select one:
A.
obtain an informed consent from the minor.
B.
obtain an informed consent from the minor’s legal guardian.
C.
discuss the purpose of the evaluation with the minor.
D.
make sure the minor’s legal guardian is present during the evaluation.
A court-ordered evaluation precludes the need for an informed consent, even when the person to be evaluated is a minor.
a. Incorrect See explanation for response c.
b. Incorrect See explanation for response c.
c. CORRECT This response is most consistent with the provisions of the Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychology (APA, 2012), which states that the subject of a court-ordered evaluation must be informed of the evaluation nature and purpose.
d. Incorrect See explanation for response c.
The correct answer is: discuss the purpose of the evaluation with the minor.
According to Herbert Simon (1960), “bounded discretion”:
Select one:
A.
is due to limited cognitive ability.
B.
ensures that the optimal alternative is chosen.
C.
limits a decision-maker’s choices.
D.
reduces a leader’s effectiveness in ambiguous situations.
Knowing that Simon distinguished between two models of individual decision-making (rational-economic and bounded rationality) would have helped you identify the correct answer to this question.
a. Incorrect See explanation for response c.
b. Incorrect See explanation for response c.
c. CORRECT Bounded discretion is also known as bounded rationality and refers to the limitations on a decision-maker’s choices resulting from certain social, legal, moral, and organizational factors.
d. Incorrect See explanation for response c.
The correct answer is: limits a decision-maker’s choices.
When faced with an “undifferentiated family ego mass,” a family therapist who has adopted a Bowenian approach would be most likely to do which of the following?
Select one:
A.
Help differentiate family members by becoming emotionally triangulated into family dyads.
B.
Help differentiate family members by using behavioral and cognitive-behavioral techniques that promote individuation.
C.
Work first with the most differentiated family member to help him or her achieve greater individuation.
D.
Work first with the “identified patient” to help him or her become more differentiated.
Bowenian therapists often work initially with the most mature and differentiated family.
a. Incorrect When working with two family members (usually the spouses), a Bowenian therapist becomes the third member in a therapeutic (not an emotional) triangle. Emotional triangles are a sign of dysfunction in a family.
b. Incorrect Bowenian therapists do not typically use behavioral or cognitive-behavioral techniques.
c. CORRECT Ideally, the increased individuation of the most differentiated family member will motive other family members to become less emotionally involved in the family.
d. Incorrect A Bowenian would work only with the identified patient if he/she were also the most differentiated family member, which is often not the case.
The correct answer is: Work first with the most differentiated family member to help him or her achieve greater individuation.
Adequate “floor” is especially important when a test will be used to:
Select one:
A.
make intra-individual comparisons.
B.
confirm a diagnosis of Intellectual Disability.
C.
assign students to advanced placement classes.
D.
evaluate the readiness of employees for promotion.
In the context of testing, “floor” refers to the test’s ability to discriminate among examinees at the low end of the score range.
a. Incorrect See explanation for response b.
b. CORRECT To make a diagnosis of Intellectual Disability and distinguish between different levels of severity, you have to be able to discriminate among individuals with low intelligence. This requires adequate “floor” - i.e., the test has to have enough easy items to distinguish between people with different levels of low intelligence.
c. Incorrect See explanation for response b.
d. Incorrect See explanation for response b.
The correct answer is: confirm a diagnosis of Intellectual Disability.
A waiter is waiting on a group of professors from the local university. Being familiar with social loafing theory and desiring the largest tip possible, the waiter hopes that:
Select one:
A.
each professor will leave his/her own tip.
B.
the professors will contribute anonymously to a group tip.
C.
the professors will discuss how much tip to leave.
D.
one of the professors will volunteer to leave the tip for all of the professors.
Social loafing occurs when a person contributes less as group member than he/she would have contributed if acting alone.
a. CORRECT The waiter will get the most money if each person leaves his/her own tip since this will discourage social loafing.
b. Incorrect See explanation above.
c. Incorrect See explanation above.
d. Incorrect See explanation above.
The correct answer is: each professor will leave his/her own tip.
Several days after losing an important customer, David D., a 41-year-old sales representative, develops feelings of sadness and hopelessness. He tells his therapist that he has trouble even thinking about going out and “drumming up more business” and is concerned that his attitude may be having a negative effect on his relationships with other customers. David’s symptoms have lasted for nearly three weeks, and he has no history of a previous mental disorder. The most likely diagnosis for David is:
Select one:
A.
Adjustment Disorder with depressed mood.
B.
Adjustment Disorder, unspecified.
C.
Major Depressive Disorder.
D.
Acute Stress Disorder.
Answer A is correct: The nature and duration of David’s symptoms and the fact that they are apparently related to the loss of an important customer are consistent with the diagnostic criteria for Adjustment Disorder. Because his symptoms are those associated with depression (sadness and hopelessness), the correct diagnosis is Adjustment Disorder with depressed mood.
Answers B and D: See explanation for answer A.
Answer C: From the information provided in the question, it appears that David does not meet the full diagnostic criteria for Major Depressive Disorder.
The correct answer is: Adjustment Disorder with depressed mood.
When Angie plays the slot machines in Atlantic City, she will be reinforced on the basis of:
Select one:
A.
the number of responses between reinforcers with the number remaining the same from trial to trial.
B.
the number of responses between reinforcers with the number varying unpredictably from trial to trial.
C.
the interval of time between reinforcers with the length of time remaining constant from trial to trial.
D.
the interval of time between reinforcers with the length of time varying unpredictably from trial to trial.
Slot machines use intermittent reinforcement to reduce the likelihood of extinction.
a. Incorrect This describes a fixed ratio schedule.
b. CORRECT Angie will be reinforced on a variable ratio schedule, which is the intermittent schedule least vulnerable to extinction.
c. Incorrect This describes a fixed interval schedule.
d. Incorrect This describes a variable interval schedule.
The correct answer is: the number of responses between reinforcers with the number varying unpredictably from trial to trial.
Following a severe closed head injury caused by a car accident, a 26-year-old male exhibits anterograde and retrograde amnesia. Most likely, which of the following memories will return first during his recovery?
Select one:
A.
memory for the events that occurred just after the accident
B.
memory for events immediately before the accident
C.
memory for his birthday dinner six months prior to the accident
D.
memory for his high school graduation
Following moderate to severe head injury, a person is likely to show some degree of both anterograde and retrograde amnesia. In this situation, recovery of long-term memories typically involves a predictable pattern.
a. Incorrect Anterograde amnesia is usually more severe than retrograde amnesia, and the individual usually never recalls the incident that caused the amnesia or the events occurring after it because those events were never stored in long-term memory.
b. Incorrect See explanation for responses a and d.
c. Incorrect See explanation for responses a and d.
d. CORRECT Memories of more remote events ordinarily return first.
The correct answer is: memory for his high school graduation
In vivo exposure with response prevention has been found to be an effective treatment for Agoraphobia, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and several other anxiety disorders. Studies investigating the effects of this treatment for this suggest that:
Select one:
A.
frequent, brief exposures are more effective than less frequent, longer exposures to the feared stimuli.
B.
people with high arousability are more responsive to in vivo treatments than people with low arousability.
C.
high anxiety provocation is not the key factor in its effectiveness.
D.
counterconditioning is a necessary component of treatment.
The goal of in vivo exposure is to extinguish the classically conditioned response by repeatedly exposing the person to the CS without the US.
a. Incorrect This is the opposite of what has been found to be true.
b. Incorrect Arousability has been linked to the effects of systematic desensitization, not in vivo exposure. Systematic desensitization is usually more successful for individuals low in arousability than for those high in arousability.
c. CORRECT As noted in the Learning Theory chapter of the written study materials, there is evidence that high anxiety arousal is NOT necessary for successful treatment with in vivo exposure.
d. Incorrect Counterconditioning is not a component of in vivo exposure.
The correct answer is: high anxiety provocation is not the key factor in its effectiveness.
Bandura’s social learning theory implies that, in organizational settings, a training program will be most effective when:
Select one:
A.
it provides immediate rewards for achieving goals.
B.
trainees participate in defining the program’s goals.
C.
trainees possess prerequisite skills before training begins.
D.
models are clearly and consistently reinforced for successful performance.
Bandura has provided guidelines for applying social learning theory to the workplace. See, e.g., R. Wood and A. Bandura, Social cognitive theory of organizational management, Academy of Management Review, 13, 361-384, 1999).
a. Incorrect See explanation for response c.
b. Incorrect See explanation for response c.
c. CORRECT Bandura stresses the importance of (1) self-efficacy beliefs; (2) intrinsic motivation; (3) focusing on overt activities and behaviors; and (4) ensuring that people have prerequisite skills.
d. Incorrect See explanation for response c. (Note that Bandura’s research indicated that it is not always necessary for the model to be rewarded in order for an observer to imitate the model’s behavior.)
The correct answer is: trainees possess prerequisite skills before training begins.
The treatment-of-choice for Specific Phobia is:
Select one:
A.
covert sensitization.
B.
exposure with response prevention.
C.
stimulus control.
D.
self-control therapy.
Answer B is correct: The treatment-of-choice for Specific Phobia is exposure with response prevention (especially in vivo exposure) that exposes the individual to the feared object or situation while preventing him or her from engaging in cognitive or behavioral avoidance.
Answers A, C, and D: See explanation for answer B.
The correct answer is: exposure with response prevention.
A psychology intern does not inform clients that he will be receiving supervision. This is:
Select one:
A.
ethical and a good practice since knowledge of the supervisory relationship could undermine his authority in therapy.
B.
ethical as long as he disguises the identity of the clients when discussing them with his supervisor.
C.
ethical as long as the client is aware that the psychologist is an intern.
D.
unethical.
To be in compliance with the APA’s Ethics Code, an intern must inform clients that he/she will be supervised and give the clients the name of the supervisor.
a. Incorrect See explanation for response d.
b. Incorrect See explanation for response d.
c. Incorrect See explanation for response d.
d. CORRECT Standard 10.01(c)states: “When the therapist is a trainee and the legal responsibility for the treatment provided resides with the supervisor, the client/patient, as part of the informed consent procedure, is informed that the therapist is in training and is being supervised and is given the name of the supervisor.”
The correct answer is: unethical.
As defined by Gestalt therapists, ________ is a boundary disturbance that involves passively accepting and incorporating elements of the enviroment without question.
Select one:
A.
retroflection
B.
confluence
C.
introjection
D.
deflection
Gestalt therapists identify several boundary disturbances which act as defenses that keep the individual from experiencing the present in a genuine and full way.
a. Incorrect Retroflection involves doing to someone else what one wants to do to others.
b. Incorrect Confluence refers to the absence of a boundary between the self and others.
c. CORRECT Introjection occurs when a person accepts facts, values, etc. from the environment without actually understanding or assimilating them.
d. Incorrect Deflection is the use of humor, abstract generalizations, and other distractions to avoid maintaining contact with the environment.
The correct answer is: introjection
When an examinee obtains a score of 110 on a test that has a standard error of measurement of 4, there is a 2 in 3 chance that his true score falls between:
Select one:
A.
108 and 112.
B.
106 and 114.
C.
104 and 116.
D.
102 and 118.
This question is asking about confidence intervals but does so in an unexpected way.
a. Incorrect See explanation for response b.
b. CORRECT To identify the correct answer to this question, you’d have to recognize that 2 in 3 is equivalent to a 2/3 chance, which is close to a 68% chance. A 68% confidence interval is calculated by adding and subtracting one standard error to and from the obtained score - which, in this case, gives you a confidence interval of 106 to 114.
c. Incorrect See explanation for response b.
d. Incorrect See explanation for response b.
The correct answer is: 106 and 114.
You conduct a research study to assess the effects of T.V. violence on aggressive behavior. The study will take place over three consecutive weeks. During the first week, you will observe 20 children during recess for five consecutive days and calculate their average number of aggressive acts. During the second week, you will have all children observe aggressive T.V. programs for two hours on three separate days. Then, during the third week, you will again observe the children during recess for five days and calculate their average number of aggressive acts. The biggest threat to the internal validity of this study is:
Select one:
A.
carryover effects.
B.
statistical regression.
C.
selection.
D.
history.
Answer D is correct: In any single-group design involving a before and after comparison, change in status on the DV might be due to the intervention or to an external event that occurred at about the same time the intervention was applied. In other words, the study’s internal validity is threatened by history.
Answer A: Carryover effects are a problem when two or more levels of an IV are applied to the same participants.
Answer B: Statistical regression is a problem when the group or groups have been selected because of their extreme status on the DV or a related variable, which is not the case in this study.
Answer C: Selection is a problem in between-groups studies when participants cannot be randomly assigned to the different groups. This is a within-subjects study, so selection is not a threat.
The correct answer is: history.
The criminal justice system provides intervention at what level of prevention?
Select one:
A.
primary
B.
secondary
C.
tertiary
D.
quartiary
Methods of prevention are classified based on the level of intervention. Primary prevention focuses on all members of an identified group. Secondary prevention targets specific individuals who are at high risk. Tertiary prevention intervenes after the incidence of the behavior.
a. Incorrect See explanation for response c.
b. Incorrect See explanation for response c.
c. CORRECT The criminal justice system intervenes after an individual engages in a criminal act.
d. Incorrect See explanation for response c.
The correct answer is: tertiary
Validity generalization studies make use of which of the following techniques?
Select one:
A.
multiple regression
B.
meta-analysis
C.
item response theory
D.
multitrait-multimethod matrix
Validity generalization studies are conducted to determine if validity coefficients are generalizable to situations and populations other than those included in any particular validity study. Schmidt and Hunter (1977), for example, conducted validity generalization studies to evaluate and compare the criterion-related validity of personnel selection procedures.
a. Incorrect Multiple regression uses multiple predictors to predict outcome on a single criterion measure.
b. CORRECT All forms of validity generalization involve the use of some form of meta-analysis to combine the results of multiple validity studies.
c. Incorrect Item response theory is an alternative to classical test theory for conceptualizing and constructing tests.
d. Incorrect The multitrait-multimethod matrix is used to evaluate a test’s construct validity.
The correct answer is: meta-analysis
As a treatment for Tourette’s Disorder, the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs):
Select one:
A.
are more effective than haloperidol or pimozide for alleviating tics.
B.
are useful for reducing obsessive-compulsive symptoms that often accompany this disorder.
C.
cannot be used in conjunction with haloperidol or pimozide because of the risk for a toxicity syndrome.
D.
are contraindicated because of their exacerbating effects on tics.
Answer B is correct: A number of drugs are used to treat Tourette’s Disorder and comorbid symptoms. For example, an SSRI is usually useful for alleviating the obsessive-compulsive symptoms that often accompany this disorder.
Answers A, C, and D: See explanation for answer B.
The correct answer is: are useful for reducing obsessive-compulsive symptoms that often accompany this disorder.
A young man has just received a diagnosis of Narcissistic Personality Disorder. You can expect that he will display which of the following?
Select one:
A.
rapidly changing and shallow expression of emotions
B.
instability in self-image, interpersonal relationships, and mood
C.
grandiose behavior and a lack of empathy
D.
excessive emotionality and attention seeking
Answer C is correct: Narcissistic Personality Disorder involves a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, a need for admiration, and a lack of empathy.
Answer A: Rapidly changing and shallow expression of emotions are characteristic of Histroinic Personality Disorder.
Answer B: Instability in self-image, interpersonal relationships, and mood are characteristic of Borderline Personality Disorder.
Answer D: Excessive emotionality and attention seeking are characteristic of Histrionic Personality Disorder.
The correct answer is: grandiose behavior and a lack of empathy
Research on theory of mind has found that it is not until about ______ years of age that children understand that another person’s actions depend on that person’s beliefs (which may be false) rather than on the reality of the situation.
Select one:
A.
two to three
B.
four to five
C.
six to seven
D.
eight to nine
The research has found that theory of mind develops gradually during childhood in predictable stages.
a. Incorrect See explanation for answer b.
b. CORRECT By four to five years of age, children understand that a person’s beliefs about a situation may be false and that the person will act upon the false belief rather than the reality of the situation.
c. Incorrect See explanation for answer b.
d. Incorrect See explanation for answer b.
The correct answer is: four to five