Psychology 350
Psychopathology

Dr. Salvatore (Sam) Catanzaro
Executive Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
Professor of Psychology

Illinois State University

Dr. Catanzaro's Home Page

PSY 350 Links

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Syllabus

WebBoard
Assignments
Handouts
Lectures
Grades

Psych Resources
on the Web

Association for Psychological Science

American Psychological Association

The National Institute of Mental Health

APA Style Home Page

Additional Resources

Computer & Web Training at Illinois State

The IRB at Illinois State University

Exam Preparation and Sample Exam Questions

General Study Hints

Sample T/F items

Sample 2-pt MC items

Sample 3-pt MC items

Essay Version & samples

GENERAL STUDY HINTS:

1. Review the suggestions made in the syllabus.

2. The course and text websites include several built-in study aids, including the lecture slides, quizzes, and handouts. I especially encourage use of the quizzes as self-tests.

3. The Study Guide is NOT a substitute for reading the chapters. You must also remember that the Study Guide does not cover all of the lecture material. I recommend that the Study Guide, along with lecture material, will help you to highlight the important facts and main themes that will be most helpful on the exam. I strongly recommend that you read all the text material, study the lecture notes, and use the Study Guide in an integrated effort.

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SAMPLE EXAM QUESTIONS

As you know, there are two options: A multiple choice option and an essay option. The multiple choice option includes True-False, 2-point multiple choice and 3-point multiple choice questions. The 3-point multiple choice questions are designed to be more difficult: They will have five, instead of four, options, and they will test for either more integrative material or your ability to apply the material to an example. Here are samples (relevant chapters are noted here, but they will not be on the exam itself):

True or False:

1. The humanistic/existential approaches emphasize the importance of death anxiety as a motivator of defensive behavior. (Ch. 3)

2. The family resemblance approach provides a precise, clear-cut means of identifying all instances of abnormal behavior. (Ch. 1)

3. Most mental disorders have a genetic penetrance of close to 100%. (Ch. 4)

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2-point multiple choice:

1. In Pavlovian Conditioning (Ch. 3)

      a. the emphasis is on learning of associations between voluntary responses and their consequences.

      b. the emphasis is on learning of associations between stimuli that produce responses.

      c. Avoidance learning is an unimportant process.

      d. Extinction can occur if stimuli are paired too frequently.

2. Donovan believes that the inability to function well at home, work or school, and play is the most important aspect of abnormal behavior. He is emphasizing which of the seven elements of abnormal behavior? (Ch. 1)

      a. suffering

      b. maladaptiveness

      c. violation of ideal standards

      d. irrationality and uncontrollability

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3-point multiple choice:

1. As a young boy, Duce was extremely frightened at a family barbecue. As an adult, he experiences intense fear whenever he encounters grills, grilling paraphernalia, or grilled foods, so he avoids them at all costs.

Based on this evidence, which of the following is the best explanation of this phobia? (Ch. 5)

a. an unconscious conflict in which barbecuing symbolizes his rage at his father

b. an existential fear of death and isolation

c. Pavlovian conditioning of fear with barbecue-related stimuli

d. irrational beliefs that he must always grill his food perfectly

e. a genetically inherited tendency to anxiety

2. The concordance rates for a particular disorder are as follows: (Ch. 4)

monozygotic twins raised together = 75%;
monozygotic twins raised apart = 50%;
dizygotic twins raised together = 25%;
dizygotic twins raised apart = 15%.

Which of the following conclusions seems most warranted?

      a. The disorder has a extremely high penetrance.

      b. There is some genetic component that contributes to development of the disorder.

      c. There is some environmental component that contributes to development of the disorder.

      d. Both a and c.

      e. Both b and c.

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ESSAY VERSION

This version will feature two sections, definitions, and essays. You will be provided with eight (8) terms and asked to define five (5); each definition is worth 5 points. Here are samples:

 Levels of analysis (Ch. 1)  HPA Axis (Ch. 4)
 Biopsychosocial model (Ch. 3-4; lecture)  attribution (Ch. 3)

 

You will also be presented with four (4) essay questions and asked to answer three (3). Here are two samples:

1. What is meant by a "family resemblance" approach to defining abnormality?.

  • Identify the seven elements of abnormality. Provide an example of each.
  • What are the advantages and disadvantages of this family resemblance approach? (Ch. 1)

2. Most individuals interested in the history of psychopathology end up talking about hypnosis sooner or later.

  • What is the significance of hypnosis to the history of psychopathology? Identify key developments in the history of psychopathology which involved hypnosis and similar phenomena.
  • How does the history of hypnosis help us understand the role of cultural and historical context in psychopathology? (Ch. 1)

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I wish you the best of luck. Experience suggests that students find the exams in this course to be challenging but fair; with adequate preparation you should perform satisfactorily. I hope this handout is helpful. I encourage you to identify questions you have about the material as you work through the Study Guide and review your notes. We may get to review your questions in class, and you can also bring them to my office hours.

 

Still have a question? Send me an e-mail by clicking here. The subject header has been set to "Exam.


http://www.cas.ilstu.edu/psychology/catanzar/Psy350Handouts/Examsamples.html
 
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Psychology 350.01--Psychopathology

Salvatore J. Catanzaro, Illinois State University, Department of Psychology