ATI RN
Psychological Exam
1. If Dr. Maple is a behaviorist, he would most likely believe that the cause of a child's disruptive behavior in school is the result of?
- A. A learning disability.
- B. His genetic inheritance.
- C. His prior experiences.
- D. A combination of his genetic inheritance and his prior experiences.
Correct answer: C
Rationale: Behaviorists, like Dr. Maple, focus on how behavior is learned through interactions with the environment. They would attribute a child's disruptive behavior to their prior experiences rather than genetic factors. Choice A, a learning disability, relates more to cognitive or developmental perspectives. Choice B, genetic inheritance, is more aligned with biological or genetic theories. Choice D combines genetic and experiential factors, but behaviorists typically emphasize the influence of the environment on behavior.
2. Which of the following is true about subjective distress?
- A. All individuals with mental illness experience some degree of distress
- B. Distress is the only criterion in diagnosing abnormality
- C. Its presence is enough for a clinician to determine if someone has a mental illness
- D. Some individuals with a mental disorder may not experience subjective distress
Correct answer: D
Rationale: Subjective distress is not universal among individuals with a mental disorder. Choice A is incorrect as not all individuals with mental illness experience distress. Choice B is incorrect because distress is just one of the criteria used in diagnosing abnormality, not the only one. Choice C is incorrect because the presence of subjective distress alone is not sufficient for a clinician to determine if someone has a mental illness.
3. In a discussion with your professor, she tells you that she believes that the focus of psychological study should be to break the conscious experience into its basic elements. Which of the following historical schools of thought is your professor's idea most consistent with?
- A. Behaviorism
- B. Functionalism
- C. Structuralism
- D. Psychoanalysis
Correct answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C: Structuralism. Structuralism, as introduced by Wundt, aimed to break down mental processes into their most basic elements. This aligns with the idea of breaking the conscious experience into its fundamental components. Choice A, Behaviorism, focuses on observable behavior and not on breaking down conscious experience. Choice B, Functionalism, emphasizes the purpose of behavior rather than breaking it down into basic elements. Choice D, Psychoanalysis, delves into unconscious processes and conflicts, which is different from breaking down conscious experiences into basic elements.
4. An elementary school principal wants to know the best predictors of juvenile delinquency and dropping out of school in high school so she can provide preventive interventions. Your best advice is ________.
- A. Look for kids who are very popular because they are class clowns.
- B. Silent, depressed, loners tend to be dropouts because they are often depressed.
- C. There is no way to predict juvenile delinquency as early as elementary school.
- D. The best predictor is aggression toward peers, which leads to peer rejection.
Correct answer: D
Rationale: The best advice is to look for aggression toward peers as the best predictor of juvenile delinquency and dropping out of school. Option A is incorrect because being popular or a class clown doesn't necessarily indicate delinquency. Option B is incorrect as not all silent, depressed loners end up as dropouts. Option C is incorrect as research shows that early signs of aggression can predict future delinquent behavior and school dropout rates, making it feasible to intervene early.
5. From the cognitive-behavioral perspective, an important limitation with the behavioral perspective is that ________.
- A. Behaviorists went too far in attacking the psychoanalytic perspective.
- B. Behaviorists failed to attend to the importance of mental processes.
- C. Behaviorists were too focused on explaining how abnormal behavior is acquired.
- D. Behaviorists underestimated the role of reinforcement.
Correct answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B because behaviorists, from the cognitive-behavioral perspective, are criticized for not considering the significance of mental processes. This limitation is a key point in the cognitive-behavioral perspective, which emphasizes the interplay between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Choices A, C, and D are incorrect because they do not directly address the specific limitation of failing to account for mental processes in the behavioral perspective.
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