Multiple Choice Questions

1) Personality disorders (PD) consist of a loosely-bound cluster of sub-types. Which of the following common features are evident in PD?

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Correct! Personality Disorders: A group of disorders marked by persistent, inflexible, maladaptive patterns of thought and behaviour that develop in adolescence or early adulthood and significantly impair an individual's ability to functionIncorrect.
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2) Which of the following is the most well-known of the Personality disorders ?

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b)
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Correct! Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD: A personality disorder, the main features of which are instability in personal relationships, a lack of well-defined and stable self-image, regular and unpredictable changes in moods, and impulsive behaviour) Incorrect.
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3) Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of individuals with paranoid personality disorder

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Correct! Paranoid Personality Disorder: A personality disorder characterised by an enduring pattern of distrust and suspiciousness of others.Incorrect.
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4) An Individual with a schizotypal personality disorder will usually exhibit which of the following characteristics?

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Correct! Schizotypal Personality Disorder: A personality disorder which is characterised by 'eccentric' behaviour marked by odd patterns of thinking and communication.Incorrect.
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5) Which of the following is a subtype of Dramatic/Emotional Personality Disorders (Cluster B)

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Correct! Histrionic Personality Disorder: A personality disorder in which an individual is attention-seeking, and is uncomfortable or unhappy when they are not the centre of attentionIncorrect.
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6) The term 'sociopath' or 'psychopath' is sometimes used to describe which type of personality disorder

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Correct! Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD: A personality disorder, the main features of which are an enduring disregard for, and violation of the rights of others. It is characterised by impulsive behaviour, lack of remorse, and is closely linked with adult criminal behaviour.Incorrect.
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7) An individual with narcissistic personality disorder will routinely overestimate their abilities and inflate their accomplishments, and this is characterized by which of the following?

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b)
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Correct! Narcissistic Personality Disorder: A personality disorder, in which an individual overestimates their abilities, inflates their accomplishments, has a pervasive need for admiration, and also shows a lack of empathy with the feelings of othersIncorrect.
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8) The apparent lack of empathy and the tendency to exploit others for self-benefit, has lead psychologists to compare narcissistic personality disorder with which one of the following?

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Correct! Histrionic Personality Disorder: A personality disorder in which an individual is attention-seeking, and is uncomfortable or unhappy when they are not the centre of attentionIncorrect.
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9) Which of the following are considered to be the main features of avoidant personality disorder?

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Correct! Avoidant Personality Disorder: A personality disorder of which the features are avoidance of a wide range of social situations, feelings of inadequacy, and hypersensitivity to negative evaluation and criticism.Incorrect.
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10) Some clinicians have come to believe that antisocial personality disorder and social phobia are both components of a broader spectrum called:

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b)
c)
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Correct! Social Anxiety Spectrum: A spectrum of disorder proposed to include both avoidant personality disorder and social phobiaIncorrect.
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11) An Individual with Dependent Personality Disorder will exhibit which of the following?

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b)
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d)
Correct! Dependent Personality Disorder: A personality disorder which is characterised by a pervasive and excessive need to be taken care of, submissive and clinging behaviour, and difficulty making everyday decisions without advice from othersIncorrect.
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12) An Individual with Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder will exhibit which of the following characteristics?

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Correct! Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD): A personality disorder in which individuals show exceptionally perfectionist tendencies including a preoccupation with orderliness and control at the expense of flexibility, efficiency and productivity.Incorrect.
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13) Which of the following is NOT considered to be a risk factors for personality disorders ?

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b)
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Correct! Personality Disorders: A group of disorders marked by persistent, inflexible, maladaptive patterns of thought and behaviour that develop in adolescence or early adulthood and significantly impair an individual's ability to function.Incorrect.
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14) The formalistic similarities between Cluster A disorders and schizophrenia have led researchers to argue that they are part of a broader

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Correct! Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder: The combination of Cluster A-type personality disorders and schizophreniaIncorrect.
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15) According to psychodynamic theory which of the following is NOT deemed to be characteristic of the parents of an individual with paranoid personality disorder

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Correct! Paranoid Personality Disorder: A personality disorder characterised by an enduring pattern of distrust and suspiciousness of others.Incorrect.
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16) Antisocial Personality Disorder is closely associated with criminal and antisocial behaviour. Because of this, considerable effort has been invested in attempting which of the following?

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b)
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Correct! Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD): A personality disorder, the main features of which are an enduring disregard for, and violation of the rights of others. It is characterised by impulsive behaviour, lack of remorse, and is closely linked with adult criminal behaviourIncorrect.
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17) Personality disorders are an enduring patterns of behaviour that persist from childhood into adulthood and because of this fact, one of the best predictors of APD in adulthood is a diagnosis of

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d)
Correct! Conduct Disorder (CD: A pattern of behaviour during childhood in which the child exhibits a range of behavioural problems that include fighting, lying, running away from home, vandalism and truancy.)Incorrect.
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18) Behaviour of individuals with Antisocial Personality Disorder often appears impulsive and unpredictable due to switching quickly and unpredictably between:

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b)
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d)
Correct! Dysfunctional Schemas: In personality disorders, a set of dysfunctional beliefs that are hypothesised to maintain problematic behaviour characteristic of a number of personality disorders (e.g. antisocial personality disorder and borderline personality disorder)Incorrect.
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19) More recent research has linked Borderline Personality Disoder (BPD) with bipolar disorder, and the two are often comorbid. Some individuals with BPD belong to a broader:

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b)
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Correct! Bipolar Disorder Spectrum: A proposed spectrum of disorder encompassing both bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorderIncorrect.
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20) Evidence suggests that individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder have a number of brain abnormalities that may give rise to impulsive behaviour. There is evidence for dysfunction in brain:

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Correct! Dopamine: A compound which exists in the body as a neurotransmitter and as a precursor of other substances including adrenalin.Incorrect.
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21) According to psychodynamic theory individuals are sometimes motivated to respond to the world through the perspectives they have learnt from important other people in their developmental past. This is called:

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b)
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d)
Correct! Object-Relations Theory: A theory which argues that individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) have received inadequate support and love from important others (such as parents) and this results in an insecure ego, which is likely to lead to lack of self-esteem and fear of rejection.Incorrect.
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22) Psychodynamic theories of personality disorders that individuals with weak egos engage in a defence mechanism called:

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Correct! Splitting: An element of Object-Relations Theory which argues that individuals with weak egos engage in a defence mechanism by which they evaluate people, events or things in a completely black or white way, often judging people as either good or bad with no shades of grey.Incorrect.
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23) Narcissistic personality disorder is also closely associated with antisocial personality disorder (APD),. Which of the following is not a way in narcissistic individuals will regularly act:

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b)
c)
d)
Correct! Narcissistic Personality Disorder: A personality disorder in which an individual overestimates their abilities, inflates their accomplishments, has a pervasive need for admiration, and also shows a lack of empathy with the feelings of others.Incorrect.
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24) Which of the following is not usually associated with Avoidant Personality Disorder?

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b)
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Correct! Avoidant Personality Disorder: A personality disorder of which the features are avoidance of a wide range of social situations, feelings of inadequacy, and hypersensitivity to negative evaluation and criticism.Incorrect.
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25) Which of the following is a particular example of psychodynamic treatment which attempts to strengthen the individual's weak ego so that they are able to address issues in their life without constantly flipping from one extreme view to another:

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Correct! Object-Relations Psychotherapy: A treatment that has been developed specifically to deal with the difficulties posed by the treatment of individuals with personality disorders such as borderline personality disorder.Incorrect.
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26) There is one particular form of therapy that has been successfully used to treat individuals with personality disorders and involves providing them with insight into their dysfunctional ways of thinking, and is designed to provide them with the necessary skills to overcome these problematic ways of thinking and behaving. Which of the following is this therapy ?

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Correct! Dialectical Behaviour Therapy: A treatment that has been developed specifically to deal with the difficulties posed by the treatment of individuals with personality disorders such as borderline personality disorderIncorrect.
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27) Cognitive behavioural therapy may be used to treat an individual with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder by challenging:

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d)
Correct! Dysfunctional Schemas: In personality disorders, a set of dysfunctional beliefs that are hypothesised to maintain problematic behaviour characteristic of a number of personality disorders (e.g. antisocial personality disorder and borderline personality disorderIncorrect.
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28) In the treatments of individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder a therapist may change dysfunctional schemata by:

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Correct! Reparenting: A therapy process in which the client allows the therapist to form an emotional attachment to the client in order to challenge dysfunctional schemataIncorrect.
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29) Which of the following could be described as a stage of schemata therapy for personality disorder?

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Correct! Schemata Therapy: A cognitive therapy developed to attempt to identify and change any logical errors, dysfunctional beliefs and maladaptive schemas possessed by the individual with personality disorders.Incorrect.
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30) Which of the following is not a DSM-IV-TR criterion for schizoid personality disorder?

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d)
Correct! Schizoid Personality Disorder: A personality disorder in which individuals are often described as 'loners' who fail to express a normal range of emotions and appear to get little reward from any activities.Incorrect.
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