Abnormal Psychology Quiz
Abnormal psychology studies how mental disorders are defined, diagnosed, and treated. Test your knowledge across the major categories in twelve questions, each with an explanation. This is educational, not a self-diagnosis tool.
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Abnormal psychology asks hard questions: what makes a behavior a disorder, how do we draw the line, and what helps people recover? It is one of the most popular areas of study, and the foundation of clinical and counseling careers.
Important: this quiz is for learning, not diagnosis. If you or someone you know is struggling, a licensed professional is the right place to turn. Curious about helping people through these challenges? See our guides to clinical psychology and counseling.
All 12 questions and answers
- Which reference do clinicians in the United States use to diagnose mental disorders? Answer: The DSM-5, published by the American Psychiatric Association
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5), is the standard US reference for classifying and diagnosing mental disorders.
- Which disorder is defined by alternating periods of mania and depression? Answer: Bipolar disorder, swinging between manic highs and depressive lows
Bipolar disorder involves dramatic mood swings between manic or hypomanic episodes and depressive episodes.
- Persistent low mood and loss of interest lasting at least two weeks best describes... Answer: Major depressive disorder, a common and treatable mood disorder
Major depressive disorder is diagnosed when depressed mood or loss of interest, plus other symptoms, persist for two weeks or longer.
- Unwanted intrusive thoughts paired with repetitive behaviors done to relieve anxiety describes... Answer: Obsessive-compulsive disorder, with obsessions and compulsions
OCD pairs obsessions (intrusive, distressing thoughts) with compulsions (repetitive behaviors a person feels driven to perform to reduce anxiety).
- Which disorder involves a loss of contact with reality, such as hallucinations and delusions? Answer: Schizophrenia, a serious disorder marked by psychosis
Schizophrenia is marked by psychosis: hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking, and other symptoms that distort reality.
- An intense, irrational fear of one specific object or situation is best described as... Answer: A specific phobia, an anxiety disorder with a focused trigger
A specific phobia is an anxiety disorder defined by excessive, focused fear of a particular trigger such as heights, spiders, or flying.
- Flashbacks, avoidance, and heightened arousal following a traumatic event point to... Answer: Post-traumatic stress disorder, which can follow exposure to trauma
PTSD can develop after experiencing or witnessing trauma, with symptoms including flashbacks, avoidance, and a heightened state of arousal.
- The diathesis-stress model explains disorders as the result of... Answer: An underlying vulnerability combined with stressful life events
The diathesis-stress model proposes that a predisposition (diathesis) plus stressful events together trigger a disorder, rather than either factor alone.
- Severe food restriction driven by an intense fear of gaining weight characterizes... Answer: Anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder with dangerously low weight
Anorexia nervosa involves severe food restriction, low body weight, and an intense fear of gaining weight. Bulimia, by contrast, centers on binge-purge cycles.
- The medical model views psychological disorders primarily as... Answer: Illnesses with biological causes that can be diagnosed and treated
The medical model treats disorders like physical illnesses, with symptoms, causes, and treatments, an approach that helped reduce blame and stigma.
- Enduring, inflexible patterns of thinking and behaving that cause distress are called... Answer: Personality disorders, lasting patterns that impair functioning
Personality disorders are enduring, rigid patterns of inner experience and behavior that differ from cultural expectations and impair daily functioning.
- Which of the following is classified as a mood disorder? Answer: Major depressive disorder, defined by persistent low mood
Major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder are mood disorders. Schizophrenia, phobias, and OCD belong to other diagnostic categories.