Lesson 5.1.1

5.1.1 Diagnosing mental disorders and classification systems Quiz: Pearson Edexcel Psychology, Unit 5

20 questions

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Lesson 5.1.1, Diagnosing mental disorders and classification systems: 20 multiple choice questions for the Pearson Edexcel Psychology (9PS0), Unit 5: Clinical psychology, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. Which of the four Ds of abnormality refers to behaviour that is statistically or socially unusual or that breaks social norms?

    • Dysfunction, meaning behaviour that prevents a person from functioning effectively in daily life and at work
    • Distress, meaning the personal suffering that a person experiences as a result of their own psychological state
    • Deviance, meaning behaviour that departs from what is statistically or socially considered normal or acceptable
    • Danger, meaning behaviour that puts the individual or others at risk of harm to life, health or property

  2. Which of the four Ds refers to behaviour that impairs a person's ability to function in everyday life?

    • Danger, because the behaviour may be harmful to others, which makes it a risk to the wider public and to the individual
    • Distress, because the person feels unhappy about the behaviour and reports suffering from it in their own words
    • Dysfunction, because the behaviour impairs the person's ability to work, study, look after themselves or maintain relationships
    • Deviance, because the behaviour is unusual when compared with the average behaviour of people in the wider population

  3. A person experiences intense anxiety that stops them leaving their house. Which of the four Ds does this most directly illustrate?

    • Danger, because the anxiety always leads the person to harm others, which is the defining feature of this disorder
    • Deviance, because the person is the only one in their area who experiences any anxiety at all about leaving the house
    • Dysfunction only, because the person has no feelings of distress, since the anxiety is a purely physical process
    • Distress, because the person is experiencing considerable suffering, although their behaviour may still be considered functional

  4. Which of the following is a limitation of using deviance to diagnose mental disorder?

    • Behaviour that is statistically unusual is always caused by the id, so deviance has no need for any further explanation
    • Unusual behaviour is not always disordered, so deviance alone may label people unfairly
    • Behaviour that is statistically unusual is always harmful, so deviance alone is a complete and accurate diagnostic tool
    • Behaviour that is statistically unusual is always treated, so deviance can never be a problem for any individual person

  5. What is the purpose of diagnostic classification systems such as DSM and ICD?

    • To provide a list of the causes of mental disorders in animals, which is used to compare animals with humans in research
    • To provide agreed criteria for diagnosing mental disorders, so that clinicians can communicate and compare diagnoses
    • To provide a list of treatments that can be given to every patient, regardless of their specific symptoms or history
    • To provide a legal ruling on whether a person is responsible for their actions, which is the only use of these systems

  6. What does reliability mean in the context of psychiatric diagnosis?

    • Whether the patient's family agrees with the diagnosis, since the family is the best judge of whether it is correct
    • Whether the diagnosis accurately measures the patient's true condition, regardless of whether other clinicians agree
    • Whether two or more clinicians reach the same diagnosis for the same patient, showing consistency of the classification
    • Whether the diagnosis predicts the patient's future illness over many years, which is the main test of any diagnosis

  7. What does validity mean in the context of psychiatric diagnosis?

    • Whether the patient is happy with the diagnosis after treatment, since patient satisfaction is the test of a valid diagnosis
    • Whether the diagnosis is written in the correct language, since translation errors are the main threat to validity
    • Whether a diagnosis accurately describes a real and distinct disorder, with symptoms that cluster together as expected
    • Whether the diagnosis is recorded in the same format by every clinician in every country on every form they complete

  8. Why is cultural difference a concern for the reliability and validity of diagnoses?

    • Because the same symptoms may be interpreted differently across cultures, which can lead to different diagnoses for similar patients
    • Because cultures never have mental disorders, so diagnosis is irrelevant in any society and cannot be affected by culture
    • Because cultural differences only affect the spelling of diagnostic labels, which has no effect on consistency of the diagnosis
    • Because cultural differences make diagnosis unnecessary, since patients can always decide their own diagnosis without help

  9. Which of these is a symptom-based feature used in diagnostic criteria for a mental disorder?

    • A blood test result that shows a specific hormone is present, which is the only diagnostic criterion in the classification
    • A personal opinion of a friend, which is used as the main diagnostic criterion in clinical classification systems today
    • Symptoms that must last for a specified duration and cause clinically significant impairment in functioning
    • A single observed behaviour in one setting, which is sufficient for a diagnosis without any further information

  10. What is a potential consequence of a diagnosis being unreliable?

    • Patients always receive the same treatment, so unreliable diagnosis has no effect on the care that any patient receives
    • Diagnosis becomes more accurate over time, so unreliability in one period always improves the diagnosis in the next period
    • Patients are always cured by the first diagnosis, so unreliability never affects treatment outcomes for patients at all
    • Different clinicians may give different diagnoses to the same patient, which can lead to inconsistent or inappropriate treatment

  11. A clinician labels a behaviour as a disorder simply because it is rare in the population. Which criticism of this approach is most valid?

    • Rarity always indicates a disorder, so the clinician is correct to label any rare behaviour as a mental disorder at once
    • Rarity indicates the presence of a hormone imbalance, which is the only valid explanation for any rare behaviour in people
    • Rarity indicates that the behaviour is caused by the id, so no further assessment is needed before any diagnosis is given
    • Rarity alone does not indicate disorder, so the label may be applied unfairly to people who are simply uncommon

  12. Which of these best describes the danger criterion in diagnosis?

    • The behaviour is dangerous to the environment, which is the main criterion for diagnosis of a mental disorder in clinics
    • The behaviour is dangerous to the clinician's reputation, so the clinician must avoid treating any patient who shows it
    • The behaviour is dangerous to the economy, so the government must decide whether patients can be treated for it
    • The behaviour poses a risk of harm to the person or to others, which can make intervention urgent

  13. Which evaluation point about diagnostic systems is most accurate?

    • Diagnostic systems apply only to animals, so they cannot be used for human patients in any clinical setting in the world
    • Diagnostic systems are perfectly reliable and valid, so no evaluation of their diagnoses is ever needed by clinicians or researchers
    • Diagnostic systems are never used by clinicians, so they have no effect on the diagnosis or treatment of any patient at all
    • Diagnostic systems provide useful shared criteria, but they can be criticised for the reliability and validity of some labels

  14. What is meant by the term 'mental disorder' as used in clinical psychology?

    • Any unusual personal habit or preference that a person has, such as a choice of hobbies or favourite foods and drinks
    • A condition that involves disturbance in thinking, emotion or behaviour, and is classified using agreed diagnostic criteria
    • Any behaviour that breaks the law, which is the only definition used by clinicians in the diagnosis of mental illness
    • A temporary mood change caused only by the weather or the season, which does not require any clinical assessment at all

  15. Which of these illustrates a difference between DSM and ICD?

    • DSM classifies physical illnesses only, while ICD classifies mental disorders only, so they never overlap in any way at all
    • DSM is used only in the United States, while ICD is used only in Asia, so clinicians never use both systems in practice
    • DSM is a treatment manual, while ICD is a list of drugs approved for use in the treatment of every mental disorder listed
    • Both are classification systems for mental health, but they are produced by different organisations and may differ in detail

  16. A clinician uses the four Ds to assess a patient who hears voices and is unable to hold a job. Which Ds are most relevant?

    • Distress only, since the patient's inability to work has no effect on their functioning and so cannot be dysfunction at all
    • Danger only, since the patient's voices can only be a danger to others and never cause any suffering or impairment at all
    • Dysfunction and distress, since the patient is unable to work and may be suffering from the experience of hearing voices
    • Deviance and danger only, since the patient's inability to work is a deviance from the social norm and the voices are danger

  17. Which of these best describes the reason classification systems must be regularly revised?

    • Classification systems are revised only when a new drug is approved, so the criteria never reflect research on disorders
    • Understanding of disorders changes over time, so the criteria may need updating to improve reliability and validity
    • Classification systems never change, since the first version created by any clinician is always perfectly accurate for all time
    • Classification systems are revised only to add more pages, which has no effect on the criteria used by the clinicians

  18. Which of the following best describes the link between diagnostic criteria and treatment decisions?

    • A diagnosis helps guide decisions about treatment, so accurate and reliable diagnosis is important for effective care
    • A diagnosis determines only the patient's legal status, and treatment decisions are made independently of any diagnosis
    • A diagnosis has no link to treatment, since every patient receives the same treatment regardless of their diagnosis
    • A diagnosis is made only after treatment has already been given, so the diagnosis cannot influence the treatment at all

  19. A researcher finds that two psychiatrists diagnose the same patient differently most of the time. Which property of the diagnostic system is in question?

    • Predictive validity, because the diagnosis cannot predict the patient's treatment response in the years after the diagnosis
    • Internal validity, because the study was not carried out in a controlled laboratory setting with random allocation
    • Ecological validity, because the diagnosis does not match the patient's everyday life in their home and work settings
    • Reliability, because the consistency of diagnosis between clinicians is low in this example

  20. Why might a diagnosis be reliable but still invalid?

    • Clinicians who agree always prove that the label describes a real disorder, so a reliable diagnosis can never be invalid at all
    • Clinicians may consistently agree on a label that does not describe a genuine, distinct disorder, so agreement does not guarantee accuracy
    • Validity depends only on the patient's age at the time of assessment, which is unrelated to whether the label is accurate
    • Reliable diagnoses always change from one clinic to the next, which means they can never be consistent in practice anywhere

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