Clinical Psychology and Mental Health: Practice Questions

Which definition of abnormality suggests that any behavior that is numerically rare in the general population, such as having an IQ score below \( 70 \), should be classified as abnormal?

Marie Jahoda (1958) identified criteria for ideal mental health. Which of the following is one of those criteria?

In the behavioral treatment of phobias known as flooding, the patient is immediately exposed to their most feared stimulus. What is the psychological term for the process where the phobic response is eliminated because the patient realizes the stimulus is harmless once their anxiety levels drop?

In the treatment of phobias, what is the name of the list of fearful situations, arranged from least to most frightening, that a patient creates during systematic desensitisation?

Aaron Beck’s cognitive explanation of depression includes the negative triad. Which three components make up this triad?

List the three components that make up Beck's negative triad for explaining depression.

According to the two-process model, how is a phobia maintained through operant conditioning?

Explain how the serotonin transporter gene (SERT) is thought to contribute to the biological development of OCD.

A researcher conducted a study into the effects of systematic desensitisation on participants with a phobia of spiders. The participants were asked to rate their fear on a scale of 1 to 10 (where 10 is extreme fear) before and after the 4-week therapy program. The average fear rating decreased from 8.5 to 3.2.

Part a: Describe the three main processes involved in systematic desensitisation: the anxiety hierarchy, relaxation, and exposure. (3 points)

Part b: Identify whether the data collected by the researcher (fear ratings) is quantitative or qualitative data and give one reason for your answer. (2 points)