- Autismcan be an extremely serious childhood disorder. Diagnosis is based on three pri-
mary symptoms that become evident early in life: lack of responsiveness to other people,
impairment in verbal and nonverbal communications, and very limited activities and
interests. Children with autism engage in repetitive behaviors. Autism has become more
common. - Eating disorders have also become more common, especially in adolescent females in
North America and Western Europe. Anorexia nervosais an eating disorder character-
ized by a weight of less than 85% of normal, abnormally restrictive food consumption,
and an unrealistic body image. No matter how emaciated they become, people with
anorexia still think they are fat and may continue to lose weight, which can result in
death.Bulimia nervosais an eating disorder characterized by a pattern of eating binges
involving intake of thousands of calories, followed by purging by either vomiting or
using laxatives. Following the purge, people with bulimia typically feel guilty, self-criti-
cal, and depressed. Purging can cause sore throat, swollen glands, loss of tooth enamel,
nutritional deficiencies, dehydration, and intestinal damage.
Review Questions
Directions:For each question, choose the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers
the question.
Abnormal Behavior 223- Hani was unable to tell the difference between right
and wrong. Which of the following definitions
of abnormal behavior is described in this example?
(A) maladaptive
(B) insanity
(C) commitment
(D) statistical
(E) personal - The behavioral approach attributes the cause
of abnormal behavior to
(A) internal conflict from early childhood trauma
(B) the result of neurochemical imbalances
(C) poor self-concept
(D) reinforcement of maladaptive behaviors
learned through experience
(E) irrational and illogical perceptions of reality - Which of the following best characterizes a person
experiencing obsessive-compulsive disorder?
(A) Anna, who hyperventilates whenever she is
trapped in an elevator
(B) Ben, who returns home seven times to see if
he has turned off the stove
(C) Katia, who complains constantly about feel-
ing sick and goes to many different doctors
(D) Kabir, who keeps remembering the plane crash
that killed the other members of his family
(E) Miguel, who wanders about town in a daze,
not sure who he is or how he got there
4. A soldier who experiences sudden blindness
after seeing his buddies killed in battle is best
diagnosed with
(A) a phobic disorder
(B) hypochondriasis
(C) bipolar disorder
(D) dissociative fugue
(E) conversion disorder
5. A common feature among people diagnosed with
dissociative identity disorder is
(A) early childhood sexual or physical abuse
(B) repeated physical complaints
(C) relatives suffering from bipolar disorder
(D) excess of dopamine
(E) hallucinations and delusions
6.Which of the following is NOT characteristic
of the manic state of bipolar disorder?
(A) inflated ego
(B) excessive talking
(C) shopping sprees
(D) fearlessness
(E) too much sleep