GRE Subject Test: Psychology : Clinical Assessment

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GRE Subject Test: Psychology

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Example Questions

Example Question #124 :Social

Which of the following terms is best defined as the inability to recognize faces?

Possible Answers:

Somatoform disorder

Prosopagnosia

Individual processing disorder

Aphasia

Correct answer:

Prosopagnosia

Explanation:

Prosopagnosia is also known as face blindness. It results from head trauma or degenerative diseases. One symptom indicative of this disorder is the patient’s reliance on non-facial cues, such as hair, clothing, or accessories, to distinguish between individuals' faces.

Example Question #1 :Clinical Assessment

An Adlerian psychotherapist would be uninterested in which of the following?

Possible Answers:

Psychosexual development

Spitting in the client's soup

Inferiority complex

Birth order

Early medical history

Correct answer:

Psychosexual development

Explanation:

All of the listed answer choices are Adlerian counseling pillars except psychosexual development. Adler developed the technique of "spitting in a client's soup" in order to provide a prospective of reality to the client. Adler focused strongly on birth order as well as early medical trauma that may cause difficulty with self-actualization later in life. This led to Adler’s understanding of an inferiority complex.

Example Question #2 :Clinical Assessment

Prosopagnosia is a disorder which involves the loss of which of the following?

Possible Answers:

Meaningful speech production

Ability to detect emotions

Color vision

Face recognition

Voice recognition

Correct answer:

Face recognition

Explanation:

Prosopagnosia is a condition distinguished by a loss in the ability to recognize faces. The condition is also known as "face blindness," and is typically the result of brain damage. This damage usually occurs in the fusiform gyrus, a region of the brain which is associated with facial recognition.

A lack of color vision is more often genetic in origin. Achromatopsia is a condition involving a lack of color vision. Other conditions may describe an inability to describe emotion or to distinguish between voice or produce speech, but none of these are classified under prosopagnosia.

Example Question #3 :Clinical Assessment

Erika, a 16 year old girl, is struggling with her mood regulation. She often swings from upbeat and happy to sad and in tears within hours. She pleads with her boyfriend not to go home at the end of a date, and often fears that he will leave her. She feels she is not sure what her true personality is, and often acts impulsively, in self-destructive fashion. Erika is most likely to be diagnosed with which of the following?

Possible Answers:

Borderline personality disorder

Depression

Bipolar disorder, type II

Alcohol addiction

Schizophrenia

Correct answer:

Borderline personality disorder

Explanation:

Erika is displaying several of the classic signs of borderline personality disorder. She is experiencing mood swings, paranoia, and a lack of self identity. She is also displaying pleading and impulsive behaviors. While elements of her feelings and actions could be symptoms of the other disorders listed, no alternate answer encompasses all these symptoms like borderline personality disorder.

Example Question #4 :Clinical Assessment

Gambling addiction and drug addiction have many similar diagnostic criteria. Which of the following is a difference in diagnosing these disorders?

Possible Answers:

A gambler feels restless or irritable when attempting to cut back.

A gambling addict is often preoccupied with gambling.

A drug addict's recurrent use of the substance resulting in a failure to fulfill major role obligations at work, school, or home.

A drug addict has a persistent desire or unsuccessful effort to cut down or control use of the substance.

A gambling addict will lie about or attempt to conceal their usage.

Correct answer:

A gambling addict will lie about or attempt to conceal their usage.

Explanation:

Concealment or lying is not a part of the diagnostic criteria in the DSM-5 for drug addiction, only gambling addiction. The rest of these options apply to both drug and gambling addicts.

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