Which of the following best describes tangentiality?
"Made up" words.
Repeating of another's words.
Thought of the speaker wanders off in another direction.
Meaningless rhythm of words.
The Correct Answer is C
A. "Made up" words. This describes neologisms, where individuals create new, nonsensical words that have meaning only to them. It is often seen in schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders.
B. Repeating of another's words. This describes echolalia, a speech disturbance where individuals involuntarily repeat words or phrases spoken by others. It is common in autism spectrum disorder, catatonia, and some neurological conditions.
C. Thought of the speaker wanders off in another direction. Tangentiality occurs when a person's train of thought drifts away from the original topic and never returns to it. Unlike circumstantial speech, where the person eventually returns to the point, tangential thinking leads to incoherent, off-topic responses, commonly seen in schizophrenia, mania, and cognitive disorders.
D. Meaningless rhythm of words. This describes word salad, where speech consists of random, disorganized, and nonsensical words without logical structure. It is a severe thought disorder seen in advanced schizophrenia or delirium.
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Related Questions
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
A. Only engages in solitary activities. Individuals with schizoid personality disorder (SPD) prefer solitary activities and show little interest in social interactions. They are emotionally detached and lack the desire for close relationships, including friendships and romantic partnerships.
B. Dislikes criticism. While people with SPD may be indifferent to praise or criticism, they are not particularly sensitive to it. Unlike avoidant personality disorder, where individuals avoid social interactions due to fear of rejection, those with SPD are emotionally detached and often indifferent to others' opinions.
C. Always wants to be center of attention. This describes histrionic personality disorder (HPD), not schizoid personality disorder. Individuals with HPD seek constant attention, approval, and validation, whereas those with SPD prefer to remain isolated and avoid social engagement.
D. Affective flattening. Affective flattening (emotional coldness or limited emotional expression) is a key feature of SPD. Individuals display minimal facial expressions, monotone speech, and reduced nonverbal communication, contributing to their perceived social aloofness.
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
A. Depressed type. Schizoaffective disorder, depressive type, involves schizophrenia symptoms (delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking) along with major depressive episodes. There is no history of mania or hypomania, distinguishing it from the bipolar type.
B. Unspecified type. Schizoaffective disorder, unspecified type, is used when the clinician determines that the patient meets criteria for schizoaffective disorder but does not clearly fit into the bipolar or depressive subtypes.
C. Anxiety type. There is no "anxiety type" of schizoaffective disorder. While individuals with schizoaffective disorder may experience anxiety, it is not a defining feature. Anxiety disorders are separate conditions and do not define a subtype of schizoaffective disorder.
D. Bipolar type. Schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type, is diagnosed when schizophrenia symptoms occur alongside manic or mixed episodes, with or without depressive episodes. This distinguishes it from the depressive type, which lacks manic symptoms.
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