Entomophobia and Delusory Parasitosis

IB1091033 Entomophobia and delusory parasitosis April 19, 2010, Pages 300-305 1. The word “bug” is derived from a Welsh word meaning a. “to suck” b. “pest”c. “hobgoblin d. “to smell bad”

2. Irrational fear of insects is known as entomophobia; irrational fear of spiders is called a. araneophobia b. arachnophobia c. acarophobia d. entomophobia

3. T or F: Recently released CIA memos indicate that plans were made to use insects to inflict torture on detainees.

4. T or F: All individuals who are afraid of insects can be said to be suffering from entomophobia.

5. What age groups are most prone to entomophobia? a. young children 2-7 b. middle-school kids12-17 c. adults 21-65 d. senior citizens

6. True or False? In young children, entomophobic girls outnumber entomophobic boys by 2 to1.

7. Which of the following is an example of a subjective reaction in a phobic response to insects? a. anxiety b. rapid heartbeat c. shallow breathing d.freezing in place Which of the following is an example of a physiological reaction in a phobic response to insects? a. anxiety b. feeling of doom c. shallow breathing d.freezing in place Which of the following is an example of a motor reaction in a phobic response to insects? a. anxiety b. feeling of doom c. shallow breathing d.freezing in place

8. Which of the following is a theory proposed to account for the origins of entomophobia? a. Freudian theory of unresolved mental conflicts about sex b. Prepotency/preparedness—that there is genetic predisposition to avoid danger c. Conditional response to aversive stimuli d. All of these theories have been proposed to account for entomophobia

9. Approximately what percentage of the population is truly entomophobic? a. less than 1% b. between 3 and 10% c. between 25-50% d > 75%

10. Match the therapy with its description a. systematic desensitization 1. placement of subject in catastrophic situation b. in vivo therapy 2. confrontation with feared object c. flooding therapy 3. observing others handle the feared object d. modelling 4. relaxation via mental imaging

11. What novel approaches to treating phobias have been proposed that involve computers? a. keeping track of encounters with the feared objects in a spreadsheet b. chat rooms for phobics c. using virtual reality to confront the feared object d. instant-messaging therapists when feared objects are encountered

12. “Spiderless arachnophobia treatment” can involve a. exposure to verbal descriptions of spiders b. exposure to drawings of anthropomorphic spiders c. exposure to computerized images of spiders d. exposure to photos of 8-legged mechanical objects

13. How does delusory parasitosis differ from entomophobia? a. age distribution of patients b. hygienic habits of patients c. socioeconomic status of patients

14. Which is the other name by which delusory parasitosis is known? a. delusions of parasitosis b. Ekbom’s syndrome c. monsymptomatic hypochondriasis d. a-c

15.Which feature CANNOT be used to distinguish a real infestation from delusory parasitosis? a. bugs “jump” b. bugs are found in household objects c. infestations last more than 3 months d. patients have secondary infections from scratching 16. What arthropods have been implicated in actual infestations that appear to be delusory? a. scabies mite b. cat mite c. cereal thrips d. all of the above

17. What is formication? a. abnormal sexual arousal by ants crawling on private parts b. paralyzing fear of ants c. sensation of being crawled upon by ants d. compulsive need to ingest ants

18. Which of the following is a “matchbox sign”? a. patient has burn-like marks on arm as a result of frenzied scratching b. patient’s fingertips are red with blood as a result of frenzied scratching c. patient brings in a Ziploc bag with lint as evidence of infestation d. patient collects ectoparasites in a small box and attempts to keep them as pets

19. Which of the following is likely a manifestation of folie à deux? a. patient brings in a pet poodle and demands that its imaginary parasites be removed b. patient insists that after a full course of treatment the parasites have returned c. patient’s family members all report being parasitized d. patient refuses to believe a primary care physician and insists on seeing a specialist

20. The difference between folie à deux and folie à famille is a. the relationship among the patients b. the number of individuals displaying symptoms c. is nonexistent—they’re the same phenomenon

21. What would you do if, as a pest control operation, you were asked to take care of a nonexistent insect infestation? a. treat the infestation as if it were real and charge the full amount b. say you’ll treat the infestation but don’t really apply pesticide c. treat the infestation but use reduced amounts of pesticides and charge less d. under no circumstances should the infestation be treated if it doesn’t exist

22. Which of the following is NOT a possible cause for secondary organic delusory parasitosis? a. hypothyroidism b. vitamin B12 deficiency c. diabetes d. schizophrenia

23. Which of these organisms are NOT likely to be involved in an actual infestation that might be mistaken for delusory parasitosis? a. mites of pets (Cheyletiella) b. mites of house pests (Ornithonyssus) c. stored product mites (Pyemotes) d. houseplant mites (Tetranychus)

24. Which of the following DO NOT cause illusions of parasitosis? a. rockwool insulation b. perfumes c. paper splinters d. rat mites

25. Bell’s syndrome refers to a. secondary infection due to scratching b. self-mutilation resulting from attempts to relieve itching c. paresthesia resulting from medication d. the power of suggestion

26. Pthirophilia is a. a real form of insect-related paraphilia b. a joke c. who knows?

27. At whom was House Bill 1877, signed into law in December 1999, aimed? a. formicophiles b. entomophobes c. unscrupulous pest control operators d. crush-freaks