question

Abnormal psychology

answer

the scientific study of abnormal behavior in an effort to describe, predict, explain, and change abnormal patterns of functioning.

question

definitions of abnormality

answer

deviance, distress, dysfunction, danger these are the four d's they are a useful starting point from which to explore certain psychological abnormalities.

question

4 D's of abnormality

answer

1) Deviance - differ markedly from a society's ideas about proper functioning. 2) Distress - causes discomfort. 3) Dysfunction - behavior interferes with daily functioning. 4) Danger - if behavior is careless or hostile you might be placing yourself or others at risk.

question

culture

answer

-people's common history, values, institutions, habits, skills, technology, and arts and the behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular group. (shared norms)

question

norms

answer

stated and unstated rules for proper conduct. (expectations)

question

Jerome Frank & The Components of treatment

answer

According to him all forms of therapy have three essential features: 1) a sufferer who seeks relief from the healer. (doctors, therapist counselors and psychiatrist) 2) a trained, socially accepted healer, whose experience is accepted by the sufferer and their social group. (accept emotional and physical changes) 3) a series of contacts between the healer and the sufferer, through which the healer. often tries to produce certain changes in the sufferer's emotional state, attitudes, and behavior. There is much disagreement.

question

exorcisms

answer

the practice in early societies of treating abnormality by coaxing evil spirits to leave the person's body.

question

trephination

answer

an ancient operation in which a stone instrument was used to cut away a circular section of the skull.

question

Hippocrates & the four humors

answer

Hippocrates (father of modern medicine) believed that illnesses had natural causes. They believed it was caused by physical not spiritual. (they believed there was biology behind it) Humors: according to Greek and Roman physicians, bodily chemicals that influence mental and physical functioning; fluids that flowed through the body. Yellow Bile Black Bile Blood Phlegm

question

asylums

answer

Most Infamous of the Asylums: Bethlehem Hospital "Bedlam". A type of institution that first became popular in the sixteenth century to provide care for persons with mental disorders. Most became virtual prisons.

question

psychotropic drugs

answer

drugs that mainly affect the brain and reduce many symptoms of mental dysfunction. (calming)

question

deinstitutionalization

answer

the practice of releasing patients from public mental hospitals in favor of community treatment.

question

prevention

answer

interventions aimed at deterring mental disorders before they can develop.

question

clinical vs. counseling psychologists

answer

each are related to the mental disorders and graduate with different degrees they all specialize in what they want they want to practice but counseling psychologists vs clinical psychologists, only treat everyday problems. They have a MA degree. From there you move up to a clinical psychologist who then treats you for psychological disorders and the can refer you out and they have a PH.D.

question

psychiatrists

answer

A psychiatrist includes high degree of ranking among all therapist is all the only one able to provide medication and has a MD., 20 min sessions compared to a 50mins usually.

question

social workers

answer

concerned and involved with the interactions between people and the institutions of society.

question

school psychologists

answer

A practitioner or educator that conducts assessments to evaluate students on criteria such as intelligence, aptitude, and psychopathology.

question

clinical researchers

answer

researchers who carry out studies to determine which concepts best explain and predict abnormal behavior.

question

The two opposing perspectives emerging in the 1800's

answer

Moral treatment; State hospitals Moral treatment declined by the 1850's due to severe money and staffing shortages along with moral treatment not being enough to "cure" people. 1) Moral Treatment: a 19th century approach to treating people with mental dysfunction that emphasized moral guidance and respectful treatment. 2) State Hospitals: state-run public mental institutions. Intended to offer moral treatment.

question

models

answer

-Models are basic assumptions and set guidelines for investigation and treatment. -Model: a set of assumptions and concepts that helps scientists explain and interpret observations.

question

biological model

answer

-Biological (Medical) Model: psychological disorders have a biochemical or physiological basis. (depression) -They are diseases that have physical causes. -Brain Anatomy -Brain Chemistry -Neurotransmitters -Genetics -Viral Infections (pregnant)

question

neurotransmitters

answer

a chemical that, released by one neuron, crosses the synaptic space to be received at receptors on the dendrites of neighboring neurons. (hypersensitive to anxiety)

question

ECT (Electroconvulsive Therapy)

answer

a form of biological treatment, in which a brain seizure is triggered as an electric current passes through electrodes attached to the patient's forehead. (depression, seizures, memory loss)

question

psychodynamic model (Psychoanalytic)

answer

-psychological disorders result from unconscious internal conflicts.

question

Behavorial model

answer

our actions are determined largely by our experiences in life.

question

operant vs. classical conditioning

answer

operant conditioning is a behavioral change it is voluntary (i.e. rewarded) vs. classical conditioning which is involuntary which is mental, emotional and physical changes.

question

cognitive model

answer

abnormal behavior can result from several kinds of cognitive problems such as making false assumptions or illogical thinking patterns.

question

humanistic-existential model

answer

look at aspects of existence such as self-awareness, values, sense of meaning in life, goals, and freedom of choice.

question

client-centered therapy

answer

developed by Carl Rogers in which clinicians try to help clients by conveying acceptance, accurate empathy, and genuineness.

question

sociocultural model

answer

abnormal behavior is best understood in terms of the social and cultural forces that influence an individual. (Multicultural Perspective)

question

Self-help groups vs. group therapy

answer

Group Therapy: a therapy format in which a group of people with similar problems meet together with a therapist to work on those problems. (i.e. eating disorders) Self-Help Group: a group made up of people with similar problems who help and support one another without the direct leadership of a clinician. (they are not lead by clinician, they are less therapeutic)

question

Freud's 3 structures of personality

answer

1) Id - pleasure principle-(primal hell with the consequences, devil vs. angel) 2) Ego - reality principle- (the camparison- will wait till later, obey rule) 3) Superego - ego ideal- (constricted, never do have anxiety)

question

assessment

answer

the process of collecting and understanding relevant information about a client or subject.

question

standardization

answer

defining meaningful scores by comparison with the performance of a pre-tested standardization group.

question

reliability vs. validity

answer

Consistency vs accuracy Reliability- ability of a test to produce stable and dependable scores. Validity- ability of a test to measure what it has been designed to measure.

question

Clinical interviews

answer

a face-to-face encounter in which clinicians ask questions of clients, weigh their responses and reactions, and learn about them and their psychological problems.

question

mental status exam

answer

a set of interview questions and observations designed to reveal the degree and nature of a client's abnormal functioning.

question

neurological tests

answer

a test that directly measures brain structure or activity. -CAT scan -PET scan -MRI

question

Rorschach

answer

a projective test that asks the examinee to describe each of a series of inkblot images. (mirror images)

question

TAT (Thematic Apperception Test)

answer

a protective test in which a participant is asked to make up a story (including what will happen in the future) about a picture that is presented. (create a story about the grainy image)

question

Personality inventories

answer

a test designed to measure broad personality characteristics, consisting of statements about behaviors, beliefs, and feelings that people evaluate as either characteristic or uncharacteristic of them. (written tests- common)

question

naturalistic and analog observation

answer

-a method for observing behavior in which clinicians or researchers observe people in their everyday environments.

question

objective vs. projective tests

answer

clinical observation abd personality inventorties vs. assessment technique that attempts to study personality through use of a relatively unstructured stimulus, task, or situation. (asses unconscious drives and conflicts) (unstructured ink-blot)

question

diagnosis

answer

a determination that a person's problems reflect a particular disorder. Statistic manual of mental disorders.

question

labeling and consequences

answer

-Critics of the DSM speak about the dangers of labeling someone: -We view the person differently -Make judgments -Possibly change reality

question

if there is a best type of therapy

answer

-In general, therapy has been shown to be helpful -Most helpful for people with relatively mild psychological problems, those who are motivated to change, and those who have long-term vs. short-term therapy. -Certain types of therapies are better for certain types of problems.

question

The 5 Axes of a DSM diagnosis.

answer

Axis I- clinical disorder (diagnosis: depression) ( i.e. severity 1-5) Axis II- Personality disorder & mental retardation Axis III- general medical conditions Axis IV- psychosocial and environmental problems Axis V- global assessment of functioning

question

anxiety

answer

Feelings of fear & apprehension caused by something appropriate and identifiable that pass with time.

question

Panic Disorder

answer

A group of disorders primarily characterized by extreme, unrealistic, or debilitating anxiety.

question

OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)

answer

anxiety disorder in which person feels driven to think disturbing thoughts or to perform senseless rituals or both.

question

GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder)

answer

prolonged vague but intense fears that are not attached to any particular object or circumstance.

question

Phobias

answer

intense paralyzing fear of something that is excessive and unreasonable.

question

cognitive explanations

answer

-thinking or worrying patterns Basic Irrational Assumptions: inaccurate and inappropriate beliefs. - panic attacks are the result of misinterpreting physiological events within a person's body. -people begin to blame themselves for unwanted thoughts and begin expecting that terrible things will happen. -Treatment focuses on the cognitive processes that help produce and maintain obsessions and compulsions .

question

GABA (gamma-aminobutryric acid) & anxiety disorders

answer

GABA- a neurotransmitter whose low activity has been linked to generalized anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorder- A group of disorders primarily characterized by extreme, unrealistic, or debilitating anxiety.

question

Preparedness

answer

a predisposition to develop certain fears.

question

biofeedback

answer

a technique in which a client is given information about physiological reactions as they occur and learn to control the reactions voluntarily.

question

social phobia

answer

social situations and performances in front of other people.

question

OCD Related Disorder

answer

disorders in which obsessive like concerns drives people to repeatedly and excessively perform specific patterns of behavior that greatly disrupt their lives.

question

hoarding

answer

the excessive acquisition of possessions, even if the items are worthless, hazardous, or unsanitary. (ocd related)

question

-trichotillomania

answer

hair-pulling disorder (ocd related)

question

-excoriation

answer

skin-picking disorder (ocd related)

question

systematic desensitization

answer

a behavioral treatment that uses relaxation training and a fear hierarchy to help clients with phobias react calmly to the objects or situations they dread.

question

Flooding

answer

a treatment in which clients are exposed repeatedly and intensively to a feared object and made to see that it is actually harmless.

question

Anxiety Sensitivity

answer

a tendency to focus on one's bodily sensations, asses them illogically, and interpret them as harmful.

question

exposure and response prevention

answer

clients are repeatedly exposed to objects or situations that produce anxiety but are told to resist performing the behaviors they feel bound to perform.

question

obsessions vs. compulsions

answer

-Obsessions are thoughts, images, or impulses that occur over and over again and feel out of your control. - Compulsions are acts the person performs over and over again, often according to certain "rules."

question

Stress

answer

a state of psychological tension or strain; the process by which we perceive and respond to certain events, called stressors.

question

Hypothalamus

answer

regulates body homeostasis along with linking the nervous system to the endocrine system.

question

Endorcrine system

answer

the system of glands located throughout the body that help control important activities such as growth and sexual activity.

question

sympathetic nervous system

answer

it is a 'mobilized resources' being activated (fight or flight) "Arouses" Stress is sent through hypothalamus which is then sent through the Autonomic nervous system.

question

HPA axis - (Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Pathway)

answer

one route by which the brain and body produce arousal and fear. At times of stress the hypothalamus signals the pituitary gland, which in turn signals the adrenal glands thereby releasing stress hormones to various body organs.

question

acute stress disorder vs. PTSD

answer

*two common stress disorders 1) Acute Stress Disorder: an anxiety disorder in which fear and related symptoms are experienced soon after a traumatic event (within four weeks) and last less than a month. 2. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: an anxiety disorder in which fear and related symptoms continue to be experienced long after a traumatic event. Unlike acute stress, PSTD starts at any point often from trauma and symptoms last indefinitely.

question

stress and resiliency

answer

-Stress arises more from how we appraise events than the events themselves. -It is a state of psychological tension or strain; the process by which we perceive and respond to certain events, called stressors. -The resiliency is the ability to avoid or recover from the effects of negative circumstances.

question

EMDDR ( Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing )

answer

a behavioral exposure treatment in which clients move their eyes in a saccadic (rhythmic) manner from side to side while flooding their minds with images of objects and situations they ordinarily avoid. (treatment for stress disorder)

question

Types of Dissociative Amnesia

answer

disorder characterized by loss of memory for past events without organic cause. -Five Main Types: -Localized -Selective -Generalized -Continuous

question

dissociative fugue

answer

a disorder that involves flight from home and the assumption of a new identity with amnesia for the past identity and events.

question

relationships among subpersonalities

answer

the two or more distinct personalities found in individuals suffering from DID.

question

dissociative identity disorder vs. schizophrenia

answer

schizophrenia is more shown toward the media and link toward 1 individual vs dissociative identity disorder that is link to multiple personality disorders.

question

causes of DID

answer

No physical cause. psychological, loss of memory. 1) localization - don't remember 2) selective- remember bits and pieces 3) generalized - forget before the event 4) continuous- forget into the present 5) fugue- 'latin' for 'flight' rare- leave home leave identity- wont remember anything and will eventually start remembering because they have no memory (can be a pattern)

question

three main goals of treating DID

answer

1) Helping a client fully recognize the nature of their disorder 2) Trying to recover gaps in memory 3) Integrating sub-personalities into one functional personality (Fusion). ( as few identities as possible)

Answers on Abnormal Psychology Flashcards

Unlock all answers in this set

Haven't found what you were looking for?

Search for samples, answers to your questions and flashcards