Abnormal Psych Test Questions – Flashcards

A precise definition of abnormality remains elusive. Elements that can be helpful in considering whether something is abnormal include suffering, maladativeness, statistical deviancy, dangerousness, violation of societal norms, irrationality, and unpredictability. The DSM employs a category type of classification similar to that used in medicine. Disorders are regarded as discrete clinical entities, though not all clinical disorders may be best considered in this way. Even though it is not without problems, the DSM provides us with working criteria that helps clinicians and researchers identify and study specific difficulties that affect the lives of many people. It is far from a "finished product." However, familiarity with the DSM is essential to significant study of the field. Culture shapes the presentation of clinical disorders in some cases. There are also certain disorders that appear to be highly culture specific

Classifying disorders provides a communication shorthand and allows us to structure information in an efficient manner. This facilitates research and treatment. However, when we classify, we lose personal information about the person with the disorder. Classification also facilitates stigma, stereotyping, and labeling. People with mental disorders experience a great deal of stigma. Even though it is now generally known that mental illnesses have biological causes, this does not seem to have reduced the stigma associated with being mentally ill. Negative attitudes toward the mentally ill can be found in all cultures

Epidemiology involves the study of the distribution and frequency of disorders. Just under 50 percent of people will experience some form of mental disorder over the course of their lifetimes. Mood disorders and anxiety are particularly common.

Research in abnormal psychology allows us to learn about the duration and causes of disorders and this research can take place in a variety of settings including clinics, hospitals, schools, and prisons. To avoid misconception and error, we must adopt a scientific approach to the study of abnormal behavior. This requires a focus on research and research methodology, including an appreciation of the distinction between what is observable and what is hypothetical or inferred. To produce valid results, research must be conducted on individuals who are truly representative of the diagnostic groups to which they purportedly belong.

Information about mental disorders is gathered by psychologists through case studies, self-report data, and observational approaches

Research in abnormal psychology may be correlational or experimental. Correlational research examines facts as they currently are. Experimental research involves manipulation one variable (the independent variable) and observing the effect this manipulation produces with regard to another variable (the dependent variable) Just because two variables are correlated does not mean that there is a causal relationship between them. Always remember that correlation does not equal causation. Although most experiments involve the study of groups, single-case experimental designs (e.g., ABAB designs) may also be used to make causal inferences in individual instances Analogue studies (e.g., animal research) are studies that provide an approximation to the human disorders of interest. Although generalizability presents an obstacle, animal research in particular has been very informative

an experimental design, often involving a single subject, wherein a baseline period (A) is followed by a treatment (B). To confirm that the treatment resulted in a change in behavior, the treatment is then withdrawn (A) and reinstated (B)

Field of psych concerned with the study, assessment, treatment, and prevention of abnormal behavior.

term used to describe a disorder of sudden onset, usually with intense symptoms

studies in which a researcher attempts to emulate the conditions hypothesized as leading to abnormality.

observer bias occurs when the researcher has preconceived ideas and expectations that influence the observations he or she makes in the research study

an in-depth examination of an individual or family that draws from a number of data sources, including interviews and psychological testing

term used to describe a long-standing or frequently recurring disorder, often with progressing seriousness

occurrence of two or more identified disorders in the same psychologically disordered individual

group of subjects who do not exhibit the disorder being studied but who are comparable in all other respects to the criterion group. Also, a comparison group of subjects who do not receive a condition or treatment the effects of which are being studied

the tendency of two variables to change together. With positive correlation, as one variable goes up, so does the other; with negative correlation, one variable goes up as the other goes down.

a research strategy that examines whether and how variables go together (covary) without manipulating (changing) any variables.

a statistic that ranges from +1.0 to -1.0 and reflects the degree of association between two variables. The magnitude of the correlation, and the sign indicates whether the correlation is positive or negative

group of subjects who exhibit the disorder under study

in an experiment, the factor that is observed to change with changes in the manipulated (independent) variables.

method of collecting research data that involves directly observing behavior in a given situation

refers to the fact that, in correlational research, it cannot be concluded whether variable A causes variable B or whether variable B causes variable A.

often used in studies examining drug treatment effects, a condition where neither the subject nor the experimenter has knowledge about what specific experimental condition (or drug) the subject is receiving.

a statistical term referring to the strength of the relationship between two variables in a statistical population

study of the distribution of diseases disorders, or health-related behaviors in a given population. Mental health epidemiology is the study of the distribution of mental disorders.

factors hat are related to the development (or cause) of a particular disorder

research that involves the manipulation of a given factor or variable with everything else held constant

the extent to which the findings from a single study are relevant to other populations, contexts, or times

the clustering of certain traits, behaviors, or disorders within a given family. Family aggression may arise because of genetic or environmental similarities

the extent to which the findings from a single study can be used to draw conclusions about other samples

statement or proposition, usually based on observation, that is tested in an experiment; may be refuted or supported by experimental results but can never be conclusively proved

Occurence (onset) rate of a given disorder in a given population

factor whose effects are being examined and which is manipulated in some way, while other variables are held constant

the extent to which a study is free of confounds, is methodologically sound, and allows the researcher to have confidence in the findings

assigning a person to a particular diagnostic category, such as schizophrenia

The proportion of living persons in a population who have ever had a disorder up to the time of the epidemiological assessment

a research design in which people are followed over time

a statistical method used to combine the results of a number of similar research studies. The data from each study are transformed into a common metric called the effect size. this allows the data from the various studies to be combined and then analyzed.

a relationship between two variables such that a high score on one variable is associated with allow score on another variable

a formalized naming system

the total number of cases of a health-related state or condition in a population for a given year

an inert pill or otherwise neutral intervention that produces desirable therapeutic effects because of the subjects expectations that it will be beneficial

the number of cases of a specific condition or disorder that can be found in a population at any given point in time

a relationship between two variables such hatred a high score on one variable is associated with a high score on another variable

in a population, the proportion of active cases of a disorder that can be identified at a given point in time or during a given period

method that often focuses on individuals who have a higher-than-average likelihood of becoming psychologically disordered before abnormal behavior is observed

a procedure used to create equivalent groups in which every research participant has an equal chance of being assigned to any group in the study

research approach that attempts to retrace earlier events in the life of a subject

the process of selecting a representative subgroup from a defined population of interest

data collected directly from participants, typically by means of interviews or questionnaires

an experimental research design that involves only one subject

a measure of the probability that a research finding could have occurred by chance alone

the tendency to jump to conclusions about what a person is like based on the beliefs about that group that exists in the culture (e.g., french are rude, mental patients are dangerous, etc.)

negative labeling

refers to the problem of making casual inferences in correlational research, where the correlation between tow variables could be due to their shred correlation with an unmeasured third variable.

Understanding of abnormal behavior has not evolved smoothly or uniformly over the centuries; the steps have been uneven, with great gaps in between, and unusual- even bizarre- views or beliefs have often sidetracked researchers and theorists The dominant social, economic, and religious views of the times have had a profound influence over how people have viewed abnormal behavior in the ancient world, the superstitious explanation for mental disorders were followed by the emergence of medical concepts in many places such as Egypt and Greece; many of these concepts were developed and refined by Roman physicians. After the fall of Rome near the end of the fifth century A.D., superstitious views dominated popular thinking about mental disorders for over 1000 years. in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, it was still widely believed, even by scholars, that some mentally disturbed people were posted by a devil.

with recognition of a need for the special treatment of disturbed people came the founding of various "asylums" toward the end of the sixteenth century. However, institutionalization brought the isolation and maltreatment of mental patients. Slowly this situation was recognized, and in the eighteenth century further efforts were made to help afflicted individuals by providing them with better living conditions and humane treatment, although these improvements were the exception rather than the rule. The nineteenth and early twentieth centuries witnessed a umber of scientific and humanitarian advances. The work of Philippe Pinel in France, of William Tuke in England, and of Benjamin Rush and Dorothea Dix in the United States prepared the way for several important developments in contemporary abnormal psychology, such as moral management. Among these were the gradual acceptance of mental patients as afflicted individuals who need and deserve professional attention; the successful application of biomedical methods to disorders; and the growth of scientific research into the biological, psychological, and socio-cultural roots of abnormal behavior The reform of mental hospitals continued into the twentieth century, but over the last four decades of the century there has been strong movement to close mental hospitals and release people into the community. This movement remains controversial in the early part of the twenty-first century.

in the nineteenth century, great technological discoveries and scientific advancements that were made in the biological sciences enhanced the understanding and treatment of disturbed individuals. one major biomedical breakthrough came with the discovery of the organic factors underlying general paresis- syphilis of the brain- one of the most serious mental illnesses of the day. Beginning in the early part of the eighteenth century, knowledge of anatomy, physiology, neurology, chemistry, and general medicine increased rapidly. These advances led to the identification of the biological, or organic pathology underlying many physical ailments. The development of a psychiatric classification system by Kraepelin played a dominant role in the early development of the biological viewpoint. Kraepelin's work (a forerunner to the DSM system) helped to establish the importance of brain pathology in mental disorders and made several related contributions that helped establish this viewpoint The first major steps toward understanding psychological factors in mental disorders occurred with mesmerism and the Nancy School, followed by the work of Sigmund Freud. During five decades of observation, treatment, and writing, he developed a theory of psychopathology, known as "psychoanalysis" that emphasized the inner dynamics of unconscious motives. Over the last half-century, other clinicians have modified and revised Freud's theory, which has thus evolved into new psychodynamic perspectives Scientific investigation into psychological factors and human behavior began to make progress in the latter part of the nineteenth century. The end of the nineteenth century and the early twentieth century saw experimental psychology evolve into clinical psychology with the development of clinics to study, as well as intervene in, abnormal behavior. Paralleling this development was the work of Pavlov in understanding learning and conditioning. Behaviorism emerged as an explanatory model in abnormal psych. This behavioral perspective is organized around a center theme- that learning plays an important role in human behavior. Although this perspective initially developed through research in the laboratory (unlike psychoanalysis, which emerged out of clinical practice with disturbed individuals) , it has been shown to have important implications for explaining and treating maladaptive behavior. Understanding the history of psychopathology- its forward steps and missteps alike- helps us understand the emergence of modern concepts of abnormal behavior

historically, theses were institutions meant solely for the care of the mentally ill

a theoretical viewpoint organized around the theme that learning is central in determining human behavior

school of psychology that formerly restricted itself primarily tot he study of overt behavior

discharge of emotional tension associated with something, such as by talking about past traumas

a basic form of learning in which a neutral stimulus is paired repeatedly with an unconditioned stimulus that naturally elicits an unconditioned response. After repeated pairings, the neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus that elicits a conditioned response

movement to close mental hospitals and treat people with severe mental disorder in the community

method involving the recording, description, and interpretation of a patients dream.

religiously inspired treatment procedure designed to drive out evil spirits or forces from a "possessed" person

method for probing the unconscious by having patients talk freely about themselves, their feelings, and their motives

legal term for mental disorder, implying lack of responsibility for ones acts and inability to manage ones affairs

delusions of being a wolf.

historically, widespread occurrence of group behavior disorders that were apparently cases of hysteria

movement that advocated a method of treatment focused almost exclusively on the physical well-being of hospitalized mental patients.

theory of "animal magnetism" (hypnosis) formulated by Anton Mesmer

wide-ranging method of treatment that focuses on patients social, individual, and occupational needs

Group of physicians in nineteenth-century Europe who accepted the view that hysteria was a sort of self-hypnosis

form of learning in which if a particular response is reinforced, it becomes more likely to be repeated on similar occasions.

methods Frued used to study and treat patients

Theory of psychopathology, initially developed by Freud, that emphasis the inner dynamics of unconscious motives

Name given to the dancing mania (and mass hysteria) that spread form Italy to Germany and the rest of Europe in the Middle Ages

dancing mania that occurred in Italy in the thirteenth century

in psychoanalytic theory, a major portion of the mind, which consists of a hidden mass of instincts, impulses, and memories and is not easily available to conscious awareness, yet plays an important role in behavior.

In considering the causes of abnormal behavior, it is important to distinguish among necessary, sufficient, and contributory causal factors, as well as between relatively distal causal factors and those that are more proximal Usually the occurrence of abnormal or maladaptive behavior is considered to be the joint product of a person's predisposition or vulnerability (diathesis) to disorder and of certain stressors that challenge his or her coping resources. The concept of protective factors is important for understanding why some people with both a diathesis and a stressor may remain resilient and not develop a disorder

both the distal (long-ago) and proximal (immediate) risk factors for mental disorder may involve biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors. These three classes of factors can interact with each other in complicated ways during the development of mental disorders. This chapter discussed biological, psychological and sociocultural viewpoints, each of which tends to emphasize the importance of causal factors of a characteristic type. Ultimately we strive for an integrative biophsychosochial viewpoint

in examining biologically based vulnerabilities, we must consider abnormalities in neurochemical and hormonal systems, genetic vulnerabilities, temperament, and brain dysfunction and neural plasticity. Many different neurotransmitter and hormonal abnormalities contribute to the development of mental disorders because of the effects they exert on different relevant brain and body areas for different disorders Genetic vulnerabilities can affect the development of mental disorders through multiple mechanisms, including ways in which the genotype may affect the phenotype (genotype-environment correlations) and in which they affect an individual's susceptibility to environmental influences (genotype-environment interactions) Methods for studying the extent of genetic versus environmental influences include the family history method, the twin method, and the adoption method. More recently, linkage analysis and association studies are beginning to contribute knowledge about the exact location of genes contributing to mental disorders. Temperament is strongly influenced by genetic factors and refers to abbeys characteristic way of reacting to the environment and his or her ways of self-regulation. IT forms the basis of our adult personality, which in turn influences our vulnerability to different disorders. Studies of neural plasticity have shown that genetic programs for brain development are not as fixed as once believed and that existing neural circuits can often be modified based on experience