Abnormal Psychology Exam 1 Chapters 1-3 – Flashcards

There is not a clear dividing line that serves to distinguish different behavior from that which is abnormal.

providing structure.

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

that a person has two or more disorders.

proposed that mental disorders were the result of an imbalance.

recognizing that psychological disorders could have both biological and psychological causes.

Islamic forms of treatment were more humane than European approaches.

focused on the moral and spiritual development of mental patient's rather than their disorder.

were characterized by fear, horror, and ignorance.

a movement of the mentally ill from institutions to the community

the discovery of the cause and later a cure for general paresis (syphilitic insanity)

psychoanalysis.

after repeated pairings with a stimulus that naturally causes a response, a neutral stimulus will cause a similar response.

the consequences of behavior influence its likelihood of being repeated.

the causal pattern of a disorder.

is called a diathesis.

an influence that modifies a persons response to environmental stressors.

neurotransmitters that are involved in psychopathology.

the adrenal gland produces that mobilizes the body to deal with stress.

the likelihood that most behaviors are determined by the interaction of many genes.

All emphasize the impact of early experiences.

the concept of the unconscious and how it can affect behavior.

failure to learn adaptive behaviors.

results from distorted thinking and information processing.

is processed at a nonconscious level.

All of the above.

An adequate assessment should include as much information as possible to allow the clinician to determine how the individual is functioning now and to predict how she will respond to various forms of treatment.

An evaluation of the environment in which the client lives is necessary in order to understand the demands he faces, as well as the supports that are present.

clinical observation.

they can influence both other people's and the diagnosed person's perception of themselves in negative ways.

decrease the intensity of hallucinations.

they have a low risk of movement related side effects.

Their side effects are more tolerable than those of the first generation antidepressants.

GABA.

They are all mood stabilizing drugs.

systematic desensitization

problems develop because a person views themselves and their world in biased ways.

lack of fulfillment.

free association.

It focuses on all relationships, not just early experiences.

"Abnormal" presupposes some norm from which behaviour deviates, but there is no definition of "normal" about which people can all agree. Abnormal is also related to behaviour that is deemed undesirable by society. Value issues therefore always complicate the objective definition of disorders. What, exactly, comprises distress, disability, or dysfunction is also difficult to define. In addition, definitions of abnormality vary not only with culture, but over time.

a major biomedical breakthrough came with the discover of the organic factors underlying general paresis; syphilis of the brain; one of the most serious mental illnesses of the day producing paralysis and insanity and caused death within 2-5 years from brain deterioration;

Protective factors are conditions or attributes (skills, strengths, resources, supports or coping strategies) in individuals, families, communities or the larger society that help people deal more effectively with stressful events and mitigate or eliminate risk in families and communities. Examples Individual: Well developed social and problem solving skills. Family: Good communication (in general and specifically about substance use) Peers: Friends who do not use alcohol or other drugs and who do not support the behavior. School: School action/messages on drug use. Community: Strong social bonds, child feels connected. Many protective factors are associated with protecting the youth from becoming involved in other risk taking behaviours beyond substance use, such as violence, teen pregnancy, youth crime and dropping out of school.

Both - emphasis on understanding human experience and a focus on the client rather than the symptom; belief that people have the capacity for self-awareness and choice; holds that people have an inherent capacity for responsible self-direction Existential - interested in helping the client find philosophical meaning in the face of anxiety by choosing to think and act authentically and responsibly; central problems people face are embedded in anxiety over loneliness, isolation, despair, and, ultimately, death; recognizes that human influence is shaped by biology, culture, and luck; belief that people's problems come from not exercising choice and judgment enough--or well enough--to forge meaning in their lives, and that each individual is responsible for making meaning out of life Humanistic - "the third force" perspective views human nature as basically good, with an inherent potential to maintain healthy, meaningful relationships and to make choices that are in the interest of oneself and others; focuses on helping people free themselves from disabling assumptions and attitudes so they can live fuller lives; emphasizes growth and self-actualization rather than curing diseases or alleviating disorders; targets present conscious processes rather than unconscious processes and past causes; not being one's true self is the source of problems

Freud considered anxiety to be a "toxic transformation" of undischarged libido. This failure of discharge could either be physiological ("realistic"), as in coitus interruptus or other incomplete or unsatisfactory sexual practices, resulting in "actual neuroses" or "anxiety neuroses"; or it could arise from repression (or its failure), as a symptom of the continued pressure of unacceptable desires, which led to the "psychoneuroses"—hysterias and obsessions. Freud distinguished two types of anxiety, a traumatic, reality-oriented "automatic" anxiety in which the system was overwhelmed, and a secondary, "neurotic" anxiety in which reprisals of these situations were anticipated, thus setting in motion defensive processes. "Automatic anxiety" was an affective reaction to the helplessness experienced during a traumatic experience. The second form of anxiety originated within the psychical system and was mediated by the ego. This "signal anxiety" presaged the emergence of a new "danger situation" that would be a repetition of one of several earlier, "traumatic states."

The Cognitive theory describes how people's perceptions of, or spontaneous thoughts about, situations influence their emotional, behavioral (and often physiological) reactions. Individuals' perceptions are often distorted and dysfunctional when they are distressed. They can learn to identify and evaluate their "automatic thoughts" (spontaneously occurring verbal or imaginal cognitions), and to correct their thinking so that it more closely resembles reality. When they do so, their distress usually decreases, they are able to behave more functionally, and (especially in anxiety cases), their physiological arousal abates. Cognitive therapy is a form of psychotherapy in which the therapist and the client work together as a team to identify and solve problems. Therapists help clients to overcome their difficulties by changing their thinking, behavior, and emotional responses.

Psychodynamic therapy involves an exploration of the entire range of a patient's emotions. With the help of the therapist, the patient finds ways to talk about feelings that include contradictory feelings, feelings that are troubling or threatening, and feelings that the patient may not have recognized or acknowledged in the past. This exploration takes place in a context that recognizes the fact that being able to explain the reason for an emotional difficulty does not mean the person is capable of doing anything about it. The goal then is to foster the internal resources needed to deal with and effectively manage those difficulties. In addition to a focus on emotions, psychodynamic therapy focuses on recognizing and addressing defense mechanisms -- reactions and behaviors a patient uses to avoid distressing thoughts and feelings. There is also an emphasis in psychodynamic therapy on relationships, especially the relationship between the therapist and the patient. Seeing how the patient reacts inside that relationship gives the therapist an indication of how the patient reacts, feels, and interacts in other relationships. Psychodynamic therapy also involves the exploration of the patient's fantasy life, including the possible psychological meaning behind the imagery or emotional content of dreams. Because the patient is encouraged to speak freely, he or she is able to explore whatever is on his or her mind.

emphasis on understanding human experience and a focus on the client rather than the symptom; belief that people have the capacity for self-awareness and choice; holds that people have an inherent capacity for responsible self-direction

interested in helping the client find philosophical meaning in the face of anxiety by choosing to think and act authentically and responsibly; central problems people face are embedded in anxiety over loneliness, isolation, despair, and, ultimately, death; recognizes that human influence is shaped by biology, culture, and luck; belief that people's problems come from not exercising choice and judgment enough--or well enough--to forge meaning in their lives, and that each individual is responsible for making meaning out of life

"the third force" perspective views human nature as basically good, with an inherent potential to maintain healthy, meaningful relationships and to make choices that are in the interest of oneself and others; focuses on helping people free themselves from disabling assumptions and attitudes so they can live fuller lives; emphasizes growth and self-actualization rather than curing diseases or alleviating disorders; targets present conscious processes rather than unconscious processes and past causes; not being one's true self is the source of problems