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abnormal behavior

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Behavior that causes people to experience distress and prevents them from functioning in their daily lives.

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medical perspective

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The perspective that suggests that when an individual displays symptoms of abnormal behavior, the root cause will be found in physical examination of the individual, which may reveal a hormonal imbalance, chemical deficiency or a brain injury.

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psychoanalytic perspective

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The perspective that suggests that abnormal behavior stems from childhood conflicts over opposing wishes regarding sex and aggression.

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behavioral perspective

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The approach that suggests that observable, measurable behavior should be the focus of study

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cognitive perspective (on psychological disorders)

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The approach that focuses on how people think, understand, and know about the world. (2) The perspective that suggests that people's thoughts and beliefs are a central component of abnormal behavior

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humanistic perspective (on psychological disorders)

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The approach that suggests that all individuals naturally strive to grow, develop, and be in control of their lives and behavior. (2) The perspective that emphasizes the responsibility people have for their own behavior, even when such behavior is abnormal

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sociocultural perspective

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The perspective that assumes that people's behavior—both normal and abnormal—is shaped by the kind of family group, society, and culture in which they live

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Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Forth Edition Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR)

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A system devised by the American Psychiatric Association used by most professionals to diagnose and clarify abnormal behavior.

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anxiety disorder

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The occurrence of anxiety without an obvious external cause that affects daily functioning

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phobias

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Intense, irrational fears of specific objects or situations

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panic disorder

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Anxiety disorder that takes the form of panic attacks lasting from a few seconds to several hours

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generalized anxiety disorder

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The experience of long-term, persistent anxiety and worry

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obsessive compulsive disorder

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A disorder characterized by obsessions or compulsions

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obsession

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A persistent, unwanted thought or idea that keeps recurring

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compulsion

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An irresistible urge to repeatedly carry out some act that seems strange and unreasonable

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somatoform disorders

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Psychological difficulties that take on a physical (somatic) form, but for which there is no medical cause

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hypochondriasis

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A disorder in which people have a constant fear of illness and a preoccupation with their health

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conversion disorder

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A major somatoform disorder that involves an actual physical disturbance, such as the inability to use a sensory organ or the complete or partial inability to move an arm or leg

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dissociative identity disorder (DID)

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A disorder in which a person displays characteristics of two or more distinct personalities

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dissociative disorders

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Psychological dysfunctions characterized by the separation of different facets of a person's personality that are normally integrated

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dissociative amnesia

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A disorder in which a significant, selective memory loss occurs

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dissociative fugue

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A form of amnesia in which the individual leaves home and sometimes assumes a new identity

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mood disorder

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A disturbance in emotional experience that is strong enough to intrude on everyday living

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major depression

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A severe form of depression that interferes with concentration, decision making, and sociability

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mania

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An extended state of intense, wild elation

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bipolar disorder

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A disorder in which a person alternates between periods of euphoric feelings of mania and periods of depression

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schitzophrenia

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A class of disorders in which severe distortion of reality occurs

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personality disorder

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A disorder characterized by a set of inflexible, maladaptive behavior patterns that keep a person from functioning appropriately in society

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antisocial personality disorder

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A disorder in which individuals show no regard for the moral and ethical rules of society or the rights of others

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borderline personality disorder

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A disorder in which individuals have difficulty developing a secure sense of who they are

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narcissistic personality disorder

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A personality disturbance characterized by an exaggerated sense of self-importance

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attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD

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A disorder marked by inattention, impulsiveness, a low tolerance for frustration, and a great deal of inappropriate activity

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autisim

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A severe developmental disability that impairs children's ability to communicate and relate to others

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psychotherapy

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Treatment in which a trained professional—a therapist—uses psychological techniques to help a person overcome psychological difficulties and disorders, resolve problems in living, or bring about personal growth

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biomedical therapy

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Therapy that relies on drugs and other medical procedures to improve psychological functioning

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psychodynamic therapy

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Therapy that seeks to bring unresolved past conflicts and unacceptable impulses from the unconscious into the conscious, where patients may deal with the problems more effectively

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transference

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The transfer of feelings to a psychoanalyst of love or anger that had been originally directed to a patient's parents or other authority figures

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behavioral treatment approches

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Treatment approaches that build on the basic processes of learning, such as reinforcement and extinction, and assume that normal and abnormal behavior are both learned

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aversive conditioning

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A form of therapy that reduces the frequency of undesired behavior by pairing an aversive, unpleasant stimulus with undesired behavior

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systematic desensitization

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A behavioral technique in which gradual exposure to an anxiety-producing stimulus is paired with relaxation to extinguish the response of anxiety

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exposure

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A behavioral treatment for anxiety in which people are confronted either suddenly or gradually with a stimulus that they fear

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dialectical behavior therapy

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A form of treatment in which the focus is on getting people to accept who they are regardless of whether it matches their ideal

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cognitive treatment approches

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Treatment approaches that teach people to think in more adaptive ways by changing their dysfunctional cognitions about the world and themselves

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cognitive-behavioral approches

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A treatment approach that incorporates basic principles of learning to change the way people think

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rational-emotive behavior therapy

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A form of therapy that attempts to restructure a person's belief system into a more realistic, rational, and logical set of views by challenging dysfunctional beliefs that maintain irrational behavior

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humanistic therapy

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Therapy in which the underlying rationale is that people have control of their behavior, can make choices about their lives, and are essentially responsible for solving their own problems

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person-centered therapy

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Therapy in which the goal is to reach one's potential for self-actualization

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group therapy

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Therapy in which people meet in a group with a therapist to discuss problems

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family therapy

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An approach that focuses on the family and its dynamics

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spontaneous remission

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Recovery without treatment

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drug therapy

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Control of psychological disorders through the use of drugs

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antipsychotic drugs

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Drugs that temporarily reduce psychotic symptoms such as agitation, hallucinations, and delusions

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antidepressant drugs

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Medications that improve a severely depressed patient's mood and feeling of well-being

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mood stabilizers

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Drugs used to treat mood disorders that prevent manic episodes of bipolar disorder

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antianxiety drugs

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Drugs that reduce the level of anxiety a person experiences essentially by reducing excitability and increasing feelings of well-being

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electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)

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A procedure used in the treatment of severe depression in which an electric current of 70-150 volts is briefly administered to a patient's head

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transcranial magnetic stimutation (TMS)

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A depression treatment in which a precise magnetic pulse is directed to a specific area of the brain

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psychosurgery

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Brain surgery once used to reduce the symptoms of mental disorder but rarely used today

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community psychology

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A branch of psychology that focuses on the prevention and minimization of psychological disorders in the community

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deinstitutionalization

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The transfer of former mental patients from institutions to the community

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