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abnormal psychology

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the scientific study of abnormal behavior undertaken to describe, predict, and change abnormal patterns of functioning

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The 4 "D's"

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deviance, distress, dysfunction, danger

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deviance

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behavior contrary to norms

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distress

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uneasiness or suffering associated with issue

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dysfunction

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behavior interferes with daily living

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danger

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threat to themselves or others

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ancient views

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trephination and exorcism to rid the body of evil spirits

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trephination

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an ancient operation in which a stone instrument was used to cut away a circular section of the skull, perhaps to treat abnormal behavior

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exorcism

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coaxing evil spirits from the body by making their host uncomfortable

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humors

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According to the Greeks and Romans, bodily chemicals that influence mental and physical functioning.

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asylum

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a type of institution that first became popular in the sixteenth century to provide care for persons with mental disorders; many became virtual prisons

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moral treatment

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19th century approach to treating people with mental illness that emphasized moral guidelines and humane treatment

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psychogenic perspective

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the view that the chief causes of abnormal functioning are psychological

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psychoanalysis

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the theory or the treatment of abnormal mental functioning that emphasizes unconscious psychological forces as the cause of psychopathology

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psychotropic medication

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drugs that mainly affect the brain and reduce many symptoms of mental dysfunctioning

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deinstitutionalization

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the practice, begun in the 1960s, of releasing hundreds of thousands of patients from public hospitals

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community mental health

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communities should care for disordered individuals instead of sending them away. flaw- people fear the mentally ill

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private psychotherapy

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an arrangement in which a person directly pays a therapist for counseling services

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managed care programs

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a system of health care coverage in which the insurance company largely controls the nature, scope, and cost of medical or psychological services.

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positive psychology

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the study and enhancement of positive feelings, traits, and abilities

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multicultural psychology

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the field of psychology that examines the impact of culture, race, gender, etc. on our behaviors and thoughts and focuses on how such factors may influence the origin, nature, and treatment of abnormal behavior

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treatment

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a systematic procedure designed to change abnormal behavior; also called therapy

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state hospitals

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State-run public mental institutions in the U.S.

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somatogenic perspective

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the view that abnormal psychological functioning has physical causes

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prevention

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interventions aimed at deterring mental disorders before they can develop

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cybertherapy

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the use of computer technology, such as Skype or avatars, to provide therapy

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scientific method

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the process of systematically gathering and evaluating information through careful observations to understand a phenomenon

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hypothesis

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a testable prediction that certain variables are related in certain ways

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case study

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a detailed account of a person's life and psychological problems

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correlation

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the degree to which events or characteristics vary along with each other

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correlational method

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a research procedure used to determine how much events or characteristics vary along with each other

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epidemiological study

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a study that measures the incidence and prevalence of a disorder in a given population

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longitudinal study

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a study that observes the same participants on many occasions over a long period of time

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experiment

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a research procedure in which a variable is manipulated and the effect of manipulation is observed

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independent variable

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the variable in an experiment that is manipulated to determine whether it has an effect on another variable

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dependent variable

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the variable in an experiment expected to change as the independent variable is manipulated

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confound

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in an experiment, a variable other than the independent variable that is also acting on the dependent variable

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control group

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in an experiment, a group of participants whoa re not exposed to the independent variable

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experimental group

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in an experiment, the participants who are exposed to the independent variable under investigation

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random assignment

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a selection procedure that ensures that participants are randomly placed either in the control group of in the experimental group

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single-blind design

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an experiment in which participants do not know whether they are in the experimental or the control condition

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quasi-experiment

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an experiment in which investigators make use of control and experimental groups that already exist in the world at large; also called a mixed design

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natural experiment

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an experiment in which nature, rather than an experimenter, manipulates an independent variable

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analogue experiment

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a research method in which the experimenter produces abnormal-like behavior in laboratory participants and then conducts experiments on the participants

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single-subject experimental design

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a research method in which a single participant is observed and measured both before and after the manipulation of an independent variable

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institutional review board (IRB)

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an ethics committee in a research facility that is empowered to protect the rights and safety of human research participants

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incidence

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number of new cases of a disorder that emerge during a given period of time

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prevalence

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the total number of cases in a population during a given time period; includes both existing and new cases

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informed consent

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An ethical principle that research participants be told enough to enable them to choose whether they wish to participate.

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general paresis

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Complication of syphilis that leads to paralysis, insanity and eventually death; discovery of this condition contributed to the somatogenic view of psychological disorder

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model

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a set of assumptions and concepts that helps scientists explain and interpret observations; also called a paradigm

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neuron

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a nerve cell

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synapse

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the tiny space between the nerve ending of one neuron and the dendrite of another

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neurotransmitter

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

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receptors

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the site on a neuron that receives a neurotransmitter

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endocrine system

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a system of the body's glands that produce hormones to help control growth, reproduction, energy consumption, and responses to stress

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hormones

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chemicals released by endocrine glands into the bloodstream

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gene

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chromosome segments that control the characteristics and traits we inherit

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psychotropic medication

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drugs that primarily affect the brain and reduce many symptoms of mental functioning

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electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)

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a biological treatment in which a brain seizure is triggered as an electric current passes through electrodes attached to the patient's forehead

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psychosurgery

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brain surgery for mental disorders; also called neurosurgery

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unconscious

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in psychoanalytic theory, the vast storehouse of threatening ideas and memories of which we are unaware

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id

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according to Freud, the psychological force that produces instinctual needs, drives, and impulses

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ego

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according to Freud, the psychological force that employs reason and operates in accordance with the reality principle

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ego defense mechanism

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according to psychoanalytic theory, strategies developed by the ego to control unacceptable id impulses and to avoid or reduce the anxiety they arouse

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superego

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according to Freud, the psychological force that represents a person's values and ideals; operates on the "morality principle"

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fixation

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according to Freud, a condition in which the id, ego, and superego do not mature properly and are frozen at an early stage of development

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object relations therapy

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psychodynamic approach that assumes people are motivated mainly by a need to have relationships with others and that severe problems in the relationships between children and their caregivers may lead to abnormal development

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free association

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a psychoanalytic technique in which the patient describes any thought, feeling, or image that comes to mind, even if it seems unimportant

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resistance

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an unconscious refusal to participate fully in therapy

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transference

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according to psychodynamic theorists, the redirection toward the therapist of feelings associated with important figures in a patient's life, now or in the past

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dream

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a series of ideas and images that form during sleep

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catharsis

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in psychodynamic theory, the reliving of past repressed feelings in order to settle internal conflicts and overcome problems

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working through

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the psychoanalytic process of facing conflicts, reinterpreting feelings, and overcoming one's problems

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short-term psychodynamic therapies

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a time-limited version of psychodynamic therapy in which the patient chooses a single problem--a dynamic focus--to work on; the therapist and patient work only on the psychodynamic issues related to that problem

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relational psychoanalytic therapy

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a psychodynamic therapy that encourages therapists to disclose things about themselves, particularly their own reactions to patients, as part of the therapeutic process

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conditioning

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a simple form of learning

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operant conditioning

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a process of learning in which behavior that leads to satisfying consequences is likely to be repeated

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modeling

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a process of learning in which an individual acquires responses by observing and imitating others

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classical conditioning

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a process of learning in which two events that repeatedly occur close together in time become fused in a person's mind and produce the same response

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systematic desensitization

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a behavioral treatment in which clients with phobias learn to react calmly instead of with intense fear to the objects or situations they dread

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self-efficacy

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the extent to which one believes he or she can master and perform needed behaviors when necessary

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cognitive therapy

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a therapy developed by Aaron Beck that helps people recognize and change their faulty thinking processes

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self-actualization

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the humanistic process by which people fulfill their potential for goodness and growth

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client-centered therapy

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

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gestalt therapy

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the humanistic therapy developed by Fritz Perls in which clinicians actively move clients toward self-recognition and self-acceptance by using techniques such as role playing and self-discovery exercises

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existential therapy

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a therapy that encourages clients to accept responsibility for their lives and to live with greater meaning and value

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family systems therapy

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a theory that views the family as a system of interacting parts whose interactions exhibit consistent patterns and unstated rules

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group therapy

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a therapy format in which a group of people with similar problems meet together with a therapist to work on those problems

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self-help group

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a group made up of people with similar problems who help and support one another without the direct leadership of a clinician; also called a mutual help group

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family therapy

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a therapy format in which the therapist meets with all members of a family and helps them to change in therapeutic ways

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couple therapy

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a therapy format in which the therapist works with two people who are a long-term relationship; also called marital therapy

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community mental health treatment

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a treatment approach that emphasizes community care

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multicultural perspective

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the view that each culture within a larger society has a particular set of values and beliefs, as well as special external pressures, that help account for the behavior and functioning of its members; also called culturally diverse perspective

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culture-sensitive therapy

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approaches that are designed to help address the unique issues faced by members of cultural minority groups

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gender-sensitive therapy

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approaches geared to the pressures of being a woman in Western society; also called feminist therapies

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biopsychosocial theories

answer

explanations that state that abnormality results from the interaction of genetic, biological, developmental, emotional, behavioral, cognitive, social, and cultural influences

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diathesis-stress explanation

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the view that, to develop a disorder, a person must have a predisposed tendency toward abnormality that combines with life stressors to create the problem

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idiographic understanding

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an understanding of a particular individual

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assessment

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the process of collecting and interpreting relevant information about a client or research participant

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standardization

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the process in which a test is administered to a large group of people whose performance then serves as a standard or norm against which any individual's score can be measured

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reliability

answer

a measure of the consistency of test or research results

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validity

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a measure of the accuracy of a test's or study's results

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mental status exam

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

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clinical test

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a device for gathering information about a few aspects of a person's psychological functioning from which broader information about the person can be inferred (includes projective tests, personality inventories, response inventories, etc.)

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projective test

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a test consisting of ambiguous material that people interpret or respond to (e.g., Rorschach, TAT, sentence-completion tests, drawings)

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personality inventory

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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 (e.g., MMPI)

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response inventories

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tests that measure a person's responses in one specific area of functioning, such as affect, social skills, or cognitive processes (e.g., Beck Depression Inventory)

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psychophysiological tests

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a test that measures physical responses (such as heart rate and muscle tension) as possible indicators of psychological problems (e.g., polygraph test)

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neurological test

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a test that directly measures brain structure or activity

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neuroimaging techniques

answer

neurological tests that provide images of brain structure or activity, such as CT scans, PET scans, and MRIs. Also called brain scans.

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neuropsychological test

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a test that detects brain impairment by measuring a person's cognitive, perceptual, and motor performances (e.g., Bender Visual-Motor Gestalt Test, or Montreal Cognitive Assessment)

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intelligence test

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a test designed to measure a person's intellectual ability

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intelligence quotient (IQ)

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an overall score derived from intelligence tests

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diagnosis

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a determination that a person's problems reflect a particular disorder

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syndrome

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a cluster of symptoms that usually occur together

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classification system

answer

a list of disorders, along with descriptions of symptoms and guidelines for making appropriate diagnoses (e.g., DSM-5 and ICD)

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empirically supported treatment

answer

therapy that has received clear research support for a particular disorder and has corresponding treatment guidelines; also known as evidence-based treatment

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rapprochement movement

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a movement to identify a set of common factors, or common strategies, that run through all successful therapies

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psychopharmacologist

answer

a psychiatrist who primarily prescribes medications

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clinical interview

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a face-to-face encounter with a patient where the interviewer asks a series of (usually, open-ended) questions; method of gathering information about a person's past and current behaviors, beliefs, attitudes, emotions, and problems

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Rorschach test

answer

a projective test that uses inkblots as the ambiguous stimulus

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Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

answer

A projective test in which people express their inner feelings and interests through the stories they make up about ambiguous scenes.

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Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)

answer

the most widely researched and clinically used of all personality inventories. Originally developed to identify emotional disorders (still considered its most appropriate use), this test is now used for many other screening purposes.

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EEG

answer

An amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain's surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp.

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CAT scan

answer

imaging method that uses x-rays, same as an "x-ray" image but x-rays are directed from many different angles through a cross-section of the body, also called CT scan

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PET scan

answer

a visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task

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MRI

answer

A technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images that distinguish among different types of soft tissue; allows us to see structures within the brain

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fMRI

answer

a technique for revealing bloodflow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. Shows brain functions

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battery

answer

a series of tests

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naturalistic observation

answer

observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation

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analog observation

answer

A method for observing behavior in which people are observed in artificial settings such as clinicians' offices or laboratories.

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self-monitoring

answer

A procedure whereby a person systematically observes his behavior and records the occurrence or nonoccurrence of a target behavior.

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DSM-5

answer

the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition; a widely used system for classifying psychological disorders.

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categorical information

answer

refers to the name of the category (disorder) indicated by a client's symptoms

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dimensional information

answer

a rating of how severe a client's symptoms are and how dysfunctional the client is across various dimensions of personality.

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therapy outcome study

answer

Studies that measure the effects of various treatments.

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common factors

answer

core ingredients shared by different, effective therapies

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Rosenthal effect

answer

Tendency for results to conform to experimenters expectations unless there are safe-guards for human bias; also known as experimenter bias

Unit 1: Abnormal Psychology in Science and Clinical Practice – Flashcards

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