Abn psych terms ch2

Question 1

model

Answer 1

a set of assumptions and concepts that help scientists explain and interpret observations. also called a paradigm.

Question 2

neuron

Answer 2

a nerve cell

Question 3

synapse

Answer 3

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

Question 4

neurotransmitter

Answer 4

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

Question 5

receptor

Answer 5

a site on a neuron that receives a neurotransmitter.

Question 6

hormones

Answer 6

the chemicals released by endocrine glands into the bloodstream

Question 7

genes

Answer 7

chromosome segments that control the characteristics and traits we inherit

Question 8

psychotropic medications

Answer 8

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

Question 9

electroconvulsive therapy (ect)

Answer 9

a form of biological treatment, used primarily on depressed patients, in which a brain seizure is triggered as an electric current passes through electrodes attached to the patient’s forehead.

Question 10

psychosurgery

Answer 10

brain surgery for mental disorders. also called neurosurgery

Question 11

id

Answer 11

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

Question 12

defense - repression

Answer 12

person avoids anxiety by simply not allowing painful or dangerous thoughts to become conscious

Question 13

defense - denial

Answer 13

person simply refuses to acknowledge the existence of an external source of anxiety

Question 14

defense - projection

Answer 14

person attributes own unacceptable impulses, motives, or desires to other individuals

Question 15

defense - rationalization

Answer 15

person creates a socially acceptable reason for an action that actually reflects unacceptable motives

Question 16

defense - displacement

Answer 16

person displaces hostility away from a dangerous object and onto a safer substitute

Question 17

defense - intellectualization

Answer 17

person represses emotional reactions in favor of overly logical response to a problem

Question 18

defense -regression

Answer 18

person retreats from an upsetting conflict to an early developmental stage at which no one is expected to behave maturely or responsibly

Question 19

ego

Answer 19

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

Question 20

ego defense mechanisms

Answer 20

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

Question 21

superego

Answer 21

according to Freud, the psychological force that represents a person’s values and ideals.

Question 22

fixation

Answer 22

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

Question 23

free association

Answer 23

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

Question 24

resistance

Answer 24

an unconscious refusal to participate fully in therapy

Question 25

transference

Answer 25

according to psycho-dynamic theorists, the redirection toward the psychotherapist of feelings associated with important figures in an patient's life, now or in the past

Question 26

dream

Answer 26

a series of ideas and images that form during sleep

Question 27

catharsis

Answer 27

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

Question 28

conditioning

Answer 28

a simple form of learning

Question 29

operant conditioning

Answer 29

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

Question 30

modeling

Answer 30

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

Question 31

classical conditioning

Answer 31

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

Question 32

systematic desensitization

Answer 32

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

Question 33

cognitive therapy

Answer 33

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

Question 34

self-actualization

Answer 34

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

Question 35

client-centered therapy

Answer 35

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

Question 36

gestalt therapy

Answer 36

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

Question 37

existential therapy

Answer 37

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

Question 38

family systems theory

Answer 38

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

Question 39

group therapy

Answer 39

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

Question 40

self-help groups

Answer 40

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

Question 41

family therapy

Answer 41

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

Question 42

couple therapy

Answer 42

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

Question 43

community mental health treatment

Answer 43

a treatment approach that emphasizes community care

Question 44

multicultural perspective

Answer 44

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 of its members. also called culturally diverse perspective

Question 45

culture-sensitive therapies

Answer 45

approaches that seek to address the unique issues faced by members of minority groups

Question 46

gender-sensitive (feminist therapies)

Answer 46

therapies geared to the pressures of being female

Question 47

diathesis-stress explanation

Answer 47

some bio-psychosocial theorists favor a diathesis-stress explanation of how the factors work together to cause abnormal functioning (diathesis means a predisposed tendency)

Question 48

endocrine system

Answer 48

endocrine glands, located throughout the body, work along with neurons to control such vital activities as growth, reproduction, sexual activity, heart rate, body temp, energy and responses to stress. the glands release hormones. mental disorders a sometimes related to abnormal chemical activity in the body's endocrine system

Question 49

adrenal glands and cortisol

Answer 49

located on top of the kidneys, secrete the hormone cortisol to help the body deal with the stress. abnormal secretions of this chemical have been tied to anxiety and mood disorders.

Question 50

evolution, inheritance, mutation

Answer 50

in general, evolutionary theorists argue that human reactions and the genes responsible for them have survived over the course of time because they have helped individuals to thrive and adapt. genes that contribute to mental disorders are typically viewed as unfortunate occurrences--almost mistakes of inheritance. the responsible gene may be a mutation, an abnormal form of the appropriate gene that emerges by accident. or the problematic gene may be inherited by an individual after it has initially entered the family line as a mutation