abnormal

Question 1

Cross-sectional design

Answer 1

Comparing two or more groups on a particular variable at a specific time. The opposite is a longitudinal design where the researcher measures a change in an individual over time.

Question 2

Double-blind testing

Answer 2

an experimental procedure in which neither the researcher doing the study nor the participants know the specific type of treatment each participant receives until after the experiment is over; a double-blind procedure is used to guard against both experimenter bias and placebo effects.

Question 3

Longitudinal study

Answer 3

research over a period of time using observations, interviews, or psychometric testing. (Similar to a repeated measures design in an experiment).

Question 4

Meta-analysis

Answer 4

Pooling data from multiple studies of the same research question to arrive at one combined answer.

Question 5

Prospective research

Answer 5

A study that attempts to find a correlation between two variables by collecting data early in the life of participants and then continuing to test them over a period of time to measure change and development.

Question 6

Protective factors

Answer 6

conditions or attributes in individuals, families, or the larger society that, when present, lessen or eliminate the risk of mental disorders.

Question 7

Risk factors

Answer 7

conditions or attributes in individuals, families, or the larger society that, when present, increase the risk of mental disorders.

Question 8

Single-blind testing

Answer 8

an experiment in which the researchers know which participants are receiving a treatment and which are not; however, the participants do not know which condition they are in.

Question 9

Treatment-Etiology Fallacy

Answer 9

This is the false belief that since a treatment works, it was a lack of whatever the treatment was that caused the disorder. MacLeod (1998) cites the example of aspirin curing headaches as a more obvious example. Although taking aspirin cures a headache, we would not assume that it was the lack of aspirin that caused it in the first place.

Question 10

Adverse childhood experiences

Answer 10

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are stressful or traumatic events, including abuse and neglect. ACEs are strongly related to the development and prevalence of a wide range of health problems throughout a person’s lifespan.

Question 11

Comorbidity

Answer 11

the idea that often there is more than one disorder that influences a person’s behavior. This is part of why diagnosis is difficult. One may be alcoholic and depressed. Alcoholism may or may not be directly linked to depression.

Question 12

Confirmation bias

Answer 12

when a researcher is biased by his/her own hypothesis. In other words, a researcher sees what he wants to see. So, if a psychiatrist believes that most women suffer from depression, he is more likely to pay attention to symptoms or statements from the client that confirm this assumption, potentially leading to an incorrect diagnosis.

Question 13

Emic approaches to diagnosis

Answer 13

An emic approach does not assume that the traits of normalcy and of mental illness are universal. An emic approach uses local healers and professionals to determine how these terms are defined within the constraints of their own culture.

Question 14

Etic approaches to diagnosis

Answer 14

An etic approach assumes that normalcy and mental illness are universal. They apply a standard (e.g. the DSM) to assess the level of mental illness cross-culturally.

Question 15

Etiology

Answer 15

The origin or potential cause of a disorder.

Question 16

Iatrogenic effects

Answer 16

symptoms that result in response to a treatment, which then can be mistaken as part of the disorder. The classic example is tardive dyskinesia, involuntary, repetitive body movements which were the result of taking chlorpromazine to treat schizophrenia. Another example comes from Freudian therapy where false memories may have been created as part of trying to retrieve repressed memories or dream analysis. This could have led to anxiety which would further complicate the diagnosis and treatment.

Question 17

Overpathologization

Answer 17

when a person is more likely to be diagnosed with a specific disorder simply because of gender, culture, or age. For example, ADHD is overpathologized in teenagers; depression is overpathologized in women.

Question 18

Prevalence

Answer 18

the proportion of a population found to have a disorder. Lifetime prevalence” (LTP) is the proportion of a population that at some point in their life has experienced the disorder.

Question 19

Reactivity

Answer 19

when individuals alter their performance or behavior due to the awareness that they are being observed. This is one of the fundamental problems of diagnosis.

Question 20

Relapse rate

Answer 20

the rate at which symptoms return after treatment has been discontinued.

Question 21

Reliability of diagnosis

Answer 21

when different psychiatrists agree on a client’s diagnosis using the same diagnostic system.

Question 22

Reporting bias

Answer 22

selective revealing or suppression of information by clients when meeting with a doctor - for example, about past medical history, smoking, and sexual experiences. Reporting bias also refers to the extent to which different genders and ethnic groups seek psychological help and the types of information that they are willing to disclose to a psychiatrist.

Question 23

Rumination

Answer 23

Repetitively focusing on one’s symptoms of depression and the possible causes and consequences of these symptoms.

Question 24

Self-fulfilling prophecy

Answer 24

in diagnosis, when a person who is diagnosed with a disorder may begin to demonstrate symptoms due to the belief that s/he has the disorder. So, a misdiagnosis of bipolar disorder may result in a person developing symptoms.

Question 25

Sick role bias

Answer 25

one of the key obstacles to objective and valid diagnosis. When a person comes to a clinic to seek assistance, it is assumed that there is a problem and the psychiatrist needs to find out what it is. It is possible that the individual actually has no disorder.

Question 26

Somatization

Answer 26

When individuals experience psychological distress in the form of physiological symptoms; for example, Kleinman has found that many Chinese do have a “sad mood” when they experience depression, but instead they experience lower back pain.

Question 27

SSRIs

Answer 27

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors - the most famous of which is Prozac. SSRIs block the reuptake of serotonin by the terminal buttons, leaving more in the synapse.

Question 28

Stigmatization

Answer 28

when a person is labeled as an outcast or having poor character. Often people that are diagnosed with schizophrenia will be stigmatized by others or feel stigmatized in society.

Question 29

Underpathologization

Answer 29

when a person is less likely to be diagnosed with a specific disorder simply because of gender, culture, or age. Men may be underpathologized for depression; 40-year-olds may be underpathologized for ADHD.

Question 30

Validity of diagnosis

Answer 30

the extent to which a diagnosis is accurate and leads to a successful treatment.

Question 31

CBT

theory

Answer 31

Cognitive behavioral therapy - aka, cognitive restructuring. This is based on Beck’s theory of faulty thinking. The job of the therapist is to help reshape the schema of the client by pointing out errors in thinking as well as giving “homework” which helps them to challenge how they think.

Question 32

Diathesis-Stress Model

theory

Answer 32

The theory that behavior may be the result of a genetic predisposition that is “activated” by stress from life experiences. This approach is an interactionist approach that looks at how biological and environmental factors interact in order to cause behavior - in this case, depression.

Question 33

Genetic vulnerability

theory

Answer 33

The theory that some people may have the right genes for a disorder, but that they may not have been “turned on.” These people have the potential to develop the disorder depending on life circumstances, diet or level of exercise. Other factors may also play a role in whether the genes are expressed or not.