abnormal Flashcards
Cross-sectional design
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.
Double-blind testing
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.
Longitudinal study
research over a period of time using observations, interviews, or psychometric testing. (Similar to a repeated measures design in an experiment).
Meta-analysis
Pooling data from multiple studies of the same research question to arrive at one combined answer.
Prospective research
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.
Protective factors
conditions or attributes in individuals, families, or the larger society that, when present, lessen or eliminate the risk of mental disorders.
Risk factors
conditions or attributes in individuals, families, or the larger society that, when present, increase the risk of mental disorders.
Single-blind testing
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.
Treatment-Etiology Fallacy
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.
Adverse childhood experiences
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.
Comorbidity
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.
Confirmation bias
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.
Emic approaches to diagnosis
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.
Etic approaches to diagnosis
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.
Etiology
The origin or potential cause of a disorder.
Iatrogenic effects
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.
Overpathologization
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.
Prevalence
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.
Reactivity
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.
Relapse rate
the rate at which symptoms return after treatment has been discontinued.
Reliability of diagnosis
when different psychiatrists agree on a client’s diagnosis using the same diagnostic system.
Reporting bias
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.
Rumination
Repetitively focusing on one’s symptoms of depression and the possible causes and consequences of these symptoms.
Self-fulfilling prophecy
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.
