Chapter 1

Question 1

abnormal

Answer 1

defined as behaviours, emotions, and cognitions that deviate from the norm and cause distress, impairment in functioning, or endanger an individual or those around them

Question 2

alternative model for personality disorders (AMPD)

Answer 2

a hybrid (categorial and dimensional) model for diagnosing personality disorders found in section III of the DSM-5

Question 3

categorical

Answer 3

categorizing things according to a set of criteria

Question 4

continuum

Answer 4

a way of thinking about a phenomenon as existing on a scale ranging from normal to abnormal

Question 5

developmental psychopathology

Answer 5

study of psychological or mental disorders from a developmental or lifespan perspective

Question 6

dichotomous

Answer 6

any two-option choice that an individual or clinician could make about the presence of a symptom of psychopathology or the presence of a diagnosis

Question 7

differential diagnosis

Answer 7

the process of deciding between two more diagnoses that share similar features

Question 8

dimensional

Answer 8

an approach to classification of psychopathology that conceptualized psychological phenomenon as existing continuum, ranging from abnormal to normal, and typically avoids categorizing symptoms or disorders according to traditional methods

Question 9

empirically supported

Answer 9

refers to something that has research-based, scientific evidence in support of its validity

Question 10

endophenotype

Answer 10

a measurable construct, that is although not observable, links an individual’s genotype and phenotype

Question 11

etiology

Answer 11

refers to the cause of a symptom or a disorder

Question 12

factor analysis

Answer 12

a form of statistical analysis that tries to explain the covariation of observable phenomenon by revealing underlying common factors

Question 13

heterogeneous

Answer 13

means diverse, dissimilar, or not the same

Question 14

higher-order factors

Answer 14

constructs of factors in a hierarchical statistical or classification model that are “above” other factors at a lower level

Question 15

mechanisms

Answer 15

processes or characteristics that underlie or cause a psychological symptom

Question 16

mental (psychological) disorders

Answer 16

behavioural patterns, and cognitive, emotional, and physical symptoms that deviate from a normative developmental trajectory and are not typical of individuals living in the same cultural context

Question 17

norms

Answer 17

standardized comparison values for the interpretation of an individual’s results on some psychological measure, relative to other people of the same age, gender, etc.

Question 18

operationalize

Answer 18

means to define what a phenomena, symptom, or construct is and how it should be measured

Question 19

phenomena

Answer 19

characteristics, circumstances, facts, or events observed through the senses

Question 20

phenotype

Answer 20

a set of observable characteristics

Question 21

psychopathology

Answer 21

study of mental disorders

Question 22

reliability

Answer 22

refers to the consistency of a measure, or the measurement of a symptom or diagnosis, in different instances or under different circumstances

Question 23

self-report questionnaire

Answer 23

a method of measuring psychological symptoms where individuals complete a survey about their thoughts, feelings, behaviours, and experiences

Question 24

structured interviews

Answer 24

interviews used by clinicians and researchers to diagnose a psychological disorder; consist of standard instructions, questions, and scoring procedures that are administered to ensure reliability

Question 25

syndrome

Answer 25

a cluster of symptoms and behaviours that often present together

Question 26

taxonomy

Answer 26

is an area of scientific study that aims to systematically classify objects, organisms, or phenomena

Question 27

traits

Answer 27

characteristics of an individual that are relatively stable across time an context

Question 28

transdiagnostic

Answer 28

a specific symptom or cause of a symptom is not unique to one disorder category but cuts across multiple diagnoses

Question 29

workgroup

Answer 29

a group of individuals with expertise in a given area assigned to collaborate in order to propose updates for the next DSM