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Abnormal Psychology > Chapter 1 and 2 > Flashcards

Chapter 1 and 2 Flashcards

1
Q

Psychological Abnormality

A

behaviour, speech, or thought that impairs the ability of a person to function in a way that is generally expected of them, in the context where the unusual functioning occurs

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2
Q

Mental Illness

A

used to convey the meaning as psychological abnormality, but it implies a medical rather than psychological cause

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3
Q

Psychological Disorder

A

specific manifestation of this impairment of functioning as described by some set of criteria established by a panel of experts

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4
Q

Psychopathology

A

1) scientific study of psychological abnormality

2) problems faced by people who suffer from disorders

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5
Q

5 principles of establishing a criteria for abnormality

A

1) Statistical concept
2) Personal dysfunction
3) Personal distress
4) Violation of Social Norms
5) Diagnosis by an expert

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6
Q

Statistical concept

A

behaviour is considered abnormal if it occurs infrequently in the population

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7
Q

Problems with statistical concept

A

1) not all infrequent conditions are viewed as abnormal

2) no guidance on how rare a condition must be

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8
Q

Personal distress

A

if the condition causes distress, it is abnormal

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9
Q

Problems with personal distress

A

1) not all psychological disorders cause personal distress
2) distress is a universal phenomenon but we do not all have a mental illness
3) not all distress is abnormal

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10
Q

Personal dysfunction

A

when the condition interferes with appropriate and adaptive functioning

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11
Q

Problems with personal dysfunction

A

1) definition of “appropriate”functioning
2) exceptions to the rule for harmful dysfunction and evolution
3) value judgement inherent in “harmful dysfunction” approach

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12
Q

Violation of Social Norms

A

condition is abnormal if it violates social norms

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13
Q

Problems with violation of norms

A

1) not all violations of social norms are diagnosable conditions ex. terrorists
2) cultural norms must be considered

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14
Q

Diagnosis by an Expert

A

a condition exists if an expert says it does

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15
Q

Problems with diagnosis by an expert

A

1) important to know who the experts are - not all mental health professionals are trained to diagnose mental illness
2) arguments that mental illness is a construct made up by mental health professionals to keep people “in order”
3) arguments that anyone can be diagnosed with anything if you look in the DSM hard enough

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16
Q

Stone Age

A

believed that causes of mental illness was due to supernatural causes and demonic possession and treatment involved exorcism, magic, incantations, supernatural treatments

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17
Q

Hippocrates

A

first man to reject supernatural causes of mental illness, focused on natural causes - brain dysfunction and argued stress could influence mental functioning

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18
Q

what is a humour? what are the 4 humours? treatment

A
  • disturbances in bodily fluids
  • excess blood - cheerfulness
  • excess yellow bile - ill temper
  • excess black bile - gloom
  • excess phlegm - restlessness
  • treatment: healthy lifestyle - induce bleeding/vomiting
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19
Q

Plato

A
  • emphasized socio-cultural influences on thought and behaviour
  • believed was not supernatural causes
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20
Q

what did hippocrates believe about dreams?

A
  • thought dreams were important in understanding why a person was suffering from a mental disorder
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21
Q

why did plato believe about dreams?

A

suggested that dreams served to satisfy desires because the inhibiting influences of the higher faculties were not present during sleep

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22
Q

Aristotle

A
  • agreed with theory of 4 humours
  • denied influence of psychology in abnormal behaviour - focused on biology
  • advocated for humane treatment
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23
Q

Egyptians

A
  • humane approach to treatment, created sanitoriums - temples where priests cared for people with mental illness
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24
Q

Rejection of Hipproacates’ views

A

methodism: mental illness as a disorder that resulted either from a constriction of body tissue or from a relaxation of those tissues due to exhaustion
treatment: natural bloodletting, ex. menstruation, haemorrhoid
- believed no difference between physical and mental disorders

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25
Galen
- continued Hippocrates' work - believed two sources of mental disorders: physical and psychological - compassionate care - believed in warm baths rather than stressful procedures - talking a sympathetic listener
26
Arab World
- continued the Greek/Roman tradition of compassionate care - created units to ouse the mentally ill in 800AD - Avicenna - emphasized natural causes of mental illness including environmental and psychological causes, used early principles of behaviourism in treatment
27
Europe in Middle Ages
- some belief in naturalistic causes/treatments for mental illness -return to supernatural beliefs about mental illness cause= demonic possession,treatment = exorcism - mentally ill cared for by clergy
28
Paracelsus
- rejected idea of supernatural forces or excess bodily fluids as causes of mental illness - St. Vitus' dance - treated with early form of hypnotism
29
Johannes Weyer
- rejected supernatural causes of mental illness - believed mental illness has natural causes - advocated natural and physical treatment
30
History 1500AD onwards
- people advocated for protection of mentally ill and considered natural causes of mental illness - St. Vincent de Paul - asylums were created - Teresa of Avila - advocated for mentally ill
31
Phillipe Pinel
- ordered patients to be treated with compassion and be kept in good conditions
32
Dorothea Dix
- better conditions for prison inmates and mentally ill | - campaign resulted in opening of 32 hospitals, including 2 in Canada
33
single factor
trace origins of mental illness to one specific factor - tied to researcher's orientation
34
interactionist factor
explain mental illness as product of many interacting factors - more effective theories
35
three essential elements to a good theory
1) integrate most of what is known about the phenomena in the simplest way possible 2) generate new testable predictions 3) identify what evidence would indicate the theory is inaccurate
36
3 major areas biological models focused on
1) CNS (brain) 2) PNS (sympathetic and parasympathetic system) 3) Endocrine system (hormones) - all areas are interconnected
37
two parts of PNS
somatic NS, autonomic NS
38
autonomic NS two parts
parasympathetic (rest and digest) and sympathetic (fight or flight)
39
what do clusters of neurons form
brain circuits
40
what is the ANS involved in
fear and anxiety reactions
41
overreactive ANS
acquire phobias or other anxiety disorders
42
inflexible system
somatic system constantly activated, autonomic system under activated
43
what system is involved with stress, depression and anxiety
HPA axis
44
thyroid disregulation
cretenism, depression, anxiety
45
cretenism
dwarflike appearance and mental retardation
46
hypoglycemia
mimics anxiety - pancreas dysfunction
47
Freud's four factors
1) levels of consciousness 2) structures of personality 3) stages of psychosexual development 4) defence mechanisms
48
ID
pleasure principle - structure present at birth - demand instant gratification without concern for consequences either to the self or to others
49
Ego
reality principle - first year of life - avoidance of pain or discomfort and the maximization of unpunished pleasure
50
Superego
moral principle - internalization of the moral standards of society
51
defense mechanisms
repression, regression, projection, intellectualization, denial, displacement, reaction formation, sublimation
52
repression
burying in the unconscious the unacceptable impulses of the id ex. inability to recall being sexual abused as a child
53
projection
attributing one's own desires to others ex. cheating because everyone cheats
54
intellectualization
hiding the real issues behind a screen of abstract analyses ex. criminal appeals for conviction even though did not admit guilt
55
denial
refusal to acknowledge an unpleasant reality ex. planning a trip even though told you won't live longer than two months
56
displacement
transfer of feelings from one person to another, less threatening person ex. person humiliated by boss takes anger out on boyfriend
57
reaction formation
repressing unacceptable desires by expressing the opposite viewpoint ex. man attract towards women scolds people who are promiscuous
58
sublimation
transformation of sexual or aggressive energy into some more acceptable activity ex. Freud thought artists who painted nudes were sublimating their sexual desires
59
Ivan Pavlov experiment
UCS - food UCR - salivation to food CS - bell CR - salivation to bell
60
negative reinforcement
take something away, making behaviour more likely to occur ex. taking advil makes headache go away
61
positive reinforcement
doing something means receiving reward ex. opening freezer door and seeing ice cream
62
positive punishment
behaviour is reduced by consequent occurrence of unpleasant experience ex. kids come home late, clean bathroom
63
negative punishment
behaviour is reduced following the removal of something desirable ex. kid comes home late, take care away
64
social learning theory
most learning occurs from watching others
65
cognitive-behavioral theory
reflects the view that both thinking and behaviour are learned and therefore can be changed
66
public stigma
typical societal response that people have to stigmatizing attributes
67
self-stigma
internalized psychological impact of public stigma
68
biopsychosocial model
disorders cannot be understood as resulting from the influence of one factor, be it biological, psychological or social

Abnormal Psychology (14 decks)

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