Chapter 1: Introduction and Methods of Research

Question 1

Symptoms vs. functional impariment

Answer 1

Classifying symptoms to a condition such as anxiety and depression

Difficulty holding a job or having unrealistic/fantasy-like beliefs

Question 2

Criteria for determining abnormality

Answer 2

• Unusualness
• Social deviance
• Faulty perceptions or interpretations of reality
• Significant personal distress
• Maladaptive or self-defeating behavior
• Dangerousness

Question 3

What is the criteria for determining abnormality usually based on?

Answer 3

The criteria is often based on norms/standards within the majority culture and society.

Question 4

Describe the Demonological Model, and it’s beliefs/causes behind abnormal behavior

Answer 4

• Supernatural causes of abnormal behavior, or demonology, was prominent in Western society until the Age of Enlightenment
• Trephination - Prehistoric practice of cutting a hole in a person’s skull, possibly in an attempt to release demons.
• In ancient Greece, people who behaved abnormally were sent to temples dedicated to Aesculapius, the god of healing.
• Incurables were driven from the temple by stoning.

Question 5

What was the general idea/beliefs behind the Ancient Hippocratic Belief System?

Answer 5

• An imbalance of humors (vital body fluids) accounted for abnormal behavior.

Question 6

Which religion during medieval times had significant influence on society and ultimately on how abnormal behavior was viewed?

Answer 6

Roman Catholic Church at the time had significant political and moral influence in most Western/European societies

Question 7

Moral therapy

Answer 7

Jean-Baptiste Pussin & Philippe Pinel
- 18th and early 19th centuries argues that people who behave abnormally suffer from diseases and should be treated humanely.

Moral therapy
- Providing humane treatment in a relaxed and decent environment could restore functioning

Question 8

Dorothea Dix

Answer 8

• Traveled about the country decrying the deplorable conditions in the jails and almshouses where mentally disturbed people were placed.
• Because of her efforts, 32 mental hospitals devoted to treating people with psychological disorders were established throughout the United States.

Question 9

What led to the CMHC Act of 1963, and what occurred after this legislation was passed.

Answer 9

Appalling conditions led to calls for reform

• CMHCs were charged with providing continuing support and care to former hospital residents who were released from state mental hospitals under a policy of deinstitutionalization.
• Although the community mental health movement has had some successes, a great many patients with severe and persistent mental health problems fail to receive the range of mental health and social services they need to adjust to life in the community.

Question 10

Deinstitutionalization

Answer 10

The policy of shifting care for patients with severe or chronic mental health problems from inpatient facilities to community-based facilities

Question 11

Phenothiazines

Answer 11

• Class of psychiatric drugs, reduced need for indefinite hospital stays
• Antipsychotics

Question 12

Symptoms

Answer 12

Features of a related behavior

Question 13

Syndromes

Answer 13

Clusters of symptoms indicative of a particular disease/condition

Question 14

What is the biopsychosocial model, and why is it often referenced/utilized in most clinical settings today?

Answer 14

An integrative model for explaining abnormal behavior in terms of the interactions of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors.

Essentially used in most clinical settings to explain the multitude of factors influencing abnormal behaviors.

Question 15

Consider how certain disorders/conditions are best understood through the biopsychosocial model, especially when a disorder either has a high or low genetic influence, or “ills of society” may be a significant contributor to abnormal behavior

Answer 15

Causes of abnormal behavior may be found in the failures of society rather than in the person.

Psychological problems may be rooted in the ills of society.
- Gender/ethnic/racial inequality, poverty/low-income, injustice, substance abuse, domestic violence, etc.

Question 16

Four major objectives of science

Answer 16

Describe – Usually means developing a theory as to why a specific behavior occurs. Helps develop a research question.

Explain

Predict

Control

Question 17

The scientific method

Answer 17

1. Formulating a research question.
2. Framing the research question in the form of a hypothesis.
3. Testing the hypothesis.
4. Drawing conclusions about the hypothesis.

Question 18

The naturalistic observation method

Answer 18

A form of research in which behavior is observed and measured in its natural environment.

Question 19

The benefits and limitations/issues related to this method (naturalistic observation method), especially with being an objective means to observe behavior and its’ possible causes.

Answer 19

• Important to be unobtrusive, minimize interference.
• Presence of observer may distort behavior
• Provides information on how subjects behave, but it does not reveal why they do so.
• Difficult to use because of concern with confidentiality, and providing objective explanation behind collected data.
• In other words, whoever is observing may be impacted by their own biases.

Question 20

The range for correlation coefficient

Answer 20

Correlation coefficient
- A statistical measure of the strength of the relationship between two variables expressed along a continuum that varies between −1.00 and +1.00.

Question 21

What the correlational coefficient explains in terms of factors/variables contributing to a behavior or a disorder/condition.

Answer 21

Negative thinking increases, depressive symptoms increase
- Positive correlation

Higher levels one variable, lower levels other variable
- Negative correlation

The closer the number is to -1.00 or +1.00
- Stronger the relationship

Question 22

Twin studies

Answer 22

Researchers identify individuals with a specific disorder who are members of MZ (identical) or DZ (fraternal) twin pairs and then study twin pairs.

• Identical or MZ twins are important in the study of the relative influences of heredity and environment because differences between MZ twins are the result of environmental rather than genetic influences.

Question 23

Kinship studies

Answer 23

A method of study used to understand the roles of heredity and environment in determining behavior.

Question 24

Twin studies

Answer 24

Researchers identify individuals with a specific disorder who are members of MZ or DZ twin pairs and then study twin pairs.

Question 25

Adoptee studies

Answer 25

Studies that compare the traits and behavior patterns of adopted children to those of their biological parents and their adoptive parents.

Question 26

Case study

Answer 26

A carefully drawn biography based on clinical interviews, observations, and psychological tests.

Question 27

ABAB design

Answer 27

1. Baseline phase (A). This phase occurs prior to treatment and allows the experimenter to establish a baseline rate for the behavior before treatment begins.
2. Treatment phase (B). Target behaviors are measured as the client undergoes treatment.
3. Second baseline phase (A, again). Treatment is temporarily withdrawn or suspended. This is the reversal in the reversal design, and it is expected that the positive effects of treatment should now be reversed because the treatment has been withdrawn.
4. Second treatment phase (B, again). Treatment is reinstated, and the target behaviors are assessed again.

Question 28

General idea behind ABAB design

Answer 28

When treatment is not applied, the negative behaviors will occur (baseline phase).