Chapter 1 Introduction QUIZ 1 Flashcards
aetiology
all the factors that contribute to the development of an illness or disorder
agonist
a drug that stimulates receptors normally specific to a particular neurotransmitter
analytical psychology
the psychoanalytical system of psychology developed and practised by Carl Gustav Jung
amygdala
a subcortical structure of the temporal lobe involved in attention to emotionally salient stimuli and memory of emotionally relevant events
allele
any of the various forms of a particular gene
anal stage
in psychoanalytic theory, the second psychosexual stage, which occurs during the second year of life when the anus is considered the principal erogenous zone
archetype
a primitive mental image inherited from the earliest human ancestors and supposed to be present in the collective unconscious (from Jung’s psychoanalytic theory)
animal model
the use in research of animals to study a disease, psychological or psychopathological process that is similar to a human condition
antagonist
a drug that dampens the effect of a neurotransmitter on its receptors; for example, many dopamine antagonists block dopamine receptors
anxiety
an unpleasant feeling of fear and apprehension accompanied by increased physiological arousal; can be assessed by self-report, measuring physiological arousal and observing overt behaviour
anxiety disorders
disorders in which fear or anxiety is overriding; include phobic disorders, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, generalised anxiety disorder and agoraphobia
attachment theory
the type or style of an infant’s attachment to his or her caregivers can set the stage for psychological health or problems later in development
asylums
refuges established in Western Europe in the fifteenth century to confine and provide for the mentally ill; forerunners of the mental hospital
attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
a disorder in children marked by difficulties in focusing adaptively on the task at hand, inappropriate fidgeting and antisocial behaviour, and excessive non-goal-directed behaviour
autonomic nervous system (ANS)
the division of the nervous system that regulates involuntary functions; innervates endocrine glands, smooth muscle and heart muscle; and initiates the physiological changes that are part of the expression of emotion.
behaviour therapy
a branch of psychotherapy conceived narrowly as the application of classical and operant conditioning to the alteration of clinical problems but more broadly as applied experimental psychology in a clinical context
behaviour genetics
the study of individual differences in behaviour that are attributable to differences in genetic make-up
behavioural medicine
an interdisciplinary field concerned with integrating knowledge from medicine and behavioural science to understand health and illness and to prevent as well as treat psychophysiological disorders and other illnesses in which a person’s psyche plays a role.
basal ganglia
part of the brain consisting of multiple subcortical nuclei situated at the base of the forebrain. Basal ganglia nuclei are strongly interconnected with the cerebral cortex, thalamus and brainstem, as well as several other brain areas. They are primarily responsible for motor control, as well as other roles such as motor learning, executive functions and behaviours and emotions.
behaviour therapy
a branch of psychotherapy conceived narrowly as the application of classical and operant conditioning to the alteration of clinical problems but more broadly as applied experimental psychology in a clinical context
behavioural activation (BA) therapy
clinical approach to depression that seeks to increase participation in positively reinforcing activities
biopsychosocial framework
a framework used to understand the importance of biological, psychological and social factors that impact on behaviour
benzodiazepines
any of several drugs commonly used to treat anxiety, such as Valium and Xanax
behaviourism
the school of psychology originally associated with John B Watson, who proposed that observable behaviour, not consciousness, is the proper subject matter of psychology. Contemporary behaviourists do use mediational concepts, provided they are firmly anchored to observables
brainstem
the part of the brain connecting the spinal cord with the cerebrum; contains the pons and medulla oblongata, and functions as a neural relay station
catharsis
the psychoanalytic process of reliving an earlier emotional trauma and releasing emotional tension by expressing previously forgotten thoughts about a traumatic event
caudate nucleus
a nucleus within the basal ganglia involved in learning and memory that is implicated in body dysmorphic disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder
cerebellum
an area of the hindbrain concerned with balance, posture and motor coordination
cerebral cortex the thin outer covering of each of the cerebral hemispheres; highly convoluted and composed of nerve cell bodies that constitute the grey matter of the brain
cerebrum
the two-lobed structure extending from the brainstem and constituting the anterior (frontal) part of the brain; the largest and most recently developed portion of the brain, responsible for coordinating sensory and motor activities and performing higher cognitive processes
chromosomes
the threadlike bodies within the nucleus of the cell, composed primarily of DNA and bearing the genetic information of the organism
classical conditioning
a basic form of learning, sometimes referred to as Pavlovian conditioning, in which a neutral stimulus is repeatedly paired with another stimulus (called the unconditioned stimulus, UCS) that naturally elicits a certain desired response (called the unconditioned response, UCR). After repeated trials, the neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus (CS) and evokes the same or a similar response, now called the conditioned response (CR).
cognition
the process of knowing; the thinking, judging, reasoning and planning activities of the human mind. Behaviour is now often explained as depending on these processes
cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT)
behaviour therapy that incorporates theory and research on cognitive processes such as thoughts, perceptions, judgements, self-statements and tacit assumptions; a blend of both the cognitive and behavioural paradigms
cognitive–behavioural paradigm
general view that people can best be understood by studying how they perceive and structure their experiences and how this influences behaviour
cognitive biases
tendencies to perceive events in a negative manner, for example, by attending to or remembering negative information more than positive information; hypothesised to be driven by underlying negative schemas
cognitive restructuring
any behaviour therapy procedure that attempts to alter the manner in which a client thinks about life so that he or she changes overt behaviour and emotions
cognitive therapy
See cognitive restructuring. See also cognitive–behavioural therapy
collective unconscious
Jung’s concept that every human being carries within the wisdom, ideas and strivings of those who have come before
conditioned response (CR)
See classical conditioning
conditioned stimulus (CS)
See classical conditioning
congruence
humanistic idea that the therapist must maintain a genuineness and authenticity in their interactions with the client
copy number variation (CNV)
refers to variation in gene structure involving copy number changes in a defined chromosomal region; could be in the form of a deletion where a copy is deleted or an addition (duplication) where an extra copy is added
conscience
a person’s moral sense of right and wrong
corpus callosum
the large band of nerve fibres connecting the two cerebral hemispheres
cytokines
immune system molecules, released by activated macrophages, which help initiate such bodily responses to infection as fatigue, fever and activation of the HPA axis
cardiovascular disease
medical problems involving the heart and the blood circulation system, such as hypertension or coronary heart disease
defence mechanism
in psychoanalytic theory, reality-distorting strategies unconsciously adopted to protect the ego from anxiety
demonology
the doctrine that a person’s abnormal behaviour is caused by an autonomous evil spirit
depression
a mood state characterised by sadness and a lack of pleasure, particularly for events or situations in which one would usually experience pleasure
diagnosis
the determination that the set of symptoms or problems of a patient indicates a particular disorder
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)
the manual of clinical syndromes published by the American Psychiatric Association and used for descriptive diagnosis. DSM-5 was published in 2013, with major changes to the classification system and diagnostic categories
dialectical behaviour therapy
a therapeutic approach to borderline personality disorder that combines client-centred empathy and acceptance with behavioural problem solving, social skills training and limit setting
diathesis
predisposition towards a disease or abnormality
diathesis–stress
as applied in psychopathology, a view that assumes that individuals predisposed towards a particular psychological disorder will be particularly affected by stress and will then manifest abnormal behaviour
dopamine
central nervous system neurotransmitter, a catecholamine that is also a precursor of norepinephrine and apparently figures in schizophrenia and Parkinson’s disease
DSM-5
the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association
effectiveness
how well a therapeutic treatment works in the real world in the hands of broader samples of non-academic, less supervised therapists. Compare efficacy
efficacy
how well a therapeutic treatment works under rarefied, academic research conditions. Compare effectiveness
ego
in psychoanalytic theory, the predominantly conscious part of the personality, responsible for decision making and for dealing with reality
emotion
the expression, experience and physiology that guide responses to problems and challenges in the environment
empathy
the ability to understand and share the feelings of another; in therapy, it refers to the notion that the therapist listens and tries to understand the world from the client’s perspective
enzyme
a complex protein that acts as a catalyst in regulating metabolic activities
epigenetics
the study of changes in gene expression that are caused by something other than changes in the DNA (gene) sequence or structure, such as DNA methylation
eugenics movement
a movement that aimed at improving the genetic composition of the human race through selective breeding and sterilisation
exorcism
the casting out of evil spirits by ritualistic chanting or torture
exposure
real-life (in vivo) or imaginal confrontation of a feared object or situation, especially as a component of systematic desensitisation. See also imaginal exposure
extinction
the elimination of a classically conditioned response by the omission of the unconditioned stimulus; in operant conditioning, the elimination of the conditioned response by the omission of reinforcement
extraversion
personality trait associated with frequent experiences of positive affect and social engagement
fixation
in psychoanalytic theory, the arrest of psychosexual development at a particular stage through too much or too little gratification at that stage
frontal lobe
the anterior portion of each cerebral hemisphere, in front of the central sulcus; active in reasoning and other higher mental processes
gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)
inhibitory neurotransmitter that may be involved in the anxiety disorders
gene
the smallest portion of DNA within a chromosome that functions as a piece of functional hereditary information
gene expression
the switching on and off of the reading (transcription and translation) of genes into their products (usually proteins) and thus their associated phenotypes