Chapter 1. Science and Practice Flashcards
APA Ethics Code
A common set of principles and standards upon which psychologists build their professional and scientific work; other professions (e.g., school psychologists, social workers) have similar ethics codes
Assent
Agreement to participate in treatment or research provided by a person who is unable to give consent because of his or her age or cognitive ability
Categorical classification (in DSM-5)
Diagnostic approach in which disorders are divided into mutually exclusive groups based on sets of essential criteria
Comorbidity
The presentation of two or more disorders in the same person at the same time
Competence
The education, training, and professional experience mental health professionals use to deliver evidence-based services; professionals must practice within its boundaries
Confidentiality
The expectation that information that children and families provide during the course of treatment will not be disclosed to others without their consent
Consent
A person’s informed and free decision to participate in treatment
Culture
Values, knowledge, and practices that people derive from membership in social groups
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5)
A compendium of mental disorders and diagnostic criteria adopted by the American Psychiatric Association and used by most mental health professionals in the United States
Diagnostic specifier
A label that describes a relatively homogeneous subgroup of individuals with a given disorder
Dimensional classification (in DSM-5)
Diagnostic approach in which the severity of the individual’s distress and/or impairment is described on a continuum
Ethical principles
Broad ideals or aspirational goals for the professional practice of psychology
Ethical standards
Specific rules that guide professional practice in psychology
Ethics
Principles and standards of a profession that ensure high-quality care and protect the rights and dignity of others
Ethnicity
A culturally constructed identity that is used to define groups of people and communities; it can be rooted in a common history, geographic location, language, religion, or shared experience that distinguishes that person or group from others
Evidence-based practice
The integration of empirical research with clinical expertise to help children and families in the context of their characteristics, culture, and preferences
Evidence-based treatments
Psychotherapies and medications that have been shown in well-designed research studies to reduce children’s symptoms and improve their functioning
Harmful dysfunction
A definition of abnormal behavior characterized by (1) a failure of some internal mechanism to perform a function for which it was naturally selected and (2) the failure causes harm
Incidence
The percentage of new cases of a disorder in a discrete period of time, usually 1 year
Mental disorder (DSM-5 definition)
“A syndrome characterized by clinically significant disturbance in an individual’s cognition, emotion regulation, or behavior that reflects a dysfunction in the psychological, biological, or developmental processes underlying mental functioning”
Multiple relationship
Occurs when a therapist, who is in a professional role with a client, enters into another relationship with the same individual or a person closely associated with that individual; it can impair the objectivity and quality of care
Prevalence
The percentage of individuals in a given population who have a medical or psychological condition
Prototypical classification (in DSM-5)
Diagnostic approach that is based on the degree to which the individual’s signs and symptoms map onto the ideal picture of the disorder
Psychotropic medication
Prescription drugs used to treat psychological disorders, such as anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia
Race
A culturally constructed category that can be used to divide people into groups based on superficial physical traits
Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) initiative:
A program supported by NIMH to create a new system of classifying mental disorders based on underlying genetic and biological causes
Sign (of a disorder)
An observable feature of a disorder (e.g., hyperactivity, sluggish movement)
Socioeconomic status (SES)
A composite variable that reflects three aspects of a child’s environment: (1) parents’ levels of education, (2) parents’ employment, and (3) family income
Stigma
Negative beliefs that can lead to fear, avoidance, and discrimination by others or shame and low self-worth in oneself
Symptom (of a disorder)
A subjective experience associated with a disorder (e.g., anxiety, depressed mood)
