CHAPTER 1: What is Abnormal Psychology?

Question 1

Demonological model

Answer 1

explanation of abnormal behaviour as result of supernatural causes

Question 2

Id

Answer 2

follows pleasure principle, operates by primary process thinking, instinctual drives

Question 3

Ego

Answer 3

governed by reality principle, engages in secondary process thinking, finding socially acceptable outlets for urgings of id

Question 4

Superego

Answer 4

develops during middle childhood, operating on moral principle and represents the ego ideal, floods ego with guilt and shame when it falls short of meeting standards

Question 5

Thomas Szasz

Answer 5

believed that mentall illness was no more than a myth to stigmatize people with socially deviant behaviour

Question 6

Genotype

Answer 6

set of traits specified by genetic code

Question 7

Phenotype

Answer 7

representation of total array of traits, as influenced by nature and nurture

Question 8

Epigenome

Answer 8

sum total of inherited and acquired molecular variations to genome that lead to change in gene regulation (phenotype), without changing DNA (genotype) (environment + genotype = phenotype)

Question 9

Ego ideal

Answer 9

configuration of higher social values and moral ideas embodied in superego

Question 10

Ivan Pavlov

Answer 10

classical conditioning - dog’s salivary response to food

Question 11

B.F. Skinner

Answer 11

operant conditioning - reinforcement, reward, and punishment

Question 12

Positive reinforcer

Answer 12

addition of stimuli increases frequency of behaviour

Question 13

Negative reinforcer

Answer 13

removal of reinforcer increases frequency of behaviour

Question 14

Primary reinforcer

Answer 14

natural reinforcers (water, food, shelter)

Question 15

Secondary reinforcer

Answer 15

gain reinforcement value through association with established reinforcers (money, social approval)

Question 16

Positive punishment

Answer 16

stimulus added to decrease behaviour

Question 17

Negative punishment

Answer 17

stimulus taken away to decrease behaviour

Question 18

Emotional intelligence

Answer 18

ability to monitor one’s own and others’ feelings and emotions

Question 19

Rational-emotive behaviour therapy (REBT)

Answer 19

Albert Ellis - help people adjust thinking and behaviour

ABC: activating events > beliefs > consequence

Question 20

Selective abstraction

Answer 20

focus exclusively on parts of their experiences that reflect flaws and ignore evidence of competencies

Question 21

Overgeneralization

Answer 21

overgeneralize from few isolated examples (future is hopeless because they were fired)

Question 22

Magnification

Answer 22

blow out of proportion the significance of unfortunate events

Question 23

Absolutist thinking

Answer 23

see world in black-and-white terms instead of shades of grey (fail or pass)

Question 24

Reciprocal determinism

Answer 24

person’s behaviour acts upon and is influenced by one’s personal and environmental factors

Question 25

Diathesis-stress model

Answer 25

psychological disorders result from combination of a diathesis (vulnerability/disposition) with stress