Chapter 11 Flashcards
Describe the purpose and limitations of the DSM-IV
- Purpose: provide objective criteria and categories for diagnosing mental disorders
- Critics argue that diagnosing mental disorders is inherently a subjective process that can never really be objective.
- Critics believe that DSM offers over diagnosis
- Overlooks the power of being given a diagnostic label
- It confuses mental disorders with everyday problems in living.
- Creates an illusion of objectivity
Discuss the ways in which abnormal behavior has been defined
Professionals emphasize the emotional suffering caused by a behavior, whether the behavior is harmful to others or society, and its degree of harmful dysfunction
Distinguish between projective and objective tests, and summarize the strengths and weaknesses of each in diagnosis
- Projective tests such as the inkblot test, have low reliability and validity. Creates problems when they are used in diagnosing disorders
- Objective tests or inventories such as MMPI have high reliability.
Describe the main characteristics of the anxiety disorders: Anxiety states, phobias, and obsessive compulsive disorder
- Anxiety states continuous, chronic anxiety and worry
- Phobias are unrealistic fears of specific situations, activities, or things
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder involves current unwished thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive, ritualized behaviors (compulsions) that a person feels unable to control
Distinguish between major depression and bipolar disorder
- Depression is a prolonged period of grief, hopelessness, and loss of energy, appetite, and interest in activities.
- Bipolar disorder involves episodes of both depression and mania
Using the vulnerability-stress model, describe the four factors that account for depression
- Genetic Factors that may protect against depression or create a predisposition toward it.
- Experiences with violence, childhood physical abuse, and prenatal neglect.
- Losses of important relationships.
- Cognitive habits such as believing that unhappiness is permanent and uncontrollable, ruminating about problems, and feeling hopeless
Define Personality disorders, and describe the problem personalities mentioned in the text
-Personality disorders are characterized by rigid, self-destructive traits that cause stress or an inability to get along with others. (Psychopathy, anti-social, dissociative identity disorder)
Describe the factors in the theory of antisocial personality/psychopathic disorders
- Antisocial applies to people with patterns of aggressive, reckless, impulsive, and often criminal behavior.
- Psychopaths lack conscience and empathy, they do not feel remorse, shame guilt, or anxiety over wrongdoing.
Distinguish between the biological model of addiction and the learning model of addiction
- Biological model of addiction says that some people have a genetic vulnerability to the kind of alcoholism that begins in early adolescence. Genes also affect sensitivity to alcohol
- Learning model of addiction points out that addiction patterns vary according to cultural practices and values.
List the characteristics of dissociative identity disorder and discuss the competing views on its existence
- DID, is formally called the multiple personality disorder and it involves two or more identities that appear to split off within one person
- Media coverage has contributed to the rise in MPD diagnoses; Clinicians believe MPD is common and originates in childhood trauma; Socio-cognitive explanation of MPD holds that it is simply an extreme form of the ability we all have to present different aspects of our personalities to others
Describe the 5 basic symptoms of schizophrenia and three factor that are thought to be contributed to its development
- Symptoms: 1. Bizarre delusions
2. Hallucinations
3. Word salads (incoherent speech)
4. Inappropriate behavior
5. Impaired cognitive abilities - Development factors: 1. Genetic predispositions
2. Prenatal problems or birth complications
3. Adolescent abnormalities in brain development
