Chapter 15 Flashcards
Abnormal behavior
Behavior that is deviant, maladaptive, or personally distressful over a relatively long period of time.
Deviant
A behavior does not conform to accepted social standards (atypical)
Maladaptive
Maladaptive behavior interferes with a person’s ability to function effectively in the world. (dysfunctional)
Personally distressing
The person engaging in the behavior finds it troubling (despair). Like women who vomits after meals.
Medical model
The view that psychological disorders are medical diseases with a biological orgin.
What is the psychological approach?
Emphasizes the contributions of experiences, thoughts, emotions, and personality characters in explaining psychological disorders.
What is the sociocultural approach?
Emphasizes that the social contexts in which a person lives, including the individual’s culture. Important for deviance.
What is the biopsychosocial model?
Interactions of biological factors, psychological factors (childhood), and sociocultural factors (gender) can influence abnormal behavior.
Diathesis-stress model
Also called vulnerability-stress hypothesis. Theory suggesting that preexisting conditions, such as genetic characteristics, personality dispositions, or experience, may put a person at risk of developing a psychological disorder.
DSM-5
The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical manual of mental disorders; the major classification of psychological disorders in the US.
What are the advantages to DSM-5?
- Provides a common basis for communication
- Help clinicians make predictions
- Naming the disorder can provide comfort
What are the disadvantages to DSM-5?
- Stigma (shame, negative reputation)
- Medial terminology implies internal cause
- Focus on weaknesses, ignores strengths.
Anxiety disorders and what are the types
Uncontrollable fears that are disproportionate and disruptive. Generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder.
How is generalized anxiety disorder diagnoses and what are the symptoms?
persistent anxiety for at least 6 months, and inability to specify reasons for the anxiety.
What are the causes of generalized anxiety disorder?
Biological factors: genetic predisposition, GABA (the brain’s brake pedal) deficiency, respiration
Psychological and sociocultural factors: harsh self-standards, critical parents, negative thoughts, trauma
Panic Disorder: diagnosis and symptoms
Recurrent, sudden onsets of intense terror that often occur without cause or warning.
Causes of panic disorder?
Biological factors: genetic predisposition
Psychological factors: Conditioning to CO2, high concentration=fear
Sociocultural factors: gender differences
Specific phobia: diagnosis and symptoms
An irrational, overwhelming, persistent fear of a particular object or situation.
Specific phobia: causes
Psychological factors: learned
Biological factors: genetic predisposition
Social anxiety disorder: diagnosis and symptoms
Intense fear of being humiliated or embarrassed in social situations.
Social anxiety disorder: causes
Biological factors: genetic disposition, neural circuitry, serotonin
Psychological factors: overprotective/ rejecting parenting, social experiences.
What are the anxiety related disorders not classed by DSM-5
Obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): diagnosis and symptoms
Persistent anxiety-provoking thoughts and/or urges to preform repetitive, ritualistic behaviors to prevent or produce a situation.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder: causes
Biological factors: genetic predisposition
Psychological factors: avoidance learning
Post-traumatic stress disorder: diagnosis and symptoms
Symptoms develop as a result of exposure to a traumatic event, oppressive situation, natural or unnatural disasters
Could consist of flashbacks, avoidance of emotional experiences, anxiety, excessive arousal, difficulties with memory and concentration, and impulsive outbursts.
Mood related disorders: definition, symptoms, types (including the one not on DSM-5)
Disturbance of mood that affects entire emotional state
Symptoms: cognitive, behavioral, or physical symptoms and interpersonal difficulties
Types: major depressive disorder
Mood related (not DSM-5): bipolar disorder.
Major depressive disorder: diagnosis and symptoms
Significant and depressive episode that lasts for at least two weeks
Daily functioning is impaired
Symptoms include fatigue, sense or worthlessness, reduced interest, appetite and sleep disturbance.
Major depressive disorder: causes
Biological factors: genetic disposition, underactive prefrontal cortex, regulation of neurotransmitters
Psychological factors: learned helplessness, ruminating on negative, self-defeating thoughts, pessimistic attribution
Sociocultural factors: poverty, gender differences
Bipolar I and Bipolar II: diagnosis and symptoms
Characterized by extreme mood swings that include mania (overexcited, unrealistic optimism, euphoric, sleep little)
Frequency and separation of episodes: usually separated by 6 months to a year
Dissociative disorders: definition and types
Sudden loss of memory or change in identity
Dissociation: protection from extreme stress or shock, problems integrating emotional memories
Types: dissociative amnesia and dissociative identity disorder (DID)
Dissociative Amnesia
Individuals experience memory loss caused by extensive psychological stress
Dissociative identity disorder: diagnosis and symptoms
The same individual possesses two or more distinct personalities. Each personality has unique memories, behaviors, and relationships. Only one personality is dominate at a time.
Dissociative identity disorder: causes
Extraordinarily severe abuse in early childhood. Social contagion. Mostly women. Runs in families.
Schizophrenia Spectrum
Highly disordered thought. Split from reality (psychotic). Typically diagnosed in early adulthood. High suicide risk. Has psychosis
Psychosis
Psychological state in which a person’s perceptions and thoughts are fundamentally removed from reality.
Schizophrenia: positive symptoms
Involves a distortion or an excess of normal function
1. Hallucinations and delusions.
2. Thought disorders
3. Disorders of movement
Hullucinations
Sensory experiences that occur in the absence of real stimuli
Delusions
False, unusual, and sometimes magical beliefs that are not part of an individual’s culture.
Schizophrenia: negative symptoms
flat affect
Thought disorder
The unusual, sometimes bizarre thought processes that are characteristic positive symptoms of schizophrenia.
Referential thinking
Ascribing personal meaning to completely random events
Movement disorders
The unusual mannerisms, body movements, and facial expressions that are characteristic positive symptoms of schizophrenia.
Flat affect
The display of little or no emotion- a common negative symptom of schizophrenia
Schizophrenia: cognitive symptoms
Attention difficulties and memory problems. Impaired ability to interpret information and make decisions.
Schizophrenia: causes
Biological factors: genetic predisposition, structural brain abnormalities/ deterioration (enlarged ventricles), regulation of neurotransmitters (dopamine and glutamate)
Psychological factors: vulnerability: stress hypothesis
Sociocultural factors: influence how disorder progresses
Personality disorders
Chronic, maladaptive, cognitive-behavioral patterns that are thoroughly integrated into an individual’s personality.
Antisocial personality disorder: diagnosis and symptoms
Guiltless law breaking, violence, deceit.
Impulsive, irritable, reckless, irresponsible
Antisocial personality: causes
Biological factors: genetic, brain, and ANS differences
Borderline personality disorder: diagnosis and symptoms
- Instability in interpersonal relationships and self-image
- Impulsive, insecure, unstable, and extreme emotions
Borderline personality disorder: causes
Genetic
Childhood abuse
Irrational belief one is powerless, unacceptable, and that others are hostile.
What are factors promoting suicide?
- poor health
- depression and anxiety
- immediate and severe stress
- substance abuse
- desire to die (feeling burdensome, not belonging)
- Acquired capability for suicide
- Culture of honor
- Gender
What are stereotypes and stigmas?
Negative attitudes toward mentally ill
Avaliability heuristic
Illusory correlations
physical health risk
Successfully functioning individuals with mental illness reluctant to “come out”
