chapter 15 Flashcards
Psychopathology
the study of psychological disorders, including their symptoms, etiology (causes), and treatment
Psychological disorders
a condition characterized by abnormal thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
Wakefield (1992)
Proposed a more influential concept in which he defines psychological disorders as a
harmful dysfunction
Diagnostic features
overview of the disorder
Diagnostic criteria
specific symptoms required for a diagnosis
Prevalence
percent of population thought to be afflicted
Comordity
Obsessive-compulsive disorder and major depressive disorder frequently occur in the
same person
Supernatural perspective
psychological disorders attributed to a force beyond scientific
understanding
Diathesis-Stress Mode
Integrates biological and psychosocial factors to predict the likelihood of a disorder.
Fear
an instantaneous reaction to an imminent threat.
Anxiety
apprehension, avoidance, and cautiousness regarding a potential threat, danger, or other negative content
Anxiety disorders
Characterized by excessive and persistent fear and anxiety, and by related disturbances in
behavior
Classical conditioning
Child is bitten by dog (US) → dogs become associated with biting (CS) → child
experiences fear around dogs (CR)
Vicarious learning
Child observes cousin react with fear around spiders → child later expresses the same fears even though spiders have never presented any danger to him
Verbal transmission disorder
A child is continuously told that snakes are dangerous → child starts to fear snakes.
Safety behaviors
mental or behavioral acts that reduce anxiety in social situations by reducing the chance of negative social outcomes
Behavioral inhibition
a consistent tendency to show fear and restraint when
presented with unfamiliar people or situations.
Obsessions
persistent, unintentional, and unwanted thoughts and urges that are highly
intrusive, unpleasant, and distressing
Compulsions
repetitive and ritualistic acts, typically carried out primarily as a means to minimize the distress that obsessions trigger or to reduce the likelihood of a feared event
OCD circuit
Several interconnected regions that influence perceived emotional value of stimuli and selection of behavioral and cognitive responses
Orbitofrontal cortex
involved in learning and
decision making.
Seasonal pattern
applies to situations in which a person experiences the symptoms of major depressive disorder only during a particular time of year
Peripartum onset (postpartum depression)
major depression during pregnancy or in the four weeks following the birth
Persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia)
depressed moods most of the day nearly every day for at least two years, as well as at least two of the other symptoms of major depression
Medications for depression
usually increase serotonin and norepinephrine
activity.
Medication for Bipolar
Lithium, which blocks norepinephrine activity at the
synapse.
Diathesis-Stress model
cognitive vulnerability + stressful life events → depression.
Depressive Schemas
contain themes of loss, failure, rejection, worthlessness, and
inadequacy.
Disorganized Thinking
disjointed and incoherent thought processes
Avolition
lack of motivation to engage in self-initiated and meaningful activity
Alogia
Reduced speech output
Asociality
Social withdraw
Anhedonia
Inability to experience pleasure
Dopamine Hypothesis
an overabundance of dopamine or too many dopamine receptors are responsible for the onset and maintenance of schizophrenia
Dissociative Fugue
individual suddenly wanders away from home, experiences
confusion about their identity, and in some cases may adopt a new identity
Depersonalization
feelings of “unreality or detachment from, or unfamiliarity with,
one’s whole self or from aspects of the self”
Neurodevelopmental disorders
involve developmental problems in personal, social,
academic, and intellectual functioning.
ADHD
constant pattern of inattention and/or hyperactive and impulsive behavior that interferes with normal functioning
