Chapter 3 - Causal Factors and Viewpoints Flashcards
Necessary cause
If Disorder Y occurs, then Cause X must have preceded it
Sufficient cause
If Cause X occurs, then Disorder Y will also occur
Contributory cause
If X occurs, then the probability of Disorder Y increases
proximal cause
causal factor that operates shortly before symptoms of a disorder are shown. May trigger onset of disorder.
distal cause
Causal factor occurring early in life that may not show effects for several years. May contribute to a predisposition to develop a disorder.
reinforcing contributory cause
A condition that tends to maintain maladaptive behavior that is already occurring
Causal pattern
when more than one causal factor is involved; conditions A, B, C lead to condition Y
diathesis
a predisposition toward developing a disorder; may derive from biological, psychological, and/or sociocultural causal factors
stress
the response or experience of an individual to demands that she perceives as taxing or exceeding her personal resources
diathesis-stress model
states that disorders develop when a stressor operates on a person who has a vulnerability for that disorder
additive model
diathesis-stress model in which individuals with a high level of diathesis need only a small amount of stress to develop a disorder and vice versa
interactive model
diathesis-stress model in which some amount of diathesis must be present before stress will have any effect
protective factors
influences that modify a person’s response to stressors, making it less likely that the person will experience adverse consequences of stressors. Usually operate only to help resist against effects of risk factors rather than providing benefit to those w/o risk factors.
resilience
the ability to adapt successfully to even very difficult circumstances “overcoming the odds”
developmental psychopathology
field that focuses on determining what is abnormal at any point in development by comparing/contrasting it with normal and expected changes
categories of biological factors relevant to development of maladaptive behavior
- neurotransmitter and hormonal abnormalities in neurotransmitter systems (brain and CNS) - genetic vulnerabilities - temperament - brain dysfunction and neural plasticity
abnormalities in neurotransmitter functioning
- excessive production and release into synapse - dysfunction in deactivation of neurotransmitter (reuptake and degradation) - abnormally sensitive/insensitive receptors in postsynaptic neuron
5 primary neurotransmitters (as related to psychology)
- norephinephrine - dopamine - serotonin - glutamate - GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid)
norephinephrine
plays a role in reactions to stressful/dangerous situations, attention, orienting, and basic motives
dopamine
deals with pleasure and cognitive processing. implicated in schizophrenia and addictive disorders
serotonin
effects the way we think and process information from our environments, behaviors, and moods. plays role in emotional disorders (anxiety, depression) and suicide
glutamate
excitatory neurotransmitter, implicated in schizophrenia
GABA
reduces anxiety and other emotional states characterized by high levels of arousal
HPA axis
hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal-cortical axis
activation of HPA axis
- messages in the form of CRH travel from hypothalamus to pituitary - in response to CRH, pituitary releases ACTH - ACTH stimulates cortical part of adrenal gland to produce adrenaline and cortisol, which are released to general circulation - cortisol tells hypothalamus and pituitary to decrease release of CRH and ACTH, decreases adrenaline and cortisol
cortisol
hormone that mobilizes body to deal with stress
polymorphisms
naturally occurring variations of genes
polygenic
disorders are influenced by multiple genes with any individual gene having only a small effect
3 genotype-environment correlations
- childs genotype has passive effect due to genetic similarity of parents and children - child’s genotype evokes particular reactions from social and physical environment - active effect: child seeks out and builds environment that he likes
genotype-environment interaction
people with different genotypes may be differently susceptible to their environments
linkage analysis
Genetic research strategy where occurrence of a disorder in extended family is compared with that of a physical characteristic or biological process that is known to be located on a particular chromosome
Association studies
Genetic research strategy that compares frequency of genetic markers known to be located on a particular chromosome in people with and without a particular disorder
Temperament
A child’s reactivity and characteristic ways of self regulation
What 5 dimensions of temperament can be identified in children as young as 2 - 3 months?
- fearfulness - irritability and frustration - positive affect - activity level - attentional persistence and effortful control
Three dimensions of adult personality
- neuroticism or negative emotionality - extroversion or positive emotionality - constraint (conscientiousness and agreeableness)
Infant temperament dimensions of fearfulness and irritability correspond to which adult temperament?
Neuroticism
Infant temperament dimensions of positive affect and possibly activity level correspond to which adult temperament?
Extraversion
Infant temperament dimension of attentional persistance and effortful control correspond to which adult temperament?
Constraint
What does it mean for a child to be considered “behaviorally inhibited”?
They are fearful in many unfamiliar situations. When this trait is stable, it is a risk factor for the development of anxiety disorders.
What does it mean for a child to be considered “uninhibited”?
They show little fear of anything. In teenage years, they are more likely to show aggressive and delinquent behavior. If combined with high levels of hostility, risk for conduct disorder and antisocial personality disorder are increased.
Developmental systems approach
Focuses on bidirectional influences of genetic activity neural activity behavior environment (physical and sociocultural)
primary process thinking
mental images and wish-fulfilling fantasies generated by the id
secondary process thinking
adaptive measures of the ego
ego psychology
view that psychopathology develops when the ego does not function adequately
object relations theory
focuses on individuals interactions with real and imagined other people and on the relationships that the individuals experience between internal and external objects
object (in object relations theory)
symbolic representation of another person in a childs environment (most often a parent)
introjection
a child symbolically incorporating important people in his life into his personality (through images and memories)
interpersonal perspective
views psychopathology as rooted in the unfortunate tendencies we develop while dealing with our interpersonal environments; focuses on relationships (past and present) with other people
attachment theory
emphasizes importance of early experience (esp. in attachment relationships) as laying the foundation for later functioning throughout the lifespan
learning (in behaviorism)
modification of behavior as a consequence of experience
Other name for Classical conditioning
pavlovian conditioning
Classical conditioning
UCS and UCR exist. CS is paired with them. CR exist when CS results in same response as UCS.
extinction (classical conditioning)
gradual process by which CS no longer leads to CR
spontaneous recovery (classical conditioning)
return of learned response after extinction
other name for operant conditioning
instrumental conditioning
operant conditioning
individual learns to achieve a goal through reinforcement
in operant conditioning, what kind of response is highly resistant to extinction?
conditioned avoidance response
cognitive-behavioral perspective
focuses on how thoughts and information processing can become distorted and lead to maladaptive emotions and behavior
self-schemas
views on who we are, what we might become, what is important to us, and the roles we occupy
assimilation
fitting new experiences into existing schemas
accommodation
changing of existing schemas to incorporate new information that doesn’t fit
implicit memory
behavior reveals that individual previously learned an activity even though they cannot remember learning it
Humanistic perspective
views human nature as basically good and emphasizes people’s inherent capacity for growth and self actuallization
