Clinical and Abnormal Psychology Flashcards
Who was the originator of psychoanalytic theory?
Sigmund Freud
how does psychoanalytic theory view human nature?
conflict between drives (conscious and unconscious) is central to human nature. a human is motivated by drive reduction
what does Freud think true conflict is between?
Eros (life, sex, love) and Thanatos (death)
how did Freud’s theory of the layout of the mind change over time?
originally: topographic (conscious elements openly acknowledged, unconscious elements many layers deeper)
revised: structural (ego, id, superego)
Describe Freud’s layout of the mind
Ego: mediates between the environment and the pressures of the id and superego
Id: unconscious biological drives and wishes (at birth - only id)
Superego: imposes learned/socialized drives. develops over time so influenced by moral/parental training
how well ego handles pull between id, superego + environment determines mental health
What is Freud’s theory on abnormal psychology?
psychic determinism: result of repressed drives and conflicts which manifest through pathological behavior, dreams and unconscious behavior instead of the ego finding acceptable behavior
Did Freud use hypnosis?
Yes at first, borrowed from Jean Charcot and Pierre Janet
What technique did Freud use during psychoanalysis
free association (developed with Joseph Breuer) -> catharsis/abreaction
What is transference?
(Freud) patients react to therapist like they react to their parents. examine unconscious feelings about parents.
Countertransference
how the therapist feels about the patient
object relations therapy
using transference to resolve problems that were the result of previous relationships
what is the goal of psychoanalytic therapy?
lessen unconscious pressures by making them conscious so the ego can mediate better
reaction formation
embracing feelings or behaviors opposite to the true threatening feelings one has
sublimation
channeling threatening drives into acceptable outlets
identification
imitating a central figure e.g. a parent
undoing
performing a ritualistic activity in order to relieve anxiety about unconscious drives
content in dreams
manifest (actual content) & latent (unconscious forces dreams are trying to express)
pleasure and reality principles
pleasure (primary process): seek pleasure & avoid pain - id, early life
reality (secondary process): ego, delays gratification
screen memory
memories that serve as representations of important childhood experiences
Alfred Adler
a colleague of Freud who created individual/Adlerian theory: people are creative, social and whole, and are in the process of “becoming.” a healthy indiv. ignores feelings of inferiority, has a “will to power” and will pursue goals that are beneficial to society. if an unhealthy indiv. pursues any goals, they will be self-serving.
Adlerian therapy
psychodynamic approach with a focus on unconscious feelings. more important: examination of lifestyle and choices. Aim: reduce feelings of inferiority and foster social interest. Criticism: best used with “normal” people
Adler’s personality typology
- Ruling-dominant (choleric). high in activity, low in social contribution - dominant
- Getting-leaning type (phlegmatic). low in activity, high in social contribution - dependent
- Avoiding type (melancholic). Low in activity and low in social contribution - withdrawn
- Socially useful type (sanguine). high in activity, high in social contribution - healthy
Carl Jung
Analytical theory. Freud: too much emphasis on libido. Jung: psyche directed toward life and awareness
Jung’s unconscious
- personal: material from own experiences, can become conscious
- collective: psyche’s dynamics inherited from ancestors. common to all, contains archetypes
therapy involves analyzing dreams, artwork and personal symbols -> more aware and closer to full potential
criticism: too mystical/spiritual
Archetypes
- Persona: outer mask
- Shadow: dark side
- Anima: female elements of a man
- Animus: male elements of a woman
- Self: full individual potential
Carl Rogers
Client-centered theory. humanistic (optimistic outlook on human nature). humans have an actualizing tendency towards full potential.
abnormal theory: lack of congruence between real self and conscious self-concept
Client-centered therapy
client decides how often to meet and what to discuss. therapist: - nondirective - empathy - unconditional positive regard - genuineness/congruence
criticism: no diagnostic tools
Behavior therapy - background
B. F. Skinner, Ivan Pavlov, Joseph Wolpe. change maladaptive behavior through new learning. (abnormal behavior is the result of learning)
radical behavioralism - skinner’s operant ideas that behavior is only related to consequences
neobehavioralism - Pavlov’s counterconditioning used to create new responses to stimuli
criticism: treating symptoms rather than problem
Behavior therapy - practice
- Systematic desensitization (Joseph Wolpe): classical conditioning to relieve anxiety/phobia
- Flooding/implosive therapy (as above)
- Aversion therapy: classical conditioning to increase anxiety (addiction, fetishes)
- Shaping - operant conditioning (reinforced for good behaviors)
- Modeling - social learning. client exposed to adaptive behaviors
- assertiveness training
- role playing
Aaron Beck
Cognitive Theory. conscious thought patterns play the largest role in people’s lives (not emotion or behavior).
Maladaptive cognitions
- arbitrary inference (conclusion without solid evidence)
- overgeneralization
- magnifying/minimizing
- personalizing (inappropriately taking responsibility)
- dichotomous (black and white) thinking
cognitive triad (negative views about the self, the world and the future) causes depression
Cognitive therapy
directed therapy to restructure maladaptive thought patterns. short-term
criticism: removing symptoms may not cure problem
Albert Ellis
rational-emotive theory (RET): elements of cognitive, behavioral and emotion theory. intertwined thoughts and feelings produce behavior.
abnormal - ABC: Activating event occurs, Beliefs about event, Consequence of emotional disruption
Rational-Emotive therapy
directive - DE: dispute beliefs and replace with Effective rational beliefs
criticism: sterile, mechanistic
Gestalt theory
Fritz Perls, Max Wertheimer, Kurt Koffka.
fully experience and perceive the present in order to become an integrated person. stand apart from past beliefs, biases and attitudes
abnormal: disturbances of awareness, client does not have insight/fully experience situation
Gestalt therapy
dialogue, focus on here-and-now. exploration of awareness and full experiencing of present
criticism: not suited for low-functioning/disturbed clients
Victor Frankl
Existential theory. issues of meaning and being. “will to meaning.” Rollo May also contributes
Abnormal: neurotic anxiety in response to perceived meaningless
Existential therapy
discussion of deep questions relating to client’s perception and meaning of existence. increase sense of being and meaningfulness
criticism: abstract for severely disturbed patients
What do psychopharm treatments work on?
neurotransmitters - monoamines (dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine)
Antipsychotics
first drugs used for psychopathology. block DA receptors and inhibit DA production, treating positive schizophrenic symptoms.
e.g. chlorpromazine (Thorazine), haloperidol (Haldol)
Antimanics
bipolar disorder. inhibit norepinephrine and serotonin
e.g. lithium
antidepressants
usually require at least 6 weeks to start working
increase production & transmission of monoamines
- Tricyclic (TCAs) e.g. amitriptyline (Elavil)
- MAOIs e.g. phenelzine (Nardil)
- SSRIs
anxiolytics
increase effectiveness of GABA (inhibitory NT)
e.g. barbiturates/benzos - diazepem (Valium), alprazolam (Xanax)
Hans Eysenck
criticized psychotherapy, saying it was not effective. other studies have since contradicted him
Anna Freud
applied Freudian ideas to child psychology and development
Melanie Klein
object-relations theory and psychoanalysis with children
Neo-Freudians
Karen Horney: emphasized culture and society over instinct. neuroticism is expressed as movement toward, against and away from people
Harry Stack Sullivan: social and interpersonal relationships
Psychodynamic theory includes…
…individual, analytical. anything that emphasizes role of the unconscious
Humanistic theory includes…
client-centered, Gestalt, existential. emphasizing positive, evolving free will in people. AKA “Third Force” in psychotherapy in reaction to psychoanalysis and behavioralism
Abraham Maslow
leader of the humanistic movement in psychology. pyramid-like hierarchy of needs:
self-actualization esteem & recognition belonging, love, acceptance safety, stability, lack of fear physiological needs
Electroconvulsive shock therapy (ECT)
electric current delivered to brain, convulsions induced. effective in severely depressed patients.
Donald Meichenbaum
stress-inoculation training. prepares people for foreseeable stressors
Neil Miller
proved that abnormal behavior can be learned
DSM: how many categories of mental disorders?
16
Disorders diagnosed in childhood/adolescence
Mental retardation: IQ < 70. mild: 55-70, moderate: 40-55, severe: 25-40, profound: <25
Learning disorders: school achievement/standardized scores at least 2 SD below mean
ADHD: treated with stimulants e.g. Ritalin, Adderall
Oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder
Tic disorders e.g. Tourette’s
Elimination disorders e.g. nocturnal enuresis
Delrium, dementia (cognitive disorders)
delirium: disturbed consciousness and cognition
dementia: cognitive problems as a result of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s (progressive degeneration of thought, emotion and movement), Pick’s (disease of frontal and temporal lobes of the brain - personality)
psychotic disorder
hallucinations or delusions (erroneous beliefs)
schizophrenia
renamed by eugene bleuler from dementia praecox. excessive DA in the brain
positive symptoms - delusions - perceptual hallucinations - disorganized speech inc. neologisms - disorganized behavior negative symptoms - flat affect - restrictions in thought, speech, behavior
process schizophrenia (develops gradually) has a lower rate of recovery than reactive schizophrenia. a history of good social skills is more likely to recover
Fromm and Reichman coined “schizophrenogenic mother” - type of mother that causes children to be schizophrenic
5 types of schizophrenia
- paranoid - preoccupation with delusions or auditory hallucinations
- disorganized/hebephrenic - disorganized speech & behavior, flat affect
- catatonic - psychomotor disturbance (catalepsy), excessive motor activity, prominent posturing (gestures, mannerisms), echolalia, echopraxia
- undifferentiated
- residual
schizoaffective disorder
schizophrenic symptoms accompanying a depressive episode
delusional disorder
persistent delusions
- erotomanic
- grandiose
- jealousy
- persecutary
- somatic e.g. believing a part of the body is ugly or misshapen
shared psychotic disorder
two people having shared delusions
Depression
depression is more common in developed countries. depressive realism: depressed people tend to be more realistic about life
reactive depression has been liked to Martin Seligman’s learned helplessness
MDD: symptoms present nearly every day for at least 2 weeks. twice as common in females
dysthymic disorder: symptoms of MDD are present more days than not for more than two years but never an actual episode
Bipolar disorder
equally prevalent in males and females
Agoraphobia
fear of a situation in which escape would be difficult, e.g. outside the home/crowds
conversion disorder
Freud’s “hysteria”: psychological problems converted to bodily symptoms
dissociative disorders
(psychogenic disorders)
- amnesia (retrogade - before trauma, anterograde - after trauma)
- fugue: suddenly fleeing to a new location, forgetting true identity and/or establishing a new identity
- identity disorder (formerly multiple personality disorder)
sleep disorders
dyssomnias (sleep abnormalities)
parasomnias (abnormal behaviors during sleep)
nightmare: frequent disruption of sleep because of nightmares
sleep terror: frequent disruption of sleep because of screaming or crying
personality disorders
schizoid - detachment, small range of emotion
schizotypal - eccentric, distorted reality
antisocial - disregard for others, absence of guilt
histrionic - excess emotion, attention-seeking
avoidant - social inhibitions, hypersensitive, inadequacy
amphetamines and DA
amphetamines increase DA activity and produces schizophrenic-like paranoid symptoms
antipsychotics
neuroleptic drugs e.g. chlorpromazine reduce DA activity by blocking receptors. can cause Parkinson’s-like symptoms, and tardive dyskinesia (involuntary, repetitive movements of the tongue, jaw or extremities)
Parkinson’s and DA
caused by deficient DA. must boost DA through e.g. levodopa.
Down syndrome
most common cause of mental retardation. trisomy of chromosome 21. older women more likely to have a babe with Down syndrome
cretinism
different form of mental retardation caused by iodine deficiency
2 organic disorders caused by years of heavy drinking
Korsakoff’s: vitamin B deficiency - loss of memory and orientation. may make up confabulations to fill in memory gaps
Wernicke’s: thiamine deficiency - memory problems and eye dysfunctions
Phenylketonuria (PKU)
recessive, infant disease related to excess amino acids. inborn error of metabolism
Tay-Sachs disease
recessive, genetic deficiency of hexosaminidase A. symptoms resembling schizophrenia/dementia
Klinefelter’s syndrome
male with one Y and two X chromosomes
Thomas Szasz
saw the schizophrenic world as misunderstood/artistic. felt they should not be treated
David Rosenhan
effect of diagnostic labels on perception of behavior.
health psychology
biological, behavioral & social impacts on health and illness
- stress makes you more likely to get sick
- social support is associated with better health outcomes
multiaxial assessment (DSM)
clients assessed across 5 axes
- axis 1: clinical disorders
- 2: personality disorders
3. general medical conditions
4. psychosocial and envirommental problems
5. global assessment of functioning
APA (American Psychological Association)
founded in 1892 by Stanley Hall
community psychology
psychology taken to community via community centers or schools. emphasizes respect
