Exam 1 Flashcards
Name the 7 Indicators of Abnormality
1 - Subjective distress
2 - Dangerousness
3 - Social discomfort
4 - Irrationality & unpredictability
5 - Maladaptiveness
6 - Statistical deviancy
7 - Violation of Standards of Safety
Pros of Classification
Gives a standard nomenclature to work with across professionals. Helps with Insurance
Cons of Classification
Stigma, stereotyping, and/or labeling issues
Define Internal Validity
Think: Validity of the study. Internal Validity is the extent to which a study is methodologically sound.
Define External Validity
Think: Validity of the study. External Validity is the extent to which a study’s findings can be generalized (applied to many scenarios)
Define Positive Correlation
Two variables measure together in the same direction
Define Negative Correlation
Two variables measure in opposite directions
What is a longitudinal-designed study?
A study that follows a set group of people over time
What is an independents vs dependent variable? Think: sleep study to see how sleep affects test scores. Which is independent, which is dependent?
The independent variable is what you change or control. (Cause)
The dependent variable is what you measure to see if it changes due to your manipulation. (Effect)
Ex: Sleep study to see how sleep affects test scores. Hours of sleep = independent variable. Test scores = dependent variable.
Describe the Id, the Ego, and the Superego
Id: Primal instinct, basic wants and desires
Superego: Morality police upon the Id
Ego: The balancing force between the two extremes
What are Freud’s Psychosexual Stages of Development?
1 - Oral Stage (Birth - 2)
2 - Anal Stage (2 - 3)
3 - Phallic Stage (3 - 5/6)
4 - Latency Period (6 - 12)
5 - Genital Stage (12/13 - Onward)
Middle Ages: Mental health treatment trends
1 - Middle Eastern countries maintained scientific aspects, established mental hospital in Baghdad
2 - Europe was devoid of scientific thinking and humane treatment. Asylums were prominent. Treated patients cruelly, like a novelty “freak” show. Often performed exorcisms.
Who was Quaker William Tuke
Helped pass law that asylums had to be inspected regularly to ensure proper diet, no use of restraints (Lunacy Inquiry Act)
Define Catharsis
A significant emotional release
Define Etiology
The factors that are related to the causes of a disorder
Define the diathesis-stress model
Diathesis = predisposition. This model explains that both the predisposition AND a stressor (external/environmental) need to be present for a disorder to manifest
What’s Franz Anton Mesmer famous for?
Mesmer said that mental disorders came from planets and “animal magnetism”. But was discredited when people realized he was using hypnotism
Factors that increase resilience to stress
1 - Being male, white, older, more educated, and wealthy
2 - A “good enough” parent
3 - Temperment
Define Allostatic Load
Cumulative wear and tear due to chronic stress
What makes one stressor more serious than another? (Know a few)
1 - severity
2 - how chronic
3 - timing
4 - impact
5 - how expected/unexpected
6 - how controllable
What are the main interventions for stress-related disorders?
1 - Biological: blood pressure meds, medical procedure
2 - Psychological: yoga, mindfulness/meditation, journaling, CBT, learning to regulate emotions
What does someone with BDD tend to focus on?
They obsess over various physical traits that they consider to be deeply flawed, though others will either not notice these “flaws” at all or they will only be minimally observable
- Ex: skin, stomach, breasts, hips, legs, genitals, body build, balding
What is Somatic Symptom Disorder
CT is experiencing symptoms, but the worry and obsession over the symptoms becomes a disorder in and of itself. Disproportionate and consuming thoughts and behaviors associated with worry over somatic symptoms
What is the difference between Factitious Disorder and Malingering?
- Factitious Disorder: Knowingly falsifying an illness or symptoms to adopt the role of the sick or caretaker (if by proxy) and receive attention or sympathy
- Malingering: Knowingly falsifying an illness or symptoms for external gain such as avoiding work or prison, or for insurance money etc
Genotype
Genetic predisposition that can contribute to a vulnerability (diathesis) to develop a disorder
Phenotype
Observable features or characteristics from both genotype (inherited genetic material) or environment
Methods for studying genetic influences (3)
1 - Family history method: observing relatives who have or are carriers of the disorder. (Limitation: people who are closely related tend to have similar environments)
2 - Twin method: Study identical and fraternal twins, determine environmental vs genetic correlation. (Ideally study identical twins who were raised in different environments, but super rare.)
3 - Adoption method: Compare biological family and adoptive environment
Neurotransmitters related to psychopathology (5)
1 - Norepinephrine
2 - Dopamine
3 - Seratonin
4 - Glutamate
5 - GABA
Ego Defense Mechanisms
(DFP4RS)
1 - Displacement (boss → husband)
2 - Fixation (unmarried man depending on his mom)
3 - Projection (cheater accusing spouse of cheating)
4 - Rationalization (using pseudoscience to justify racism)
5 - Reaction formation (internalized homophobia… zealous anti-LGBT campaign)
6 - Regression (acting younger than you are)
7 - Repression (unaware of murderous impulses)
8 - Sublimation (sexual frustration → erotic art)
Who is at more risk for heart disease and heart attacks?
People under chronic stress and inflammation
What does Norepinephrine manage and what disorders is it related to?
manages: attention, arousal, fight flight, mood, sleep
related to: depression, anxiety, stress related
What does Dopamine manage, and what disorders is it related to?
manages: reward, pleasure, attention, motor
related to: schizophrenia, substance use dis, bipolar, parkinsons
What does Seratonin manage and what disorders does it relate to?
manages: regulates mood, appetite, sleep, emo processing
related to: depression, anxiety disorders, OCD, eating disorders
What does Glutamate manage and what disorders does it relate to?
manages: main excitatory neurotransmitter, learning, memory, and brain
related to: schizophrenia, depression, neurodegen
What does GABA manage and what disorders does it relate to?
manages: inhibitory, neural activity, calming
related to: anxiety, sleep, epilepsy
Hoarding (key points)
1 - More neurologically different than OCD
2 - More impaired socially / psychologically than OCD
Nature vs Nurture 5 Misconceptions (Twin Studies)
1 - Genetics make environment irrelevent (False: Height can be impacted by diet)
2 - Genes provide a limit to potential (False: Environment can change potential)
3 - Genetic strategies don’t help with the study of environmental influences (False: Twin studies)
4 - Genetic effects diminish with age. (False: Huntington’s Disease, etc, genes impact on psych increases with age)
5 - Disorders that run in families must be genetic and those that don’t have family hx aren’t genetic like ASD. (False: Turners / genetic vs hereditary)
DID — What is it? Causes, traits, and comorbidity
Dissociative Identity Disorder is when the personality “splits” from the host identity into alternate identities. Common in cases of severe sexual or physical abuse.
Comorbidity: PTSD
PTSD — What is it?
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.
A - Exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence in 1+ ways
B - 1+ intrusive symptoms associated with the traumatic event(s), beginning after the trauma
C - Persistent avoidance of associated stimuli, beginning after the trauma
D - 2+ negative alterations in cognitions & mood associated w/ trauma
E - 2+ examples of marked alterations in arousal & reactivity associated w/ trauma
F - Longer than 1 month
Treatment for Phobias?
Exposure Therapy + CBT. Using a fear hierarchy
Dissociative Amnesia vs Dissociative Fugue
DA = Retroactive memory loss. Outside the normal realm of “forgetting”.
DF = Complete flight from the physical and psychological setting
Phobia — What is it?
It’s a fear about a specific object or situation
Dx criteria for Anxiety Disorders (Separation, Specific Phobia, Social Anxiety, Panic Disorders, Agoraphobia, GAD)
1 - Separation Ax - Usually young, inappropriate for age
2 - Specific Phobia - Object or situation always provokes immediate fear / ax, out of proportion of event
3 - Social Ax - “They’re judging me”, preoccupation with judgment from others, prohibits activities to avoid judgment and embarrassment
4 - Panic Disorders - recurring unexpected panic attacks, worry about future attacks, fear of body sensations
5 - Agoraphobia - “I’m trapped”, avoid people/places
6 - GAD - Worry over worrying — and everything else
