Exam 4 Flashcards
characteristics of stress categories
physical, behavioral, emotional
stressors
circumstances that threaten our well-being External or internal (self-imposed)
phyisiological responses from stress
increased heart rate, sweaty, tense, body on edge
HPA axis
hypothalamus, pituitary gland, adrenal gland (results in release of stress hormones that boost physiological arousal level)
adaptive coping strategy
coping strategy that helps you and doesn’t harm you, beneficial in the long run for mental and physical health.
maladaptive coping strategy
coping strategy that doesn’t helps you and does harm you, not beneficial in the long run for mental and physical health.
coping strategy that helps you and doesn’t harm you, beneficial in the long run for mental and physical health.
adaptive coping strategy
coping strategy that doesnt helps you and does harm you, not beneficial in the long run for mental and physical health.
maladaptive coping strategy
learned helplessness
feeling like you can’t escape the negative situation so feeling helpless and like you can’t do anything. if adaptive coping strategie don’t work you can turn to this
stress level in relation to performance
stress level optimizes performance to a certain point, but if it exceeds that point it just makes it worse
stress level in relation to task difficulty
as task difficulty increases, so does stress level, lower “optimum stress” point with higher difficulty
3 levels of stress
positive
tolerable
toxic
toxic stress (chronic stress) who researched it?
prolonged activation of stress response systems in the absence of protective relationships. Robert Sapolsky
affects of chronic/toxic stress
constant physical and mental overdrive which leads to exhaustion. Disrupts neurogenesis (production of new neurons) Disrupts formation of connections between neurons, especially in hippocampus
3 characteristics of psychological “disorder”
Deviance: person’s behavior differs from social/cultural norms
Maladaptive behavior: interferes with everyday functioning
Personal distress: subjective pain and suffering
three categories of factors that contribute to disordres
biological
physiological
social/cultural
biological contributions to stress
genetic makeup, brain structure, genetic predisposition
psychological contributions to stress
stress responses, coping mechanisms
sociocultural contributions to stress
environment, trauma/abuse, cultural expectations
difference in gender gap for eating disorders
10 women to one man
anxiety symptoms
shaky, uneasy, sweaty, chills, rapid thoughts, fear, feeling detatched
generalized anxiety disorder
generalized: constant anxiety about everyday things, unreasonable
panic disorder
feelings of sudden terror that strike suddenly. chest pain, irregular heart beat, feelings of choking, “going crazy”
specific phobias
extreme unreasonable and irrational fears that interfere with everyday life
PTSD
can develop following a traumatic or terrifying event. frightening and lating thoughts and memories of the event, flashbacks
OCD
obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD): constant thoughts or fears that cause them to perform certain rituals or routines.
factors leading to anxiety (etiology)
brain chemistry: imbalance in GABA neurotransmitter, hyper-reactivity of HPA axis
genetics: moderate genetics predisposition (somewhat hereditary).
environment: trauma and stressful events, anxiety responses can be learned and maintained from conditioning.
characteristics of eating disorders
cam start at young age, often progresses from diets, eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness
characteristics of anorexia nervosa
very underweight, fear of gaining weight, extremely restricted eating, risks of starvation, heart damage, brain damage
characteristics of bulimia nervosa
varies, fear of gaining weight, cycle of binging and purging, often overexercise. risks of intestinal issues, dehydration, tooth/throat decay
characteristics of binge eating disorder
overweight, uncontrolled eating, past the point of discomfort, risk of obesity, heart disease.
etiology of eating disorders
biological factors: some genetic component, hormones that regulate fullness, low serotonin, when you have anorexia no dopamine release when eating
psychological factors: low self esteem, distorted body image, self-blame, perfectionism, comorbid anxiety or depression
social/cultural factors: unhealthy/unrealistic pressure and attitude about diet or appearance, media portrayal of perfect body, availability of food.
major depressive disorder characteristics
fatigue, sluggishness. insomnia or excessive sleep. slow thinking, difficulty concentrating, persistent gloominess (anhedonia), low self esteem, suicidal ideation and in 10% attempts
women are twice as likely
bipolar disorder characteristics
bipolar lows same as major depressive, manic (mania) hyperactivity, impulsive, very little sleep, flight of ideas, euphoria (or anger), inflated self esteem. equal men and women affected
etiology of mood disorders (unipolar and bipolar)
genetic: strong hereditary influence, low levels of serotonin
psychological: negative thinking style (interpreting life events pessimistically, persistent rumination)
social/cultural factors: poor social skills are associated (cause or consequence?)
characteristics of schizophrenia
positive: halliconations, delusions, disorganized thoughts, bizarre behaviors
negative: flat affect, reduced social interaction, anhedonia, avolition, alogia catatonia.
anhedonia (schizophrenia)
no feeling of enjoyment
no feeling of enjoyment (schizophrenia)
anhedonia
avolition (schizophrenia)
less motivation and initiative
less motivation and initiative (schizophrenia)
avolition
catatonia (schizophrenia)
moving less
moving less (schizophrenia)
catatonia
dopamine hypothesis (schizophrenia)
too much dopamine, unclear how this explains some symptoms
neurodevelopmental hypothesis (schizophrenia)
exposure to viruses and birth complications damage the brain, creating a biological predisposition
autism types (ASD)
high functioning: function well in daily life, high IQ, maybe extraordinary skills
autism: require support to function well, normal IQ or mild disability
severe autism: require support to function at all, low IQ, often nonverbal
autism characteristics
developmental differences, overstimulation, hypersensitivity, difficulty ignoring distractions
psychoanalysis (whose idea?)
freud
identify motives/conflicts that are unconsciously affecting you. emphasis on analyzing memories, dreams, and associations
client-centered therapy
supportive relationship, non directive, improve clients self-concept
systematic desensitization
exposure therapy
especially effective for phobias, client is confronted with incrementally more anxiety-producing situations
cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
blends behavior modification and cognitive therapies. address and change negative thinking styles and behavioral habits
antidepressants
increase serotonin (block re-uptake), better regulation of mood and sleep
anxiolytic tranquilizer
increase gaba, reduce physical effects of anxiety
antipsychotics
decrease dopamine, controls symptoms (best for positive symptoms)
