Final Exam Flashcards
What is abnormal behavior?
behavior that is deviant, maladaptive, or personally distressful over a relatively long period of time
What is maladaptive behavior?
interferes with one’s ability to function effectively in the world; behavior that presents a danger to the person or those around him or her is also considered maladaptive
What is the psychological approach?
it emphasizes the contributions of experiences, thoughts, emotions, and personality characteristics in explaining psychological disorders
What types of characteristics are taken into consideration when using the sociocultural approach?
this approach emphasizes the social contexts in which a person lives, including gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, family relationships, and culture
What are the main controversies surrounding DMS-5?
Central criticism is that it treats psychological disorders as if they are mental illnesses, taking an overly biological view of disorders that may have their roots in social experience; other concerns: stigma (shame, neg. rep), medterm implies internal cause, focuses on weakness and ignores strength, promotes over-diagnoses
What feelings or emotions are associated with anxiety disorders?
anxiety disorders involve fears that are uncontrollable, disproportionate to the actual danger the person might be in, and disruptive of ordinary life; they feature motor tension, hyperactivity, and apprehensive expectations and thoughts
What are the characteristics of panic disorder?
recurrent panic attacks, the onset of which are unpredictable and manifested by intense apprehension, fear, or terror, often associated with feelings of impending doom accompanied by intense physical discomfort; symptoms include: accelerated heart rate, sweating, trembling, or shaking
What disorders fall under the category of anxiety disorders?
phobic disorders, panic disorders, and generalized anxiety disorder
What are the effects of PTSD?
flashbacks, avoidance of emotional experiences, emotional numbness, excessive arousal, startle, difficulties with memory and concentration, and impulsive outbursts
What is the leading cause of disability in the US?
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)
What brain structures are involved in depression? Are these structures less or more active?
prefrontal cortex- less activity in section that is involved in generating actions and in regions of brain associated with the perception of rewards in the environment
What is learned helplessness?
tendency for some depressed persons to perpetuate depression by blaming themselves for negative events
How many people who commit suicide are thought to have a diagnosable mental disorder?
about 90%
In people suffering from anorexia nervosa, what is their weight when compared to normal people?
weight less than 85% of what is considered normal of age and height
What is the main feature of dissociative disorders?
sudden loss of memory or change in identity
What is the least common dissociative disorder?
Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)
What are the positive symptoms of schizophrenia?
hallucinations, delusions, thought disorders, and disorders of movement
What are hallucinations?
sensory experiences that occur in the absences of real stimuli
What type of disorders are benzodiazepines use to treat? What are some examples of them?
benzodiazepines are used to treat anxiety disorders and some examples include Xanax, Valium, and Librium.
What are Tricylics and what disorder are the used to treat?
they are antidepressant drugs typically used to reduce the symptoms of depression or other mood disorders
What have studies shown about the use of antidepressants in children?
in some children, antidepressants may trigger anxiety, agitation, hostility, restlessness or impulsive behavior; may result in worsened depression and possibly suicidal thoughts
What is electroconvulsive therapy used to treat?
major depressive disorder which has not responded to other treatments
What is the focus of psychodynamic therapy?
focuses on the importance of the unconscious mind, extensive interpretation by the therapist, and the role of early childhood experiences in the development of an individual’s problems
What is transference? Be able to recognize an example.
psychoanalytic term for the client’s relating to the analyst in ways that reproduce or relive important relationships in the client’s life; ex. client might interact with analyst as if the analyst were a parent or lover
What are the characteristics of client-centered therapy?
non directive self-exploration; warm, supportive atmosphere: active listening and reflective speech, unconditional positive regard, and empathy and genuineness
What is the primary premise of the humanistic approach?
this approach emphasizes conscious thought, in the present, self healing, and self fulfillment; goals: self understanding and personal growth
What is the goal of behavior therapy?
reduce or eliminate maladaptive behaviors
What is cognitive therapy?
treatments emphasizing that cognitions (thoughts) are the main source of psychological problems; therapies that attempt to change the individual’s feelings and behaviors by changing cognition
What is the focus of Beck’s cognitive therapy?
Beck’s method stresses that the goal of therapy should be to help people recognize and eliminate illogical and self-defeating thinking
What are the advantages of group therapy?
information, universality, altruism, experience of a positive family group, development of social skills, and interpersonal learning
What techniques are used in family therapy?
validation, reframing, structural change, and detriangulation
What are some examples of self-help groups?
AA, NA
What does research say about the effectiveness of psychotherapy?
it is effective
What occurs for therapy to be considered effective?
the client has to make it effective
What is the most important factor in the outcome of therapy?
the client
What is the belief of health psychology?
lifestyle choices, behaviors, and psychological characteristics can play important roles in health
What is the difference between theory of reasoned action and theory of planned action?
both theories suggest that effective change requires individuals to have specific intentions about their behaviors, as well are positive attitudes about new behavior and perceive their social group looks positively as well, but the theory of planned action adds the person’s perceptions of control over the outcome
Which state of change is consciousness raising associated with?
pre contemplation
What is the order of the stages of change model?
pre contemplation, contemplation, preparation/determination, action/willpower, maintenance
What is associated with each stage in the stages of change model?
precont: not even ready to think about changing
cont: know they have a problem, not ready to change
prep/determination: preparing to take action
action/willpower: commit to change and enact plan
maintenance: successful over time
What is the strongest predictor of making successful life changes?
motivation
What have studies shown about the benefits of religious participation?
belief in the enduring meaningfulness of one’s life can help one keep perspective and see life’s hassles in the context of the big picture; religious participation linked to a longer and healthier life
What is associated with an internal locus of control?
a sense of personal control, or taking the right steps toward a long, healthy lifestyle
What is self-efficacy and what concept is it linked to?
it is an individual’s belief that he or she can master a situation and produce positive outcomes; it’s related to success in a wide variety of positive life changes and is linked to the concept of personality characteristics
What does Seligman say about optimists and pessimists?
optimists identify the causes of bad events as external, unstable, and specific, whereas pessimists identify them as internal, stable, and global
What is the general adaptive syndrome used to describe?
general adaptive syndrome (GAS) is a term used to describe the common effects of stressful demands on the body
What are the stages of the general adaptation syndrome?
alarm, resistance, and exhaustion
What is primary appraisal?
individuals interpret whether an event involves harm of loss that has already occurred, a threat of some future danger, or a challenge to be overcome
What is secondary appraisal?
individuals evaluate their resources and determine how effectively they can be marshaled to cope with the event
What is emotion-focused coping and how does it reduce stress?
the coping strategy that involves responding to the stress that one is feeling—trying to manage one’s emotional reaction—rather than focusing on the root problem itself
What is problem-focused coping and how does it reduce stress?
coping strategy of squarely facing one’s troubles and trying to solve them
What are the rates of teen pregnancy in the US when compared to other countries?
higher rates in the US than in other countries
