Final Review for Exam 1 Flashcards
Focus and purpose of abnormal psych
Describe, explain, predict, control problematic behaviors
General criteria for abnormal behavior
- Statistical infrequency
- Deviance from social norms
- Dysfunction (psychological disability)
- Distress (subjective distress)
- Dangerousness
Categories of abnormal psych
- Description and nature of abnormality
- Factors that cause or influence its occurrences
- Methods developed for treatment and their effectiveness
Prediction
Directly relayed to understanding causes or influences
Control
- treatment
- depends on hypothesized cause and what has been effective
- psychotherapies
- biological therapies
Symptoms
What characteristics are present that distinguish the disorder
Prevalence
Number or percentage of the population who have the disorder at a given time
Lifetime prevalence
Number or percentage of the population who has ever had the disorder
Incidence
How many new cases appear each year
Age of onset
The time period at which an individual experiences the first symptoms of a disease
Prognosis
Anticipated course of a disorder
Comorbidity
Presence of 2 or more disorders in the same person
Types of professionals that work in the field of abnormal psych
- clinical / counseling psychologist
- psychiatrist
- psychiatric social worker
Clinical / counseling psychologist - credentials / requirements
- Earn a bachelor’s degree (psychology or other related field)
- Earn a Master’s degree (not required but may be if bachelors is in an unrelated subject)
- Earn a doctorate degree (Ph.D. Or Psy.D.)
- Get pre-professional experience (typically a predoctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship, # of hours varies by state)
- Pass Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology
- Some states require jurisprudence test (covers state-specific laws and rules)
- Obtain board certification
Psychiatrist - credentials / requirements
- Complete undergraduate degree
- Medical school (typically 4 years)
- Residency (typically 4 years)
- Become board-certified
Psychiatric social worker - credentials / requirements
- Earn bachelors degree
- Earn Master’s degree in social work (MSW)
- Complete specified number of supervised clinical hours (typically between 2,000 - 4,000)
- Pass clinical licensing exam (administered by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB)
- Some states require a continuing education requirement (ongoing training and education to maintain licensure)
Main historical models for causes and treatment of psych disorders
- Supernatural models
- Biological models
- Psychological models
Supernatural model - causes
- action of God(s)
- spirits or demons
- movement of stars / planets
- witchcraft
Supernatural model - treatments
- exorcisms
- beatings / torture
- trephination
Biological model - causes
- brain pathology
- head trauma
- genetics
Biological model - treatments
- special diets
- rest
- abstinence from alcohol
- regular exercise
- celibacy
Hippocrates beliefs / acknowledgements
- Brain as seat of consciousness
- Postulated causes (brain pathology, head traume, genetics)
- Classified abnormal behavior patterns
- Four Humors theory
What is general paresis?
- Late-stage syphilis
- individuals experienced brain deterioration, similar to schizophrenia symptoms (delusions / hallucinations as disease progressed until death)
Importance of general paresis and Pasteur’s germ theory to the classification and treatment of psychological disorders
- provided concrete evidence for the biological cause of some mental illnesses
- encouraged development of medical treatments
- shifted classification of mental disorders (distinction between organic mental disorders [caused by physical factors] and functional disorders [believed to have no physical cause at the time])
Pasteur’s germ theory
Germs are the cause for many diseases
Historical progression of asylums
- Originally created to remove people w/ mental disorder for the general population (poor conditions)
- Asylum reform by Philippe Pinel and Jean-Baptiste Pussin (humane treatment, small staff / patient ratio)
- Mental hygiene movement w/ Dorothea Dix (universal humane therapy, psychological model)
- ^ led to downfall of moral therapy (little funding, big staff / patient ratio)
Impact of moral therapy and mental hygiene movement
- paved way for modern approach to mental disorders
- led to more humane treatment of asylum patients
- Dix is credited with making the most significant changes in treating those with mental disorder and changing public attitudes about these conditions in America - established 30+ hospitals
Emil Kraeplin
Outlined cause, course, and outcomes of various diseases
4 themes that led to contemporary perspectives of abnormal psych
- Biological discoveries (in brain)
- Development of a classification system
- Experimental psychological research
- Emergence of psychological causation viewpoint
Current perspectives on the causes and treatment of psychological disorders
- biological
- psychodynamic
- behavioral
- cognitive / cognitive-behavioral
- humanistic
- sociocultural
- biopsychosocial
Biological perspective - major hypothesized causes of psychological illness
- genetic vulnerabilities
- neurotransmitter or hormonal abnormalities
- brain dysfunction
Importance of shared vs. nonshared environments
- understanding how both common and unique environmental factors shape individual difference, behavior, personality, and mental health
- recognizing role of nonshared environments helps explain why individuals, even those raised in the same family, can have vastly different life outcomes
Behavioral genetics
The study of the degree to which genes and environment influence behavior
Gene-environment interaction
- genes can influence how sensitive a person is to certain environments
- environments can affect how genes are expressed or how they influence behavior or health outcomes
- help explain why individuals w/ similar genetic backgrounds (e.g., siblings / twins) have different responses to the same environment or why people with similar environmental exposures can develop different traits or disorders
Heritability
Extent to which the variability in a particular disorder can be accounted for by genetic factors
How do researchers estimate genetic contributions?
- hereditary predisposition
- family studies
- twin studies
- adoption studies
Structure of neurons
- cell body
- dendrites
- axon
- terminal buttons
Neurotransmitter production, release, destruction
- Production - neurotransmitters synthesized in neurons from precursor molecules
- Storage - stored in vesicles within axon terminal
- Release - when action potential reaches axon terminal, neurotransmitters release into synaptic cleft
- Receptor binding - neurotransmitters bind to receptors onto postsynaptic neuron, transmitting signal
- Destruction - neurotransmitters either taken back into pre synaptic neuron via reuptake or broken down by enzymes in the synaptic cleft
- Recycling - reuptaken neurotransmitters repackaged into vesicles for future uses
Serotonin - functions
- processing of info
- regulation of mood, behavior, thought processes
Norepinephrine - functions
regulation of arousal, mood, behavior, and sleep
Dopamine - functions
Influences novelty-seeking, sociability, pleasure, motivation, coordination, and motor movement
GABA - functions
Regulation of mood, especially anxiety, arousal, and behavior
Acetylcholine - function
Important in motor behavior, arousal, reward, attention, learning, and memory
Glutamate - function
Influences learning and memory
HPA Axis
Hypothalamus, pituitary, adrenal
HPA Axis - functions
- Stress response (releases cortisol)
- Energy regulation (helps mobilize energy reserves)
- Immune modulation (regulates immune responses to prevent excessive inflammation)
- Homeostasis maintenance - uses feedback loop to return system to equilibrium after stress response
Psychodynamic principles in essence (3 answers)
- Psychopathology results from unconscious conflicts
- Behavior is determined from intrapsychic forces
- Affected by early childhood experiences
Psychoanalytic theory - 4 major components
- Topographical model (depth of consciousness)
- Structure of personality
- Psychosexual development
- Defense mechanisms
Topographical model of consciousness
- Conscious
- Preconscious
- Unconscious
Structure of personality
- Id
- Ego
- Superego
Id
Deep, inaccessible portion of the personality that contains instinctual urges
Ego
The organized, rational component of the personality
Superego
A component of the personality representing the ideals and valued of society as conveyed by parents
Psychosexual stages
- Oral (birth - 1.5)
- Anal (1.5-3)
- Phallic (3-5)
- Latency (6 - early teens)
- Genital (12 - adulthood)
Oral stage - focus
Mouth is the main focus of satisfaction
Anal - focus
Attention becomes centered on defecation and urination
Phallic - focus
Sexual organs become the prime source of gratification
Latency - focus
Lack of overt sexual activity or interest
Genital - focus
Mature expression of sexuality
Defense mechanisms - components
- Ways of trying to reduce stress and anxiety
- Involve denial or distortion of reality
- Operate at an unconscious level
- Operate mechanically and involuntarily
5 defense mechanisms
- Repression
- Reaction formation
- Projection
- Displacement
- Sublimation
Types of psychodynamic psychotherapy
- insight therapy
- free association
- dream analysis
- transference
Insight therapy
Attempt to bring unconscious material to consciousness
Neo-Freudian contributions - Carl Jung
- Collective unconscious - all humans share a collective unconscious with universal archetypes
- Archetypes - identified key archetypes that shape human experiences and behaviors
- Introversion and extroversion - introduced personality types based on attitudes towards the external / internal word
- Individuate in - emphasized process of integrating different aspects of self to achieve personal development and wholeness
Neo-Freudian contributions - Alfred Adler
- Inferiority complex - individuals are motivated by feelings of inferiority
- Striving for superiority - people are driven by fundamental desire to overcome inferiority and achieve superiority
- Social interest - emphasized importance of social connection and community feeling in psych health
- Birth order - position in family (oldest, middle, youngest) influences personality and behavior
Behavioral perspective - principles
- We acquire behaviors through specific learning processes
- Focuses on effects of environmental stimuli on patterns of responding
- Abnormal behaviors occur because:
A. Failure to learn adaptive behaviors
B. Learning ineffective or maladaptive responses
Classical conditioning - before
- Unconditioned stimulus = unconditioned response
- Neutral stimulus = no response
Classical conditioning - during
Neutral stimulus + conditioned stimulus = unconditioned response
Classical conditioning - after
Conditioned stimulus = conditioned response
Classical conditioning - extinction
CR gradually decreases and eventually disappears when CS is repeatedly presented without US
Classical conditioning - spontaneous recovery
When a previously extinct CR reappears after a period of rest, even though the CS has not been paired with the US during the break
Operant conditioning
- Behavior followed by positive consequences is likely to be repeated
- Behavior followed by negative consequences is likely to be repeated