Glossary 2 Flashcards
A legal decision as to whether person can participate meaningfully in his or her own defense
competency to stand trial.
The irresistible impulse to repeat an irrational act or thought over and over again. Compare obsession.
compulsion.
As applied in behavior genetics, the similarity in psychiatric diagnosis or in other traits within a pair of twins
concordance.
Pattern of extreme disobedience in youngsters, including theft, vandalism, lying, and early drug use
conduct disorder.
A principle observed by lawyers, doctors, pastors, psychologists, and psychiatrists which dictates that the contents of a professional and private relationship not be divulged to anyone else. See also privileged communication.
confidentiality
The extent to which scores or ratings on an assessment instrument relate to other variables or behaviors according to some theory or hypothesis.
construct validity.
Pleasure experienced in-the-moment or in the presence of a pleasurable stimulus. See also anticipatory pleasure
consummatory pleasure.
Those for whom the active condition of the independent variable is not administered, thus forming a baseline against which the effects of the active condition of the independent variable can be evaluated
control group.
A pattern of alcohol consumption that is moderate, avoiding the extremes of total abstinence and of inebriation
controlled drinking.
A disorder in which sensory or motor function is impaired, even though there is no detectable neurological explanation for the deficits.
conversion disorder.
Refers to variation in gene structure involving copy number changes in a defined chromosomal region; could be in the form of a deletion where a copy is deleted or an addition (duplication) where an extra copy is added
copy number variation (CNV).
The large band of nerve fibers connecting the two cerebral hemispheres
corpus callosum.
The tendency for two variables, such as height and weight, to covary.
correlation.
A statistic ranging in value from -1.00 to +1.00 that measures the degree to which two variables are related. The sign indicates whether the relationship is positive or negative, and the magnitude indicates the strength of the relationship
correlation coefficient.
The research strategy used to establish whether two or more variables are related without manipulating the independent variable. Relationships may be positive - as values for one variable increase those for the other do also - or negative - as values for one variable increase, those for the other decrease. Compare experiment.
correlational method.
A “stress hormone” secreted by the adrenal cortices; helps the body prepare to face threats
cortisol.
A doctoral-level mental health professional whose training is similar to that of a clinical psychologist, though usually with less emphasis on research and serious psychopathology.
counselling psychologist.
A rock-crystal form of cocaine that is heated, melted, and smoked; more often used in poorer urban areas than conventional cocaine.
crack.
A procedure whereby a person is confined in a mental hospital either for determination of competency to stand trial or after acquittal by reason of insanity. Compare civil commitment.
criminal commitment.
Acting on the same neurotransmitter receptors, as methadone does with heroin.
cross-dependent.
Research method that studies offspring who were adopted and reared completely apart from their biological parents, where the adoptive parent has a particular disorder but the biological parent does not thereby introducing the influence of being raised by disordered parents.
cross-fostering.
Studies in which different age groups are compared at the same time. Compare longitudinal design.
cross-sectional design.
Refers to computerized axial tomography, a method of diagnosis in which X-rays are taken from different angles and then analyzed by computer to produce a representation of the part of the body in Cross section
CT or CAT scan.
The capacity of a therapist to understand the patient’s cultural framework and its implications for therapeutic work.
cultural competence.
An endocrine disorder usually affecting young women, produced by oversecretion of cortisone and marked by mood swings, irritability, agitation, and physical disfigurement
Cushing’s syndrome.
A form of bipolar disorder characterised by swings between elation and depression over at least a 2-year period, but with moods not so severe as manic or major depressive episodes.
cyclothymic disorder.
Immune system molecules, released by activated macrophages, which help initiate such bodily responses to infection as fatigue, fever, and activation of the HPA axis
cytokines.
A medication that enhances learning which has been found to enhance the effects of exposure therapy for several of the anxiety disorders.
D-cycloserine (DCS).
In psychoanalytic theory, reality-distorting strategies unconsciously adopted to protect the ego from anxiety.
defence mechanisms.
A disorder in men involving delay in reaching orgasm or inability to reach orgasm.
delayed ejaculation.
A state of great mental confusion in which consciousness is clouded, attention cannot be sustained, and the stream of thought and speech is incoherent. The person is probably disoriented, emotionally erratic, restless or lethargic, and often has illusions, delusions and hallucinations.
delirium.
One of the withdrawal symptoms that sometimes occurs when a period of heavy alcohol consumption is terminated, marked by fever, sweating, trembling, cognitive impairment, and hallucinations
delirium tremens (DTs).
A disorder in which the individual has persistent delusions and is very often contentious but has no disorganized thinking or hallucinations.
delusional disorder.
Beliefs contrary to reality, firmly held in spite of evidence to the contrary and common in paranoid disorders: of control, belief that one is being manipulated by some external force such as radar, television, or a creature from outer space; of grandeur, belief that one is an especially important or powerful person; of persecution, belief that one is being plotted against or oppressed by others.
delusions.
An older term for schizophrenia, believed then to be an incurable and progressive deterioration of mental functioning beginning in adolescence.
dementia praecox.
Deterioration of mental faculties - memory, judgment, abstract thought, control of impulses, intellectual ability - that impairs social and occupational functioning and eventually changes the personality. See Alzheimer’s disease.
dementia.
Form of dementia that often co-occurs with Parkinson’s disease; characterised by shuffling gait, memory loss, and hallucinations and delusions
dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB).
The doctrine that a persons abnormal behaviour is caused by an autonomous evil spirit
demonology.
A personality disorder in which people are overly concerned about maintaining relationships. People with this disorder often allow others to make decisions for them and are reticent to make demands that could challenge relationships.
dependent personality disorder.
In a psychological experiment, the behaviour that is measured and is expected to change with manipulation of the independent variable
dependent variable.
An alteration in perception of the self in which the individual loses a sense of reality and feels estranged from the self and perhaps separated from the body, may be a temporary reaction to stress and fatigue or part of panic disorder, depersonalisation disorder, or schizophrenia
depersonalisation.
A dissociative disorder in which the individual feels unreal and estranged from the self and surroundings enough to disrupt functioning. People with this disorder may feel that their extremities have changed in size or that they are watching themselves from a distance.
depersonalisation/derealisation disorder.
Loss of the sense that the surroundings are real; present in several psychological disorders such as panic disorder, depersonalisation disorder, and schizophrenia
derealisation.
The first stage of the sexual response cycle, characterised by sexual interest or desire, often associated with sexually arousing fantasies.
desire phase.
The initial stage in weaning an addicted person from a drug; involves medical supervision of the sometimes painful withdrawal.
detoxification.
