Glossary 3 Flashcards
Formerly called frigidity, the inability of a female to reach or maintain the lubrication-swelling stage of sexual excitement or to enjoy a subjective sense of pleasure or excitement during sexual activity
female sexual arousal disorder.
A sexual dysfunction characterised by a loss of sexual interest (urges, fantasies or desires) or lack of physiological or subjective arousal to sexual cues
female sexual interest/arousal disorder.
Retarded growth of the developing fetus and infant involving cranial, facial and limb anomalies as well as intellectual disabilities; caused by heavy consumption of alcohol by the mother during pregnancy
fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).
A paraphilic disorder that involves reliance on an inanimate object for sexual arousal.
fetishistic disorder.
A personality theory that isolates five major dimensions of personality: neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness
five-factor model.
In psychoanalytic theory, the arrest of psychosexual development at a particular stage through too much or too little gratification at that stage
fixation.
An unpredictable recurrence of experiences from an earlier drug high
flashback.
A symptom of mania that involves a rapid shift in conversation from one subject to another with only superficial associative connections
flight of ideas.
Malformation (or even breakage) of the X chromosome, associated with intellectual developmental disorder; symptoms include large, underdeveloped ears; a long, thin face; a broad nasal root; enlarged testicles in males, and, in many cases, attention deficits and hyperactivity
fragile x syndrome.
A key psychoanalytic procedure in which the analysand is encouraged to give free rein to his or her thoughts and feelings, verbalizing whatever comes into the mind without monitoring its content. The assumption is that over time, repressed material will come forth for examination by both analysand and psychoanalyst
free association.
The anterior portion of each cerebral hemisphere, in front of the central sulcus; active in reasoning and other higher mental processes.
frontal lobe.
Dementias that involve impairment of both cognitive and motor functions; include Huntington’s chorea, Parkinson’s disease, normal-pressure hydrocephalus, and vascular dementia.
frontal-subcortical dementias.
Dementia that begins typically in the mid to late 50s, characterised by deficits in executive functions such as planning, problem solving, and goal-directed behaviour as well as recognition and comprehension of emotions in others. Compare Alzheimer’s disease.
frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
A disorder in which the chief concern involves the sexually oriented touching of an unsuspecting person, typically in public places that provide an easy means of escape
frotteuristic disorder.
Subtype of dissociative amnesia disorder in which the person experiences total amnesia, moves and establishes a new identity.
fugue subtype.
Modification of magnetic resonance imaging (MR) that allows researchers to pictures of the brain so quickly that metabolic changes can be measured, resulting in a picture of the brain at work rather than of its structure alone.
functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
Inhibitory neurotransmitter that may be involved in the anxiety disorders.
gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA).
The ingrained sense a person has of being either a man or a woman
gender identity.
The smallest portion of DNA within a chromosome that functions as a piece of functional hereditary information
gene.
The switching on and off of the reading (transcription and translation) of genes into their products (usually proteins) and thus their associated phenotypes
gene expression.
The influence of genetics on an individuals sensitivity or reaction to an environmental event. Compare reciprocal gene-environment interaction.
gene-environment interaction.
Hans Selyes model to describe the biological reaction of an organism to sustained and unrelenting stress; the several stages culminate in death in extreme circumstances
general adaptation syndrome (GAS).
Infection of the central nervous system by the spirochete Treponema pallidum, which destroys brain tissue; marked by eye disturbances, tremors, and disordered speech as well as severe intellectual deterioration and psychotic symptoms
general paresis.
Disorder characterised by chronic, persistent anxiety and worry.
generalised anxiety disorder (GAD).
The approach to human behavior that focuses on both heritability of traits and complex interactions between genes and environment.
genetic paradigm.
In psychoanalytic theory, the final psychosexual stage, reached in adulthood, in which heterosexual interests predominate
genital stage.
A disorder in which the woman persistently experiences pain or vaginal muscle spasms when intercourse is attempted
genito-pelvic pain/penetration disorder.
Studies of variations in the entire human genome to identify associations between variations in genes and particular behaviours, traits, or disorders. Large sample sizes are needed for these types of studies
genome-wide association studies (GWAS).
An individuals unobservable, genetic constitution, that is, the totality of genes present in the cells of an individual; often applied to the genes contributing to a single trait. Compare phenotype
genotype.
Cells in the brain that are not neurons. They support and protect neurons.
glial cell.
Guanine nucleotide-binding proteins that serve to modulate activity within the postsynaptic cell, are implicated in mania and depression, and are possibly the intracellular target of lithium.
G-proteins.
Found in paranoid schizophrenia, delusional disorder, and mania, an exaggerated sense of ones importance, power, knowledge, or identity. See also delusions.
grandiose delusions.
The neural tissue - made up largely of nerve cell bodies - that constitutes the cortex covering the cerebral hemisphere, the nuclei in lower brain areas, columns of the spinal cord, and the ganglia of the autonomic nervous system. Compare white matter
gray matter.
Insanity plea in which a mentally ill person can be held morally and legally responsible for a crime but can then, in theory, be sent to a prison hospital or other suitable facility for psychiatric treatment rather than to a regular prison for punishment. In reality, however, people judged GBMI are usually put in the general prison population, where they may or may not receive treatment. Compare not guilty by reason of insanity.
guilty but mentally ill (GBMI).
Perceptions in any sensory modality with out relevant and adequate external stimuli.
hallucinations.
A drug or chemical, such as LSD, psilocybin, or mescaline, whose effects include hallucinations often called a psychedelic
hallucinogen.
Proposed definition of mental disorder that contains both a value judgment (harmful) a putatively objective scientific component (dysfunction)
harmful dysfunction.
The dried resin of the cannabis plant, stronger in its effects than the dried leaves and stems that constitute marijuana
hashish.
A branch of psychology dealing with the role of psychological factors in health and illness. See also behavioral medicine.
health psychology.
The extent to which variability in a particular behaviour/disorder within a population can be attributed to genetic factors
heritability.
An extremely addictive narcotic drug derived from morphine
heroin.
A research technique involving the intensive examination of people, such as the offspring of people with schizophrenia, who have a high probability of later developing a disorder
high-risk method.
In the subcortical region of the brain, the long, tubelike structure that stretches from the septal area into the temporal lobe.
hippocampus.
