Glossary 4

Question 1

An amphetamine derivative whose abuse skyrocketed in the 1990s

Answer 1

methamphetamine.

Question 2

Recent adaptation of cognitive therapy/restructuring that focuses on relapse prevention after successful treatment for recurrent episodes of major depression; aims to “decenter” the person’s perspective in order to break the cycle between sadness and thinking patterns

Answer 2

mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT).

Question 3

A lengthy personality inventory that identifies individuals with states such as anxiety, depression, masculinity-femininity, and paranoia, through their true-false replies to groups of statements

Answer 3

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI).

Question 4

An 1843 British court decision stating that an insanity defense can be established by proving that the defendant did not know what he or she was doing or did not realise that it was wrong

Answer 4

M’Naghten rule.

Question 5

Learning by observing and imitating the behaviour of others or teaching by demonstrating and providing opportunities for imitation

Answer 5

modelling.

Question 6

Studies that seek to determine the components of a trait that are heritable by identifying relevant genes and their functions

Answer 6

molecular genetics.

Question 7

A group of antidepressant drugs that prevent the enzyme monoamine oxidase from deactivating catecholamines and indolamines.

Answer 7

monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOLs)

Question 8

Genetically identical twins who have developed from a single fertilised egg Compare dizygotic twins

Answer 8

monozygotic (MZ) twins.

Question 9

Disorders, such as depressive disorders or mania, in which there are disabling disturbance in emotion.

Answer 9

mood disorders.

Question 10

A therapeutic regimen, introduced by Philippe Pinel during the French Revolution, whereby mentally ill patients were released from their restraints and were treated with compassion and dignity rather than with contempt and denigration

Answer 10

moral treatment.

Question 11

An addictive narcotic alkaloid extracted from opium, used primarily as an analgesic and as a sedative.

Answer 11

morphine.

Question 12

A learning disorder characterised by marked impairment in the development of motor coordination that is not accounted for by a physical disorder such as cerebral palsy.

Answer 12

motor disorder.

Question 13

Mowrer’s theory of avoidance learning according to which (1) fear is attached to a neutral stimulus by pairing it with a noxious unconditioned stimulus, and (2) a person learns to escape the fear elicited by the conditioned stimulus, thereby avoiding the unconditioned stimulus

Answer 13

Mowrer’s two-factor model.

Question 14

Classification having several dimensions, all of which are employed in categorising: DSM-IV-TR is an example.

Answer 14

multiaxial classification system.

Question 15

Treatment for serious juvenile offenders that involves delivering intensive and comprehensive therapy services in the community, targeting the adolescent, the family, the school, and, in some cases, the peer group, in ecologically valid settings and using varied techniques

Answer 15

multisystemic treatment (MST).

Question 16

Personality disorder defined by extreme selfishness and self-centeredness; a grandiose view of one’s uniqueness, achievements and talents; an insatiable craving for admiration and approval from others; willingness to exploit others to achieve goals; and expectation of much more from others than one is willing to give in return.

Answer 16

narcissistic personality disorder.

Question 17

The strengthening of a tendency to exhibit desired behavior by rewarding responses in that situation with the removal of an aversive stimulus.

Answer 17

negative reinforcement.

Question 18

Behavioural deficits in schizophrenia, which include flat affect, anhedonia, asociality, alogia, and avolition. Compare positive symptoms

Answer 18

negative symptoms.

Question 19

In Beck’s theory of depression, a persons negative views of the self, the world, and the future, in a reciprocal causal relationship with pessimistic assumptions (schemas) and cognitive biases such as selective abstraction

Answer 19

negative triad.

Question 20

A wave of depolarization that propagates along the neuron and causes the release of neurotransmitter; action potential

Answer 20

nerve impulse.

Question 21

Abnormal protein filaments present in the cell bodies of brain cells in patients with Alzheimer’s disease

Answer 21

neurofibrillary tangles.

Question 22

A physician who specialises in medical diseases that affect the nervous system, such as muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, or Alzheimers disease.

Answer 22

neurologist.

Question 23

A single nerve cell

Answer 23

neuron.

Question 24

Psychological tests, such as the Luria-Nebraska, that can detect impairment in different parts of the brain.

Answer 24

neuropsychological tests.

Question 25

A psychologist who studies how brain dysfunction affects cognition, emotion, and behaviour.

Answer 25

neuropsychologist.

Question 26

A broad theoretical view that holds that mental disorders are caused in part by some aberrant process directed by the brain

Answer 26

neuroscience paradigm.

Question 27

The tendency to react to events with greater-than-average negative affect; a strong predictor of onset of anxiety disorders and depression.

Answer 27

neuroticism.

Question 28

Chemical substances important in transferring a nerve impulse from one neuron to another, for example, serotonin and norepinephrine

Answer 28

neurotransmitters.

Question 29

The principal alkaloid of tobacco (an addicting agent)

Answer 29

nicotine.

Question 30

A gas that, when inhaled, produces euphoria and sometimes giddiness

Answer 30

nitrous oxide.

Question 31

Factors distinct among family members, such as relationships with friends or specific experiences unique to a person. Compare shared environment.

Answer 31

nonshared environment.

Question 32

Behaviours that are meant to cause immediate bodily harm but are not intended to cause death.

Answer 32

nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI).

Question 33

A catecholamine neurotransmitter of the central nervous system, disturbances in the tracts of which apparently figure in depression and mania. It is also a sympathetic nervous system neurotransmitter, a hormone released in addition to epinephrine and similar in action, and a strong vasoconstrictor

Answer 33

norepinephrine.

Question 34

Insanity plea that specifies an individual is not to be held legally responsible for the crime because the person had a mental illness at the time of the crime. Different states and federal law have different standards for defining mental illness and what must be demonstrated by the defense. In most cases, the defense must show that because of the mental illness, the accused person could not conform his or her behaviour to the law and did not know right from wrong when the crime was committed. Compare guilty but mentally ill.

Answer 34

not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI).

Question 35

Currently defined as exhibiting a body mass index (BMI) of greater than 30.

Answer 35

obese.

Question 36

Variant of psychoanalytic theory that focuses on the way children internalise (introject) images of the people who are important to them (e.g., their parents), such that these internalised images (object representations) become part of the ego and influence how the person reacts to the world.

Answer 36

object relations theory.

Question 37

An intrusive and recurring thought that seems irrational and uncontrollable to the person experiencing it. Compare compulsion

Answer 37

obsession.

Question 38

An anxiety disorder in which the mind is flooded with persistent and uncontrollable thoughts or the individual is compelled to repeat certain acts again and again, causing significant distress and interference with everyday functioning.

Answer 38

obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Question 39

Personality disorder defined by inordinate difficulty making decisions, hyperconcern with details and efficiency, and poor relations with others due to demands that things be done just so, as well as the person's unduly conventional serious, formal, and stingy emotions.

Answer 39

obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.

Question 40

The posterior portion of each cerebral hemisphere, situated behind the parietal lobe and above the temporal lobes; responsible for reception and analysis of visual information and for some visual memory.

Answer 40

occipital lobe.

Question 41

The acquisition or elimination of a response as a function of the environmental contingencies of reinforcement and punishment. Compare classical conditioning

Answer 41

operant conditioning.

Question 42

A group of addictive sedatives that in moderate doses relieve pain and induce sleep.

Answer 42

opiates.

Question 43

One of the opiates, the dried, milky juice obtained from the immature fruit of the opium poppy; an addictive narcotic that produces euphoria and drowsiness while reducing pain

Answer 43

opium.

Question 44

An externalising disorder of children marked by high levels of disobedience to authority but lacking the extremes of conduct disorder

Answer 44

oppositional defiant disorder.

Question 45

In psychoanalytic theory, the first psychosexual stage, which extends into the second year; during it the mouth is the principal erogenous zone

Answer 45

oral stage.

Question 46

The portion of the frontal lobe located just above the eyes; one of three closely related brain regions that are unusually active in individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Answer 46

orbitofrontal cortex.

Question 47

The third stage of the sexual response cycle, characterized by a peak of sexual pleasure, generally including ejaculation in men and contraction of the outer vaginal walls in women.

Answer 47

orgasm phase.

Question 48

Research on the efficacy of psychotherapy.

Answer 48

outcome research.

Question 49

A form of civil commitment consistent with the principle of least restrictive alternative, whereby the person is not hospitalised but rather is allowed to remain free in the community under legal/medical constraints that ensure, for example, that prescribed medication is taken and other measures are observed.

Answer 49

outpatient commitment.

Question 50

An opiate combined with other drugs to produce prescription pain medications, including the commonly abused drug OxyContin. See also hydrocodone.

Answer 50

oxycodone.

Question 51

A somatoform disorder in which the person complains of severe and prolonged pain that is not fully explainable by organic pathology and is thus assumed to be caused or intensified by psychological factors.

Answer 51

pain disorder.

Question 52

A sudden attack of intense apprehension, terror, and impending doom, accompanied by symptoms such as labored breathing, nausea, chest pain, feelings of choking and smothering, heart palpitations, dizziness, sweating, and trembling.

Answer 52

panic attack.

Question 53

A cognitive behaviour treatment, based on the tendency of individuals with panic disorder to overreact to bodily stimuli, in which sensations are induced physically and coped with under safe conditions.

Answer 53

panic control therapy (PCT).

Question 54

An anxiety disorder in which the individual has sudden, inexplicable, and frequent panic attacks, in DSM-IV-TR, diagnosed as with or without agoraphobia. See also panic attack.

Answer 54

panic disorder.

Question 55

A set of basic assumptions that outlines the universe of scientific inquiry, specifying both the concepts regarded as legitimate and the methods to be used in collecting and interpreting data

Answer 55

paradigm.

Question 56

The general term for delusions of persecution, of grandiosity, or both; found in several pathological conditions, delusional disorders, paranoid schizophrenia, and paranoid personality disorder but can also be produced by large doses of certain drugs, such as cocaine or alcohol

Answer 56

paranoia.

Question 57

A personality disorder defined by expectation of mistreatment at the hands of others, suspicion, secretiveness, jealousy, argumentativeness, unwillingness to accept blame, and cold and unemotional affect

Answer 57

paranoid personality disorder.

Question 58

Sexual attraction to unusual objects or unusual sexual activities that leads to social difficulties or distress.

Answer 58

paraphilic disorder.

Question 59

The division of the autonomic nervous system that is involved with maintenance; controls many of the internal organs and is active primarily when the organism is not aroused. Compare sympathetic nervous system.

Answer 59

parasympathetic nervous system.

Question 60

Behavioural program in which parents are taught to modify their responses to their children so that prosocial rather than antisocial behavior is consistently rewarded

Answer 60

parent management training (PMT)

Question 61

The middle division of each cerebral hemisphere, situated behind the central sulcus and above the lateral sulcus; the receiving center for sensations of the skin and of bodily positions

Answer 61

parietal lobe.

Question 62

Phencyclidine, also known by street names such as angel dust, PeaCE Pill, and zombie; this very powerful and hazardous drug causes profound disorientation, agitated and often violent behaviour, and even seizures coma, and death.

Answer 62

PCP

Question 63

A paraphilia defined by a marked preference for obtaining sexual gratification through contact with people defined legally as underage

Answer 63

pedophilia.

Question 64

A device for detecting blood flow and thus for recording changes in the size of the penis

Answer 64

penile plethysmograph.

Question 65

A DSM-5 disorder defined by depressive symptoms that last for at least two years

Answer 65

persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia).

Question 66

Onset during pregnancy or within 4 weeks postpartum, characterising a subtype of episodes of major depressive disorder or mania.

Answer 66

peripartum onset.

Question 67

A group of disorders involving long-standing, inflexible, and maladaptive personality traits that impair social and occupational functioning.

Answer 67

personality disorder.

Question 68

A self-report questionnaire comprised of statements assessing habitual behavioural and affective tendencies

Answer 68

personality inventory.

Question 69

Five personality dimensions included in the appendix of DSM-5 to help supplement diagnoses of personality disorders: negative affectivity, detachment, antagonism, disinhibition, and psychoticism.

Answer 69

personality trait domains.

Question 70

Twenty-five specific personality dimensions included in the appendix to provide greater detail on the personality trait domains

Answer 70

personality trait facets.

Question 71

Computer-generated picture of the living brain, created by analysis of emissions from radioactive isotopes injected into the bloodstream.

Answer 71

PET scan.

Question 72

In psychoanalytic theory, the third psycho- sexual stage, extending from ages 3 to 5 or 6, during which maximal gratification is obtained from genital stimulation.

Answer 72

phallic stage.

Question 73

The totality of physical characteristics and behavioural traits of an individual or a particular trait exhibited by an individual; the product of interactions between genetics and the environment over the course of development. Compare genotype

Answer 73

phenotype.

Question 74

A genetic deficiency in a liver enzyme, phenylalanine hydroxylase, that causes severe intellectual developmental disorder unless phenylalanine can be largely restricted from the diet

Answer 74

phenylketonuria (PKU).

Question 75

An anxiety disorder in which there is intense fear and avoidance of specific objects and situations, recognized as irrational by the individual

Answer 75

phobia.

Question 76

DSM-IV-TR communication disorder in childhood in which some words sound like baby talk because the person is not able to make certain speech sounds. Renamed speech sounds disorder in DSM-5

Answer 76

phonological disorder.

Question 77

Any inactive therapy or chemical agent, or any attribute or component of such a therapy or chemical, that affects a persons behaviour for reasons related to his or her expectation of change

Answer 77

placebo.

Question 78

The action of a drug or psychological treatment that is not attributable to any specific operations of the agent. For example, a tranquilliser can reduce anxiety both because of its special biochemical action and because the recipient expects relief. See also placebo

Answer 78

placebo effect.

Question 79

Small, round areas composed of remnants of lost neurons and beta-amyloid, a waxy protein deposit; present in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Answer 79

plaques.

Question 80

In psychoanalytic theory, the demanding manner by which the id operates, seeking immediate gratification of its needs

Answer 80

pleasure principle.

Question 81

The misuse of more than one drug at a time, such as drinking heavily and taking cocaine.

Answer 81

polydrug abuse.

Question 82

As applied to psychopathology or any other trait, caused by multiple genes contributing their effects typically during multiple stages of development.

Answer 82

polygenic.

Question 83

Any specific difference in DNA sequence that exists within a population

Answer 83

polymorphism.

Question 84

The strengthening of a tendency to exhibit desired behaviour by rewarding responses in that situation with a desired reward.

Answer 84

positive reinforcement.

Question 85

Behavioural excesses in schizophrenia, such as hallucinations and delusions. Compare negative symptoms

Answer 85

positive symptoms.

Question 86

Etiological model of dissociative identity disorder that assumes the condition begins in childhood as a result of severe physical or sexual abuse. Compare sociocognitive model (of DID)

Answer 86

posttraumatic model (of DID).

Question 87

An anxiety disorder in which a particularly stressful event, such as military combat, rape, or a natural disaster, brings in its aftermath intrusive reexperiencing of the trauma, a numbing of responsiveness to the outside world, estrangement from others, and a tendency to be easily startled, as well as nightmares, recurrent dreams, and otherwise disturbed sleep

Answer 87

posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Question 88

An inclination or diathesis to respond in a certain way, either inborn or acquired; in abnormal psychology, a factor that lowers the ability to withstand stress and inclines the individual toward pathology.

Answer 88

predisposition.

Question 89

The region of the frontal lobe of the brain that helps maintain an image of threats and rewards faced, as well as maintain focus and plan relevant to those threats and rewards.

Answer 89

prefrontal cortex.

Question 90

Inability of the male to inhibit his orgasm long enough for mutually satisfying sexual relations.

Answer 90

premature (early) ejaculation.

Question 91

A DSM-5 disorder defined by mood and physical symptoms that consistently emerge in the week before menses and clear within a week after menses.

Answer 91

premenstrual dysphoric disorder.

Question 92

In classical conditioning theory a biological predisposition to associate particular stimuli readily with the unconditioned stimulus.

Answer 92

prepared learning.

Question 93

In epidemiological studies of a disorder, the percentage of a population that has the disorder at a given time. Compare incidence.

Answer 93

prevalence.

Question 94

The communication between parties in a confidential relationship that is protected by statute, which a spouse, doctor, lawyer, pastor, psychologist, or psychiatrist thus cannot be forced to disclose, except under unusual circumstances.

Answer 94

privileged communication.

Question 95

The sample of people who in a genetic investigation bears the diagnosis or trait in which the investigator is interested.

Answer 95

probands.

Question 96

A prediction of the likely course and outcome of an illness. Compare diagnosis.

Answer 96

prognosis.

Question 97

The notion that standard but highly unstructured stimuli, as found in the Rorschach assessments series of inkblots, are necessary to bypass defenses in order to reveal unconscious motives and conflicts

Answer 97

projective hypothesis.

Question 98

A psychological assessment device, such as the Rorschach series of inkblots, employing a set of standard but vague stimuli, on the assumption that unstructured material will allow unconscious motivations and fears to be uncovered.

Answer 98

projective test.

Question 99

A speech problem in which the child refers to himself or herself as "he "she," or "you" and uses "I" or "me" in referring to others; often found in the speech of children with autistic disorder.

Answer 99

pronoun reversal.

Question 100

In neural development, the selective loss of synaptic connections, especially in the fine-tuning of brain regions devoted to sensory processing

Answer 100

pruning.

Question 101

A psychedelic drug extracted from the mushroom Psilocybe mexicana.

Answer 101

psilocybin.

Question 102

In psychoanalytic theory, the totality the id, ego, and superego, including both conscious and unconscious components.

Answer 102

psyche.

Question 103

A nurse, typically with a bachelor's degree, who receives specialised training in mental illness. A nurse practitioner may prescribe psychiatric medications.

Answer 103

psychiatric nurse.

Question 104

A physician (M.D.) who has taken specialised postdoctoral training, called a residency, in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental disorders

Answer 104

psychiatrist.

Question 105

Prescribed chemical compounds - for example, Prozac - having a psychological effect that alters mood or thought process.

Answer 105

psychoactive medications.

Question 106

Primarily the therapy procedures pioneered by Freud, entailing free association, dream analysis, and working through the transference neurosis. More recently the term has come to encompass the numerous variations on basic Freudian therapy.

Answer 106

psychoanalysis.

Question 107

Theory originating with Freud that psychopathology results from unconscious conflicts in the individual.

Answer 107

psychoanalytic theory

Question 108

Especially with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, the component of treatment that helps people learn about symptoms, expected time course, triggers for symptoms, and treatment strategies.

Answer 108

psychoeducational approaches.

Question 109

Standardised procedures designed to measure performance on a particular task or to assess personality.

Answer 109

psychological tests.

Question 110

A symptom characterised by pacing, restlessness, and inability to sit still.

Answer 110

psychomotor agitation.

Question 111

A symptom commonly observed in major depressive disorder in which the person moves his or her limbs and body slowly

Answer 111

psychomotor retardation.

Question 112

A synthetic addictive heroin substitute for treating those addicted to heroin that eliminates its effects and the cravings

Answer 112

methadone.