Glossary

Question 1

A short-lived anxiety reaction to a traumatic event; if it lasts more than a month, it is diagnosed as posttraumatic stress disorder.

Answer 1

Acute stress disorder.

Question 2

Use of a drug that is accompanied by a physiological dependence on it, made evident by tolerance and withdrawal symptoms.

Answer 2

Addiction.

Question 3

Research method that studies children who were adopted and reared completely apart from their parents, thereby eliminating the influence of being raised by disordered parents.

Answer 3

adoptees method.

Question 4

Legal document in which an individual -before becoming incapable of making such decisions - prescribes and proscribes certain courses of action to be taken to preserve his or her health or terminate life support.

Answer 4

advanced directive.

Question 5

The consequences of being a given chronological age. Compare cohort effects.

Answer 5

age effects.

Question 6

A drug that stimulates receptors normally specific to a particular neurotransmitter

Answer 6

agonist.

Question 7

Literally, fear of the marketplace. Anxiety disorder in which the person fears situations in which it would be embarrassing or difficult to escape if panic symptoms occurred; most commonly diagnosed in some individuals with panic disorder.

Answer 7

agoraphobia.

Question 8

Any of the various forms in which a particular gene is found.

Answer 8

allele.

Question 9

A negative symptom in schizophrenia, marked by poverty of speech.

Answer 9

alogia.

Question 10

A dementia involving a progressive atrophy of cortical tissue and marked by memory impairment, intellectual deterioration, and, in more extreme cases, involuntary movements of limbs, occasional convulsions, and psychotic behavior. See also plaques and neurofibrillary tangles.

Answer 10

Alzheimer’s disease.

Question 11

Rules proposing that insanity is a legitimate defense plea if, during criminal conduct, an individual could not judge right from wrong or control his or her behavior as required by law. Repetitive criminal acts are disavowed as a sole criterion. Compare M’Naghten rule and irresistible impulse.

Answer 11

American Law Institute guidelines.

Question 12

A group of stimulating drugs that produce heightened levels of energy and, in large doses, nervousness, sleeplessness, and paranoid delusions.

Answer 12

amphetamines.

Question 13

A subcortical structure of the temporal lobe involved in attention to emotionally salient stimuli and memory of emotionally relevant events.

Answer 13

amygdala.

Question 14

In psychoanalytic theory, the second psycho-sexual stage, which occurs during the second year of life when the anus is considered the principal erogenous zone.

Answer 14

anal stage.

Question 15

An experimental design in which behavior is measured during a baseline period (A), during period when a treatment is introduced (B), during the reinstatement of the conditions that prevailed in the baseline period (A) and finally during a reintroduction of the treatment (B); commonly used in operant research to isolate cause-effect relationships.

Answer 15

ABAB design.

Question 16

An experimental study of a phenomenon different from but related to the actual interests of the investigator; for example, animal research used to study human disorders or research on mild symptoms used as a bridge to clinical disorders.

Answer 16

analogue experiment.

Question 17

A variation of Freuds psychoanalysis introduced by Carl Jung, focusing less on biological drives and more on factors such as self-fulfillment, the collective unconscious, and religious symbolism.

Answer 17

analytical psychology

Question 18

A negative symptom in schizophrenia or a symptom in depression in which the individual experiences a loss of interest and pleasure. See also anticipatory pleasure and consummatory pleasure

Answer 18

anhedonia.

Question 19

A disorder in which a person refuses to maintain normal weight, has an intense fear of becoming obese, and feels fat even when emaciated.

Answer 19

anorexia nervosa.

Question 20

A drug that makes the drinking of alcohol produce nausea and other unpleasant effects; trade name for disulfiram

Answer 20

Antabuse.

Question 21

A drug that dampens the effect of a neurotransmitter on its receptors; for example, many dopamine antagonists block dopamine receptors.

Answer 21

antagonist.

Question 22

In the subcortical region of the brain, the anterior portion of the cingulate gyrus, stretching about the corpus callosum

Answer 22

anterior cingulate.

Question 23

A region of the cerebral cortex involved in processing bodily sensations. Believed to be hyperactive to somatic sensations among people with somatic symptom disorders

Answer 23

anterior insula.

Question 24

Expected or anticipated pleasure for events, people, or activities in the future. See also consummatory pleasure

Answer 24

anticipatory pleasure.

Question 25

Any drug that alleviates depression; also widely used to treat anxiety disorders.

Answer 25

antidepressant.

Question 26

Psychoactive drugs, such as Thorazine, that reduce psychotic symptoms but have long-term side effects resembling symptoms of neurological diseases.

Answer 26

antipsychotic drugs.

Question 27

Personality disorder defined by the absence of concern for others' feelings or social norms and a pervasive pattern of rule breaking.

Answer 27

antisocial personality disorder.

Question 28

An unpleasant feeling of fear and apprehension accompanied by increased physiological arousa in learning theory, considered a drive that mediates between a threatening situation and avoidance behavior. Anxiety can be assessed by self-report, by measuring physiological arousal, and by observing overt behavior.

Answer 28

anxiety.

Question 29

Disorders in which fear or tension is overriding and the primary disturbance include phobic disorders, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and agoraphobia. In DSM-IV-TR, these disorders also included obsessive-compulsive disorder, acute stress disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder.

Answer 29

anxiety disorders.

Question 30

A test that measures the extent to which people respond fearfully to their bodily sensations; predicts the degree to which unexplained physiological arousal leads to panic attacks.

Answer 30

Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI).

Question 31

Minor tranquilizers or benzodiazepines used to treat anxiety disorders.

Answer 31

anxiolytics.

Question 32

A negative symptom of schizophrenia marked by an inability to form close relationships and to feel intimacy

Answer 32

asociality.

Question 33

A DSM-IV-TR disorder believed to be a mild form of DSM-IV.TR autism in which social relationships are poor and stereotyped behavior is intense and rigid, but language and intelligence are intact. Combined with autism in autism spectrum disorder category in DSM-5.

Answer 33

Asperger's disorder.

Question 34

A type of molecular genetics study where researchers examine the relationship between a specific allele of a gene and a trait or behavior in the population

Answer 34

association study.

Question 35

A disorder characterised by narrowing of the airways and increased secretion of mucus, often causing extremely labored and wheezy breathing.

Answer 35

asthma.

Question 36

Refuges established in western Europe in the fifteenth century to confine and provide for the mentally ill; forerunners of the mental hospital.

Answer 36

asylums.

Question 37

The type or style of an infant's attachment to his or her caregivers can set the stage for psychological health or problems later in development

Answer 37

attachment theory.

Question 38

A disorder in children marked by difficulties in focusing adaptively on the task at hand, inappropriate fidgeting and antisocial behavior, and excessive non-goal-directed behavior.

Answer 38

attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Question 39

The explanation a person has for why an event or behavior has occurred.

Answer 39

attribution.

Question 40

A disorder beginning in childhood that involves deficits in social communication and social interactions, restricted and repetitive behaviors, and in some cases severe deficits in speech. DSM-5 combined Asperger's disorder, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified, and childhood disintegrative disorder into the category autism spectrum disorder.

Answer 40

autism spectrum disorder.

Question 41

The division of the nervous system that regulates involuntary functions; innervates endocrine glands, smooth muscle, and heart muscle; and initiates the physiological changes that are part of the expression of emotion. See also sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems; compare somatic nervous system.

Answer 41

autonomic nervous system (ANS).

Question 42

Personality disorder defined by aloofness and extreme sensitivity to potential rejection, despite an intense desire for affiliation and affection.

Answer 42

avoidant personality disorder.

Question 43

A negative symptom in schizophrenia in which the individual lacks interest and drive.

Answer 43

avolition.

Question 44

The study of individual differences in behavior that are attributable to differences in genetic makeup.

Answer 44

behaviour genetics.

Question 45

A branch of psychotherapy conceived narrowly as the application of classical and operant conditioning to the alteration of clinical problems but more broadly as applied experimental psychology in a clinical context.

Answer 45

behaviour therapy.

Question 46

Clinical approach to depression that seeks to increase participation positively reinforcing activities

Answer 46

behavioural activation (BA) therapy

Question 47

A sampling of ongoing cognitions, feelings, and overt behavior in their situational context. Compare projective test and personality inventory

Answer 47

behavioural assessment

Question 48

Clinical approach to depression in which a couple works to improve communication and satisfaction; more likely to relieve relationship distress than individual cognitive therapy

Answer 48

behavioural couples therapy.

Question 49

The tendency to exhibit anxiety or to freeze when facing threat. In infants, it manifests as a tendency to become agitated and cry when faced with novel stimuli and may be a heritable predisposition for the development of anxiety disorders.

Answer 49

behavioural inhibition.

Question 50

An interdisciplinary field concerned with integrating knowledge from medicine and behavioural science to understand health and illness and to prevent as well as treat psychophysiological disorders and other illnesses in which a persons psyche plays a role. See also health psychology.

Answer 50

behavioural medicine.

Question 51

The school of psychology originally associated with John B. Watson, who proposed that observable behaviour, not consciousness, is the proper subject matter of psychology. Contemporary behaviourists do use mediational concepts, provided they are firmly anchored to observables

Answer 51

behaviourism.

Question 52

Any of several drugs commonly used to treat anxiety, such as Valium and Xanax.

Answer 52

benzodiazepines.

Question 53

Included as a disorder in DSM-5; includes recurrent episodes of unrestrained eating.

Answer 53

binge eating disorder.

Question 54

A diagnosis defined on the basis of at least one lifetime episode of mania. Most people with this disorder also experience episodes of major depression.

Answer 54

bipolar I disorder.

Question 55

A form of bipolar disorder, diagnosed in those who have experienced at least one major depressive episode and at least one episode of hypomania.

Answer 55

bipolar Il disorder.

Question 56

Conversion disorder wherein patients have suffered lesions in the visual cortex and report them selves blind but can perform well on some specific visual tests.

Answer 56

blindsight.

Question 57

A negative symptom of schizophrenia that involves a lack of outward expression of emotion.

Answer 57

blunted affect.

Question 58

A disorder marked by preoccupation with an imagined or exaggerated defect in appearance - for example, facial wrinkles or excess facial or body hair.

Answer 58

body dysmorphic disorder.

Question 59

Measure of body fat calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in meters squared; considered a more valid estimate of body fat than many others.

Answer 59

body mass index (BMI).

Question 60

The signal detected by functional MRI studies of the brain; measures blood flow and thus neural activity in particular regions

Answer 60

BOLD (blood oxygenation level dependent).

Question 61

Personality disorder defined by impulsiveness and unpredictability, an uncertain self-image, intense and unstable social relationships, and extreme swings of mood.

Answer 61

borderline personality disorder.

Question 62

The part of the brain connecting the spinal cord with the cerebrum; contains the pons and medulla oblongata and functions as a neural relay station.

Answer 62

brain stem.

Question 63

A disorder in which a person has a sudden onset of psychotic symptoms incoherence, loose associations, delusions, hallucinations - immediately after a severely disturbing event; the symptoms last more than 1 day but no more than 1 month. Compare schizophreniform disorder.

Answer 63

brief psychotic disorder.

Question 64

Time-limited psychotherapy, usually ego-analytic in orientation and lasting no more than 25 sessions.

Answer 64

brief therapy.

Question 65

A disorder characterized by episodic uncontrollable eating binges followed by purging either by vomiting or by taking laxatives.

Answer 65

bulimia nervosa.

Question 66

Perhaps the world's most popular drug; a generalised stimulant of body systems, including the sympathetic nervous system. Though seldom viewed as a drug, caffeine is addictive, produces tolerance, and subjects habitual users to withdrawal.

Answer 66

caffeine.

Question 67

Medical problems involving the heart and the blood circulation system, such as hypertension or coronary heart disease.

Answer 67

cardiovascular disease.

Question 68

The collection of historical or biographical information on a single individual, often including experiences in therapy

Answer 68

case study.

Question 69

Constellation of schizophrenic symptoms including repetitive, peculiar, complex gestures and, in some cases, an almost manic increase in overall activity level

Answer 69

catatonia.

Question 70

Immobility or excessive and peculiar physical movements characterising a subtype of episodes of major depressive disorder or mania.

Answer 70

catatonic features.

Question 71

A fixity of posture, sometimes grotesque, maintained for long periods, with accompanying muscular rigidity, trancelike state of consciousness, and waxy flexibility.

Answer 71

catatonic immobility.

Question 72

An approach to assessment in which a person is or is not a member of a discrete grouping. Compare dimensional classification.

Answer 72

categorical classification.

Question 73

A therapeutic procedure to relieve emotional suffering introduced by Breuer and developed further by Freud in the late nineteenth century, whereby a patient recalls and relives an earlier emotional catastrophe and reexperiences the tension and unhappiness

Answer 73

cathartic method.

Question 74

A nucleus within the basal ganglia involved in learning and memory that is implicated in body dysmorphic disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Answer 74

caudate nucleus

Question 75

The part of the nervous system that in vertebrates consists of the brain and spinal cord, to which all sensory impulses are transmitted and from which motor impulses pass out; supervises and coordinates the activities of the entire nervous system.

Answer 75

central nervous system.

Question 76

An area of the hindbrain concerned with balance, posture, and motor coordination

Answer 76

cerebellum.

Question 77

The thin outer covering of each of the cerebral hemispheres; highly convoluted and composed of nerve cell bodies that constitute the gray matter of the brain.

Answer 77

cerebral cortex.

Question 78

The two-lobed structure extending from the brain stem and constituting the anterior (frontal) part of the brain; the largest and most recently developed portion of the brain, responsible for coordinating sensory and motor activities and performing higher cognitive processes

Answer 78

cerebrum.

Question 79

Communication disorder of childhood marked by frequent pronounced verbal dysfluencies, such as repetitions of certain sounds.

Answer 79

childhood onset fluency disorder (stuttering).

Question 80

The threadlike bodies within the nucleus of the cell, composed primarily of DNA and bearing the genetic information of the organism.

Answer 80

chromosomes.

Question 81

A procedure whereby a person can be legally certified as mentally ill and hospitalised, even against his or her will. Compare criminal commitment and outpatient commitment.

Answer 81

civil commitment.

Question 82

A basic form of learning, some times referred to as Pavlovian conditioning, in which a neutral stimulus is repeatedly paired with another stimulus (called the unconditioned stimulus, UCS) that naturally elicits a certain desired response (called the unconditioned response, UCR). After repeated trials, the neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus (CS) and evokes the same or a similar response, now called the conditioned response (CR). Compare operant conditioning

Answer 82

classical conditioning.

Question 83

A study that identifies people who show subtle or early clinical signs of a disorder, such as schizophrenia, and then follows them over time to determine who might be at risk for developing the disorder.

Answer 83

clinical high-risk study.

Question 84

General term for conversation between a clinician and a patient that is aimed at determining diagnosis, history, causes of problems, and possible treatment options

Answer 84

clinical interview.

Question 85

An individual who has earned a Ph.D. degree in psychology or a Psy D. and whose training has included an internship in a mental hospital or clinic

Answer 85

clinical psychologist.

Question 86

The degree to which effect size is large enough to be meaningful in predicting or treating a clinical disorder. Compare statistical significance.

Answer 86

clinical significance.

Question 87

A pain-reducing, stimulating, and addictive alkaloid obtained from coca leaves that increases mental powers, produces euphoria, heightens sexual desire, and in large doses causes paranoia and hallucinations

Answer 87

cocaine.

Question 88

The process of knowing; the thinking, judging, reasoning, and planning activities of the human mind. Behaviour is now often explained as depending on these processes

Answer 88

cognition.

Question 89

Behaviour therapy that incorporates theory and research on cognitive processes such as thoughts, perceptions, judgments, self-statements, and tacit assumptions; a blend of both the cognitive and behavioral paradigms.

Answer 89

cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT).

Question 90

General view that people can best be understood by studying how they perceive and structure their experiences and how this influences behavior

Answer 90

cognitive behavioral paradigm.

Question 91

Tendencies to perceive events in a negative manner, for example, by attending to or remembering negative information more than positive information; hypothesized to be driven by underlying negative schemas.

Answer 91

cognitive biases.

Question 92

Also known as cognitive training, treatment that seeks to improve basic cognitive functions such as verbal learning ability in people with schizophrenia, meanwhile reducing symptoms as well

Answer 92

cognitive enhancement therapy (CET).

Question 93

Any behavior therapy procedure that attempts to alter the manner in which a client thinks about life so that he or she changes overt behaviour and emotions

Answer 93

cognitive restructuring.

Question 94

The consequences of having been born in a given year and having grown up during a particular time period with its own unique pressures, problems, challenges, and opportunities. Compare age effects.

Answer 94

cohort effects.

Question 95

Jungs concept that every human being carries within the wisdom, ideas, and strivings of those who have come before.

Answer 95

collective unconscious.

Question 96

Learning disorders in a child who fails to develop to the degree expected by his or her intellectual level in a specific language skill area; include speech sounds disorder and child onset fluency disorder.

Answer 96

communication disorders.