Intro Flashcards
What is abnormal psychology - vague
concerned with the nature, causes and development of abnormal behaviour, thought and feelings
abnormal = relative
varies across time, place and culture
how could we identify behaviour as abnormal (also list the flaw in each of these)
stats - but what about statistically brilliant (Kelly Slater)
psych dysfuntion - hard to define, maladaptive behavoiur can be good
personal distress - but can be necessary and normal to death for example
deviation from an ideal - but who decided / sets this
atypical / culturally unexpected - norms are not stable over time
definition of abnormal behaciour
behavioural, psychological or biological dysfunctions that are unexpected in their cultural context and associated with present distress and impairment in funcioning or increased risk of suffering, death, pain or impairment
psychopathy is…
the scientific study of psych disorders
supernatural tradition
mental illness = result of supernatural forces
eg Salem witch trials
biological tradition
5th centruy BC
mental illness = physical illness
Hippocrates = unbalanced humoura
Somatogenesis
Dark ages - what happened to psychological distrubed
church back in power
demonology makes a come back
-asylums (1500s) = make body such a horrible place spirit leaves eg St Marys of Bethlehem = Bedlam (bio + supernatural)
explain the moral treatment
1790s+
Phillippe Pinel - humane treatment of mentally ill
roam round asylums now
treatments - cannabis, opium, alcohol
name the three psych traditions
psychoanalysis
behaviourism
humanism
modern psychiatry today
mental ilness =
treatment =
mental illness - combination of bio psych and social causes
treatment = somatic therapy or psychotheraoy
define
presenting problem
original complaint
define
etiology
cause
define
prevalence
how many people in the population have this disorder
define
incidence
number of new cases in a given time period
define
course
pattern of development and change
define
prognosis
predicted future development or outcome
what are the 4 goals of psychology
describe
explain
predict
change
define psychological disorder
psych dysfunction associated with distress or impairment in functioning that is not typically or culturally expected response
watch has been abused at times eg Hussein putting away dissidents
so harmful dysfunction = useful idea - is the behaviour in the individuals control
DSM-5 = behavioural, psychological or biological dysfunctions that are unexpected in their cultural context and associated with present distress and impairment in functioning or increased risk of suffering, death, pain or impairment
define phobia
psych disorder characterised by marked and eprsistant fear of an object or situation
prototype
typical presentation of disorder
define science practitioner
mental health professional expected to apply scientific methods in their work
must know latest research on diagnosis and treatment and must evaluate their own methods for effectiveness
may generate research to discover info about disorders and their treatment
what 3 things are we interested in when studying psych disorders
clinical description
causation
treatment and outcome
what makes up a clinical description
detials of behaviours, thoughts and feelings
what makes it different to other disorders
stats could be relevant
chronic course
long time
episodic course
likely to recover within a few months only to suffer from a reocurrence at a later time
time-limited course
will improve without treatment in a relatively short period
acute onset
begins suddenly
insidious onset
develops gradually over an extended period
effect of treatment implies….
does NOT necesarrily imply cause
view of stress and melancholy under supernatural tradition
insanity was a natural phenomena caused by mental and emotional stress = was cureable
depression + anxiety = recognised as an illness but symptoms like despair and lethargy defined by church as sin of acedia or sloth
treatment = sleep, healthy environment, baths, ointments, potions
medieval practice of what to do with those with psych disorders
keep them in their own community
we know this is benefical
why exorcism
scare the spirits out
Saint Victus’ dance and tarantism is an example of..
and what do we think about it now
mass hysteria
insect bites?
or emotional contagion - people are suggestive when they are in high states of emotion
where does the word lunatic come from
paracelsus
moon and stars fault
two scientists who pioneered bio tradition
hippocrates and galen
hippocratic corpus
psych disorder could be treated like any other disease
caused by brian pathology, head trauma or hereditary genetics
brain = seat of wisdom, consciousness, intelligence and emotion
imporatnce of psych and interpersonal contributions to psychopathology
what did Galen do
took hippocrates ideas further
normal brain functioning due to 4 bodily humours - blood (heart), black bile (spleen), yellow bile (liver, phlegm (brain)
is a chinese version of this = winds (treatment = accupunture to fix blockages)
according to galen melancholy =
too much black bile
sanguine…
red, blood like = charasmatic
phlegmatic
apathy, sluggishness
also calm under stress
choleric
hot tempered
how to treat excess humours
change environment
Syphilis
what is it
what was its contribution to psych
STD = bacterial micro-organism in brain
delusions of persecution and delusions of gradeur
appeared similar to psychosis but researchers noticed a subgroup = deteriorated steadily becoming paralysed and dying within five years onset
pasteurs germ theory = micro-organism discovered
noticed people with malaria would then get better
then worked out penecillen to cure
so madness became a cureable infection
John P Grey
bio tradition USA
insanity always physical causes
mentally ill should be treated as physically ill = rest, diet, ventiliation in rooms etc
hospital conditions improved
suggestion of movement to the community (still working on this!)
but policy of deinstitutionalisation = large numbers of chronically disabled being left homeless in cities
treatments under bio tradition
electrical shock
brain surgeyr
insulin shock therapy - high doses, convulsion, sometimes recovery or death
thought brain seizures might cure epilepsy
electroconvulsive therapy still sometimes used today
development of drug therapy
1950s - first time in systematic way
Rauwolf Serpentine = resperine
Neuroleptics
helped control agression and agitation
Benzodiazepines - anxiety reduction (minor tranquilizer)
1970s valium + lithium = most widely prescribed drugs in the world
Bromides - sedating drug, anxiety treatment then worked out side effects
general pattern = inital enthusiam followed by dissapointment
consequences of bio tradition
Grey - accidentally eliminated interest in treating pateitns, instead became focused on diagnosis and study of brain pathology
Kraeplin - first to ditinguish between separate disorders as each had different symptoms so maybe differenttreatments needed…
define psychosocial treatment
treatment practices that focus on social and cultural factors as well as psychological influences
these approaches include cognitive, behavioural and interpersonal methods
plato saw maladaptive behaviours as
social and cultural influences in ones life an learning that took place in that environment
aristotle thought…
social environment and learning influenced later psychopathology
asylum reform and the decline of moral therapy
post civil war = huge hospital population increase
moral therapy delined
mental hygeine movemnt
final blow, mental illness decided was caused by brain pathology so incureable
reappeared 20th century
mental hygeine
mid 19th century effort to improve care of the mentally disordered by informing the public of their mistreatment
= lead by dorotha dix
as well as improving standards of care she accidentally lead to a substantial increase in the number of metnal patients
what did Mesmer do
animal magnetism = undetectable fluid in all living organism which can become blocked
load of rubbish
but could cure as very powerful method of suggestion to patients they were getting better
what did charcot do
saw what mesmer was doing
demonstrated some of his techniques were effective and did much to legitimise the practice of hypnosis
freud studied underhim
define psychoanalysis
assessment and therapy pioneered by frued that emphasizes exploration of and insight into unconscious processes and conflicts
define behaviourism
explanation of human behaviour including dysfuntion based on principles of learning and adaptation derived from experimental psychology
define unconscious
part of the psychic makeup that is outside the awareness of the person
define catharsis
rapid or sudden release of emotional tension theought to be an important factor in psychoanalytic therapy
define psychoanalytic model
complex and comprehensive theory originally advenced by frued that seeks to account for the development and strcutre of personality as weel as the origin of abnormal behaviour based primarily on inferred entities and forces
who discovered the unconscious and how
Breuer and Freud
patients under hypnosis describing problems, conflicts and fears
patients often became extremely emotional as thet talked and relieved after emerging from hypnotic state
difficult to impossible for them to remeber what they had said under hypnosis
all based on case observations
Anna O describe
Breuer and Freud
bright healthy until 21
cared for father during his chronic illness resultin in his death
5 months after father became ill she noticed during the day her vision went blurry and she had difficulty moving her right arm and both legs
then difficulty speaking and her behaviour became unpredictable
treated by Breuer = talking through each symptom and she got better
the structure of the mind according to psychoanalytic theory
id ego and superego
id
sexual and agressive feelings
animal with in us
energy or drive within the id = libido
thantos = death of instinct
these two energies are in constant opposition
driven by pleasure principle
primary process - thiking filled with fantasis, preoccupation with sex, aggression, selfishness and envy
ego
mediator
logical and rational
reality principle
seconday process
superego
conscience
moral principles
intrapsychic conflicts
in psychoanalytic theory a struggle among the id, ego and superego
id and ego almost entirely unconscious
defense mechanisms
common pattern of behaviour often an adaptive coping style when it occurs in moderation, observed in response to a particular situation
pscyhoanalytic theory suggests that defense mechanisms are unconcsicous processes originating in the ego
displacement defense mechanism
ego adaptively decides that expressing anger at source of authority would be bad so gets angery with someone else who is safer
sublimation defense mechanism
redirecting anger into a more constructive outlet such as work
denial defense mechanism
refuses to acknowledge some aspect of objective reality or sibjective experience that is apparent to others
projection defense mechanism
falsely attributes own unacceptable feelings impulses or thoughts to another individual or object
rationalization defense mechanism
conceals the true motivation for actions thoughts of feelings through elaborate reassuring or self-serving but incorrect explanations
reaction formation defense mechanism
substitutes behaviour, thoughts or feelings that are the direct opposite of unacceptable ones
repression defense mechanism
blocks disturbing wishes, thoughts of experiences from conscious awareness
sublimation defense mechanism
directs potentially maladpative feelings or impulses into socially acceptable behaviour
define psychosexual stages of development
psychoanalytic concept of the sequence of phases a person passes through during development ]each stage is named for the location on the body where id gratification is maximal at that time
stages in order of psychsexual development
oral - birth -2 anal phallic - age 3-6 latency genital
fixation acording to freud
if we did not receive appropritate gratification during a specific stage or if a specific stage left a particularly strong impression an individuals personality would reflect this through adult life
eg oral fixation = thumb sucking and personality = dependency ans passivity or in reaction to these tendenceies = rebelliousness and cycnicism
castration anxiety
in psychoanalysi the fear in young boys that they will be mutilated genitally because of their lust for thei mothers
how to make phallic stage pass uneventfully
child must resolve his ambivalent realationship with his parents
he may channel his libidinal impulses into heterosexual relatipnships while retaining harmless affection for his mother
oedipus complex
boys lust for mum
electra complex
young girl wants to replce her mother and posses er father
central to this possession is the grisl desire for a penis = penis envy
conflict resolved when females develop heterosexual realtionships and look forward to having a baby
neuroses
obselete psychodynamic term for a psychological disorder thought to result from an unconscious conflict and the anxiety it causes
anna freud’s work
how defense mechanisms determine behaviour
ego psychology
define ego psychology
psychoanalytic theory that emphasizes the role of the eog in development and attributes psychological disorders to failure of the ego to manage impulses and internal conflicts
also known as self psychology
define object relations
modern development in pscyhodynamic theory involving the study of how children incorporate the memories and values of people who are close and important to them
so object = person close to them
process of incorporation = introjection
so we see the world through the eyes of the person incorporated into yourself eg parents views
define collective unconscious
accumulated wisdom of a culture collected and remembered across generations, a pscyhodynamuc concept introduced by jung
other than collective unconscious what else did jung suggest
spiritual and religious drives are as much a part of human nature as sexual drives
what did adler focus on
inferiority complex
basic quality of human nature = positive, there is a strong drive towards self-actualization
define free association
psychoanalytic therapy technique ineded to explore threatening material repressed into the unconscious
the patient is instructed to say whatever comes to mind without censoring
intended to reveal emotionally charged material that may be represeed
freud would sit behind his patients so they were not distracted
dream analysis
psychoanalytic therapy method in which dream content is examined as symblic of id impulses and intrapsychic conflicts
often a difficult procedure as patients may resist efforts by therapist to uncover these memories
goal = patient to gain insight into the nature of these conflicts
define psychoanalyst
therapist practising pscyhoanalysis after earning either an MD or PhD degree and receiving additional specialised postdoctoral training
define transference
pscyhoanalytic concept suggesting clinets may seek to relate to the therapist as they do important authority figures particularly their parents
eg so if resents therapist but cannot verbalize a good reason why = parental resentment
more often patient fall in love with therapist
what is countertransference
therapist project some of thei own personal issues and feelings onto the patient
therapists are trained to deal with these feelings
problems with true classical psychoanalytic treatment
requires therapy 4-5 times a week for 2-5 years
reduction of symptoms = inconsequential as they are only representations of underlying problems
so underlying conflicts is what must be dealt with other wise would simply achieve symptom substitution
define psychodynamic psychotherapy
contemporary version of psychoanalysis that still emphasises unconscious porcesses and conflic but is briefer and more focused on specific problems
much briefer than classical
deemphasive the goal of personality reconstruction focusing instead on reliving the suffering associated with psych disorders
what do psychodynamic psychotherapists focus on (7)
affect and expression of patients emotions
exploration of patients attempts to avoid topics or hinder the process of therapy
idetification of patterns in patients actions, thoughts, feelings, experiences and relationships
emphasis on past experiences
focus on interpersonal experiences
emphasis on therapeutic relationships
exploration of patients wishes, dreams or fantasies
despite all the problems where can we find some value from psychoanalysis
unconscious role in mental processes
emotional responses are often triggered by hidden or symbolic cues
understanding memories can be repressed and otherwise avoided in a variety of ways
where di jung and adler break from freud
nature of humanity
positive optimistic side of humans over freud’s life as a battleground
jung basic belief
goal setting
looking to the future
realization of ones potential
adler basic belief
human nature reaches its fullest potential when we contribute to the welfare of other individuals and to socity as a wole
jung and adler both =
humansitic psychology
define self-actualization
process emphasized in humanistic psychology in which people strive to achieve their highest potential against difficult life experiences
define person centered therapy
therapy method in which the client rather than the counsellor directs the course of the discussion seeking self-discovery and self-responsibility
carl rodgers
define unconditional positive regard
acceptance by the counselor of the clients feelings and actions without judgement or condemnation
maslow hierarchy of needs
begins with most basic needs for food and sex and ranges up towards needs for self-actualization, love and self-esteem
social needs fall somewhere in between
we cannot progress up the hierarchy until we have satsfied needs at the lower levels
define the behavoiural model
explanation of human behaviour including dysfunction based on principles of learning and adaptation derived from experimental psychology
stimulus generalization
response generalizes to other stimuli
eg someon going through chemo may feel sicj at even the sight of a nurses uniform of anything related to the hospital setting they receive their chemo in
define systematic desensitisation
behavioural therapy technique to diminish excessive fears. involving gradual exposure to the feared stimulus paired with a positive coping experience, usually relaxation
joseph wolpe
skinner did
operant conditioning
throndike did
law of effect
behaviour is either strenghtened or weakened depending on the consequences
define behaviour therapy
array of therapeutic methods based on the principles of behavioural and cognitive sciecne as well as principles of learning as applied to clinical problems. it considers specific behaviours rather than inferred conflicts as legitimate targets for change
define shaping
in operant conditioning the development of a new response by reinforcing successively more similar versions of that response
both desireable and undesireable behaviours may be learned in this manner
how have the three traitional appraoches failed
scientific methods were not applied
health professionals tend to look at psych disorders from their own point of view alone
psychology should be…
multidimensioncal and integrative
