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Abnormal Psych > Key terms for exam 1 > Flashcards

Key terms for exam 1 Flashcards

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1
Q

Abnormal psychology definition

A

-the scientific study of troublesome feelings, thoughts, and behaviors associated with mental disorders to better understand and predict mental disorders and help those who are in need

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2
Q

asylum defintion

A

Places reserved exclusively to treat people with a mental disorder, usually separate from general population

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3
Q

maladaptive behavior

A

A behavior that interferes with a persons life, including ability to care for themself, have a good relationship w others, and function well at school or work

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4
Q

mental disorder defintion

A

A group of emotional (feelings) cognitive (thinking) or behavioral symptoms that cause distress or significant problems

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5
Q

mental hygiene definition

A

The science of promoting mental health and thwarting mental disorder through education, early treatment, and public health issues

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6
Q

primary prevention definition

A

A type of prevention targeting large groups of people who have not yet developed a mental disorder

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7
Q

psychopathologists

A

Professionals who study mental problems to see how disorders develop and continue and how the can be prevented or alleviated

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8
Q

Public health model

A

A model that focuses on promoting good health and good health practices to advert diseases

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9
Q

Secondary prevention

A

A type of prevention that addresses emerging problems while they are still manageable before they become resistant to intervention

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10
Q

Stigma defintion

A

A characterization by others of disgrace or reproach based on an individual characteristic

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11
Q

tertiary prevention definition (C1) mental

A

a type of prevention aimed to reduce the severity, duration, and the negative effects of a mental disorder after its occurred

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12
Q

What is avoidance conditioning

A

A theory of fear development that combines classical and operant conditioning with internal states such as driving or motivating factors.

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13
Q

What is the basal ganglia

A

Brain structures that control posture and motor activity.

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14
Q

Behavior genetics

A

A research specialty that evaluates genetic and environmental influences on development of behavior.

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15
Q

Behavioral perspective

A

A perspective of abnormal behavior that assumes that problematic symptoms develop because of the way we learn or observe others.

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16
Q

What is the biological model?

A

A perspective of mental disorder that assumes that mental states, emotions, and behaviors arise from brain function and processes.

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17
Q

What is the central nervous system?

A

The brain and spinal cord, which are necessary to process information from our sensory organs and prompt our body into action if necessary.

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18
Q

What is the cerebral cortex

A

Gray matter of the brain that covers almost all of each hemisphere.

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19
Q

What is classical conditioning?

A

Pairing of an unconditioned stimulus so the future presentation of a conditioned stimulus results in a conditioned response.

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20
Q

Client-centered therapy

A

A humanistic therapy that relies heavily on unconditional positive regard and empathy.

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21
Q

Cognitive distortions

A

Irrational, inaccurate thoughts that people have about environmental events.

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22
Q

What is A Cognitive schema

A

Set of beliefs or expectations that represent a network of already accumulated knowledge.

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23
Q

cognitive-behavioral therapy

A

A type of treatment that focuses on the connection between thinking patterns, emotions, and behavior and uses cognitive and behavioral techniques to change dysfunctional thinking patterns.

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24
Q

conditional positive regard

A

An environment in which others set conditions or standards for one’s life.

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25
Q

culture defintion

A

The unique behavior and lifestyle shared by a group of people.

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26
Q

What are culture-bound syndromes

A

Syndromes caused by culturally shared beliefs and ideas that lead to high levels of stress and mental disorder.

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27
Q

defense mechanisms

A

Strategies used by the ego to stave off threats from the id or superego.

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28
Q

What is dopamine

A

A neurotransmitter that regulates novelty seeking, exploration, sociability, and movement.

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29
Q

What is dream analysis

A

A psychodynamic technique to access unconscious material thought to be symbolized in dreams.

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30
Q

What is ego?

A

The organized, rational component of the personality.

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31
Q

ethnicity

A

Clusters of individuals who share cultural traits that distinguish themselves from others.

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32
Q

exposure treatment

A

A behavioral technique for reducing anxiety in which clients expose themselves to fear and avoided situations.

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33
Q

expressed emotion

A

Family interactions characterized by high levels of emotional over involvement, hostility, and criticism.

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34
Q

family systems perspective

A

The idea that each family has its own structure and rules that can affect the mental health of individual family members.

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35
Q

fixation

A

Frustration and anxiety at a psychosexual stage that can cause a person to be arrested at that level of development.

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36
Q

free association

A

A psychodynamic technique in which a client speaks continuously without censorship.

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37
Q

frontal lobe

A

An area of the brain in front of the brain that is responsible for movement, planning, organizing, inhibiting behavior, and decision making.

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38
Q

functional analysis

A

A behavioral assessment strategy to understand antecedents and consequences of behavior.

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39
Q

gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA)

A

A neurotransmitter that inhibits various behaviors, arousal, and emotions such as anxiety.

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40
Q

Genotype

A

The genetic composition of an individual that is fixed at birth and received from one’s parents.

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41
Q

humanistic model A

A

Model of abnormal behavior that emphasizes personal growth, free will, and responsibility.

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42
Q

hypothalamus

A

A region of the brain below the thalamus that influences body temperature, food intake, sleep, and sex drive.

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43
Q

ID

A

The deep, inaccessible portion of the personality that contains instinctual urges.

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44
Q

What is insight?

A

(1) An active treatment ingredient whereby a client comes to understand reasons for his maladaptive behavior and how to address it.
(2) Understanding the unconscious determinants of irrational feelings, thoughts, or behaviors that create problems or distress.

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45
Q

What’s interpretation?

A

A method in which a psychodynamic theorist reveals unconscious meanings of a client’s thoughts and behaviors to help the person achieve insight.

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46
Q

latent content

A

The symbolic meaning of a dream’s events.

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47
Q

limbic system

A

An area of the brain in the forebrain that regulates emotions and impulses and is responsible for basic drives like thirst, sex, and aggression.

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48
Q

manifest content

A

The literal meaning of a dream.

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49
Q

model

A

A systematic way of viewing and explaining what we observe.

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50
Q

modeling

A

Learning a new skill or set of behaviors by observing another person perform the skill or behavior.

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51
Q

molecular genetics

A

Analysis of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) to identify links between specific genetic material and mental disorders.

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52
Q

negative reinforcement

A

Removing an aversive event following a behavior to increase frequency of the behavior.

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53
Q

neuron

A

The basic unit of the nervous system that comprises a cell body, dendrites, one or more axons, and terminal buttons.

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54
Q

neurotransmitters

A

Chemical messengers that allow a nerve impulse to cross the synapse.

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55
Q

norepinephrine

A

A neurotransmitter that regulates certain behaviors and reactions, including those necessary for emergency or highly arousing situations.

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56
Q

occipital lobe

A

An area of the brain behind the parietal and temporal lobes and associated with vision.

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57
Q

operant conditioning

A

A learning principle that behavior followed by positive or pleasurable consequences is likely to be repeated but behavior followed by negative consequences is not likely to be repeated.

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58
Q

parietal lobe

A

An area of the brain behind the frontal lobe that is associated with the sensation of touch.

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59
Q

peripheral nervous system

A

The somatic and autonomic nervous system that controls muscles and voluntary movement, impacts the cardiovascular and endocrine system, assists with digestion, and regulates body temperature.

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60
Q

phenomenological approach

A

An assumption that one’s behavior is determined by perceptions of herself and others.

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61
Q

phenotype

A

Observable characteristics of an individual.

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62
Q

pleasure principle

A

The rule of conduct by the id to seek pleasure and avoid pain.

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63
Q

positive reinforcement

A

Presenting a pleasant event or consequence after a behavior to increase frequency of the behavior.

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64
Q

primary process

A

The irrational and impulsive type of thinking that characterizes the id.

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65
Q

projection

A

A defense mechanism used when a person attributes his or her unconscious feelings to someone else.

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66
Q

projective hypothesis

A

The assumption that, when faced with unstructured or ambiguous stimuli or tasks, individuals impose their own structure and reveal something of themselves.

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67
Q

psychic determinism

A

An assumption of psychodynamic theory that everything we do has meaning and purpose and is goal-directed.

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68
Q

psychodynamic model

A

A model of abnormal behavior that assumes all mental states, emotions, and behaviors to arise from unconscious motives and intrapsychic conflicts.

69
Q

psychosexual stages of development

A

A series of developmental stages marked by a particular erogenous zone of the body.

70
Q

race

A

A socially constructed category typically based on physical characteristics.

71
Q

rational restructuring

A

A set of techniques to teach individuals to examine their assumptions about situations or the world in general and think more realistically.

72
Q

reaction formation

A

A defense mechanism that occurs when an unconscious impulse is consciously expressed by its behavioral opposite.

73
Q

reality principle

A

The rule of conduct by the ego that defers gratification of instinctual urges until a suitable object and mode of satisfaction are discovered.

74
Q

regression

A

A defense mechanism that occurs when a person returns to a life stage that once provided substantial gratification.

75
Q

repression

A

A defense mechanism that involves keeping highly threatening sexual or aggressive material out of conscious awareness.

76
Q

reuptake

A

A feedback mechanism that informs a neuron about the amount of neurotransmitter needed to be released in the future.

77
Q

secondary process

A

The rational and self-preservative type of thinking that characterizes the ego.

78
Q

self-actualization

A

A striving to be the best one can be.

79
Q

serotonin

A

A major neurotransmitter that influences the way we process information and that regulates our behavior and mood.

80
Q

sociocultural perspective

A

A perspective of abnormal behavior that focuses on influences that other people, social institutions, and social forces exert on a person’s mental health.

81
Q

superego

A

A component of the personality representing the ideals and values of society as conveyed by parents.

82
Q

synapse

A

A small gap between ends of neurons.

83
Q

systematic desensitization

A

A behavioral technique for reducing anxiety in which clients practice relaxation while visualizing anxiety-provoking situations of increasing intensity.

84
Q

temporal lobe

A

A middle area of the brain associated with auditory discrimination.

85
Q

thalamus

A

A structure within the forebrain that relays sensory information to the cerebral cortex.

86
Q

token economy

A

An operant conditioning system in which desired behaviors are promoted through reinforcements.

87
Q

token economy

A

An operant conditioning system in which desired behaviors are promoted through reinforcements.

88
Q

unconditional positive regard

A

An environment in which a person is fully accepted as she is and allowed to pursue her own desires and goals.

89
Q

unconscious motivation

A

Motivation that resides outside conscious awareness.

90
Q

Cohort effects

A

Significant differences in the expression of a disorder depending on age.

91
Q

comorbidity

A

Two or more disorders in one person.

92
Q

diathesis

A

A biological or psychological predisposition to disorder.

93
Q

epidemiologists

A

Scientists who study the incidence, prevalence, and risk factors of disorders.

94
Q

epidemiology

A

The study of patterns of diseases, disorders, and other health-related behavior in a population of interest.

95
Q

etiology

A

Cause of mental disorders.

96
Q

incidence

A

Rate of new cases of a disorder that occur or develop during a specific time period such as a month or year.

97
Q

indicated prevention

A

Preventive intervention targeting individuals at high risk for developing extensive problems in the future.

98
Q

lifetime prevalence

A

Proportion of those who exhibit symptoms of a disorder up to the point they were assessed.

99
Q

prevention

A

Interventions intended to arrest the development of later problems.

100
Q

primary prevention

A

A type of prevention targeting large groups of people who have not yet developed a mental disorder

101
Q

protective factor

A

A factor that buffers one against the development of a mental disorder.

102
Q

resilience

A

Ability of an individual to withstand and rise above extreme adversity.

103
Q

risk factor

A

An individual, contextual, or environmental characteristic correlated with an outcome or condition such as a mental disorder that precedes the development of the disorder.

104
Q

secondary prevention

A

A type of prevention that addresses emerging problems while they are still manageable and before they become resistant to intervention.

105
Q

selective prevention

A

Preventive intervention targeting subgroups of people at risk for a particular problem.

106
Q

tertiary prevention

A

A type of prevention aimed to reduce the severity, duration, and negative effects of a mental disorder after it has occurred

107
Q

universal prevention

A

Preventive intervention targeting large groups of people not afflicted by a particular problem.

108
Q

antecedents

A

Stimuli or events that precede a behavior.

109
Q

behavioral assessment

A

An assessment approach that focuses on measuring overt behaviors or responses.

110
Q

case study method

A

In-depth examination and observation of one person over time.

111
Q

category

A

An approach to defining mental disorder by examining large classes of behavior.

112
Q

classification

A

Arranging mental disorders into broad categories or classes based on similar features.

113
Q

computerized axial tomography (CT scan)

A

A neuroimaging technique that uses X-rays of the brain to identify structural abnormalities.

114
Q

concurrent validity

A

Whether current test or interview results relate to an important feature or characteristic at the present time.

115
Q

confounds

A

Factors that may account for group differences on a dependent variable.

116
Q

Consequences

A

Outcomes or events that follow a behavior.

117
Q

Construct validity

A

Whether test or interview results relate to other measures or behaviors in a logical, theoretically expected fashion.

118
Q

Content validity

A

Degree to which test or interview items actually cover aspects of the variable or diagnosis under study.

119
Q

Control group

A

Those who do not receive the active independent variable in an experiment.

120
Q

controlled observation

A

A behavioral assessment technique that involves analogue tests or tasks to approximate situations people face in real life and that may elicit a certain problem behavior.

121
Q

correlational study

A

A study that allows researchers to make some statements about the association or relationship between variables based on the extent to which they change together in a predictable way.

122
Q

cross-sectional study

A

A developmental design examining different groups of people at one point in time.

123
Q

dependent variable

A

Variables that measure a certain outcome that a researcher is trying to explain or predict.

124
Q

diagnosis

A

A category of mental disorder defined by certain rules that outline how many and what features of a disorder must be present.

125
Q

dimension

A

An approach to defining mental disorder along a continuum.

126
Q

electrocardiogram

A

A psychophysiological measure of brain activity.

127
Q

experiment

A

A research method that allows scientists to draw cause-and-effect conclusions.

128
Q

experimental group

A

Those receiving the active independent variable in an experiment.

129
Q

external validity

A

Ability to generalize results from one investigation to the general population.

130
Q

functional analysis

A

A behavioral assessment strategy to understand antecedents and consequences of behavior.

131
Q

functional MRI (fMRI)

A

A neuroimaging technique that assesses brain structure and function as well as metabolic changes.

132
Q

galvanic skin conductance

A

A psychophysiological measure of the electrical conductance of skin.

133
Q

hypothesis

A

A statement about the cause of an event or about the relationship between two events.

134
Q

independent variable

A

A variable manipulated by a researcher that is hypothesized to be the cause of the outcome.

135
Q

intelligence tests

A

Measures of cognitive functioning that provide estimates of intellectual ability.

136
Q

internal consistency reliability

A

Extent to which test items appear to be measuring the same thing.

137
Q

internal validity

A

Extent to which a researcher can be confident that changes in the dependent variable are truly the result of manipulation of the independent variable.

138
Q

interrater reliability

A

Extent to which two raters or observers agree about their ratings or judgments of a person’s behavior.

139
Q

longitudinal study

A

A developmental design examining the same group of people over a long period of time.

140
Q

magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

A

A neuroimaging technique that can produce high-resolution images of brain structure.

141
Q

mental disorder

A

A group of emotional (feelings), cognitive (thinking), or behavioral symptoms that cause distress or significant problems

142
Q

metabolites

A

By-products of neurotransmitters that can be detected in urine, blood, and cerebral spinal fluid.

143
Q

MMPI-2 clinical scales

A

Subscales of the MMPI-2 used to identify various problematic behaviors and personality styles.

144
Q

MMPI-2 validity scales

A

Subscales of the MMPI-2 used to identify a person’s defensiveness during testing and response sets.

145
Q

naturalistic observation

A

A behavioral assessment technique that involves observing a person in his or her natural environment.

146
Q

negative correlation

A

Two variables highly related to one another such that an increase in one variable is accompanied by a decrease in the other variable.

147
Q

neurochemical assessment

A

Biological assessment of dysfunctions in specific neurotransmitter systems.

148
Q

neuropsychological assessment

A

Indirect measures of brain and physical function by evaluating a person’s performance on standardized tests and tasks that indicate brain-behavior relationships.

149
Q

objective personality measures

A

Measures of personality that involve administering a standard set of questions or statements to which a person responds using set options.

150
Q

organismic variables

A

A person’s physiological or cognitive characteristics important for understanding a problem and determining treatment.

151
Q

personality assessment

A

Instruments measuring different traits or aspects of character.

152
Q

positive correlation

A

Two variables highly related to one another such that an increase in one variable is accompanied by an increase in the other variable.

153
Q

positron emission tomography (PET scan)

A

An invasive neuroimaging procedure that assesses brain structure and functioning.

154
Q

predictive validity

A

Whether test or interview results accurately predict some behavior or event in the future.

155
Q

projective tests

A

Psychological testing techniques based on the assumption that people faced with an ambiguous stimulus such as an inkblot will project their own needs, personality, conflicts, and wishes.

156
Q

psychophysiological assessment

A

Evaluating bodily changes possibly associated with certain mental conditions.

157
Q

quasi-experimental method

A

A study in which an independent variable is manipulated but people are not randomly selected or assigned to groups.

158
Q

randomization

A

Selecting and assigning people to groups so each person has the same chance of being assigned to any one group.

159
Q

reliability

A

Consistency of test scores or diagnoses.

160
Q

scientific method

A

A set of agreed upon rules for systematically gathering information that involves generating a hypothesis, developing a research design, and analyzing and interpreting data to test the hypothesis.

161
Q

self-monitoring

A

A behavioral assessment technique where a person observes and records his own behaviors, thoughts, and emotions.

162
Q

sequential design

A

A developmental design involving aspects of longitudinal and cross-sectional studies.

163
Q

standardization

A

Administering or conducting clinical assessment measures in the same way for all examinees.

164
Q

structured interviews

A

A type of clinical interview that requires an interviewer to ask standardized questions in a specified sequence.

165
Q

syndrome

A

Symptoms that cluster or group together within individuals.

166
Q

test-retest reliability

A

Extent to which a person provides similar answers to the same test items across time.

167
Q

unstructured interview

A

A type of clinical interview in which clinicians ask any questions that come to mind in any order.

168
Q

validity

A

Extent to which an assessment technique measures what it is supposed to measure.

Abnormal Psych (5 decks)

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