lecture 11 p7: psychological challenges Flashcards
Psychopathy
○ Psychopathy is a personality disorder characterized by a set of traits such as pathological lying, lack of empathy, manipulative behavior, and a lack of remorse.
○ Psychopaths may engage in deceptive practices and show a superficial charm while lacking genuine emotions.
○ It’s important to note that psychopathy is not an official diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).
Machiavellianism
○ Machiavellianism refers to a personality trait characterized by interpersonal manipulation, emotional coldness, and a strategic, instrumental approach to relationships.
○ Individuals with high Machiavellian traits may use others as pawns in their personal games and employ manipulative strategies
Dark Triad
○ The Dark Triad is a set of three overlapping personality traits: psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and narcissism.
○ Individuals with traits from the Dark Triad may exhibit manipulative behaviors, lack of empathy, and a focus on personal gain
Psychopathy traits
○ Often charming and manipulative.
○ Lacks genuine empathy and remorse.
○ Engages in deceitful practices.
○ May use aggression to achieve goals.
○ Displays a superficial charm.
Machiavellianism
○ Interpersonal manipulation for strategic gains.
○ Emotional coldness.
○ May employ deceit but does not lack empathy.
○ Utilizes others as pawns in personal games.
○ Focused on instrumental use of people
OCPD vs.OCD : key differences
OCPD focuses on a need for control and perfection in various aspects of life, without the presence of obsessions and compulsions seen in OCD
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) vs. Bipolar Disorder
○ BPD involves rapid mood shifts, fear of abandonment, and unstable relationships. Bipolar disorder includes distinct episodes of depressive lows and manic highs occurring over weeks or months
Social Anxiety Disorder vs. Avoidant Personality Disorder
○ Social anxiety is driven by a fear of negative evaluation in social situations. Avoidant personality disorder involves an overall sense of inadequacy and hypersensitivity to judgment
Phobias vs. Dependent Personality Disorder
Phobias are specific fears of objects or situations. Dependent personality disorder reflects an overarching fear of separation and an inability to care for oneself.
Dependent Personality Disorder
■ Excessive need to be taken care of, fear of separation, and lack of confidence in one’s ability to care for oneself.
Example:
■ Individuals may have an overwhelming reliance on others for decision-making and support, fearing independence.
Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD): Characteristics
○ Minor symptoms are perceived as indicative of a severe medical issue.
○ Exaggeration of bodily symptoms with no physical basis.
○ Symptoms may be long-lasting, causing distress but lack a medical explanation.
Example:
● A person with a slight cough believes they have advanced lung cancer.
Illness Anxiety Disorder (IAD)
○ Preoccupation with the fear of having a severe illness.
○ Constant worry about health, even in the absence of significant symptoms.
○ Anxiety is disproportionate to any actual medical condition
Somatic Symptom Disorder vs. Illness Anxiety Disorder
Exaggeration vs. Excessive Worry
■ SSD involves exaggerating the severity of existing symptoms.
■ IAD centers around excessive worry about potential illnesses, often in the absence of significant symptoms
Duration of SSD and IAD
■ SSD symptoms are typically long-lasting, lasting more than six months.
■ IAD involves continuous worry about health, even if symptoms are mild or non-specific.
Confirmation Seeking
■ Individuals with SSD may seek medical attention to affirm their symptoms.
■ Those with IAD might continuously worry about potential illnesses without the need for actual symptoms
Understanding Patterns in Somatic Disorders
● Predominant Pain Pattern
● Health Anxiety and Seeking Affirmation
Predominant Pain Pattern
○ Pain is subjective, making it challenging to objectively confirm.
○ Individuals may seek affirmation from medical professionals for unexplained pain.
○ Continuous pain, despite no underlying physical basis, is a common feature
Health Anxiety and Seeking Affirmation
○ Individuals may move from doctor to doctor in search of validation for their health concerns.
○ Seeking affirmation is a key aspect of their behavior.
○ The anxiety surrounding health often exceeds what is objectively warranted
Impact of Gender Bias in Diagnosis
○ Clinicians may show bias in diagnosing certain disorders based on the gender of the patient.
○ Stereotypical gender norms may influence diagnostic decisions, even with identical symptom presentations.
purpose of study example
This highlights the need for awareness and training to minimize gender-related biases in diagnosis
Conversion Disorder
● One or more symptoms of altered voluntary motor or sensory function.
○ Symptoms have no medical basis, and their origin is believed to be psychological.
■ Example:
● An individual may experience paralysis, blindness, or other functional impairments without any detectable physical cause.
Identifying Conversion Disorder
● Muscle Atrophy
● Functional Disconnect
Muscle Atrophy
○ Medical paraplegia often involves muscle atrophy due to lack of use.
○ In conversion disorder, where no physical damage is detected, muscle atrophy is absent.
○ The lack of muscle deterioration suggests a psychological origin rather than a medical one.
Functional Disconnect
○ Conversion disorder involves a disconnect between the brain’s instructions to move and the actual ability to control movements.
○ While the individual may report the inability to move, there is no physiological basis for the claimed impairment.
■ Example:
● An individual claiming paraplegia may still move their legs, but there is a disconnect between intention and execution
Conversion Disorder and Vision Impairment
○ Medically blind individuals, with actual damage to eyes, optic nerves, or visual cortex, exhibit a consistent lack of vision.
○ Conversion disorder blindness may manifest as the inability to see despite no physical damage
Task-based Differences: conversion disorder
When given tasks, such as reaching for an object:
■ A medically blind person may not understand the request or reach randomly.
■ A conversion disorder blindness individual may exhibit purposeful actions, indicating a functional rather than physiological issue.
Factitious Disorder: Characteristics
○ Deliberate feigning, exaggeration, or induction of physical or psychological symptoms.
○ The motivation is to assume the “sick role” without tangible external incentives
■ Example:
● An individual might pretend to have a medical condition, seeking unnecessary medical procedures or attention
Factitious Disorder Imposed on Another (Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy)
A caregiver fabricates or induces symptoms in another person under their care.
○ Often directed toward vulnerable individuals such as children.
■ Example:
● A caregiver might deliberately cause a child’s illness, leading to unnecessary medical interventions.
Objective Testing
○ Objective tests and tasks can help differentiate between psychological and medical origins.
○ Functional behaviors, like purposeful movements despite claimed impairments, may indicate conversion disorder.
Factitious Disorders and Motivation
○ Factitious disorders involve deliberate actions to assume the sick role without apparent external incentives.
○ Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy extends this behavior to causing illness in others, often vulnerable individuals.
