Personality & Abnormal Psychology Flashcards
Personality
- Who a person really is, what makes a person tick and why
- The social skills
- Impression they leave on others
Somatotypes
Body Types
- Endomorphy - soft and spherical
- Mesomorphy - hard, muscular and rectangular
- Ectomorphy - thin, fragile and lightly muscled
Humanism
Idea that people should be considered as wholes rather than in terms of stimulus and responses
- Humans have free will
General Paresis
Disorder due to brain deterioration caused by syphilis: characterized by delusions or grandeur, mental deterioration, eventual paralysis and death
Psychodynamic (Pyschoanalytic) Theory
- (Sigmund Freud)
Postulate the existence of unconscious internal states (innate instincts) that motivate the over actions of individuals and determine personality
Id
- Completely unconscious*
- Reservoir of all psychic energy and consists of everything psychological that presents at birth
- “Obtain satisfaction NOW”
- Operates according to the pleasure principle
- Basic primal, inborn urges to survive and reproduce
Pleasure Principle
Aim to immediately discharge any built up energy and receive immediate gratification
Wish- Fulfillment
Mental image of an object
Ego
- Conscious, Pre-Conscious and a little Unconscious*
- Organization of the Id and the mind
- Reality Principle - takes into account objective reality as it guides or inhibits the activity of the Id
- Postpones pleasure principle until the actual object that will satisfy the need can be obtained
- Promotes growth and elaboration of perception, memory, problem solving, thinking, etc…Super
Superego
Conscious, Pre-Conscious and mostly Unconscious
- Strives for the ideal / perfection rather than the real
- Not directly in touch with reality
- Pride in our accomplishments and guild at our failures
Conscience (Superego)
Punishments & Guilt for wrongdoings
Ego-Ideal
Part of the Superego - an image of the perfect / ideal self toward which we aspire to be
Instinct
Innate psychological representation (wish) of a biological need
Eros
Life instinct: purpose of individual survival like hunger, thirst, sex, etc…
Thanatos
Death instinct: Unconscious wish for the ultimate absolute state of quiescence (quiet / inactivity); death and destruction
Libido (Freud)
Form of energy by which the life instincts perform their work
Libido (Carl Jung)
Psychic Energy in general
Defense Mechanisms
Ego releasing excessive pressures due to anxiety
- They deny / falsify or distort reality
- Operate unconsciously
Repression
Unconscious forgetting of anxiety - producing memories
Suppression
Conscious form of forgetting
Projection
Attributes forbidden urges on to others
Reaction Formation
A repressed wish is warded of by it’s opposite
Rationalization
Developing a socially acceptable explanation for inappropriate behavior or thoughts
Regression
Person reverts to an earlier stage of development in response to a traumatic event
Sublimation
Transforming unacceptable urges into socially acceptable behaviors
Displacement
Pent-up feelings are discharged on objects and people less dangerous than those objects of people causing the feeling
Collective Unconscious
- (Carl Jung)
System shared among all humans and is considered to be the residue of the experiences of our early ancestors
- Uses Archetypes / images to build it
Archetype
Thought or image that has an emotional element
Persona
A Mask that is adopted by a person in response to the demands of social convention
Anima
(Feminine)
Understand gender - feminine behaviors in males
“man’s inner woman”
Animus
(Masculine)
Understand gender - masculine behaviors in females
“woman’s inner man”
Shadow Archetype
Animal instincts that humans inherited in their evolution from lower forms of life
Responsible for consciousness, behavior of unpleasant and socially reprehensible thoughts, feelings and actions
Self Archetype
- Striving for unity - the intersection between the collective unconscious, personal unconscious and the conscious (ego)
- Reconciler of opposites and promoter of harmony
Mandala
“Magic Circle” that symbolizes the self
Mythic expression of the self, reconciler of opposites and the promoter of harmony
Extroversion
Orientation toward the external, objective world
Introversion
Orientation toward the inner, subjective world
Alfred Adler’s Theory
People strive for superiority which drives the personality
Inferiority Complex
Individual sense of incompleteness, sense of imperfection, physical inferiorities as well as social disabilities
Creative Self
Force by which each individual shapes his or her uniqueness and makes their own personality
Style of Life
Manifestation of the creative self and describes a person’s unique way of achieving superiority
Fictional Finalism
An Individual is motivated more by their expectations of the future than by past experiences
Neurotic Needs
- (Karen Horney)
Neurotic needs resemble healthy ones EXCEPT in the following ways:
- Disproportionate in intensity
- Indiscriminate in Application
- Partially disregard reality
- Tend to provoke intense anxiety
Strategy Used with Others to Overcome Anxiety
- (Karen Horney)
- Moving toward people to obtain the food will of people who provide security
- Moving against people, or fighting them to obtain the upper hand
- Moving away of withdrawing from people
Psychoanalysis
Intensive, long-term treatment for uncovering repressed memories, motives and conflicts stemming from problems in psychosexual development.
Behavior is a result of unconscious conflicts, repression & defense mechanisms
Free Association
Patient says whatever comes to their conscious mind, regardless of how personal, painful or seemingly irrelevant it may appear to be.
Resistance
Unwillingness or inability to relate certain thoughts, motives or experiences
Transference
Attributing to the therapist attitudes and feelings that developed in the patient’s relations with Significant others in the past
Counter-Transference
The therapist experiences a full array of emotions toward the patient at various points in the treatment
Neo-Freudian Approaches
Emphasis on current interpersonal relationships and life situations than on childhood experience and psychosexual development
Behaviorism
Personality Development is attributed to learned behavior as people interact with their environment
B.F. Skinner - Personality
Collection of behavior that happens to have been sufficiently reinforced to persist
Social Learning Theory
- (Albert Bandura)
Learning occurs not only by having one’s own behavior reinforced by also by Vicarious Reinforcement (observing other people’s behavior being reinforced) and modeling the observed behavior
Cognitive-Behavior Therapy
Attempts to change and restructure the patient’s distorted and / or irrational thoughts
Symptom Substitution
When the underlying cause remains; Treating the symptoms is NOT adequate because new symptoms will develop to replace the old ones
Humanism
Emphasize internal processes rather than overt behavior; Focus on that which distinguishes us from animals
Hierarchy of Needs
- (Abraham Maslow)
Self- Actualization (achieving one’s full potential)
Esteem, Cognitive and Aesthetic Needs (prestige and feelings of accomplishment
Belonging & Love (intimate relationships & friends)
Safety Needs (security)
Basic Physiological Needs (food, water, shelter)
people strive for the higher level needs ONLY once their lower level needs are met
Peak Experiences
Profound and deeply moving experiences in a person’s life that have important and lasting effects on the individual
*Self-Actualized people are more likely to experience this
Client - Centered (Nondirective) Therapy
- (Carl Rogers)
Freedom to control their own behavior; Client is seen as being able to reflect upon their problems, make choices, take + action and help determine their own destiny
Type Theorists
Attempt to characterize people according to specific types of personality
Trait Theorists
Attempt to describe the individuals personality as a sums of a persons characteristic behaviors
Type A Personality
Behavior that tends to be competitive and compulsive
Type B Personality
Laid back and relaxed behavior
Cardinal Traits
Traits around which a person organized their life
** not everyone can develop these
Central Traits
Represent major characteristics of the personality that are easy to infer
Secondary Traits
Personal characteristics that are more limited in occurrence
Functional Autonomy
A given activity or form of behavior may become an end or goal itself; regardless of the original reason for existence
Need for Achievement (nAch)
- (David McClelland)
- People who are rated high:
- Are concerned with achievement and they have pride in their accomplishments.
- They avoid high risks (to avoid failing) and low risks (easy tasks won’t generate feelings of accomplishments)
- Set realistic goals and do not continue if success is unlikely
Internal Locus of Control
Believe that they can control their own destiny; tend to have higher self-esteem
External Locus of Control
Believe that outside events and chance control their destiny, attribute success to luck or task ease; tend to have lower self-esteem
Machiavellian
Personality trait that is manipulative and deceitful
Androgyny
State of being simultaneously very masculine and very feminine
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5 (DSM - V)
Classify mental disorders based on descriptions of symptoms
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
Atypical Inattention; unable to follow instructions or requests; difficulty staying on task
Impulsivity - inability to delay gratification, impatience and often interrupts others
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Hyperactivity in motor activity: fidgeting, restlessness
Impulsivity - inability to delay gratification, impatience and often interrupts others
Atypical inattention, difficulty staying on task
Autistic Disorder
Lack of responsiveness, impaired social skills, impaired communication skills, impaired language skills, oversensitive to sensory stimuli, repetitive behaviors, little to no facial expressions, do not like making eye contact or touching
Schizophrenia
Means “split mind” - not in touch with reality
Characterized by distortions of reality, disturbances in content and form of thought, perception and affect
***MUST HAVE symptoms: Delusions, hallucinations or disorganized thought to be considered for this disorder; can also have inappropriate affect and cataonic behavior
Positive Symptoms
Behaviors, thoughts or affects added to normal behavior
Ex: delusions, hallucinations
Negative Symptoms
Absence of normal or desired behaviors
Ex: Flat affect
Delusions
False beliefs, discordant with reality and are maintained in spite of strong evidence to the contrary
Delusions of Reference
Belief of an individual that others are talking about them
Delusions of Persecution
Person is being deliberately interfered with, discriminated against, plotted against or threatened
Delusions of Grandeur
Patient believes themselves to be a remarkable person, such as an inventor, historical figure
Thought Broadcasting
One;s thoughts are broadcast directly from one’s head to the external world
Though Insertion
Belief that thoughts are inserted into ones head
Hallucinations
Perceptions that are not due to external stimuli but have a compelling sense of reality.
Can occur in all sensory modalities
Disorganized Thought
Loosening of associations
Speech in which ideas shift from one subject to another on unrelated subjects and you cannot follow their train of thought
Word Salad
Speech seems to have no structure; just words thrown together incomprehensibly
Neologisms
Invent a new word
Blunting
Severe reduction in the intensity of affect expression
Flat Affect
Virtually no signs of affective expression
Inappropriate Affect
Affect is clearly discordant with the content of the individual’s speech or ideation
Catatonic Motor Behavior
Various extreme behaviors
- Maintaining rigidity, refusing to be moved
- Useless and bizarre movements
Prodromal Phase of Schizophrenia
Poor adjustment; evidence of deterioration, social withdrawal, impairment in role functioning, peculiar behavior, inappropriate affect and unusual experiences
Active (Acute) Phase of Schizophrenia
Schizophrenic symptoms occur
“appear psychotic”
Process Schizophrenia
Development of the disorder is slow and insidious; recovery from this is poor
Reactive Schizophrenia
Development of the disorder is intense and sudden; recovery is better
Catatonic Type Schizophrenia
Characterized by disturbance in motor behavior
Paranoid Type Schizophrenia
Characterized by preoccupation with one or more delusions or frequent hallucinations; preservation of cognitive and affective functioning
Disorganized Type Schizophrenia
Characterized by flat or inappropriate affect & disorganized speech and behavior
Undifferentiated Type Schizophrenia
Characterized by the general criteria that fits the disorder
Residual Schizophrenia
When there has been a previous schizophrenic episode but + psychotic symptoms are not displayed; disturbances and neg. symptoms may be displayed
Dopamine Hypothesis
Excess of dopamine activity or over-sensitivity to dopamine (possibly too many receptors) may results in delusions, hallucinations and agitation
Double Bind Hypothesis
Children who receive contradictory or incompatible message from their primary caregiver begins to see their perceptions of reality as unreliable
Major Depressive Disorder
At least a 2 week period during which there is a prominent and relatively persistent depressed move
- loss of interest in almost all activities
- appetite disturbances
- weight changes
- sleep disturbances
- decreased energy
- feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt
- difficulty concentrating / thinking
- thoughts of death or suicide
- psycho-motor symptoms (feeling “slowed down”)
Bipolar Disorder
Characterized by depression and mania
Manic Episode
Abnormal and persistent elevated mood
- insomnia
- flight of ideas (racing thoughts)
- grandiosity
- impaired judgement
- thoughtlessness (risky behavior)
- impatient
- agitation
- distractible
- increased talkativeness
Hypomania
More energetic and optimistic; functioning is not significantly impaired and their are no psychotic features
Phobia
Irrational fear of something and the compelling desire to avoid it
Specific Phobia
Anxiety produced by a specific object or situation
Agoraphobia
Fear of being in open places or in situations where escape might be difficult
Social Phobia (Social Anxiety Disorder)
Anxiety due to social situations
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Repeated obsessions (irrational thoughts) that produce tensions / compulsions (irrational and repetitive behaviors) that impair one’s life
Somatoform Disorder
Physical symptoms that suggest a medical condition but which are not fully explained by a medical condition
Conversion Disorder (Hysteria)
Unexplained symptoms affecting voluntary motor or sensory functions
Hypochondriasis
Fears that one has a serious disease and misinterpreting ones symptoms
Dissociative Disorders
Person who avoids stress by dissociation or escaping from their identity but otherwise has an intact sense of reality
Dissociative Amnesia
Inability to recall past experience (not due to a neurological disorder)
Dissociative Fugue
Amnesia that accompanies a sudden, unexpected move away from one’s home or location of usual daily activities; confusion about identity and may assume a new identity
Dissocitative Identity Disorder
Two or more personalities that recurrently take control of a person’s behavior
This occurs when the components of identity fail to integrate
Depersonalization (Derealization) Disorder
Person feels detached from their own mind / body or from their surroundings, like an outside observer with feelings of automation; otherwise have an intact sense of reality
Anorexia Nervosa
Refusal to maintain a minimal normal body weight; distorted body image and believes they are overweight
Bulimia Nervosa
Binge eating accompanied by excessive attempts to compensate by purging, fasting or excessive exercising; maintain a normal body weight
Schizoid Personality Disorder
Pattern of detachment from social relationships, restricted range of emotional expression, little desire for social interaction, few if any close friends and poor social skills
***** NOT SCHIZOPHRENIA
~Cluster A type personality disorder
Narcissistic Personality Disorder
- Grandiose sense of self-importance or uniqueness
- Preoccupations with fantasies of success
- Need for constant admiration and attention
- Disturbances in interpersonal relationships
- Fragile self-esteem
~Cluster B type personality disorder
Borderline Personality Disorder
Features of both personality disorders & severe psychological disorders
- Instability in interpersonal behavior, moor and self-image
- Relationships are often intense and unstable
- Uncertainty about self-image
- Identity disturbances
- Fear of abandonment
~Cluster B type personality disorder
Antisocial Personality Disorder
Pattern of disregard for violation of the rights of others
- Repeated illegal acts, deceitfulness & aggressiveness
- Lack of remorse for acts
~Cluster B type personality disorder
Diathesis-Stress Model
Diathesis - predisposition toward developing a specific mental disorder (genetic, or biochemical)
Stress - Excessive amounts on a person who is predisposed may lead to a development of a specific mental disorder
Primary Prevention
- Seek out & Eradicate conditions that foster mental illness
- Try to establish the conditions that foster mental health
Structuralism
Methodology that elements of human culture must be understood by way of their relationship to a larger, overarching system or structure
Functionalism
Studies how the mind functions to help people adapt to their environment
Gestalt Psychology
Attempt to understand the laws behind the ability to acquire and maintain meaningful perceptions in an apparently chaotic world
**Holistic view of the self; seeing each individual as a complete person
Cognitive Psychology
The study of mental processes such as: attention, language use, memory, perception, problem solving, creativity, and thinking
Pre-Conscious
Thoughts we are not currently aware of
Conscious
Thoughts to which we have access
Unconscious
Thoughts we have repressed
3 Dichotomies of Personality
- (Carl Jung)
E - Extraversion
S - Sensing (obtaining objective info about world)
T - Thinking (logic and reasoning)
or
I - Intraversion
I - Intuition (working with info abstractedly)
F - Feeling (value system of personal beliefs)
*Both dichotomies are present to some degree but one tends to dominate a person
Object Relations Theory
The object refers to the representation of caregivers (parents) based on subjective experiences during early infancy. These objects then persist into adulthood and impact our interactions with others including behaviors and social bonds
Basic Anxiety
Inadequate parenting causing vulnerability and helplessness
Basic Hostility
Neglect and rejection causing feelings of anger
Big 5 Behaviors
- Hans / Sybil Eysenck
O peness C conscientiousness E xtraversion A greeableness N euroticism - emotional arousal in stress
Catatonia
Certain motor behaviors with an inability to move correctly
Echolalia
Repeating another’s words
Echopraxia
Repeating / imitating another’s actions
Biophysical Approach
There are biological, psychological (emotion, thoughts, behaviors) and social (Individuals surroundings) components to a disorder
Biomedical Approach
There are physical / medical causes to a psychological disorder
Force Field Theory
- (Kurty Lewins)
Focusing on present situations and the sum of the forces (influences) on the individual at the time. The forces either assist in our attainment of goals or block our paths to them
Unconditional Positive Regard
Therapeutic technique where the therapist accepts the client completely and expresses empathy in order to promote a + therapeutic environment
Persistant Depressive disorder
People who suffer from Dysthymia - a depressed mood that is not severe enough to meet the criteria of a major depressive episode
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Major depressive disorder with seasonal onset (only in the winter months) and is often treated with bright light therapy
Cyclothymic Disorder
Combination of hypomania episodes and periods of dsythmia that are not severe enough to qualify as major depressive episodes
Bipolar I
Has manic episodes with or without major depressive episodes
Bipolar II
Has hypomania with at least one major depressive episode
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Disproportionate and persistent worry about many different things
Symptoms include:
- fatigue
- muscle tension
- sleep problems
Panic Disorder
Repeated panic attacks
Symptoms include:
- fear
- apprehension
- trembling
- sweating
- hyperventilating
- sense of unreality
Body Dysmorphic Disorder
Unrealistic negative evaluation of personal appearance / attractiveness; directed toward a specific body part to the point that it disrupts day to day life
Illness Anxiety Disorder
Consumed with the thoughts about developing a serious medical condition. They become alarmed about their health and either excessively checking themselves for signs of illness or avoid medical appointments altogether
Conversion Disorder
Unexplained symptoms affecting voluntary motor / sensory functions; generally begins soon after high stress or trauma
La Belle Indifference
Person is unconcerned by their symptom
Schizotypal Personality Disorder
Odd or eccentric thinking; Ideas of reference (similar to delusions) and magical thinking (superstitious or belief in clairvoyance)
~Cluster A type personality disorder
Paranoid Personality Disorder
Mistrust of others; suspicious of their motives
May actually be in prodoromal phase of schizophrenia
~Cluster A type personality disorder
Personality Disorders
Pattern of behavior that is inflexible and maladaptive; causing distress or impaired functioning in at least 2 of the following categories:
- cognition
- emotions
- interpersonal functioning
- impulse control
Cluster A Personality Disorder
“Weird”
Labeled as odd or eccentric by others
Cluster B personality Disorder
“Wild”
Labeled as dramatic, emotional or erratic by others
Cluster C Personality Disorder
“Worried”
Labeled as anxious or fearful by others
Splitting
Defense mechanism where you view people as all good or all bad
Histronic Personality Disorder
Constant attention seeking behavior
~Cluster B type personality disorder
Obssessive Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD)
Perfectionist; inflexible Likes rules and order Inability to discard worn objects Lack of desire to change, stubborn Lack humor Maintain careful routines
~Cluster C type personality disorder
Avoidant Personality Disorder
Extreme shyness; fear of rejection
Socially inept / isolated
Intense desire for social affection / acceptance
Stay in the same job, situation, relationships, etc…
Want change
~Cluster C type personality disorder
Dependent Personality Disorder
Continuous need for reassurance
Remain dependent on one specific person to take action / make decisions
~Cluster C type personality disorder
Monoamine Theory of Depression
Links oversupplies of Norepinephrine or Serotonin to Mania and under-supplies with Depression
Self Concept
Ways in which we describe ourselves (past, present and future); our own internal list of answers to the question “who am i?”
Self Schema
Self given label that carries with it a set of qualities
Identity
Who we are, the individual components of our self-concept related to the groups in which we belong
Gender identity
Describes a persons appraisal on scales of masculinity and femininity
**Not necessarily tied to biological sex or sexual orientation
Androgyny
State of being both simultaneously very masculine and very feminine
Undifferentiated
State of being not very masculine nor feminine
Ethnic Identity
Ones ethnic group where members typically share a common ancestry, cultural heritage and language
***Symbols are important
Nationality
Based on political borders; is a result of shared history, media, cuisine and national symbols
Hierarchy of Salience
Situations dictate which identities holds importance at that moment; The more salient the identity the more we conform to the role and expectations
Salience is determined by work invested, reward, gratification and self-esteem associated with the identity
Self Discrepancy Theory
Maintains that we have 3 selves
- Actual Self
- Ideal Self
- Ought Self
**the closer (more similar) they are to one another the higher our self esteem and self worth will be
Actual Self
Our self-concept; how we see ourselves as we currently are
Ought Self
Representation of the way others think we should be
Ideal Self
Who we would like to be
Self Efficacy
Belief in our ability to succeed
Behaviorist
- B. F. Skinner
Based heavily on operant conditioning; Personality is simply a reflection of behaviors that are reinforced over time
Biological Perspective
Personality is a result of genetic expression in the brain
Social Cognitive Approach
Focuses on environment and ho we interact with that environment
Reciprocal Determinism
- Albert Bandura
Idea that feelings, thoughts, behaviors and environment all interact to determine our actions in a situation
Ego-Syntonic
Individual perceives behavior as correct, normal and in harmony with their goals
Ego-Dystonic
Individual sees the illness of something thrust upon them that is intrusive and bothersome
Agnosia
“Not knowing”
- Affects perceptual recognition
Visual Agnosia
Impairment in visual recognition - the person can see an object but is unable to know or recognize what it is
Apraxia
“Inability to act”
- Impairment in the organization of motor action; cannot execute a simple motor response to a verbal command
Dementias
Neurological disorders characterized by loss of intellectual functioning
