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HP1000 > Psychological Disorders > Flashcards

Psychological Disorders Flashcards

1
Q

____________________ is the study of abnormal behaviour and psychological dysfunction, it involves characterising symptoms, understanding etiology (causes) and developing effective treatments.

A

Psychopathology

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2
Q

What are the 3 main elements of defining abnormality?

A

Statistical Definition or Social Norm Deviance

Subjective Discomfort

Inability to Function Normally or Maladaptive Thinking & Behaviour

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3
Q

A ________________ _________________ is defined as any pattern of behaviour or psychological functioning that causes people significant distress, causes them to harm themselves or others, or harms their ability to function in daily life.

A

psychological disorder

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4
Q

Can variation in human behaviour be considered a psychological disorder?

A

Only if the variation is taken to an extreme, behaviours and thoughts can be seen on a continuum, ranging from absence to extreme or severe expression across various indicators (intensity, frequency).

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5
Q

The _____________ model of abnormality proposes that psychological disorders have a ______________ or medical cause, changing behaviour is caused by changes in the chemical, structural, or genetic systems of the body.

A

biological

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6
Q

In the biological model of abnormality, how are disorders diagnosed?

A

By symptoms, etiology, course and prognosis.

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7
Q

If a psychologist describes psychological disorders based on factors such as: faulty neurotransmitter systems, genetic problems, brain damage and dysfunction. They are describing abnormal behaviour in terms of the ______________ model of abnormality.

A

biological

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8
Q

What are the 3 main PSYCHOLOGICAL models of abnormality?

A

Psychodynamic, Behavioral and Cognitive

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9
Q

The ______________________ view of abnormality assumes that disordered thinking and behaviour are the result of repressing one’s threatening thoughts, memories and concerns in the unconscious mind.

A

psychodynamic

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10
Q

When a woman has thoughts of sleeping with her brother and she feels “dirty” she may feel compelled to wash her hands to symbolically rid herself of the “dirty” thoughts. Which model of abnormality is the previous sentence based on?

A

Psychodynamic

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11
Q

In the _______________ model of abnormality, psychological disorders are defined as disordered ______________ that is being learnt, either through conditioning or reinforcement.

A

behavioural, behaviour

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12
Q

A spider dropped onto a girl’s leg, causing her to scream and react with fear. Her mother then gave her a lot of attention. The next time she saw a spider, she screamed again to draw attention to herself. Which model of abnormality is this an example of?

A

Behavioural

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13
Q

The ______________ model of abnormality sees maladaptive functioning as a result from illogical thinking patterns. It also classifies abnormal thinking and behaviour to stem from irrational beliefs and illogical patterns of thought.

A

cognitive

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14
Q

A girl has the distorted thinking that all insects, even ants, are venomous and that she would die after being bit by one. Some will say that such illogical thinking patterns put her at higher risk of depression and anxiety. Which model of abnormality is this thinking from?

A

Cognitive

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15
Q

The ________________ perspective of abnormality focuses on the relationship between social behaviour and culture.

In psychopathology, it is the perspective in which abnormal thinking and behaviour (as well as normal) is seen as the product of learning and shaping within the context of the family, the social group to which one belongs, and the culture within which the family and social group exist.

A

sociocultural

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16
Q

The need to consider the unique characteristics of the culture in which behaviour takes place to be able to correctly diagnose and treat the disorder is called __________ __________.

A

cultural relativity

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17
Q

_______________ __________________ are sets of particular symptoms of distress found in particular cultures, which may or may not be recognised as an illness within the culture.

A

Cultural syndromes

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18
Q

The __________________ perspective of abnormality is the perspective in which abnormal behaviour is seen as the result of the combined and interacting forces of biological, psychological, social, and cultural influences.

A

biopsychological

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19
Q

A person may have a genetically inherited tendency for a type of disorder, such as anxiety, but may not develop a full-blown disorder unless the family and social environments produce the right stressors at the right time in development. Which perspective of abnormality is the statement based on?

A

Biopsychological

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20
Q

A study on depression reported that Chinese & Japanese American individuals frequently reported having a poor appetite whereas European American individuals reported having the urge to eat more frequently. This is linked to the ________________ perspective of abnormality on how different background or external factors such as family or upbringing can affect behaviour and thinking.

A

sociocultural

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21
Q

Diagnosing psychological disorders is a challenge as there are no specific ____________ to determine whether a certain psychological disorder is present in an individual.

A

biomarkers

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22
Q

Why is it important to have a standardised method of describing psychological and behavioural symptoms?

A

To correctly identify and diagnose the disorder and to facilitate communication among and between psychological professionals and other healthcare providers.

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23
Q

What is the DSM-5 and what is depicted inside?

A

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition.

It describes about 250 different psychological disorders in terms of symptoms, the typical path of the disorders takes as it progresses (course), and a checklist of specific criteria that must be met in order for the diagnosis of that disorder to be made.

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24
Q

What are the benefits of the DSM-5?

A

It provides practitioners with a common language and standardisation of symptoms and criteria for diagnosis (labels).

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25
Does the DSM-5 provide a form of treatment for any diagnosis?
No it does not, the manual is more of a framework for diagnosis and it does not ensure accuracy in every situation. The diagnoses are not characterised by underlying causes, and rather a classification of symptoms, hence it does not recommend any form of treatment as factors contributing to the disorder may vary.
26
What is the ICD-11?
The International Classification of Diseases, which is a large ontology of medical classifications published by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
27
How is the ICD-11 different from the DSM-5?
ICD-11 is globally used for insurance coding and is the authoritative for BOTH mental and physical illnesses.
28
What are the similarities in the ICD-11 and the DSM-5?
They both detail symptomatic criteria for their diagnoses.
29
What are some pros of the labelling of psychological disorders?
They make up a common language in the mental health community, allowing psychological professionals to communicate with each other clearly and efficiently. Labels establish distinct diagnostic categories that all professionals recognize and understand, and they can help patients receive effective treatment.
30
What are some cons of the labelling of psychological disorders?
The labels can be overly prejudicial, they can bias us, affect our judgement, and give us preconceived notions that may turn out to be false.
31
What does David Rosenhan's "pseudopatient" experiment tell us about the labelling of psychological disorders?
Psychological labels are long-lasting and powerful, affecting not only how other people see mental patients but how patients see themselves.
32
What is "psychology student's syndrome"?
Psychology students studying abnormal behavior can also become convinced that they have some mental disorder. This may occur due to the availability bias/heuristic.
33
What are mood disorders?
Mood disorders are disorders in which the mood is severely disturbed. It also refers to disturbances in emotion or affective disorders.
34
_____________ disorders are characterised by _______________ moods (e.g., sad, irritable, empty) or a loss of pleasure accompanied by other cognitive, behavioural or neurovegetative (i.e., directly related to the body) symptoms that significantly affect the individual’s ability to function.
Depressive
35
When a deeply depressed mood comes on fairly suddenly and either seems to be too severe for the circumstances or exists without any external cause for sadness, what is this disorder called?
Major depressive disorder
36
Jennifer seems to be depressed for most of the day, and recently has taken little pleasure in her hobby of swimming. She constantly feels tired and has nights when she both has trouble sleeping or oversleeps. Jennifer also easily experiences excessive guilt and feelings of worthlessness, particularly when she makes mistakes at work due to her difficulty in concentrating. What psychological disorder is Jennifer likely to be diagnosed with?
Major depressive disorder
37
What is a unipolar disorder?
An emotional disorder where the main emotion experienced is at one end of the emotional range, for example, sadness.
38
What is bipolar disorder?
Bipolar disorder is when a person experiences periods of mood that can range from severe depression to manic episodes (excessive excitement, energy, and elation).
39
An individual with ______________ ______________ disorder may only experience mood that spans from normal to manic and may or may not experience episodes of depression. An individual with _______________ _______________ disorder experiences spans of normal mood that are interspersed with episodes of major depression and episodes of hypomania, a level of mood that is elevated but at a level below or less severe than full mania.
bipolar 1, bipolar 2
40
What are the behavioural links to causes of disordered moods?
Behavioural theories link depression to learned helplessness, individuals blame any negative events on personal flaws or external factors, leading them to feel powerless to improve their situations.
41
What are the cognitive links to causes of disordered moods?
Cognitive theories see depression as the result of distorted illogical thinking, depressed people have persistent negative thoughts leading to a downward spiral, implying that that depression increases the prevalence or frequency of negative thoughts.
42
What are the biological links to causes of disordered moods?
Biological explanations of mood disorders look at the function of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine systems. It places emphasis on neurotransmitters and how it can affect mood. It also looks into how hereditary influence may play part in the prevalence of mood disorders.
43
What are anxiety disorders?
Anxiety disorders are a class of disorders in which the primary symptom is excessive or unrealistic anxiety.
44
What are phobias or phobic disorders?
A specific anxiety disorder where there is an irrational and/or persistent fear of something.
45
______________ _______________ disorder or ____________ phobia Involves a fear of interacting with others or being in a social situation.
Social anxiety, social
46
What is agoraphobia?
Fear of being in a place or situation from which escape is difficult or impossible.
47
A ____________ _____________ is a sudden onset of extreme distress with various physical symptoms: racing heart, rapid breathing, a sensation of being “out of one’s body”, dulled hearing and vision, sweating and dry mouth
panic attack
48
When panic attacks occur more than once or repeatedly and cause persistent worry or changes in behaviour or daily life they become a _______ ________.
panic disorder
49
What is a generalised anxiety disorder?
Generalised anxiety disorder is when excessive anxiety and worries (apprehensive expectations) occur lasting for about 6 months or more. People with this disorder may also experience anxiety about a number of events or activities (such as work or school performance).
50
______________-_____________ anxiety is the term given to anxiety that seems to be unrelated to any realistic and specific known factor. It is usually present in generalised anxiety disorder and these feelings have no particular source that can be pinpointed, the person is unable to control the feelings even if an effort is made to do so.
Free-floating
51
________________ ____________________ __________________ is a disorder in which intruding thoughts that occur repeatedly are followed by repetitive, ritualistic behaviour or mental acts. These repetitive behaviour or acts are meant to lower the anxiety caused by the intruding thought.
Obsessive compulsive disorder
52
What happens when a person with OCD is unable to perform the compulsion?
They might feel extreme anxiety or distress when there is a failure or an inability to successfully complete the compulsion.
53
_________________ ______________ ________________ is a disorder resulting from exposure to a major stressor, with symptoms of anxiety, dissociation, recurring nightmares, sleep disturbances, problems in concentration, and moments in which people seem to “relive” the event in dreams and flashbacks for as long as 1 month following the event.
Acute stress disorder
54
What are some examples of a major stressor that when exposed to an individual may cause acute stress disorder?
A traumatic event, such as a natural disaster, or a terrorist attack.
55
When the symptoms associated with ASD last for more than 1 month, the disorder is then called _________________ _________________ _________________.
posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
56
What are the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder?
Recurring, intrusive thoughts Hypervigilance - anxiety, irritability, quick to anger Avoidance of anything associated with the traumatic event A sense of a foreshortened future Sense of numbness and emotional distancing from others
57
What are the possible behavioural factors of anxiety disorders?
Behaviourists believe that anxious behavioural reactions are learned. For example, they see phobias as classically conditioned fear responses, as shown in the “Little Albert” experiment.
58
What are the possible cognitive factors of anxiety disorders?
Cognitive psychologists see anxiety disorders as the result of illogical, irrational thought processes. One way is through magnification, which is the tendency to interpret situations as far more dangerous, harmful, or important than they actually are.
59
Cognitive-behavioural psychologists may see anxiety as related to a distorted thought process called _______________ _______________, in which a person believes their performance must be perfect or the result will be a total failure.
all-or-nothing thinking
60
_______________ is where a single negative event is interpreted as a never-ending pattern of defeat
Overgeneralization
61
What is minimisation?
Little or no emphasis is given to one’s successes or positive events/traits.
62
Overgeneralisation, magnification & minimisation are examples of ___________ thinking.
irrational
63
What are the possible biological factors of anxiety disorders?
Neurotransmitters such as GABA, serotonin and norepinephrine affecting the mood of a person. There is also evidence of hereditary influence and a genetic basis for these disorders.
64
How do cultural variations affect anxiety disorders in different people?
Anxiety disorders found around the world may take on different forms dependent on various cultures. Cultural differences can significantly impact how anxiety is expressed across various societies.
65
Taijin kyofusho is found primarily in Japan and involves excessive fear and anxiety of themselves doing something in public that is socially inappropriate or embarrassing. What is this an example of relating to psychological disorders?
Cultural variations
66
___________________ _________________ is a disorder which involves a break in consciousness, memory or a person’s sense of identity.
Dissociative disorder
67
__________________ is a mental process of disconnecting from one's thoughts, feelings, memories or sense of identity.
Dissociation
68
In _____________ ___________, the individual cannot remember personal information such as one’s own name or specific personal events, information stored in episodic long-term memory.
dissociative amnesia
69
What are the differences in causes between dissociative amnesia and retrograde amnesia?
The cause of dissociative amnesia is more psychological rather than physical, as compared to retrograde amnesia.
70
A _____________ _______________ is when a person suddenly travels away from home and afterwards cannot remember the trip or even personal information such as identity.
dissociative fugue
71
Formerly known as multiple personality disorder, _________________ ______________ _____________ is when a person seems to experience at least two or more distinct personalities existing in one body.
dissociative identity disorder (DID)
72
In _____________ ______________ disorder, there may be a ‘core’ personality, who usually knows nothing about the other personalities and is the one who experiences ‘blackouts’ or losses of memory and time. Fugues are also common, with the core personality experiencing unsettling moments of “awakening” in an unfamiliar place or with people who call the person by another name.
dissociative identity
73
What are some possible psychodynamic causes of dissociative disorders?
As dissociative disorders seem to have a large element of threatening or unacceptable thought repression, or motivated forgetting, it is believed that the loss of the memory or disconnecting one's awareness is adaptive in that it reduces emotional pain.
74
What are some possible cognitive and behavioural causes of dissociative disorders?
Cognitive and behavioural explanations are connected, trauma-related thought avoidance is negatively reinforced by the reduction in anxiety and emotional pain.
75
What are some possible biological causes of dissociative disorders?
Researchers found that people with depersonalisation or derealisation disorder have lower brain activity in the area responsible for their sense of body awareness than do people without the disorder.
76
_______________ _______________ are a variety of disorders related to the intake of food, or in some cases non-nutritive substances, or in the elimination of bodily waste.
Eating disorders
77
________________ _________________ is a condition in which a person (typically young and female) reduces eating to the point where their body weight is significantly low, or less than minimally expected.
Anorexia nervosa
78
What are some symptoms of anorexia nervosa?
Abnormal hormone secretion Weak or altered heart muscles and rhythms Diarrhoea Loss of muscle tissue Loss of sleep Low blood pressure Lack of menstruation in females
79
What is purging?
When individuals force themselves to throw up in an attempt to reduce their own body weight.
80
What is bulimia nervosa?
A condition in which a person develops a cycle of “bingeing”, overeating enormous amounts of food at one sitting, and then using inappropriate methods for avoiding weight gain.
81
What are some differences between bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa?
The most obvious difference between anorexia and bulimia is that individuals with bulimia will eat to excess, bingeing on huge amounts of food, whereas individuals with anorexia consume food very infrequently. Individuals with bulimia also typically maintain a normal weight, making the disorder difficult to detect.
82
What are some symptoms of bulimia?
Severe tooth decay and erosion of the lining of the oesophagus from the acidity of the vomit Enlarged salivary glands Potassium, calcium and social imbalances Damages to the intestinal tract from overuse of laxatives Heart problems Fatigue Seizures
83
_________-____________ ____________ is a condition in which a person overeats, or ___________ on, enormous amounts of food in one sitting, the individual however does not purge or use unhealthy methods to avoid weight gain.
Binge-eating disorder, binges
84
What are some factors that make adolescents and young adult females more at risk for developing eating disorders?
Cultural factors such as idolising thinness Increased sensitivity to food, its reward value plays a role in bulimia and binge-eating disorder Individuals with a history of neglect or abuse (emotional, physical, or sexual) have an increased risk of having the disorder
85
Are genetic components significant in the presence of eating disorders?
Yes, they account for 40 to 60 percent of the risk of the disorders. Several genes have been implicated, however the exact ones have not yet been identified.
86
_____________ ____________ is a problem with sexual functioning, or with the actual physical workings of the sex act.
Sexual dysfunction
87
Sexual dysfunction involves problems in which three possible areas, they are ______________ _____________, ______________ and ______________.
sexual interest, arousal, response
88
What are the different types of factors that sexual dysfunction may stem from?
Physical or organic factors, sociocultural factors and psychological factors.
89
_________________ ________________ are disorders in which a person adopts a persistent, rigid and maladaptive pattern of behaviour that interferes with normal social interactions.
Personality disorders
90
What are the three basic categories of personality disorders as described in the DSM-5?
Cluster A (Seen as odd or eccentric by others) Cluster B (Behaviour seen as very dramatic, emotional, or erratic) Cluster C (Main emotion is anxiety or fearfulness)
91
What are some examples of Cluster A personality disorders?
Paranoid personality disorder & Schizoid/schizotypal personality disorder
92
What are some examples of Cluster B personality disorders?
Antisocial personality disorder, Borderline personality disorder, Histrionic personality disorder (attention-seeking, overly emotional) & Narcissistic personality disorder
93
What are some examples of Cluster C personality disorders?
Avoidant personality disorder, dependent personality disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder
94
________________ personality disorder is a Cluster A personality disorder in which a person exhibits pervasive and widespread distrust and suspiciousness of others.
Paranoid
95
__________________ personality disorder is a Cluster B personality disorder in which a person uses/exploits other people without worrying about their rights or feelings, they often behave in an impulsive or reckless manner without regard for the consequences of that behaviour.
Antisocial
96
________________ personality disorder is a Cluster B maladaptive personality pattern in which the person is moody, unstable, lacks a clear sense of identity, and often clings to others with a pattern of self-destructiveness, chronic loneliness, and disruptive anger in close relationships.
Borderline
97
__________________ personality disorder is a Cluster C disorder in which the person is clingy, submissive, fearful of separation, requires constant reassurance, feels helpless when alone, and has others assume responsibility for most areas of life.
Dependent
98
Emma, a 28-year-old woman, visits a therapist at the urging of her friends and family. She reports frequent conflicts in her relationships and a pervasive sense of emptiness. Emma describes a pattern of intense and unstable relationships, where she initially idolizes someone, only to later feel betrayed or abandoned by them, often without clear evidence of mistreatment. She shares that she experiences extreme mood swings that can last a few hours to a day, ranging from euphoria to intense despair. During these periods, she sometimes engages in impulsive behaviors, such as overspending, reckless driving, or binge eating. Emma mentions that she often fears being alone and sometimes makes threats of self-harm when she feels that someone important to her is pulling away. What personality disorder is she most likely experiencing?
Borderline personality disorder
99
What is the cognitive-behavioural theory on the causes of personality disorders?
Sees personality disorders as a set of learned behaviour that has become maladaptive, bad habits are learned early on in life. Belief systems of the personality disordered person are seen as illogical
100
What is the biological theory on the causes of personality disorders?
Focuses on genetic factors and hereditary Biological relatives of people with disorders such as antisocial, schizotypal, and borderline are more likely to have these disorders compared than those who are unrelated
101
What are some other possible causes of personality disorders?
Disturbances in family communications and relationships Childhood abuse, neglect Overly strict or overprotective parenting Parental rejection
102
_______________________ is a severe psychological disorder in which the person suffers from disordered thinking, bizarre behaviour, hallucinations and inability to distinguish between fantasy and reality.
Schizophrenia
103
What are the 2 categories of symptoms in schizophrenia?
Positive and negative symptoms.
104
What are positive symptoms?
Positive symptoms are symptoms that are excesses or distortions of behaviour which may occur in addition to normal behaviour.
105
____________ symptoms are symptoms that are less than normal behaviour, or an absence of normal behaviour.
Negative
106
What are some examples of positive symptoms in schizophrenia?
Delusions, hallucinations, excessive display of emotions, disorganised thoughts or speech, disorganised or abnormal motor behaviour
107
What are some examples of negative symptoms in schizophrenia?
Flat affect, poor attention, poor speech, catatonia
108
________________ are disorders in thinking. It can also be described as false beliefs held by a person who refuses to accept evidence of their falseness. It is a common symptom in schizophrenia.
Delusions
109
________________ are false sensory perceptions, such as hearing voices or seeing things when they do not really exist.
Hallucinations
110
What are some of the possible causes of schizophrenia?
Combination of genetic and environmental factors Neurotransmitter system dysfunction, particularly dopamine Stress-vulnerability model
111
Toby has developed an irrational fear of balloons due to a previous traumatic childhood experience where his father had a heart attack after a balloon popped during his birthday party. Whenever Toby sees a balloon, he gets extremely uncomfortable and fearful. This is called a(n) _____________ anxiety disorder, specifically a ______________. The term for the fear of balloons is called ___________________.
specific, phobia, globophobia
112
Wilson was recently a victim of a terrorist attack which occurred about 2 weeks ago. Wilson had experienced recurring nightmares of the experience during his sleep. He also has become more anxious than usual, frequently worried about whether he would be a victim of another attack. After a month had passed, Wilson appeared to return back to usual self, his anxiety and recurring thoughts regarding the attack seemed to subside. Wilson likely had a(n) _____________ ________________ ________________.
acute stress disorder
113
In January 2023, Barok and his brother Klint were soldiers in the British army and had went to a foreign country to assist in a civil war as part of peacekeeping efforts. During the war, Klint had unfortunately died during a mission. After returning back to his home from the war in May 2023, Barok was very emotionally distant from his family, Barok became very irritable and quick to anger. In December 2023, Barok was walking past a souvenir shop with his boyfriend and noticed a sword on display, Barok became very emotionally distressed at the sight of the sword as he had witnessed Klint dying after being stabbed by a sword. Barok shows signs of having a _______________________ _____________________ __________________.
posttraumatic stress disorder
114
The ____________-_______________ model assumes that there is a biological sensitivity to a disorder that will develop under the right conditions of environmental of emotional stress.
stress-vulnerability
115
People with __________ phobia are afraid of being evaluated in some negative way by others, so they tend to avoid situations that could lead to something embarrassing or humiliating.
social

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