Psychology Chapter 15 Flashcards
Mental disorder
A persistent disturbance or dysfunction in behaviour, thoughts, or emotions that causes significant distress or impairment
Medical model
An approach that conceptualizes abnormal psychological experiences as illnesses that, like physical illnesses, have biological and environmental causes, defined symptoms, and possible cures
Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM)
A classification system that describes the features used to diagnose each recognized mental disorder and indicates how that disorder can be distinguished from other, similar problems
Comorbidity
The co-occurrence of two or more disorders in a single individual
Biopsychosocial perspective
Explains mental disorders as the result of interactions among biological, psychological, and social factors
Diathesis-stress model
Suggests that a person may be predisposed to a psychological disorder that remains unexpressed until triggered by stress
Research domain criteria project (RDoC)
A new initiative that aims to guide the classification and understanding of mental disorders by revealing the basic processes that give rise to them
Anxiety disorder
The class of mental disorders in which anxiety is the predominant feature
Phobic disorders
Disorders characterized by marked, persistent, and excessive fear and avoidance of specific objects, activities, or situations
Specific phobia
A disorder that involves an irrational fear of a particular object or situation that markedly interferes with an individual’s ability to function
Social phobia
A disorder that involves an irrational fear of being publicly humiliated or embarrassed
Preparedness theory
The idea that people are instinctively predisposed towards certain fears
Panic disorder
A disorder characterized by the sudden occurrence of multiple psychological and physiological symptoms that contribute to a feeling of stark terror
Agoraphobia
A specific phobia involving a fear of public places
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
A disorder characterized by chronic excessive worry accompanied by three or more of the following symptoms: restlessness, fatigue, concentration problems, irritability, muscle tension, and sleep disturbance
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
A disorder in which repetitive, intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and ritualistic behaviours (compulsions) designed to fend off those thoughts interfere significantly with an individual’s functioning
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
A disorder characterized by chronic physiological arousal, recurrent unwanted thoughts or images of the trauma, and avoidance of things that call the traumatic event to mind
Mood disorders
Mental disorders that have mood disturbance as their predominant feature
Major depressive disorder (or unipolar depression)
A disorder characterized by a severely depressed mood and/or inability to experience pleasure that lasts 2 or more weeks and is accompanied by feelings of worthlessness, lethargy, and sleep and appetite disturbance
Persistent depressive disorder
The same cognitive and bodily problems as in depression are present, but they are less severe and last longer, persisting for at least 2 years
Double depression
A moderately depressed mood that persists for at least 2 years and is punctuated by periods of major depression
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
Recurrent depressive episodes in a seasonal pattern
Helplessness theory
The idea that individuals who are prone to depression automatically attribute negative experiences to causes that are internal (their own fault), stable (unlikely to change), and global (widespread)
Bipolar disorder
A condition characterized by cycles of abnormal, persistent high mood (mania) and low mood (depression)
Expressed emotion
A measure of how much hostility, criticism, and emotional overinvolvement that people communicate when speaking about a family member with a mental disorder
Schizophrenia
A disorder characterized by the profound disruption of basic psychological processes; a distorted perception of reality; altered or blunted emotion; and disturbances in thought, motivation, and behaviour
Positive symptoms
Thoughts and behaviours such as delusions and hallucinations, present in schizophrenia but not seen in those without the disorder
Hallucination
A false perceptual experience that has a compelling sense of being real despite the absence of external stimulation
Delusion
A false belief, often bizarre and grandiose, that is maintained in spite of its irrationality
Disorganized speech
A severe disruption of verbal communication in which ideas shift rapidly and incoherently among unrelated topics
Grossly disorganized behaviour
Behaviour that is inappropriate for the situation or ineffective in attaining goals, often with specific motor disturbances
Catatonic behaviour
A marked decrease in all movement or an increase in muscular rigidity and overactivity
Negative symprtoms
Deficits in or disruption of normal emotions and behaviours (emotional and social withdrawal; apathy; poverty of speech; and other indications of the absence or insufficiency of normal behaviour, motivation, and emotion) that are present in those with schizophrenia
Cognitive symptoms
Deficits in cognitive abilities, specifically executive functioning, attention, and working memory, present in those with schizophrenia
Dopamine hypothesis
The idea that schizophrenia involves an excess of dopamine activity
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
A condition beginning in early childhood in which a person shows persistent communication deficits as well as restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviours, interests, or activities
Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
A persistent pattern of severe problems with inattention and/or hyperactivity or impulsiveness that cause significant impairments in functioning
Conduct disorder
A persistent pattern of deviant behaviour involving aggression towards people or animals, destruction of property, deceitfulness or theft, or serious rule violations
Personality disorders
Enduring patterns of thinking, feeling, or relating to others or controlling impulses that deviate from cultural expectations and cause distress or impaired functioning
Antisocial personality disorder (APD)
A pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others that begins in childhood or early adolescence and continues into adulthood
Suicide
Intentional self-inflicted death
Suicide attempt
Engagement in potentially harmful behaviour with some intention of dying
Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI)
Direct, deliberate destruction of body tissue in the absence of any intent to die
