Psychopathology Definitions Flashcards
ABC model
Ellis’s explanation for how irrational thoughts affect behaviour A= activating event, B+ beliefs, C= consequences
Avoidance
The act of staying away from something (e.g. the phobic object or situation)
Basal ganglia
Region of the brain involved in the coordination of movement that has been linked to OCD
CBT
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is a commonly used therapy which involves challenging and replacing irrational thoughts
COMT gene
Gene which has a variation which results in higher levels of dopamine and this variation is more common in patients with OCD
Counter-conditioning
Learning a new response to the phobic object/situation e.g. replacing fear with relaxation
Cultural relativism
The idea that cultural norms and values are culture specific and no-one culture is superior to another culture
Deviation from ideal mental health
Not meeting criteria which suggest you are mentally healthy
Deviation from social norms
A behaviour that deviates from social norms is one that is very different from how we would expect people to behave
Dopamine
Higher levels of this neurotransmitter have been associated with the compulsions shown by OCD patients
Failure to function adequately
When a person’s behaviour means they are unable to cope with the demands of everyday life
Fear hierarchy
A list of situations related to the phobic object/situation arranged in order from least to most frightening
Flooding (in-vitro)
Behavioural treatment for a phobia which involves imagined exposure to the phobic object/situation without being able to escape
Flooding (in-vivo)
Behavioural treatment for a phobia which involves actual exposure to the phobic object/situation without being able to escape
Hindsight bias
The way that social norms change over time
ICD 10
The 10th revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, produced by the World Health Organisation
Logical dispute
REBT Technique where the therapies disputes the logic of a person’s thoughts
Negative self-schemas
Negative information we hold about ourselves based on negative past experiences that can lead to cognitive biases
Negative triad
Three types of negative thinking (self, the world and the future) that Beck suggested occur automatically in people who are depressed
Obsession
An idea or thought that continually preoccupies or intrudes on a person’s mind.
Orbifrontal cortex
A region of the brain which converts sensory information into thoughts and actions- higher activity has been found here in OCD patients
Overgeneralisation
Cognitive error where you make a sweeping conclusion from a single incident
REBT
Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy is a type of CBT based on Ellis’s ABC model
Selective attention
Focusing on one piece of information while ignoring other information viewed as irrelevant
Serotonin
Neurotransmitter which regulates mood - lower levels are associated with OCD
SERT gene
gene which affects the transport of serotonin, causing lower levels of serotonin which is associated with OCD
Simple or specific phobia
Irrational fear of an object (e.g. spiders) or situation (e.g. flying)
Social norm
The rules of behavior that are considered acceptable in a group or society
Social phobia
Irrational fear of a social situation (e.g. speaking in public)
SSRIs
Antidepressant drugs used to treat OCD which work by preventing the re-absorption and breakdown of serotonin
Statistical infrequency
A behaviour that is statistically infrequent does not happen very often
Systematic desensitisation
A behaviour therapy designed to gradually reduce a phobia through the principle of classical conditioning
Two-process model
Behavioural explanation for phobias which suggests they are acquired through classical conditioning and maintained through operant conditioning
Unipolar depression
A major depressive episode that occurs without the manic phase
