Psychopathology definitions Flashcards
Define ABC model?
Ellis’s explanation for how irrational thoughts affect behaviour A= activating event B= beliefs C=consequences
Define agoraphobia?
Irrational fear of being outside or in a public place
Define avoidance?
The act of staying away from something (e.g the phobia of object or situation)
Define basal ganglia?
The region of the brain involved with coordination of movement that has been linked with OCD
Define bezodiazepines?
Anti-anxiety drugs used to treat OCD as they have a quietening affect on the brain and reduce anxiety caused by obsessive thoughts
Define bipolar depression?
Condition where a person has periods of elevated mood (mania) as well as periods of depression
Define catastrophising?
Cognitive error where you exaggerate a minor setback and turn it into a major disaster
Define CBT?
Cognitive behavioural therapy is a commonly used therapy which involves challenging and replacing irrational thoughts
Define cognitive bias?
Error in thinking caused by simplified information processing
Define compulsion?
An irresistible urge to behave in a certain way
Define COMT gene?
Gene which has a variation which results in higher levels of dopamine and this variation is more common in patients with OCD
Define counter-conditioning?
Learning a new response to the phobic object/situation e.g replacing fear with relaxation
Define cultural relativism?
The idea that cultural norms and values are culture specific and no-one culture is superior to another culture
Define deviation from ideal mental health?
Not meeting criteria which suggests you are mentally healthy
Define 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
Define dopamine?
Higher levels of this neurotransmitter have been associated with the compulsions shown by OCD patients
Define DSN-V?
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition is the standard classification of mental disorders used in the united states
Define empirical dispute?
REBT technique where the therapist seeks evidence for a persons thoughts
Define failure to function adequately?
When a person’s behaviour means that they are unable to cope with the demands of everyday life
Define fear hierarchy?
A list of situations related to the phobic objects/situation arranged in order from the least to most frightening
Define flooding (in-vitro)?
Behavioural treatment for a phobia which involves imagines exposure to the phobic object/ situation without being able to escape
Define flooding (in-vivo)?
Behavioural treatment for a phobia which involves actual exposure to the phobic object/situation without being able to escape
Define hindsight bias?
The way that social norms change over time
Define ICD 10?
The 10th revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, produced by the World Health Organisation
Define logical dispute?
REBT technique where the therapies disputes the logic of a person’s thoughts
Define negative self-schemas?
Negative information we hold about ourselves based on negative past experiences that can lead to cognitive biases
Define negative triad?
Three types of negative thinking (self, world and future) that Beck suggested occur automatically in people who are depressed
Define obsession?
An idea or thought that continually preoccupies or intrudes on a person’s mind
Define orbifrontal cortex?
A region in the brain which converts sensory information into thoughts and actions - higher activity has been found here in OCD patients
Define overgeneralisation?
Cognitive error where you make a sweeping conclusion from a single incident
Define REBT?
Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy is a type of CBT based on Ellis’s ABC model
Define selective attention?
Focusing on one piece of information while ignoring other information viewed as irrelevant
Define serotonin?
Neurotransmitter which regulates mood - lower levels are associated with OCD
Define SERT gene?
Gene which affects the transport of serotonin, causing lower levels of serotonin which is associated with OCD
Define simple or specific phobia?
Irrational fear of an object (e.g spiders) or situation (e.g flying)
Define social norm?
The rules of behaviour that are considered acceptable in a group or society
Define social phobia?
Irrational fear of a social situation (e.g speaking in public)
Define SSRIs?
Antidepressant drugs used to treat OCD which works by preventing the re-absorption and breakdown of serotonin
Define statistical infrequency?
A behaviour that is statistically infrequent, does not happen very often
Define systematic desensitisation?
A behaviour therapy designed to gradually reduce a phobia through the principle of classical conditioning
Define two-process model?
Behavioural explanation for phobias which suggests they are acquired through classical conditioning and maintained through operant conditioning
Define uni polar depression?
A major depressive episode that occurs without manic phase
