Psychopathology: Glossary Flashcards
Define statistical infrequency
Occurs when an individual has a less common characteristic, for example being more depressed or less intelligent than most of the population.
Define deviation from social norms
Concerns behaviour that is different from the accepted standards of behaviour in a community or society.
Define failure to function adequately
Occurs when someone is unable to cope with ordinary demands of day-to-day living.
Define deviation from ideal mental health
Occurs when someone does not meet a set of criteria for good mental health.
Define phobia
An irrational fear of an object or situation.
Define behavioural
Ways in which people act.
Define emotional
Ways in which people feel.
Define cognitive
Refers to the process of thinking - knowing, perceiving, believing.
Define depression
A mental disorder characterised by low mood and low energy level.
Define OCD
Obsessive compulsive disorder
A condition characterised by obsessions and/or compulsive behaviour.
Define behavioural approach
A way of explaining behaviour in terms of what is observable and in terms of learning.
Define classical conditioning
Learning by association. Occurs when two stimuli are repeatedly paired together - an unconditioned (unlearned) stimulus and a new ‘neutral’ stimulus. The neutral stimulus eventually produces the same response that was first produced by the unlearned stimulus alone.
Define operant conditioning
A form of learning in which behaviour is shaped and maintained by its consequences. Possible consequences of behaviour include positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement or punishment.
Define systematic desensitisation
A behavioural therapy designed to reduce an unwanted response, such as anxiety, to a stimulus. SD involves drawing up a hierarchy of anxiety-provoking situations related to the phobic stimulus, teaching the patient to relax, and then exposing them to phobic situations. The patient works their way through the hierarchy whilst maintaining relaxation.
Define flooding
A behavioural therapy in which a phobic patient is exposed to an extreme form of a phobic stimulus in order to reduce anxiety triggered by that stimulus. This takes place across a small number of long therapy sessions.
Define cognitive approach
The term ‘cognitive’ means ‘mental processes’, so this approach is focused on how our mental processes (thoughts, perceptions, attention) affect behaviour.
Define negative triad
Beck proposed that there were three kinds of negative thinking that contributed to becoming depressed: negative views of the world, the future and the self. Such negative views lead a person to interpret their experiences in a negative way and so make them more vulnerable to depression.
Define ABC model
Ellis proposed that depression occurs when an activating event (A) triggers an irrational belief (B) which in turn produces a consequence (C), i.e. an emotional response like depression. The key to this process is the irrational belief.
Define CBT
Cognitive behavioural therapy
A method for treating mental disorders based on both cognitive and behavioural techniques. From the cognitive viewpoint the therapy aims to deal with thinking, such as challenging negative thoughts. The therapy also includes behavioural techniques such as behavioural activation.
Define irrational thoughts
Also called dysfunctional thoughts. In Ellis’s model and therapy, these are defined as thoughts that are likely to interfere with a person’s happiness. Such dysfunctional thoughts lead to mental disorders such as depression.
Define biological approach
A perspective that emphasises the importance of physical processes in the body such as genetic inheritance and neural function.
Define genetic explanations
Genes make up chromosomes and consist of DNA which codes the physical features of an organism and psychological features. Genes are transmitted from parents to offspring (inherited).
Define neural explanations
The view that physical and psychological characteristics are determined by the behaviour of the nervous system, in particular the brain as well as individual neurons.
Define drug therapy
Treatment involving drugs. In the case of psychological disorders such drugs usually affect neurotransmitter levels.
Define drugs
Chemicals that have a particular effect on the functioning of the brain or some other body system.
Define agoraphobia
Irrational fear of being outside or in a public place.
Define avoidance
The act of staying away from something (e.g. the phobic object or situation).
Define basal ganglia
Region of the brain involved in the coordination of movement that has been linked to OCD.
Define benzodiazepines
Antianxiety drugs used to treat OCD as they have a quieting effect on the brain and reduce anxiety causes 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 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 dopamine
Higher levels of this neurotransmitter have been associated with the compulsions shown by OCD patients.
Define DSM-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 person’s thoughts.
Define fear hierarchy
A list of situations related to the phobic object/situation arranged in order from least to most frightening.
Define hindisight 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 schema
Negative information we hold about ourselves based on negative past experiences that can lead to cognitive biases.
Define obsession
An idea or thought that continually preoccupies or intrudes on a person’s mind.
Define orbitofrontal cortex
A region of 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/specific phobia
Irrational fear of an object (e.g. spiders) or situation (e.g. flying).
Define social norm
The rules of behavior 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 work by preventing the re-absorption and breakdown of serotonin.
Define unipolar depression
A major depressive episode that occurs without the manic phase.
