Psychopathology Key Terms Flashcards
Social norm
Explicit and implicit rules that exist in our society that determine acceptable behaviors, values and beliefs
Failure to function adequately
Refers to an individual inability to cope with day to day living
Statistical infrequency
Researchers and government agencies use statistics to determine what are acceptable behaviors by plotting information on a normal distribution graph
Phobias
Type of anxiety disorder character issues by extreme, irrational and persistent fears
Depression
Type of affective mood disorder characterized by a lengthy disturbance of emotions
OCD
Type of anxiety disorder characterized by irrational thoughts occurring as depressions manifested into compulsions
Counter-conditioning
Treating the phobic stimulus requires breaking the association between the phobic stimulus and the anxiety/avoidance response
Schema
A cognitive framework, formed through personal experience- helping to organize and interpret information in the brain
Selective abstraction
Conclusions are drawn from an isolated detail or event without considering the larger context
Overgeneralization
Sweeping conclusions are drawn on the basis of a single event
Diathesis-stress model
People may develop a genetical disposition for developing a mental disorder but this will only be manifested if triggered by a life event
Concordance rate
Probability that the same characteristic will be evident in a pair of twins
Psychosurgery
Involves destroying specific parts of the brain tissue to disrupt the cortico-strictactal circuit by using radio-frequency waves helping to destroy brain tissue which is a often associated with a reduction in symptoms
Two-process model
Phobias are learned and therefore can be unlearned
Initiation occurs through CC
Maintenance occurs through OC
Neural explanation for OCD
Caudate nucleus normally suppress signals to the OFC About things that are worrying but if the caudate nucleus is damaged it sends signals to the thalamus and then the OFC creating a ‘worry circuit’
