Test 1 Flashcards
What is Skepticism?
Process of subjecting claims to scientific scrutiny.
What is Internal validity?
approximate truth about inferences regarding cause and effect relationships. Certainty. Did a cause b, without interference of variable c?
What is External validity?
extent to which the findings of a study can be generalized beyond the sample. Generalizability.
What is Confirmation bias?
Tendency to favor information that confirms (ignore/minimize information that disconfirms) one’s preconceptions or hypotheses
What is External validity?
Generalizability beyond the sample to some given population
What is the File drawer effect? And how are they related to meta-analysis?
Methodologically sound studies w/ null results less likely to get published; therefore meta-analyses may have a bias towards showing bigger effects because of the studies included in the meta-analysis.
What is a Meta-analysis?
Selection of several published studies by certain criteria. This data is pooled from the studies and analyzed to create a large data set.
What are the three (or 4 from N) criteria used to define abnormality?
Deviant, Dysfunctional, distress. 4th one: dangerous.
What is the continuum model of abnormality?
It is a model that shows that the levels between abnormality and normal are a continuum. If this is so, it relies on subjectivity to determine if someone is abnormal or not.
What is cultural relativism?
View that there are no universal standards or rules for labeling a behavior as abnormal; instead, behaviors can be labeled abnormal only to cultural norms.
What is prevalence? And an example:
# or % of cases of a disorder in a population at any time. (Any given time) (commonness) Example: how many people in class have a cold.
What is incidence? And an example:
# or % of new cases that have appeared within a specific time. (Specific time) (within a time) Example: how many people in class for their cold in the 24 hours previous?
What are some ways prevalence and incidence estimates can be biased?
Sampling (clinic vs. community), Measures (how administered and who responds), Diagnostic criteria (version of DSM, strictness)
Consider the cases of O.J. Simpson and Neil Cargyle (discussed in class, [MW] and assignment #3)—
what characteristics of each person’s behavior meet or don’t meet the criteria for abnormality?
OJ Simpson: deviant, dysfunctional, and distressing. Neil Cargyle: deviant, not dysfunctional, and distressing (to only some of his family) - still considered distressing.
What is trephination?
Form of brain surgery that involves sections of the skull being drilled or cut away
At the time that trephination was done, what was it proposed to do?
Done over half a million years ago, during the middle ages and the stone ages. Believed to remove evil spirits and abnormal behavior would decline.
What are psychic epidemics? Provide an example:
Phenomena in which large number of people engage in unusual behaviors that appear to have a psychological origin.
Example: dance frenzies during the middle ages - perceived possession of the devil dating back to remnants of ancient rituals where people worshipped gods.
Prior to the 18th century, how were people with severe psychological disorders treated in Europe and the US?
People with perceived mental illnesses were confined to protect the public and ill persons family. Abnormalities were perceived as a medical illness (example excessive blood in the brain was one explanation). Patients were chained up. Treated bad. Confinement. Bad beds, poor lighting. This lead to the mental hygiene movement.
What was the Moral Treatment movement?
Phillippe Pinel: mental hygiene movement. He believed many patients could be restored by restoring their dignity and tranquility. Patients walked around the asylum. Good beds, good lightening. Properly trained nurses and therapists.
Why was the Moral Treatment movement less successful as time passed (compared to its early period when it was significantly more successful)?
It grew too fast and too many people used it. Care fell because they could not keep up with the demand of patients.
Who were the major founders of psychoanalytic theory? Behavioral theory? Cognitive theory?
Psychoanalytic theory: Sigmund Freud. Breuer.
Behavioral Theory: Pavlov, John Watson, Mary Cover Jones (Little Peter study), BF Skinner
Cognitive Theory: Albert Bandura. Albert Ellis, Beck
What is deinstitutionalization?
Patients rights advocates argued that mental patients can recover more fully or live more satisfying lives if they are integrated into the community, with the support of community-based treatment facilities.
What have been positive and negative consequences of deinstitutionalization?
Positive: those with acute problems could utilize other resources and function fine in society.
Negative: homelessness, overpopulate group homes and nursing home which are note equipped to handle mental illness. Mental illness help and care has always never been able to keep up with the demand.
What are the different professionals that treat people with psychological disorders?
Psychiatrists, Psychiatric NP, Clinical and counseling psychologists, Social workers, Licensed professional counselor, Licensed marriage and family therapist, life coaches, etc.
