Topic-3 Psychological Problems Vocab Flashcards
Unipolar depression
Mood disorder causing periods of feeling sad and lacking motivation to do everyday activities
Mental health problem
A form of psychological problem characterized by symptoms affecting your mind and behavior
Twin studies
Research that compares behaviors in groups of twins to check for similarities
Monozygotic twins
Twins developed from one fertilized egg that has split into two, genetically identical
Dizygotic twins
Twins developed from two different eggs fertilized during the same pregnancy, not genetically identical
Genetic predisposition
Biological tendency to develop a particular behavior as a result of a gene someone has
Diathesis-stress model
Explanation for depression that claims people can have a gene that makes them more likely to develop depression but only if they face a stressful situation that triggers the gene.
Serotonin
Neurotransmitter associated with controlling mood
Deterministic
Our actions are dependent on our genes and what we experience, the opposite of having free will
Free will
Having the ability to choose the type of behavior we want to show
Cognitive theory
An explanation that focuses on how thought influences behavior
Negative triad
Set of three thought patterns when people feel negatively
Magnification
Cognitive bias that makes people see their problems far worse than they actually are
Nature
Explanations of behavior that focus on innate factors
Nurture
Explanations of behavior that focus on environmental factors
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
Therapy for mental health disorders that aims to change thought processes in order to reduce symptoms
Neurotransmitters
Chemicals found within the nervous system that pass messages from one neuron to another across a synapse
Noradrenaline
Neurotransmitter associated with mood and is released during times of stress
Reuptake
Process by which neurons re-absorb neurotransmitters that they released
Placebo
Inactive substance used instead of an active substance, the person given the placebo will not know that it is a fake
Relapse
Return of symptoms after a treatment has been given
Addiction
Mental health problem that causes dependency on a substance or activity in order to live regularly
Withdrawal
Unpleasant physical or psychological symptoms when trying to quit an addiction
Learning theory
Explanation that believes behavior is learned through associations and experiences
Classical conditioning
Learning by association
Operant conditioning
Learning from the consequences of actions
Social learning theory
Behavior is learned through observation and imitation of role models
Reinforcement
An outcome resulting from a behavior that either increases or decreases the likelihood of the behavior being repeated. The outcome may be the result of gaining something positive or losing something negative.
Functional analysis
First stage of CBT to treat addiction that identifies triggers
Skills training
Second stage of CBT to treat addiction where addicts learn to control the patterns of behavior that lead up to their addiction
Detoxification
When an addict tries to stop taking a substance they are addicted to
Longitudinal study
The same people are tested over a period of time to investigate changes
Likert-type scale
A scale where a person can rate their level of agreement to a statement
