Unit 12: Abnormal Psychology Flashcards
Psychological disorder
deviant, distressful, and dysfunctional patterns of thoughts, feelings, or behaviors
ADHD
a psychological disorder marked by the appearance by age 7 of one or more of three key symptoms: extreme inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity
Medical model
the concept that diseases, in this case psychological disorders, have physical causes that can be diagnosed, treated, and, in most cases, cured, often through treatment in a hospital
Biopsychosocial approach
the study of how biological, psychological, and social-cultural factors interact to produce specific psychological disorders
DSM-IV-TR
the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders; a widely used system for classifying psychological disorders
Anxiety disorder
psychological disorders characterized by distressing, persistent anxiety or maladaptive behaviors that reduce anxiety
General anxiety disorder
an anxiety disorder in which a person is continually tense, apprehensive, and in a state of autonomic nervous system arousal
Panic disorder
an anxiety disorder marked by unpredictable minutes - long episodes of intense dread in which a person experiences terror and accompanying chest pain, choking, or other frightening sensations
Phobias
an anxiety disorder marked by a persistent irrational fear and avoidance of a specific object, activity or situation
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
an anxiety disorder characterized by unwanted repetitive thoughts (obsessions) and/or actions (compulsions)
Post-traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD) an anxiety disorder characterized by haunting memories, nightmares, social withdrawal, jumpy anxiety, and/or insomnia that lingers for four weeks or more after a traumatic experience
Post-traumatic growth
positive psychological changes as a result of struggling with extremely challenging circumstances and life crises
Fear conditioning
when bad events happen unpredictably and uncontrollably, anxiety often develops. Two specific learning processes contribute to such anxiety: 1) stimulus generalization 2) Reinforcement
Observational fear
we learn fear by observing others’ fear
Somatoform disorder
psychological disorder in which the symptoms take a somatic (bodily) form without apparent physical cause
Conversion disorder
a rare somatoform disorder in which a person experiences very specific genuine physical symptoms for which no physiological basis can be found
Hypochondriasis
a somatoform disorder in which a person interprets normal physical sensations as symptoms of a disease
Dissociative disorders
disorders in which conscious awareness becomes separated (dissociate) from previous memories, thoughts, and feelings ( as sense of watching yourself, as if in a movie.
Dissociative identity disorder
a rare dissociative disorder in which a person exhibits two or more distinct and alternating personalities. Formerly called multiple personality disorder
Mood disorders
psychological disorders characterized by emotional extremes
Major depressive disorder
a mood disorder in which a person experiences, in the absence of drugs or a medical condition, two or more weeks of significantly depressed moods, feelings of worthlessness, and diminished interest or pleasure in most activities
Mania
a mood disorder marked by a hyperactive wildly optimistic state
Bipolar disorder
a mood disorder in which the person alternates between the hopelessness and lethargy of depression and the overexcited state of mania. Formerly called manic-depressive disorder
Schizophrenia
a group of severe disorders characterized by disorganized and delusional thinking, disturbed perceptions, and inappropriate emotions and actions. “Split mind.”
