Week 1: exam questions Flashcards
What is self-stigma?
A negative view of self
What is catharsis
reliving an earlier trauma and releasing emotional tension by expressing previously forgotten thoughts
Contrast the id, ego and superego
the id is the pleasure principle, the ego is the consciousness principle and the superego is the morality principle
What is object relations theory?
the way a child internalises images of people who are important, forming part of the ego and how we react to the world
What are the three main paradigms discussed in the text?
the neuroscience paradigm, cognitive-behavioural paradigm, genetic paradigm
What does diathesis mean?
a pre-disposition to a disease or abnormality
What is the diathesis-stress model?
the view that an individual predisposed to a particular psychological disorder will be particularly affected by stress
Contrast genotype and phenotype
A genotype is a person’s genetic makeup and phenotype is the physical presentation of the characteristics and traits of a person – a product of genetic and the environment over the course of development
What is heritability?
The extent to which a particular behaviour/disorder within a population can be attributed to genetic factors
What is an allele?
any of the various forms of a particular gene
What is a polymorphism?
A specific variation in DNA sequence that exists within a population
What is epigenetics?
the study of how the environment alters gene expression
What is the HPA axis made up of?
The hypothalamus, pituitary gland and adrenal cortex
Contrast the sympathetic nervous system and the HPA axis
The sympathetic nervous system prepares the body for fight or flight. The HPA axis is responsible for the body’s response to stress.
What does Norepinephrine do?
Is a neurotransmitter that communicates with the sympathetic nervous system, involved in producing high states of arousal
What does cortisol do?
A stress hormone secreted by the adrenal cortices to help prepare the body to face a threat
What does the amygdala do?
Involved in attention to emotionally salient stimuli and memory of emotionally relevant events – emotion processing centre
What if there was damage to occipital lobe?
Inability to take in and analyse visual information and decreased ability to retain visual memory.
What if there was damage to frontal lobe?
Inability to participate in active reasoning or undergo higher mental processes
What if there was damage to parietal lobe?
Inability to feel sensations
What if there was damage to temporal lobe?
Inability to process auditory information and encode memory.
What is neural plasticity?
The brain’s capacity to change and adapt in response to learning or experience following injury
Paradigm definition
A set of basic assumptions that outlines the universe of scientific inquiry
