Week 21 Flashcards
What are the key traits of the Five-Factor Model personality dimensions and their opposites?
Neuroticism (Emotional Instability): Fearful, apprehensive, angry, bitter, pessimistic, glum, timid, embarrassed, tempted, urgency, helpless, fragile.
↔ Emotional Stability: Relaxed, unconcerned, cool, even-tempered, optimistic, self-assured, glib, shameless, controlled, restrained, clear-thinking, fearless, unflappable.
Extraversion: Cordial, affectionate, attached, sociable, outgoing, dominant, forceful, vigorous, energetic, active, reckless, daring, high-spirited, excitement-seeking.
↔ Introversion: Cold, aloof, indifferent, withdrawn, isolated, unassuming, quiet, resigned, passive, lethargic, cautious, monotonous, dull, placid, anhedonic.
Openness (Unconventionality): Dreamer, unrealistic, imaginative, aberrant, aesthetic, self-aware, eccentric, strange, odd, peculiar, creative, permissive, broad-minded.
↔ Closedness (Conventionality): Practical, concrete, uninvolved, no aesthetic interest, constricted, unaware, alexithymic, routine, predictable, habitual, stubborn, pragmatic, rigid, traditional, inflexible, dogmatic.
Agreeableness: Gullible, naive, trusting, confiding, honest, sacrificial, giving, docile, cooperative, meek, self-effacing, humble, soft, empathetic.
↔ Antagonism: Skeptical, cynical, suspicious, paranoid, cunning, manipulative, deceptive, stingy, selfish, greedy, exploitative, oppositional, combative, aggressive, confident, boastful, arrogant, tough, callous, ruthless.
Conscientiousness: Perfectionistic, efficient, ordered, methodical, organized, rigid, reliable, dependable, workaholic, ambitious, dogged, devoted, cautious, ruminative, reflective.
↔ Disinhibition: Lax, negligent, haphazard, disorganized, sloppy, casual, undependable, unethical, aimless, desultory, hedonistic, negligent, hasty, careless, rash.
When do personality traits qualify as a personality disorder, and how are they classified?
Personality traits are considered a personality disorder when they cause significant distress, social impairment, and/or occupational impairment (APA, 2013). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) provides the authoritative criteria for diagnosing personality disorders. DSM-5 includes 10 personality disorders:
- Antisocial
- Avoidant
- Borderline
- Dependent
- Histrionic
- Narcissistic
- Obsessive-Compulsive
- Paranoid
- Schizoid
- Schizotypal
The DSM is used by clinicians, researchers, health insurance companies, and policymakers to ensure a common language and standard classification of mental disorders. All 10 personality disorders will remain in future DSM editions.
Does the DSM-5 fully capture all maladaptive personality patterns?
No, the DSM-5 includes a “wastebasket” diagnosis for cases that do not fit neatly into one of the 10 recognized personality disorders. These are:
Other Specified Personality Disorder (OSPD)
Unspecified Personality Disorder (UPD)
Previously referred to as Personality Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDNOS), these diagnoses are frequently used in clinical practice. This suggests that the current list of 10 personality disorders may not fully encompass all maladaptive personality patterns (Widiger & Trull, 2007)
What is schizoid personality disorder?
A pervasive pattern of detachment from social relationships and a restricted range of expression of emotions in interpersonal settings.
What is histrionic personality disorder?
A pervasive pattern of excessive emotionality and attention seeking.
What is borderline personality disorder?
A pervasive pattern of instability of interpersonal relationships, self-image, and affects, and marked impulsivity.
What is narcissistic personality disorder?
A pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy.
What is schizotypical personality disorder?
A pervasive pattern of social and interpersonal deficits marked by acute discomfort with, and reduced capacity for, close relationships as well as perceptual distortions and eccentricities of behavior.
How do personality traits contribute to specific DSM-5 personality disorders?
Avoidant PD → Introversion + Neuroticism (socially withdrawn, anxious, worrisome).
Dependent PD → Neuroticism + Maladaptive Agreeableness (submissive, helpless, self-effacing).
Antisocial PD → Antagonism + Low Conscientiousness (manipulative, exploitative, irresponsible, rash).
Obsessive-Compulsive PD → Maladaptive Conscientiousness (perfectionism, workaholism, ruminative).
Schizoid PD → Introversion (withdrawn, cold, isolated).
Borderline PD → Neuroticism + Antagonism + Low Conscientiousness (emotionally unstable, manipulative, impulsive).
Histrionic PD → Maladaptive Extraversion + Antagonism + Low Conscientiousness (attention-seeking, dramatic, vain).
Narcissistic PD → Neuroticism + Extraversion + Antagonism + Conscientiousness (reactive anger, exhibitionism, entitlement, acclaim-seeking).
Schizotypal PD → Neuroticism + Introversion + Unconventionality + Antagonism (socially anxious, eccentric, suspicious).
Which personality disorders were proposed for removal in DSM-5 and why?
Histrionic, schizoid, paranoid, and dependent personality disorders were considered for removal due to weaker empirical support. However, borderline, antisocial, and schizotypal personality disorders have strong empirical backing. There is debate over the validity of dependent personality disorder.
What factors contribute to the etiology of personality disorders?
Personality disorders arise from a complex interaction of genetic vulnerabilities and environmental factors. For example:
Antisocial PD: Genetic predisposition (low anxiousness, impulsivity, callousness) + harsh environment (poor parenting, urban setting, peer influence).
Borderline PD: Genetic disposition to negative affectivity + abusive or invalidating family environment.
The Five-Factor Model provides research-backed support for personality disorders, including their genetic basis, childhood antecedents, universality, and brain structure correlations.
Why do people with personality disorders rarely seek treatment?
Many personality disorders are ego-syntonic, meaning individuals see their traits as part of their identity and do not perceive them as problematic. Exceptions include borderline and avoidant personality disorders, where high neuroticism and emotional pain often drive individuals to seek help.
How do personality disorders impact treatment for other mental disorders?
- Antisocial PD: ___________________________________
- Borderline PD: ___________________________________
- Paranoid PD: ___________________________________
- Narcissistic PD: ___________________________________
- Dependent PD: ___________________________________
Personality disorders can impair treatment responsiveness, e.g.:
- Antisocial PD: Irresponsibility, negligence
- Borderline PD: Intense, manipulative attachments
- Paranoid PD: Suspiciousness, accusatory behavior
- Narcissistic PD: Dismissiveness, arrogance
- Dependent PD: Overattachment, helplessness
What is the most studied treatment for a personality disorder?
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for borderline personality disorder, which includes:
- Individual therapy
- Group skills training
- Telephone coaching
- Therapist consultation team
DBT integrates CBT, Zen principles, and dialectical philosophy and is effective but costly.
______personality disorder combines the Five Factor traits of neuroticism and maladaptive agreeableness.
Passive-aggressive.
Dependent.
State-trait.
Histrionic.
Obsessive-compulsive
dependent
Marcus is dishonest, and does not often care about the hurt or pain he causes others. Marcus may suffer from ______personality disorder.
antisocial.
multiple.
psychopathic.
schizoid.
narcissistic
antisocial
A structure in the brain associated with liking is the:
thalamus.
hypothalamus.
nucleus accumbens.
amygdala
nucleus accumbens
Why are personality disorders traditionally so difficult to treat?
Insurance companies do not consider these conditions serious, and thus refuse to pay for the needed therapy..
Many people with such conditions end up in prison, where treatment is not offered..
There is no research into what treatments may be effective to help such clients..
Personality disorders reflect a “different” kind of personality rather than one that is pathological, and thus treatment is not needed..
The disorders involve well-established behaviors that are integral to a person’s self-image..
The disorders involve well-established behaviors that are integral to a person’s self-image..
For which personality disorder has a manualized and empirically validated treatment protocol been developed?
paranoid.
antisocial.
borderline.
histrionic.
narcissistic
borderline
______best describes the expert opinion of how personality disorders arise.
“They likely involve genetic and environmental factors”.
“Nothing is known about their origins”.
“They arise when a disorder like depression lasts too long”.
“They are genetic in origin”.
“They arise due to abuse, harsh parenting, and similar environmental factors”.
“They likely involve genetic and environmental factors”.
What does the term psychopathy mean?
Synonymous with psychopathic personality, the term used by Cleckley (1941/1976), and adapted from the term psychopathic introduced by German psychiatrist Julius Koch (1888) to designate mental disorders presumed to be heritable.
What were the early conceptions of psychopathy, and how did Philippe Pinel and Julius Koch contribute to its understanding?
Early writers characterized psychopathy as a disorder where individuals displayed normal rational faculties but had disrupted behavior and social relationships.
Philippe Pinel (1806) introduced the idea of “insanity without delirium,” where reckless and aggressive behavior occurred without mental confusion.
Julius Koch (1888) later coined the term “psychopathic,” emphasizing its constitutional-heritable basis.
How did Hervey Cleckley’s views on psychopathy differ from those of earlier writers like McCord & McCord?
Hervey Cleckley (1941) described psychopathy as an emotional disorder concealed by an outwardly normal, charming persona. He emphasized traits such as intelligence, irresponsibility, and lack of remorse.
In contrast, McCord & McCord (1964) focused on psychopathy’s emotional coldness, defining it through “guiltlessness” (lack of remorse) and “lovelessness” (lack of attachment), and emphasizing aggression over charm.
How did the DSM evolve in its understanding of psychopathy from Cleckley’s time to the DSM-III?
In the DSM-III, the concept of psychopathy was replaced with Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD), which focused on behavioral symptoms like rule-breaking, impulsivity, and irresponsibility.
This shift reduced the focus on interpersonal traits like charm, deceitfulness, and lack of remorse, which were central to Cleckley’s view of psychopathy. Critics noted that ASPD didn’t capture the full emotional and interpersonal aspects of psychopathy.
How does the DSM-5 address the limitations of Anti-social personality disorder (ASPD) and psychopathy, and what is its new approach?
The DSM-5 maintains the diagnosis of ASPD but introduces a dimensional-trait approach to personality pathology. This approach aims to include a broader understanding of personality traits beyond antisocial behaviors, attempting to address previous criticisms that earlier editions didn’t adequately cover the emotional and interpersonal components of psychopathy.
What is the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R), and how does it relate to different conceptions of psychopathy?
The PCL-R is a 20-item tool used in correctional and forensic settings to diagnose psychopathy.
It captures interpersonal-affective deficits and behavioral deviance, and is more aligned with McCord & McCord’s predatory-aggressive view of psychopathy, focusing on impulsive, aggressive behavior, and a lack of empathy, rather than Cleckley’s focus on emotional pathology.
What are the two subdimensions of psychopathy identified by the PCL-R, and what behaviors are they linked to?
The two subdimensions are:
- Interpersonal-affective factor: Linked to narcissism, low empathy, proactive aggression, social assertiveness, and low fear.
- Antisocial deviance factor: Associated with impulsiveness, sensation-seeking, alienation, mistrust, substance use, and reactive aggression.
How are the interpersonal-affective and antisocial deviance factors of the PCL-R related to external behaviors?
The interpersonal-affective factor is related to narcissism, low empathy, proactive aggression, and adaptive traits (e.g., low distress and depression).
The antisocial deviance factor is associated with maladaptive tendencies like impulsivity, antisocial behavior, and substance-related problems.
While moderately correlated, they show contrasting relationships with external outcomes.
What is the Psychopathic Personality Inventory (PPI), and how does it assess psychopathy?
The PPI is a self-report measure used to assess psychopathy in noncriminal adults. It focuses on personality dispositions related to historic conceptions of psychopathy, with 154 items organized into eight facet scales.
The PPI assesses both interpersonal-affective features and antisocial deviancy.
What are the two main factors of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory (PPI), and what do they reflect?
- Fearless dominance (FD): Reflects social potency, stress immunity, and fearlessness. It is associated with positive psychological adjustment (e.g., lower anxiety, higher well-being).
- Self-centered impulsivity (SCI): Reflects egocentricity, exploitiveness, hostile rebelliousness, and lack of planning. It correlates with antisocial behaviors, impulsivity, and aggression.
How do the two factors of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory (PPI) differ in terms of external correlates?
The two factors are uncorrelated and show distinct external correlates:
PPI-FD (fearless dominance): Associated with positive adjustment (e.g., well-being, lower anxiety) and low empathy.
PPI-SCI (self-centered impulsivity): Linked to maladaptive behaviors like impulsivity, aggression, substance abuse, and emotional distress.
How does PPI-FD compare to the interpersonal-affective factor of the PCL-R?
PPI-FD is seen as a more adaptive expression of fearlessness (boldness), associated with higher well-being and less anxiety, while the interpersonal-affective factor of the PCL-R is considered a more pathological form of fearlessness, often associated with antagonistic traits.
What is the interpersonal-affective factor of the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R)?
The interpersonal-affective factor of the PCL-R (Psychopathy Checklist-Revised) refers to a set of traits related to how individuals interact with others emotionally and socially. This factor includes characteristics such as manipulativeness, lack of empathy, shallow emotions, and superficial charm. It highlights the emotional coldness and interpersonal deficits that psychopaths may exhibit. This factor focuses on the person’s ability to manipulate, deceive, or fail to connect emotionally with others, showing a lack of remorse or guilt for harmful behaviors.
What are “callous-unemotional” traits in children and adolescents?
“Callous-unemotional” traits refer to characteristics such as low empathy, lack of remorse or guilt, shallow affect, and lack of concern for school performance or other responsibilities. These traits are linked to more severe and persistent conduct problems.
What does the Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD) measure in youth?
The APSD assesses psychopathic tendencies in children (ages 6-13), focusing on two main factors: Callous-Unemotional (CU) traits (emotional insensitivity and disregard for others) and Impulsive/Conduct Problems (I/CP) (impulsivity, behavioral deviancy, and inflated self-importance).
How do children with high Callous-Unemotional (CU) traits differ from those with high Impulsive/Conduct Problems (I/CP) traits?
Children with high CU traits tend to have average or above-average intelligence, low anxiety, low emotional reactivity, and engage in planned and reactive aggression.
In contrast, children with high I/CP traits typically show below-average intelligence, high emotional reactivity, and reactive aggression.
How do callous-unemotional traits impact the severity of conduct problems in children?
Callous-unemotional traits moderate the expression of conduct disorder, leading to more persistent and severe behavioral issues, including high levels of premeditated aggression and more persistent violent behavior over time.
The DSM-5 will include criteria for a distinct Callous-Unemotional (CU) variant of child conduct disorder, reflecting the importance of CU traits in predicting more severe conduct issues.
What is the triarchic model?
Model formulated to reconcile alternative historic conceptions of psychopathy and differing methods for assessing it. Conceives of psychopathy as encompassing three symptomatic components: boldness, involving social efficacy, emotional resiliency, and venturesomeness; meanness, entailing lack of empathy/emotional-sensitivity and exploitative behavior toward others; and disinhibition, entailing deficient behavioral restraint and lack of control over urges/emotional reactions.
What are the three constructs in the Triarchic model of psychopathy?
The three constructs in the Triarchic model are:
Disinhibition - impulsiveness, weak behavioral restraint, hostility, mistrust, and emotional regulation difficulties.
Meanness - lack of empathy, contempt toward others, predatory behavior, and empowerment through cruelty.
Boldness - dominance, social assurance, emotional resiliency, and venturesomeness.
How does the Triarchic model of psychopathy differ from Cleckley’s and criminal conceptions of psychopathy?
Cleckley’s conception emphasizes boldness and disinhibition, while criminal conceptions (e.g., PCL-R, APSD) focus more on meanness and disinhibition.
The Triarchic model posits that individuals high in boldness or meanness in addition to disinhibition would warrant a diagnosis of psychopathy.
What subscales are included in the TriPM and how are they constructed?
The TriPM is an inventory designed to measure the three constructs of the Triarchic model: Disinhibition, Meanness, and Boldness. It contains 58 items divided into subscales for each construct and has demonstrated promising convergent and discriminant validity.
The TriPM includes:
1. Disinhibition (20 items) – assesses impulsivity and emotional dysregulation, sourced from the Externalizing Spectrum Inventory.
- Meanness (19 items) – assesses lack of empathy and cruel tendencies, also sourced from the Externalizing Spectrum Inventory.
- Boldness (19 items) – assesses fearless social, emotional, and activity preferences, developed based on the Fearless Dominance (FD) factor from the PPI.
What is the significance of the TriPM and how is it validated?
The TriPM is important for its focus on the multidimensional aspects of psychopathy. It has shown promising validity in distinguishing the components of psychopathy, and the inventory is freely available online with translations in multiple languages. Ongoing research continues to validate its effectiveness in assessing psychopathy.
What are the two main types of theories proposed to explain the causal factors of psychopathy?
- Core deficits in emotional sensitivity or responsiveness
- Basic impairments in cognitive-attentional processing
What is the relationship between startle blink reflex and psychopathy?
Individuals with high levels of psychopathy often show a lack of normal enhancement in the startle blink reflex when exposed to aversive stimuli (e.g., disturbing images), indicating reduced defensive (fear) reactivity.
What does reduced amplitude of brain potential response in cognitive tasks indicate in psychopathy?
Reduced amplitude of brain response during cognitive tasks (e.g., after incorrect responses) suggests reduced cortical-attentional processing and impaired action monitoring, which may relate to the disinhibition component of psychopathy.
How do functional neuroimaging studies relate to psychopathy?
Functional neuroimaging studies show reduced amygdala reactivity to interpersonal distress cues (e.g., fearful human faces) in individuals with high levels of psychopathy, suggesting a deficit in processing emotional signals related to empathy.
How does the Triarchic model reconcile differing causal models of psychopathy?
The Triarchic model helps integrate findings by linking specific neurobiological deficits to different components of psychopathy:
Boldness (linked to the lack of startle enhancement).
Disinhibition (related to reduced brain potential responses in cognitive tasks).
Meanness (connected to reduced amygdala response to affective cues).
What is the significance of the finding of reduced subcortical response to affective facial cues in psychopathy?
Reduced subcortical response to affective cues (like fearful faces) has been tied to the callous-unemotional (CU) traits factor in child/adolescent psychopathy, which may indicate deficits in empathy or affiliative capacity linked to the meanness component of psychopathy.
What is the “dark triad” in social psychology?
The “dark triad” consists of three personality traits: Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism.
How does the Triarchic model view the emotional stability of psychopathy?
The Triarchic model suggests that the boldness component of psychopathy reflects emotional stability, social poise, and a tendency to enjoy novelty and adventure, which contrasts with the view that psychopathy is inherently deviant.
How does the Triarchic model address the issue of anxiety in psychopathy?
The Triarchic model differentiates between psychopathy subcomponents:
Boldness is negatively correlated with anxiety.
Disinhibition and Meanness show little to no correlation with anxiety.
This suggests that low anxiety is central to the bold-disinhibited variant of psychopathy, but not necessarily to other forms.
Does psychopathy always involve aggression or violent tendencies?
While aggression is central to some criminal conceptions of psychopathy, the Triarchic model acknowledges that aggression may not be a defining feature for all psychopathic subtypes. Aggression tends to be linked to disinhibition and meanness components.
What is the Triarchic model’s perspective on criminal behavior in psychopathy?
Antisocial behavior is seen as arising from a mix of dispositional boldness, meanness, and disinhibition. The Triarchic model emphasizes that criminal behavior should be understood in terms of underlying motivations, spontaneity, and premeditation, rather than as a defining feature of psychopathy.
What subtypes of psychopathy exist according to the Triarchic model?
The Triarchic model proposes that psychopathy can take the form of:
Bold-disinhibited: High in boldness and disinhibition.
Mean-disinhibited: High in meanness and disinhibition.
It suggests that labels like primary vs. secondary are less useful than understanding how different combinations of the three components define variants of psychopathy.
How does psychopathy differ between men and women?
The Triarchic model posits that gender differences in psychopathy may arise due to different average levels of boldness, meanness, and disinhibition between men and women. Women may express psychopathy differently, and gender might influence the external behavior of psychopathic tendencies.
Can “successful” psychopaths exist?
Yes, successful psychopaths may exhibit high boldness without significant disinhibition, making them effective leaders or individuals in positions requiring courage. The Triarchic model suggests that high boldness without high disinhibition may lead to success in leadership roles and crisis management.
What findings support the idea of “successful” psychopaths?
Research on former U.S. presidents has shown that higher boldness (measured by the PPI-FD factor) correlates with higher ratings of leadership, persuasiveness, and crisis management, while higher meanness or disinhibition (SCI factor) is linked to negative outcomes like abuse of power.
In the Third Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), psychopathy was replaced with ______.
Antisocial Personality Disorder.
Borderline Personality Disorder.
Multiple Personality Disorder.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder
Antisocial personality disorder
How does the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) classify childhood psychopathology?
as an emotional developmental delay disorder.
as a conduct disorder.
as emotional retardation.
as a depersonalization disorder.
as an explosiveness disorder
as a conduct disorder.
Criminal psychopathology has recently been characterized into two variants: primary (bold-disinhibited) and secondary (disinhibited-mean), based on ______.
personality testing.
past behaviors.
IQ testing.
physiological responses to questions.
anxiety levels.
anxiety levels
What is the difference between psychoanalysis and psychodynamic therapy, and how is Sigmund Freud related?
Psychoanalysis, developed by Sigmund Freud, is an intensive, long-term therapy focusing on unconscious conflicts and early childhood experiences.
Psychodynamic therapy is a shorter-term approach derived from psychoanalysis, focusing more on current issues and less on long-term exploration.
Freud’s ideas laid the foundation for both, with psychoanalysis being more comprehensive and psychodynamic therapy being a modern adaptation.
What is the history of psychoanalytic therapy, and how did Freud contribute to it?
Freud initially proposed that mental health issues arise from repressed sexual urges (1895), later expanding his theory to suggest that psychiatric problems result from tension between the id (pleasure-driven unconscious urges), the superego (morality and societal judgment), and the ego (mediator).
Psychoanalytic therapy aims to bring unconscious conflicts into conscious awareness to relieve stress. Although psychoanalysis is still practiced, it has largely been replaced by psychodynamic therapy, which is shorter, more focused on the client’s social context, and aims to relieve distress rather than change the person.
What is free association?
In psychodynamic therapy, a process in which the patient reports all thoughts that come to mind without censorship, and these thoughts are interpreted by the therapist.
What are the key techniques used in psychoanalysis and psychodynamic therapy?
- Free Association: The patient shares all thoughts freely without censoring them. This technique helps the therapist identify patterns or underlying meanings in the patient’s thoughts.
- Exploring Childhood Memories: Childhood experiences, particularly with caregivers, are believed to influence later psychological issues. These are often explored through free association.
- Dream Analysis: Dreams contain both manifest (literal) and latent (symbolic) content. The therapist helps interpret the latent content to understand unconscious concerns (e.g., dreams of teeth falling out may symbolize fears about physical appearance).
- Transference and Countertransference: The therapist interprets transference (the patient’s displacement of feelings onto the therapist, like anger toward a parent) and must be aware of countertransference (the therapist’s own emotions displaced onto the patient).
These techniques aim to help patients uncover unconscious conflicts and understand the underlying causes of their psychological distress.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of psychoanalytic therapy?
Advantages:
- Historical Significance: Psychoanalysis was the first formal treatment for mental illness, paving the way for modern therapeutic approaches.
- Deep Exploration: Some patients find the detailed, long-term process of psychoanalysis rewarding and beneficial for understanding their unconscious conflicts.
Disadvantages:
- Lack of Empirical Support: There is limited and inconsistent research evidence supporting the effectiveness of psychoanalysis, with some studies showing no reliable improvement in mental health outcomes.
- Not Suitable for All: Psychoanalysis is not appropriate for patients with severe psychopathology or intellectual disabilities.
- Cost and Time: It is often expensive due to the long duration of treatment, which may last for years.
What is humanistic or person-centered therapy (PCT)?
Humanistic or person-centered therapy (PCT) is a therapeutic approach developed in the mid-20th century, based on the belief that mental health problems arise from a mismatch between a person’s behavior and their true personal identity. The goal of PCT is to create an environment where patients can explore and discover their self-worth, gain a better understanding of their identity, and adjust their behavior to align more closely with their authentic self.
Who developed person-centered therapy (PCT) and what are its core principles?
Person-centered therapy (PCT) was developed by Carl Rogers, during the rise of humanistic theory and the human potential movement.
PCT is based on the belief that humans have an innate drive to realize and express their capabilities.
Rogers emphasized that people have the potential to change and improve, and therapists should create an environment that fosters self-understanding.
In PCT, the therapist and patient should have a genuine, equal relationship, where the therapist is nonjudgmental and empathetic. The patient experiences vulnerability, which motivates change, alongside the therapist’s supportive presence.
What are the key techniques used in person-centered therapy (PCT)?
In person-centered therapy (PCT), the therapist takes a passive, non-directive role, focusing on guiding the patient toward self-discovery rather than directly changing their thoughts or behaviors.
The therapist creates a safe, encouraging environment for the patient to explore their own issues, primarily through asking questions without judgment or interpretation.
A key technique is providing unconditional positive regard, where the therapist expresses warmth and empathy without condemning or criticizing the patient. This creates an atmosphere free of approval or disapproval, helping the patient appreciate their own value and align their behavior with their true identity.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of person-centered therapy (PCT)?
Advantages: PCT is highly acceptable to patients and fosters a supportive, empathetic environment.
Disadvantages: A main disadvantage is the mixed findings on its effectiveness. The therapy uses general techniques that are not tailored to specific mental health issues, which may not work for everyone. Further research is needed to better understand its overall utility.
What is the primary goal of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?
The primary goal of CBT is to alleviate psychological symptoms by changing the underlying cognitions and behaviors that contribute to mental disorders. This involves identifying maladaptive thoughts and behaviors and replacing them with more adaptive ones.
How is CBT different from psychoanalysis and person-centered therapy?
Unlike psychoanalysis and person-centered therapy, CBT is focused on the present and uses specific, goal-oriented interventions to address current symptoms. It emphasizes changing maladaptive thoughts and behaviors, often involving homework assignments and structured sessions, whereas psychoanalysis and person-centered therapy are more exploratory and relational.
What is the role of exposure therapy in CBT?
Exposure therapy in CBT is used to help patients confront and fully engage with anxiety-provoking situations rather than avoiding them. This gradual exposure helps reduce fear through extinction learning, allowing patients to “unlearn” irrational fears and replace avoidance behaviors with more adaptive responses.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?
Advantages:
- CBT is cost-effective and brief, making it accessible for many people.
- It has strong empirical support, proving its effectiveness for various mental disorders.
- It is flexible and can be adapted for different populations.
Disadvantages:
- Requires significant effort from patients, as they actively participate in treatment, often involving homework assignments.
- May not be suitable for patients who struggle with the required level of effort or who prefer a more passive approach to therapy.
How does the cognitive model in CBT explain the relationship between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors?
The cognitive model suggests that emotions and behaviors are influenced by one’s automatic thoughts and beliefs about events. During CBT, patients explore the sequence of events (A), their beliefs (B), and the consequences (C), and work to evaluate and adjust their beliefs through reasoning and experiments.
What is mindfulness-based therapy?
A form of psychotherapy grounded in mindfulness theory and practice, often involving meditation, yoga, body scan, and other features of mindfulness exercises.
What are the techniques and advantages/disadvantages of Mindfulness-Based Therapy (MBT)?
Techniques:
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) uses meditation, yoga, and attention to physical experiences to reduce stress.
- Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) focuses on observing thoughts objectively without judgment, helping prevent relapse in depression.
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) combines mindfulness with cognitive-behavioral techniques and skills training to help patients cope with maladaptive behaviors.
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) encourages observing thoughts from a detached perspective without trying to change them, recognizing which thoughts are beneficial or harmful.
Advantages:
- Mindfulness therapies are accessible and familiar due to their use of popular practices like yoga and meditation.
- They have been found effective for treating mood and anxiety disorders, showing moderate symptom improvement in various studies.
Disadvantages:
- Despite growing evidence, there is still no consensus on the overall efficacy of MBT.
- The benefits may vary depending on the individual and their specific disorder.
What are some emerging treatment strategies in psychology?
Online and Mobile-Delivered Therapies
- Use of smartphones and internet-based modules to deliver therapies like CBT.
- Allows for flexible scheduling and more frequent therapist contact, especially for patients with limited access to traditional treatment.
Cognitive Bias Modification
- Uses video games or mobile apps to change problematic thought processes, such as training alcohol abusers to avoid alcohol-related stimuli.
- Aims to modify subconscious thoughts to reduce urges and improve behavior.
CBT-Enhancing Pharmaceutical Agents
- Drugs like d-cycloserine, which enhance learning processes during therapy, improving outcomes for conditions like anxiety disorders.
- These drugs may facilitate better integration of therapeutic techniques and improve treatment effectiveness.
What role do pharmacological treatments play in mental health care, any challenges?
Psychiatric Medications are commonly used to treat mental disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety disorders.
Accessibility: Medications can be prescribed by general medical practitioners, unlike psychotherapies, which require trained psychologists.
Effectiveness: Psychiatric drugs are often as effective as therapies like CBT, but the best choice depends on the specific disorder, the individual, and factors like comorbidity.
Challenges: Despite their widespread use, the mechanisms of many psychiatric drugs in the brain are still not fully understood, and further research is needed to refine both pharmacological and behavioral treatments.
What is comorbidity?
Describes a state of having more than one psychological or physical disorder at a given time.
What is integrative or eclectic psychotherapy, and how is it practiced?
Integrative or Eclectic Psychotherapy: Involves combining techniques from various therapeutic approaches to best address the patient’s needs.
Example: A therapist might use DBT’s distress tolerance skills for short-term issues, CBT’s cognitive reappraisal for long-standing problems, and MBCT’s mindfulness meditation to reduce overall stress.
Prevalence: Between 13% and 42% of therapists identify their approach as integrative or eclectic (Norcross & Goldfried, 2005).
Although various therapies have been shown to work for specific individuals, ________________ is currently the treatment most widely supported by empirical research.
Although various therapies have been shown to work for specific individuals, cognitive behavioral therapy is currently the treatment most widely supported by empirical research. Still, practices like psychodynamic therapies, person-centered therapy, mindfulness-based treatments, and acceptance and commitment therapy have also shown success.
According to research evidence, ______therapy is the most effective contemporary approach to providing psychotherapy services to people in need.
client-centered.
psychodynamic.
psychoanalytic.
humanistic.
cognitive behavioral.
COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL
During a session, Dr. Davidson asks his client, Jorge, to lay back on the sofa and close his eyes. “Just say anything that comes into your mind, and don’t worry at all about what it means,” he instructs Jorge. This technique is called:
FREE ASSOCIATION
Why has it been difficult for research to establish a solid answer to the question of whether person-centered therapy (PCT) is, overall, an effective approach to treating clients?
A) PCT is based almost exclusively on a White, Western European, male-centric model of how therapy should be conducted..
B) PCT’s techniques can be applied by anyone, trained or untrained, and thus do not rise to the level of professional therapy..
C) The research that has examined PCT has only looked at conditions where therapy clients had very low (or less severe) forms of psychopathology..
D) PCT is based on nonspecific treatment factors, without considering specific treatment factors to directly target a given mental problem..
E) Because the foundation of PCT is the use of 12-step anonymous programs, it is all but impossible to gather true data about the impact it has on its clients.
D) PCT is based on nonspecific treatment factors, without considering specific treatment factors to directly target a given mental problem..
The foundational premise of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is that:
A) Maladaptive actions are learned and can be unlearned and replaced with adaptive actions..
B) Childhood conflicts and unconscious impulses exceed the capacity of defense mechanisms to keep them outside of consciousness..
C) Thoughts, actions, and emotions interact and contribute to psychopathology..
D) People experience distress and unhappiness when they refuse to face painful or difficult experiences or memories from their lives..
E) There is a fundamental mismatch between a person’s real self and ideal self, which leads to inappropriate actions.
C) Thoughts, actions, and emotions interact and contribute to psychopathology..
Cognitive ______refers to the process of identifying, evaluating, and changing maladaptive thoughts in psychotherapy.
RESTRUCTURING
Which therapeutic strategy, that emphasizes simultaneous acceptance and change, is often used for the treatment of borderline personality disorder?
Dialectical behaviour therapy
Manualized and/ord empirically validated treatment protocols have been developed for only one personality disorder: ___________
borderline
What are some questions that psychological scientists should always be asking themselves about”?
those related to validity, reliability, generalizability, and ethics
What is bordeline personality disorder, what are considered the causes, and what is a typical treatment?
What: pervasive pattern of instability of interpersonal relationships, self-image, and affects, and marked impulsivity.
Causes: generally considered the result of an interaction of genetic dispositon to negative affectivity interacting with a malevolent, abusive, and/or invalidating family environment
Treatment: typically dialectival behavioural therapy (DBT)
- a form of cognitive-behaviour therapy
- draws on principles from Zen Buddhism, dialectical philosophy, and behavioural science
- four components: individual therapy, group skills training, telephone coaching, anda therapist consultation team
- typically lasts one year
What are the four stages of treatment in dialectival behavioural therapy (DBT)?
Stages are defined by how severe a person’s behaviours are.
Stage 1:
- person is miserable, behaviour is out of control
- goal is to move from being out of control to acheiving behavioural control
Stage 2:
- person feels they are living a life of quiet desperation (life threatening behaviour is under control but they continue to suffer)
- goal is to help the person move from quiet desperation to full emotional experiencing
Stage 3:
- challenge is to learn to live: to define life goals, build self-respect and find peace and happiness
- goal is for the person to lead a life of ordinary happiness and unhappiness
Stage 4:
- goal is to find a deeper meaning through a spiritual existence
How did Cleckley (1941/1976) define psycopathy vs McCord & McCord?
As a deep-rooted emotional pathology concealed by an outward appearance of good mental health. In contrast with other psychiatric patients, psychopathic individuals present as confident, sociable, and well adjusted. However, their underlying disorder reveals itself over time through their actions and attitudes.
- did not characterize psychopathic patients as inherently cruel, violent, or dangerous.
Whereas McCord and McCord (1964): describe the condition in more generally pathologic terms, highlighting “guiltlessness” (lack of remorse) and “lovelessness”
The Cleckley-oriented conception of psychopathy in prior editions was replaced in the DSM by _____________
antisocial personality disorder (ASPD)
- defined by specific symptoms of behavioral deviancy in childhood (e.g., fighting, lying, stealing, truancy) continuing into adulthood (manifested as repeated rule-breaking, impulsiveness, irresponsibility, aggressiveness, etc)
How do Cleckley’s definition and cirminally oriented conceptions related to the triarchic model?
Triarchic model: three seperable symptomatic components - disinhibition, boldness, and meanness - the building blocks for differing conceptions of psychopathy
Cleckley: emphasis on boldness and disinhibition
Criminally oriented concepts: emphasis on meanness and disinhibition
