Understanding Psychopathology

Flashcards for review of Psychopathology Lecture Notes

Psychopathology

The study of psychological disorders.

Three general criteria that define a psychological disorder

Psychological dysfunction, distress or impairment, and atypical or not culturally expected behavior.

Psychological dysfunction

A breakdown in cognitive, emotional, or behavioral functioning.

Impairment

When psychological dysfunction causes significant problems in a person's daily life.

Why is atypical behavior alone insufficient to define a disorder?

Cultural variations exist, and many eccentric behaviors are not disorders.

Jerome Wakefield's definition for psychological disorder

Harmful dysfunction.

Manual containing criteria for psychological disorders

DSM-5

Prototype

A typical instance of a disorder, representing the perfect example with all criteria met.

Types of professionals who work in the field of psychopathology

Clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric social workers

Difference in training emphasis between Ph.D. and Psy.D. programs

Ph.D. integrates clinical and research, Psy.D. focuses more on practice.

Degree and approach of psychiatrists

M.D.; often emphasize biological treatments like medication.

Ways a mental health practitioner may function as a scientist-practitioner

Consumers, creators, and evaluators of science

Three basic things that research in psychopathology attempts to achieve

Clinical description, causation (etiology), and treatment and outcome.

Presenting problem

The specific problem or set of problems a person comes to the clinic with.

Prevalence

The total number of people in the population with a disorder at any given time.

Incidence

The number of new cases during a specific period.

Sex ratio

The proportion of males and females affected by a particular disorder.

Chronic course

The disorder is long-lasting.

Difference between acute onset and insidious onset

Acute is sudden, insidious is gradual.

Prognosis

The anticipated course or likely future outcome of a disorder.

How psychological disorders present differently in children

The manifestation of symptoms can vary significantly with age and developmental stage.

Etiology

The study of the origins of psychological disorders.

How successful treatment provides hints about a disorder's causes

If a treatment is effective, it can suggest underlying biological or psychological mechanisms.

Common belief about the cause of bizarre behavior during the Middle Ages

Demonic possession.

Common treatments for perceived demonic possession in the Middle Ages

Exorcism, tortures, and chaining.

Nicholas Oresme

A philosopher who suggested that melancholy was due to natural causes like planetary influence.

Moral therapy movement

Treating institutionalized patients as normally as possible with social interaction and humane conditions.

Major reason for the decline of moral therapy

The growth of the mental hygiene movement and increasing patient numbers led to impersonal care.

Dorothea Dix

A schoolteacher who campaigned for humane treatment and the establishment of state mental hospitals.

Was not one of the early biological treatments for mental illness in the 1930s

Cognitive-behavioral therapy

Proposed the first psychological theory of abnormal behavior and is considered the founder of psychoanalysis

Sigmund Freud

Three major parts of the mind according to Freud's psychoanalytic theory

Id, ego, superego

Primary role of the id in Freudian theory

To seek pleasure and fulfill basic drives, operating on the pleasure principle.

What is the ego responsible for in Freudian theory?

Mediating between the id and the superego, operating on the reality principle.

Function of the superego in Freudian theory

To act as the moral principle, representing conscience and societal rules.

Defense mechanisms

Unconscious coping strategies used by the ego to manage conflict.

Not a defense mechanism described by Freud

Meditation

Goal of psychoanalysis

To uncover unconscious conflicts and memories to gain insight.

Free association

A technique where patients say whatever comes to mind without censorship.

Dream analysis

A technique where the therapist interprets the symbolic meaning of dreams to uncover unconscious conflicts.

Transference

Patients would relate to the therapist in ways that reproduced important relationships, revealing dynamics.

Developed person-centered therapy and is a key figure in the humanistic approach

Carl Rogers

Unconditional positive regard

Expressing complete acceptance and non-judgmental support for the client.

Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs

A hierarchy of human motivations, from basic physiological needs to self-actualization.

Main focus of the behavioral model (or behaviorism)

Observable behavior is learned through interaction with the environment, and disorders are due to maladaptive learning.

Associated with classical conditioning

Ivan Pavlov

Medical model of psychological disorders

A perspective that views disorders as diseases with biological or physiological causes.

Focus of the mental hygiene movement

To improve conditions in asylums and promote general mental health.

Tabula rasa

"Blank slate"; John Locke

Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS)

A stimulus that naturally and automatically triggers a response without prior learning.

Unconditioned Response (UCR)

The natural, unlearned reaction to an unconditioned stimulus.

Conditioned Stimulus (CS)

A previously neutral stimulus that, after association with the UCS, triggers a conditioned response.

Conditioned Response (CR)

The learned response to the previously neutral (now conditioned) stimulus.

Conducted the "Little Albert" experiment

John B. Watson

Extinction

The gradual weakening and disappearance of a conditioned response.

Generalization

The tendency for a conditioned response to be elicited by stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus.

Operant conditioning

Learning where behavior is strengthened or diminished by consequences; B.F. Skinner

Reinforcement

Any event that strengthens the behavior it follows, making it more likely to occur.

Punishment

Any event that decreases the likelihood of a behavior recurring.

Positive and negative reinforcement

Positive adds something desirable, negative removes something undesirable to increase behavior.

Positive and negative punishment

Positive adds something undesirable, negative removes something desirable to decrease behavior.

Shaping

Gradually molding a desired behavior by reinforcing successive approximations.

Systematic desensitization

A therapy to treat phobias by gradual exposure and relaxation, based on classical conditioning.

Client-centered therapy

A humanistic therapy where the client directs growth; Carl Rogers.

Not one of the three qualities Carl Rogers believed were essential for a therapist in client-centered therapy

Judgmental attitude

Self-actualization

The drive to fulfill one's full potential.

Psychodynamic psychotherapy

A modern, typically shorter-term version of psychoanalysis focusing on unconscious conflicts.

Therapeutic alliance

The relationship between the therapist and client, characterized by trust and collaboration.

Multidimensional integrative approach

The understanding that disorders are caused by multiple interacting biological, psychological, social, and cultural factors.

Understanding of the brain's role in psychopathology

Initially dismissed, but now recognized for its constant interaction with thoughts, feelings, and actions.

Diathesis-stress model

A theory where a disorder develops when a predisposition (diathesis) combines with an environmental stressor.

Gene-environment correlation model

Our genes may increase the probability that we will experience certain stressful life events.

Epigenetics

How environmental factors can turn genes on or off without altering DNA.

Role of neurotransmitters in psychopathology

They are chemical messengers whose imbalances or dysfunctions can be implicated in disorders.

Two specific neurotransmitters mentioned in relation to psychological disorders

Serotonin and Dopamine

General function of GABA

An inhibitory neurotransmitter that reduces activity in the nervous system.

General function of serotonin

Influences mood, sleep, appetite, and impulsivity; implicated in depression and anxiety.

General function of dopamine

Associated with pleasure, reward, and motivation; implicated in schizophrenia and Parkinson's.

Role of the limbic system

Involved in emotion, motivation, memory, and arousal.

Primary function of the amygdala

Processing emotions, particularly fear and aggression.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)

A therapy that combines cognitive (thoughts) and behavioral (actions) approaches to change maladaptive patterns.

Cognitive distortion

Irrational or inaccurate ways of thinking that contribute to distress.

Social support

Strong social connections can act as a buffer against stress and contribute to well-being.

Cultural context

It can shape how symptoms are expressed, perceived, and treated.

Gender roles

Societal expectations for behavior based on gender, influencing coping or help-seeking.

Stigma

Negative attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors leading to discrimination and shame.

Developmental psychopathology

It emphasizes that understanding disorders requires considering age and developmental stage.

Life-span developmental psychopathology

A perspective that developmental changes occur throughout the entire lifespan and influence disorders.

How early experiences influence later psychological well-being

Secure or insecure attachment patterns can shape expectations about relationships and emotional regulation.

Equifinality

The idea that different paths or risk factors can lead to the same psychological disorder.

Multifinality

The idea that a specific risk factor or initial condition can lead to different outcomes or disorders.

Multidimensional integrative approach

Because disorders are complex and result from interacting biological, psychological, social, and cultural influences.

Role of the hypothalamus

Regulates basic drives like hunger, thirst, sex, and is involved in the stress response.

Learned helplessness

A phenomenon where an organism stops trying to avoid aversive stimuli after repeated inescapable exposure.

Social learning theory

Learning through observation of others; Albert Bandura.

Importance of research

To accurately describe disorders, understand their causes, and develop effective treatments.

Diagnosis

The process of determining whether symptoms meet criteria for a specific disorder.

Purpose of a clinical interview

To gather information about problems, history, and functioning through conversation.

Mental status exam

A systematic observation of an individual's behavior, including mood, affect, and thought processes.

Affect

The immediate, observable expression of emotion.