Psychological Disorders

Flashcards about Psychological Disorders

Abnormal psychology

The study of people who suffer from psychological disorders, manifested in behavior and/or thoughts.

Common characteristics of disorders

Harmful and/or disturbing to the individual; disturbing to others; unusual; irrational.

Insanity

A legal term to differentiate between those who can be held responsible for their crimes and those who cannot due to a psychological disorder.

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)

A book used by psychologists to diagnose patients, containing the symptoms of psychological disorders.

Psychoanalytic perspective on the cause of psychological disturbances

Unconscious conflicts often caused by traumatic events during the psychosexual stages.

Behaviorist perspective on the cause of psychological problems

The person's history of reinforcement.

Cognitive theorist perspective on the source of psychological disorders

Maladaptive ways of thinking.

Humanistic psychologists' view on the root of disorders

A person's feelings, self-esteem, and self-concept.

Sociocultural perspective on the heart of psychological disorders

Social ills such as racism, sexism, and poverty.

Biomedical model perspective on the cause of psychological disorders

Biological factors such as hormonal/neurotransmitter imbalances or brain structure differences.

Eclectic approach of clinical psychologists

Accept and use ideas from a number of different perspectives.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Constant, low-level anxiety.

Panic Disorder

Acute episodes of intense anxiety without apparent provocation.

Psychoanalytic view of anxiety

The result of conflicts among the desires of the id, ego, and superego.

Conversion disorder

A somatic symptom disorder in the DSM-5

Dissociative amnesia

When a person cannot remember things and no physiological basis for the disruption in memory can be identified

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

Having several personalities rather than one integrated personality.

Aaron Beck's belief about the cause of depression

The cognitive triad (negative views about themselves, their world, and their futures).

Attribution

An explanation of cause

Learned helplessness

Depression correlate positively with theses feelings.

Dopamine hypothesis

High levels of this neurotransmitter are associated with schizophrenia.

Double bind

When a person is given contradictory messages.

Diathesis-stress model

Environmental stressors can provide the circumstances under which a biological predisposition for illness can express itself.

Antisocial personality disorder

Little regard for other people’s feelings.

Narcissistic personality disorder

Seeing oneself as the center of the universe.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Persistent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) cause someone to feel the need (compulsion) to engage in a particular action.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Flashbacks or nightmares following a person’s involvement in or observation of an extremely troubling event.

Paraphilias or psychosexual disorders

The sexual attraction to an object, a person, or an activity not usually seen as sexual.

Anorexia nervosa

An intense fear of fat and food, and a distorted body image.

Binge-eating disorder

Eating very large quantities of food in a short time while experiencing feelings of loss of control.

Substance-related and addictive disorders

A diagnosis made when the use of substances or behaviors like gambling regularly negatively affects a person’s life.

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Deviation from typical social development.

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Difficulty paying attention or sitting still.

Alzheimer's disease

A deterioration of cognitive abilities, often seen most dramatically in memory.

Caution about diagnostic labels

Diagnostic labels are not always correct and have a tendency to outlast their usefulness.

Rosenhan study

Researchers were admitted to institutions as suffering from schizophrenia and behaved as they normally did; none were exposed as imposters.