PSY335 Quest #2 study guide

WHAT IS ADHD?

• Neurodevelopmental disorder•

"persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning and development"

What is a non-specific symptom?

Something like a fever that is not specific to one particular illness

what does it mean to say that the symptom of "difficulty paying attention" is a non-specific symptom?

difficulty paying attention can be caused by many other things than ADHD

Does the DSM use a categorical or dimensional model?

categorical model

What are the differences between a categorical or dimensional model?

the categorical model, where symptoms are organized in a check list based on categories; the dimensional model, where symptoms are organized on a spectrum rather than in a list

categorical model

where symptoms are organized in a check list based on categories

dimensional model

where symptoms are organized on a spectrum rather than in a list

Are there any problems with a categorical model?

issue would be that this ignores the spectrum of a disorder; high rates of comorbidity and lack of empirical validity.

Are there any problems with a dimensional model?

The problem with this approach is that psychological disorders are not typically caused by a solitary factor, but instead, they are caused by multiple factors.

neurodevelopmental disorder

a disorder that stems from early brain abnormalities

three subtypes of ADHD

inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive, combined

What do symptoms of inattention look like?

Difficulty sustaining attention

Not listening when spoken to directly

Difficulty with follow through

Frequently forgetful

Frequently losing things

Easily distracted by extraneous stimuli

sustaining attention

ability to maintain attention by ongoing regard of the stimulus

What do symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsivity look like?

Fidgeting

Frequently leaving seat

Running, climbing

"On the go"

Excessive talking

Interrupts others

Blurts out answers

What's hyperactivity in particular?

Being extremely restless or constantly moving, including in situations when it is not appropriate; excessively fidgeting or tapping; or talking too much.

What is the diagnostic criteria for ADHD?

Symptoms persist > 6 mos

Onset before age 12

Two or more settings

Functional impairment

Rule out other mental disorders

why ADHD is a "rule out" disorder?

The symptoms of many mental health conditions are similar or overlap so before a clear diagnosis can be made, clinicians must rule out a variety of other conditions. Your doctor may do tests to rule out physical health problems that can have similar symptoms to those of ADHD, such as: Hearing and eyesight tests.

Prevalence and course

•Prevalence rates vary widely with sampling methods

-Estimates: 6-7% of school-age children and adolescents in North America and 5% worldwide have ADHD

-ADHD is one of the most common referral problems seen at clinics

Why might the prevalence rate of ADHD have increased over time?

Part of why the prevalence rates of ADHD have increased over the past years is because adults are being identified as having ADHD, when they may not have been diagnosed in childhood.

How common is ADHD in kids in the US?

prevalence rate is 9.8% for kids under the age of 18 compared to other counties there is variability. US is higher in diagnostics

what are brain abnormalities in the prefrontal cortex associated with?

Executive function;

Ability to make decisions, plan a head, organize,

How does ADHD in kids in the US compare to other countries?

US has higher diagnostic rates due to

- access for diagnoses

- stigma

- diagnosis and assessment can look different in different countries

- system in which a child lives in-

different thresholds for symptoms

What's the gender difference of ADHD?

ADHD is diagnosed more frequently in boys cause

- boys get more attention

-ADHD manifests different in girls and boys

- Boys are over diagnosed and girls are under diagnosed

-Inattentive girl vs. hyperactive boy

-Girls more likely to be inattentive and fly under the radar- can fly under radar for years

-When girls show hyperactive symptoms they tend to be seen as more atypical than a boys with the same symptoms

-"Boys will be boys"

-adhd / autsim diagnostics uses boys so may not represent girls well

gender difference is ADHD diagnostics

- prevalence rate in boys: 13%

- prevalence rate in girls: 6%

what contributes to adhd

Complex interplay of factors:

•Genetics

•Pregnancy and birth complications

•Potential brain abnormalities in the prefrontal cortex

•Potential family influences

What are the common components of treatment for ADHD?

Usually, a combined approach:

•Medication

•Parent management training

•Educational intervention (i.e., teachers)

•Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

What are some specific things you might do in CBT for ADHD?

Could include: •Psychoeducation about ADHD •Cognitive restructuring •Skills training (e.g., organization) •Role playing

developing time management and scheduling skills, proper organizational habits, and strategies to overcome procrastination and make tasks easier to complete.

How did the field of intelligence get started?

Who was responsible for this?

Started with Alfred Binet's first easy-toadminister, objective IQ test

What was the first intelligence test like? What did it assess for?

objective IQ test

•High-level abilities

•Compare kids

What are the three perspectives of intelligence?

intelligence as a single trait

intelligence as basic abilities

intelligence as processes

intelligence as a single trait

g (general intelligence) = single trait that influences all of cognitive functioning

intelligence as basic abilities

fluid and crystallized intelligence

or

seven primary abilities

intelligence as processes

intellectual tasks include a number of processes (memory attention, encoding, reasoning, etc.)

What does it mean to be intelligent?

-hard to define-most researchers don't agree on what intelligence actually is

Crystallized Intelligence

our accumulated knowledge and verbal skills; tends to increase with age

Fluid Intelligence

our ability to reason speedily and abstractly; tends to decrease during late adulthood

Fluid Intelligence vs. Crystallized Intelligence

"brain power" vs. acquired knowledge

Crystallized intelligence continues to grow throughout adulthood. Many aspects of fluid intelligence peak in adolescence and begin to decline progressively beginning around age 30 or 40.

What's the unifying theory of these three perspectives of intelligence?

John Carroll's three stratum theory Combine all 3 ideas:

1. Basic construct

2. Basic abilities

3. Basic processes you might need

Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligence theory

theory claims it would be evolutionarily adaptive for different people to have different talents & skills

Why might intelligence be difficult to measure?

it is complex, culturally varied, limited by testing methods, influenced by environmental factors, and can change throughout a person's life.

What kinds of abilities do standard IQ tests assess?

Processing speed-how quickly you take in (new) information

Working memory-Ability to maintain and manipulate verbal information in your mind

Verbal comprehension-Childs ability to access and apply acquired word knowledge

Perceptual reasoning-Childs ability to accurately interpret, organize, and think with visual information

IQ tests for children

• Administered individually by psychologists

• Considered "protected materials"

What does the administration of an IQ test look like? Who normally does it?

administered individually by psychologists

At what ages is it best to use IQ tests?

Kindergarten

Know and understand what an intelligence quotient (IQ) is

Quantitative measure of a child's intelligence relative to children the same age

Know and understand normal distribution of IQ scores (mean of an IQ test, SD of an IQ test, where common vs. rare scores fall on the distribution)

-Mean = 100

-Standard deviation = 15

-70 may be intellectually disabled while 130 may be honors level

What does it mean that IQ tests are "protected materials?" Why is that?

no one knows exactly what is on an IQ test other than the person actively taking the test

What does intelligence tend to predict? What are the caveats to this?

predictive of grades, achievement tests, long-term educational outcomes, & intellectually demanding occupations

IQ scores correlate positively and strongly with school grades and achievement tests.

What is systematic desensitization?

a treatment for phobias in which the patient is exposed to progressively more anxiety-provoking stimuli and taught relaxation techniques.

•(1) Train in relaxation

•(2) Establish an "anxiety hierarchy"

•(3) Move through the hierarchy from least anxiety-provoking to most anxiety-provoking

What's the premise behind why systematic desensitization works?

Relaxation Training: Attempting to induce a physiological state that is incompatible with negative emotional or physical sensations.

Do you get how you could do this approach with Professor Sweeney's snake phobia?

Would train relaxation techniques then work through the hierarchy

From an operant conditioning perspective, what maintains Professor Sweeney's snake phobia?

negative reinforcement?

What are four different relaxation techniques you could use?

Meditative breathing, Diaphragmatic breathing, Imagery, and Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Relaxation Training

Attempting to induce a physiological state that is incompatible with negative emotional or physical sensations.

Meditative breathing

• Simple process of controlled breathing, leading to bodily changes

• "Sales pitch" varies based on developmental level

Diaphragmatic breathing

• Breathe from the diaphragm, which often induces deeper relaxation than meditative breathing

Imagery

• Visualization technique that relies on senses

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

• Tense and relax each muscle group, to learn difference between tensed and relaxed states

Why does imagery work particularly well with kids?

Due to their creative minds

How might you adapt some of them for working with kids?

Shorten the length of the progressive muscle relaxation, use active imagination

Working memory

Ability to maintain and manipulate verbal information in your mind

Verbal comprehension

Childs ability to access and apply acquired word knowledge

Perceptual reasoning

Childs ability to accurately interpret, organize, and think with visual information

What was our conversation re ADHD and co-morbidities?

ADHD often co-occurs with other mental health conditions