Abnormal Behavior: Chapter 1

abnormal psychology

the study of psychological dysfunctions that the person experiences in terms of distress or impairment in functioning; a complete definition of abnormal behavior includes behaviors and experiences accepted in the person’s culture

behavioral and experiential perspective

examines the behavior and experience observed in psychopathology, especially the manner in which the signs and symptoms of a particular disorder are seen in a similar manner throughout the world

behavioral perspective

a psychological approach focused only on actions and behaviors, not internal processes or aspects of consciousness

classical conditioning

the pairing of the unconditioned stimulus with a neutral stimulus eventually causing the neutral stimulus to produce the same response

client-centered therapy

a treatment approach in psychology characterized by the therapist’s empathic understanding, unconditional positive regard, and genuineness

cognitive behavioral perspective

a treatment perspective that suggests that dysfunctional thinking is common to all psychological disturbances; by learning in therapy how to understand one’s thinking, it is possible to change the way one thinks as well as one’s emotional state and behaviors

cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

a therapy based on the cognitive behavioral perspective, directed at changing the individual’s faulty logic and maladaptive behaviors

cultural perspective

examines the social world in which a person lives and from which a person learns skills, values, beliefs, attitudes, and other information

emotion-focused therapy

therapeutic approach in which emotion is viewed as centrally important in the experience of self

evolutionary perspective

examines psychological disorders in terms of how certain aspects might be adaptive, asking if there is any advantage to behaving and feeling in certain ways that others consider abnormal or if the disordered behavior is secondary to another process that is beneficial

existential-humanistic perspective

psychological therapy that focuses on the experience of the person in the moment and the manner in which the person interprets the experience

extinction

the process by which, after a period of time, the conditioned stimulus, when presented alone, will no longer produce the response

hierarchical integration

through inhibitory control, the various levels of the brain, such as the brain stem, the limbic system, and the neocortex, are able to interact with each other, and higher levels restrict or inhibit the lower levels

levels of analysis

examination of psychopathology ranging from culture and society at a higher level to the individual at a middle level and physiology and genetics at the lower levels

mindfulness

a therapeutic technique involving an increased, focused, nonjudgmental, purposeful awareness of the present moment

natural selection

Darwin’s idea that if an organism has even slight variations that help it to compete successfully for survival, then over time the species will have more members with these characteristics and fewer individuals lacking these features

neuroscience perspective

examines what we know about particular psychopathological experience from the standpoint of neuroscience, including the structure and function of the brain, the autonomic nervous system, and a genetic and epigenetic consideration as it relates to psychopathology

observational learning

also known as modeling; when humans imitate the behaviors of others, even without reinforcement

operant conditioning

the concept that behavior can be elicited or shaped if reinforcement follows its occurrence

psychoanalysis

treatment developed by Freud based on the search for ideas and emotions that are in conflict on an unconscious level

psychodynamic perspective

approach to psychological therapy that emphasizes how behaviors and experience may be influenced by internal processes that are outside of awareness, often due to internal conflicts

psychopathology

the scientific study of mental illness and its causes

reinforcement

in operant conditioning, rewards that follow behaviors and increase their occurrence

sexual selection

the manner in which males and females choose a mate

signs

features observed by the clinician

stigma

negative attitudes and beliefs that cause the general public to avoid certain people, including those with a mental illness

symptoms

features observed by the patient

syndrome

determination of which signs and symptoms go together

variation

the assumption that heritable variations can and do occur in nature