Social Psychology and Psychological Disorders

These flashcards cover key concepts from social psychology and psychological disorders, providing definitions and explanations of important terms and theories.

Attribution Theory

A theory that explains how we understand the behavior of ourselves and others, considering internal/external causes, stable/unstable causes, and controllable/uncontrollable causes.

Fundamental Attribution Error

The tendency to overestimate internal traits and underestimate external factors when explaining others' behaviors.

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

The phenomenon where an individual's expectations about another person lead to behavior that confirms those expectations.

Self-Serving Bias

The tendency to attribute personal successes to internal factors and failures to external factors.

Dunning-Kruger Effect

A cognitive bias where individuals with low ability in a task overestimate their skill level.

Imposter Phenomenon

A psychological pattern where an individual doubts their accomplishments and has a persistent fear of being exposed as a fraud.

Beautiful-is-Good Stereotype

The assumption that physically attractive individuals possess other positive traits.

Elaboration Likelihood Model

A theory that explains how persuasion occurs through two routes: central processing and peripheral processing.

Foot-in-the-Door Technique

A persuasion strategy that involves getting a person to agree to a small request to increase the likelihood of agreeing to a larger request later.

Cognitive Dissonance

The mental discomfort experienced when holding two contradictory beliefs or attitudes.

Diathesis-Stress Model

A psychological theory that explains mental disorders as resulting from the interaction of predisposition and environmental stress.

Schizophrenia

A serious mental disorder characterized by disturbances in thought and language, hallucinations, and difficulty distinguishing reality.

Bipolar Disorder

A mental illness marked by extreme mood swings, including manic episodes and depressive episodes.

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

A disorder characterized by the presence of two or more distinct personality states within a single individual.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

A mental health condition defined by persistent obsessions (unwanted thoughts) and compulsions (repetitive behaviors).

Personality Disorders

A category of mental disorders characterized by rigid and maladaptive personality traits that hinder functioning.

Antisocial Personality Disorder

A condition where an individual shows disregard for moral rules and the rights of others, often manifesting in manipulative behavior.

Borderline Personality Disorder

A mental illness characterized by instability in mood, self-image, and relationships, often including intense emotional responses.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

A type of psychotherapy that combines cognitive and behavioral techniques to change negative thought patterns and behaviors.

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)

A medical treatment for severe depression that involves electrically inducing seizures to provide therapeutic benefits.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

A non-invasive procedure that uses magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells in the brain to alleviate symptoms of depression.