PSYCH CH 15 DEFENITIONS

Insanity — a legal, not psychological, term used to describe abnormal behavior in a court of law.

Abnormal Behavior — behavior that causes people to experience distress and prevents them from functioning in their daily lives.

Medical Perspective on Abnormal Behavior — the perspective that suggests that when an individual displays symptoms of abnormal behavior, the root cause will be found in a physical examination of the individual.

Psychoanalytic Perspective on Abnormal Behavior — the perspective that suggests that abnormal behavior stems from childhood conflicts over opposing wishes regarding sex and aggression.

Behavioral Perspective on Abnormal Behavior — the perspective that looks at the rewards and punishments in the environment that determine abnormal behavior.

Cognitive Perspective on Abnormal Behavior — the perspective that suggests that people’s thoughts and beliefs are central components of abnormal behavior.

Humanistic Perspective on Abnormal Behavior — the perspective that emphasizes the responsibility people have for their own behavior, even when such behavior is abnormal.

Sociocultural Perspective on Abnormal Behavior — the perspective that assumes that society and culture shape abnormal behavior.

Anxiety Disorder — the occurrence of anxiety without an obvious external cause that affects daily functioning.

Specific Phobia — intense, irrational fear of a specific object or situation.

Panic Disorder — an anxiety disorder that takes the form of panic attacks lasting from a few seconds to several hours.

Panic Attack — sudden onset of anxiety that arises without warning in which an individual feels a sense of impending, unavoidable doom.

Agoraphobia — the fear of being in a situation in which escape is difficult and in which help for a possible panic attack would not be available.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder — the experience of long-term, persistent anxiety and uncontrollable worry.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder — a disorder characterized by unwanted thoughts, called obsessions, and/or feelings that one must carry out behaviors, termed compulsions, that they feel driven to perform.

Obsession — a persistent, unwanted thought or idea that keeps recurring.

Compulsion — an irresistible urge to repeatedly carry out some behavior that seems strange and unreasonable.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder — preoccupation with one or more perceived defects or flaws in physical appearance that are not observable or appear slight to others.

Somatic Symptom Disorder — psychological difficulties that take on a physical somatic form for which there is no medical cause.

Illness Anxiety Disorder — a somatic symptom disorder in which people have a constant fear of illness and a preoccupation with their health.

Conversion Disorder / Functional Neurologic Disorder — a major somatic symptom disorder that involves an actual physical disturbance, such as the inability to use a sensory organ or the complete or partial inability to move an arm or leg; the cause is purely psychological.

Dissociative Disorders — psychological dysfunctions characterized by the separation of different facets of a person’s personality that are normally integrated.

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) — a disorder in which a person displays characteristics of two or more distinct personalities, identities, or personality fragments.

Dissociative Amnesia — a disorder in which a significant, selective memory loss occurs.

Dissociative Fugue — a rare form of dissociative amnesia in which a person leaves home suddenly and assumes a new identity.

Mood Disorder — a disturbance in emotional experience that is strong enough to interfere with everyday living.

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) — a severe form of depression that interferes with concentration, decision-making, and sociability.

Mania — an extended state of intense, wild elation.

Bipolar Disorder — a disorder in which a person alternates between periods of euphoric feelings of mania and periods of depression.

Learned Helplessness — a learned expectation that events in one’s life are uncontrollable and that one cannot escape from a situation.

Hopelessness — a combination of learned helplessness and an expectation that negative outcomes in one’s life are inevitable.

Postpartum Depression — depression that occurs after the birth of a child.

Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder — a class of disorders in which severe distortion of reality occurs.

Delusions — firmly held, unshakable beliefs with no basis in reality.

Hallucinations — the experience of perceiving things that do not actually exist.

Process Schizophrenia — slow and subtle development of symptoms of schizophrenia.

Reactive Schizophrenia — sudden and conspicuous onset of symptoms of schizophrenia.

Positive-Symptom Schizophrenia — a form of schizophrenia spectrum disorder indicated by the presence of disordered behavior such as hallucinations, delusions, and emotional extremes.

Negative-Symptom Schizophrenia — a form of schizophrenia spectrum disorder indicated by disruptions to normal emotions and behaviors that result in an absence or loss of normal functioning.

Epigenetics — examines the way in which genes are expressed and influenced by the environment.

Dopamine Hypothesis — suggests that schizophrenia spectrum disorder results from excess activity in the areas of the brain that use dopamine as a neurotransmitter.

Expressed Emotion — an interaction style characterized by high levels of criticism, hostility, and emotional intrusiveness within a family.

Personality Disorder — a disorder characterized by a set of inflexible, maladaptive behavior patterns that keep a person from functioning appropriately in society.

Antisocial Personality Disorder — a disorder in which individuals show no regard for the moral and ethical rules of a society or the rights of others.

Borderline Personality Disorder — a disorder characterized by problems regulating emotions and thoughts, displaying impulsive and reckless behavior, and having unstable relationships with others.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder — a personality disturbance characterized by an exaggerated sense of self-importance.

Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) — a disorder marked by inattention, impulsiveness, a low tolerance for frustration, and a great deal of inappropriate activity.

Autism Spectrum Disorder — a severe developmental disability that impairs children’s ability to communicate and relate to others.

Prolonged Grief Disorder — a disorder characterized by distressing symptoms of grief that continue for at least 12 months after the loss of a close contact.

Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder — a psychological disorder characterized by temperamental outbursts grossly out of proportion to the situation, both verbally and physically, in children between the ages of 6 and 18.