Abnormal Psychology Exam 3 Study Guide

This set of flashcards covers key concepts in Abnormal Psychology related to eating disorders, substance use disorders, schizophrenia spectrum disorders, and more.

Anorexia

An eating disorder characterized by an intense fear of gaining weight and a distorted body image, leading to self-imposed starvation and excessive weight loss.

Restrictive Anorexia

Type of anorexia nervosa characterized by severe restriction of food intake and excessive exercise without binge-eating or purging behaviors.

Binge-Purge Anorexia

Type of anorexia nervosa where individuals engage in binge eating followed by purging behaviors such as vomiting or using laxatives, while still maintaining low body weight.

Bulimia Nervosa

An eating disorder characterized by cycles of binge eating followed by purging, using methods such as vomiting or laxative abuse.

Binge Eating Disorder

An eating disorder marked by recurrent episodes of eating large quantities of food, often to the point of discomfort, without purging.

Hypothalamus

A brain region that regulates various functions, including hunger, thirst, body temperature, and hormonal processes.

Muscle Dysmorphia

A disorder characterized by an obsession with muscularity and a distorted self-image, often leading to excessive exercise and dietary practices.

Physical Consequences of Eating Disorders

Eating disorders can lead to severe health issues including malnutrition, heart problems, osteoporosis, and gastrointestinal issues due to disordered eating behaviors.

Primary Motivations for Eating Disorders

Individuals may develop eating disorders driven by the desire for control, perfectionism, low self-esteem, or societal pressures related to body image and weight.

Cognitions Behind Eating Disorders

lack of control, temporary sense of order and distraction, false sense of control, broad cognitive distortion

Similarities Between Bulimia and Anorexia

Both bulimia and anorexia involve a preoccupation with body weight and shape, as well as significant disturbances in eating behaviors

Differences Between Bulimia and Anorexia

Bulimia includes episodes of binge eating followed by compensatory behaviors (e.g., purging), while anorexia is characterized by severe restriction of intake and an intense fear of gaining weight. but bulimia is more concerned with pleasing others, and are more likely to have mood swings, irritability, impulsivity, and dental problems

Common Triggers for Eating Disorders

Triggers may include stressful life events, trauma, societal pressures, peer influences, and familial attitudes toward food and body image that encourage disordered eating habits.

Psychodynamic Factor: Ego deficiencies

Burch: disturbed child-mother interaction lead to ego deficiences and severe perceptual disturbances, children become adults unaware and misinterpret their internal needs, worry about how other perceive them

Cognitive Behavioral Factors Behind Eating Disorders

Cognitive behavioral theory suggests that distorted beliefs about body image, food, and self-worth lead to maladaptive behaviors and maintenance of eating disorders through negative thought patterns.

Biological Factors Behind Eating Disorders

relative with eating disorders makes one 6x more likely to be disordered, low serotonin, larger and more active insula, orbitofrontal cortex and striatum, smaller prefrontal cortex,

Sociocultural Factors Behind Eating Disorders

Sociocultural influences highlight societal pressures regarding thinness, beauty standards, and media portrayals that can lead to body dissatisfaction and contribute to disordered eating behaviors.

Environmental Factors Behind Eating Disorders

Environmental factors include family attitudes towards food, peer influences, and media exposure that promote unrealistic body standards, potentially triggering the onset of eating disorders.

Weight set point theory

weight is set by genetic inheritance and early eating practices

below set point: hunger increases, metabolic rate decreases

above set point: hunger decreases, metabolic rate increases

dieter battle against themselves

Functions of the hypothalamus

lateral hypothalamus (LH): produces hunger

Ventromedial Hypothalamus (LMH): reduces hunger

activate GLP-1

Minuchin’s Family systems theory

• a therapeutic framework focused on restructuring the "invisible rules" governing family interactions to resolve dysfunction

• demands organizing how members interact, including roles, hierarchies, and rules

Withdrawal

A group of symptoms that occur upon the abrupt discontinuation of a substance that one has become dependent on.

• restlessness, irritability, insomnia, mood swings, cravings

Aversion Therapy

• classical conditioning

• individuals are repeatedly presented with an unpleasant stimulus at the very moment they take a drug

• expected to react negatively to substance itself and lose cravings

• effective in short term, high relapse rates

Covert Sensitization

people with alcoholism imagine extremely upsetting, repulsive, frightening scenes while drinking. Pairing is expected to produce negative responses to liquor itself, moderately effective

Cirrhosis

A chronic liver disease characterized by degradation of liver tissue, often caused by excessive alcohol consumption.

Korsakoff’s Syndrome

A chronic neurocognitive disorder caused by thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency, typically associated with alcohol misuse.

Confabulation

The production of fabricated, distorted, or misinterpreted memories about oneself or the world, commonly seen in patients with memory disorders.

Synergistic effect

When different drugs are in the body at the same time, they may multiply or potentiate each other’s effects

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

A range of physical and behavioral problems in children caused by maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

flashbacks

the re-experience of a trip, can occur a year or more after last drug use

Relapse Prevention Training

A therapeutic approach that teaches individuals how to anticipate and cope with situations that may lead to substance use relapse. mostly effective

Depressant

Substances that reduce the activity of the central nervous system, leading to effects such as sedation and relaxation.

• reduces tension and inhibitions

• interferes with judgement, motor activity, and concentration

• difficulties speaking clearly, memory difficulties, reaction times slow

Stimulant

Substances that increase the activity of the central nervous system, resulting in heightened alertness, attention, and energy.

• increases blood pressure, heart rate and alertness

• rapid behavior and thinking

Gender differences in Alcohol

women have less alcohol dehydrogenase, become more intoxicated with equal does of alcohol

Differences in alcoholism in children of biological and adoptive parents who were

alcoholics

those whose biological parents were dependent showed higher rates of alcohol use themselves

Drug Dependence

A state in which an individual relies on a substance to function normally, experiencing withdrawal symptoms when it is absent.

Antagonistic Drugs

Medications that block or reduce the effects of certain neurotransmitters, often used in treating substance use disorders. (Antabuse, Naloxone, Naltrexone) highly effective

Contingency Management

Behavioral therapy that makes incentives (tangible rewards) contingent on the submission of drug free urine specimens, highly effective

What are opioids?

collectively known as narcotics

• provide pain relief and relaxation by depressing the CNS

• injection brings on a rush (spasm of ecstasy) followed by hours of a high

Examples of Opioids

• Natural: Opium, heroin, morphine, codeine

• Synthetic: methadone

• Medical: codeine, fentanyl, morphine, tramadol, hydrocodone (Vicodin), Oxycodone (OxyContin/Percocet)

What are sedative-hypnotic drugs?

Anxiolytic drugs, produce feelings of relaxation and drowsiness to reduce anxiety and help people sleep

• Low doses: calming/sedative effects

• High doses: sleep inducers or hypnotics

What are example of sedative-hypnotic drugs?

Barbiturates, Benzodiapines

What are the differences between barbiturates and benzodiazepines?

While both reduce anxiety…

Barbiturates

• quickly results in pattern of abuse and/or dependance

• lethal dose remains the same, even while body builds a tolerance

• withdrawal can cause convulsions

Bezodiapines

• Safer, less likely to lead to intoxication, tolerance effects, and withdrawal

• relieve anxiety without drowsiness

• less likely to slow breathing and lead to death by overdose

What are Hallucinogens?

substances that produce delusions, hallucinations and other sensory changes by binding to serotonin receptors

• shrooms, LSD (most powerful), MDMA, ecstasy

What is Cannabis?

produces sensory changes, but has both depressant and stimulant effects (Hashish, Marijuana)

Explain negative effects of cannabis use

may cause panic reactions, implicated in accidents, poor concentration and impaired memory, respiratory problems, lung cancer, anxiety, suspicion, irritation

Explain differences between marijuana use in the 1960s and in the year 2000

current varieties of marijuana are 7x more powerful due to higher THC content (15%)

What are the factors that increase the likelihood of overdosing and how?

• combination of drugs; similar effects potentiate effects, different effects build up lethal levels due to metabolic issues

• Long term use; dependency and tolerance

• History of overdose

• Method of use; direct access to bloodstream = bigger hit

Explain all the factors that increase the risk for developing substance use disorder

• Dependance and tolerance

• Race (Native Americans have highest rates)

• Genetics

• Environment/upbringing/socialization

Psychodynamic causes of SUD

people who abuse substances have powerful dependency needs stemming from childhood. Caused a lack of parental nurturing that may lead to “substance abuse personality”

Cognitive-behavioral causes of SUD

• Operant conditioning: tension-reduction, reward effect of drugs provides expectation that substances will be rewarding

• Classical conditioning: objects present at the same time drugs are taken act as conditioned stimuli and produce pleasure

Biological Causes of SUD

genetic predispositon, abnormal form of dopamine-2 (D-2) receptor gene

Sociocultural causes of SUD

living in stressful socioeconomic conditions, having families that value/tolerate drug use, unemployment

Biochemical causes of SUD

certain drugs stimulate reward center directly (cocaine, amphetamine, caffeine) other stimulate in roundabout ways (alcohol, opioids, marijuana)

Explain what the pleasure pathway is

reward center; a neural system primarily composed of the dopamine pathway that reinforces survival behaviors

• Dopamine activated = person experiences pleasure

• perhaps all drugs eventually activate a single reward center

Explain what brain areas are involved in the pleasure pathway

• VTA: processes dopamine

• Nucleus Accumbens: processes reward

• Prefrontal Cortex: focus and planning

• Amygdala/Hippocampus: process emotions and memory

Neurotransmitters and drug tolerance/withdrawal

• Lower GABA production: alcohol or benzodiapines

• Lower endorphin production: cocaine or amphetamine

• Reduced anandamide production: Marijuana

Psychodynamic Therapy for SUD

Clients become more aware of underlying needs and conflicts related to drug use, not highly effective

Sociocultural therapies for SUD

Alcohol Anonymous (AA), Residential treatment, Community prevention programs, most effective

Detoxification

systematic and medically supervised withdrawal, limited long term success

• Gradual: tapering doses

• Induced: given additional medication to block symptoms

Drug Maintenance Therapy

provide a safe, legally and medically supervised substitute for heroin (Methadone, Buprenorphine), highly effective

Explain the importance and controversy around methadone treatment

criticized as substituting addictions, reliance on substitute

Internet Use Disorder

Excessive use of the internet that interferes with daily life, currently a topic of debate regarding its classification in the DSM.

Deinstitutionalization

The process of moving out patients from psychiatric hospitals into community-based treatment settings.

What are alternative settings?

non-traditional environments or therapeutic approaches used to support mental health, often outside standard clinical settings

Type I Schizophrenia

• dominance of positive symptoms

• linked to excess dopamine

• sensitive D2 receptors

• better prognosis and responsiveness to antipsychotics

• normal brain structure

Type II Schizophrenia

• brain structure abnormalities, enlarged ventricles

• reduced gray matter

• Dominated by negative symptoms

• less responsive to antipsychotics, worse prognoisis

Psychosis

A mental condition characterized by a disconnection from reality, including delusions and hallucinations.

Positive Symptoms

Symptoms of schizophrenia that add to a person's experience

• delusions/hallucinations

• disordered thinking/speech

• clangs (rhymes)

• preservation (repeating phrases)

• heightened perception

• inappropriate effect

Negative Symptoms

Symptoms that subtract from a person's experience

• restricted affect

• poverty of speech (algoia)

• social withdrawal

• loss of volition (avocation)

Diathesis-Stress Model

Dysfunctional brain circuits may adversely affect functioning of people who later become schizophrenic through the circuit’s impact on the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) pathway

Dopamine Hypothesis

A theory that suggests schizophrenia may be linked to the overactivity of dopamine pathways in the brain

• based on results of antipsychotics (dopamine antagonists) causing parkinson’s adjacent side effects

Token Economy

A behavioral therapy method that uses tokens as a reward for desirable behaviors, particularly in psychiatric settings.

Milieu Therapy

A therapeutic environment that promotes social skills and interaction among patients with mental illness.

Delusions

Fixed false beliefs that are resistant to reason or confrontation with actual facts, often seen in severe mental disorders like schizophrenia.

Somatic Delusions

A preoccupation with health and organ function. They can include irrational beliefs about how your body functions or inaccurate beliefs about how natural sensations predict illnesses.

• Hunger…stomach cancer

Grandiose Delusions

belief that you’re exceptional compared to everyone else in abilities, wealth, or fame. You may believe you have special powers, for example, or are an undiscovered talent.

Persecutory delusions (paranoid delusions)

belief that a group or individual plans to act negatively against you, possibly through physical harm, harassment, or sabotage.

Referential Delusions

When you believe that everyday people, places, events, and objects hold personal significance in your life despite no logical connection to you

Erotomanic Delusions

Believing someone is in love with you (Tyler Catastrophe)

Nihilistic Delusions

thoughts related to non-existence, like believing a major catastrophe will occur or that humanity is already in the afterlife.

Bizarre Delusions

any false belief that is completely implausible, isn’t derived from ordinary life experiences, and isn’t seated in cultural practices.

Delusions of control

Belief that an outside force is manipulating your thoughts and actions.

Thought Withdrawal

Belief your thoughts have been removed by an outside force.

Thought Insertion

Belief alien thoughts have been placed in your mind.

Catatonia

A state of unresponsiveness and inactivity that can occur in psychiatric conditions, characterized by motor immobility, extreme negativism, or peculiar posturing.

Hyperkinetic/Excited Catatonia

behavior changes, such as pacing, agitation, aggression and violent behavior without any situations causing the behavior change. It can also include acting or speaking strangely, mimicking how others nearby move or talk or even acts of self-harm.

Hypokinetic/withdrawn Catatonia

People with this form are awake but don’t react to what’s happening around them, as if they just aren’t aware of their surroundings

• mutism, no facial expressions

• posturing

• incontinence

Mixed Catotonia

combines features of hyperkinetic and hypokinetic catatonia

Malignant Catatonia

causes dysautonomia

• hyperthermia

• tachycardia

• sweating

• unstable blood pressure

• cyanosis

Downward Drift

mental illness causes victims from higher social levels to fall to lower social levels and remain there, stress of poverty causes disorder

Inappropriate Affect

A display of emotions that are incongruent with the situation, often observed in individuals with certain psychological disorders, such as schizophrenia.

Brief Psychotic Disorder

Meets criteria for schizophrenia, but duration is less than 1 month

Schizophrenoform Disorder

Meets criteria for schizophrenia, but schizoaffective disorder is ruled out, and duration is at least 1 month but less than 6

Schizoaffective Disorder

Marked symptoms of both schizophrenia and major depressive episode or a manic episode for a duration of 6 months or more

Delusional Disorder

Persistent delusions that are not bizarre and not due to schizophrenia for a duration of 1 month or more

• persecutory, jealous, grandiose, and somatic symptoms

Substance/Medication induced psychotic disorder

Hallucinations, delusions, or disorganized speech caused directly by a substance, such as an abused drug

Psychotic Disorder due to another medical condition

Hallucinations, delusions, or disorganized speech caused directly by a medical illness or brain damage

Tardive Dyskinesia

Most difficult side affect of conventional antipsychotics, up to 1 year after starting meds

• writhing

• tic like involuntary movements of the lips, mouth, tongue, legs, or body

• sometimes impossible to eliminate

• effects 10% of patients

Prodromal Phase

beginning of deterioration, mild symptoms