Chapter 1: Abnormal Behavior in Historical Context

Vocabulary flashcards covering core definitions, historical traditions, key individuals, and theoretical models from Chapter 1.

Psychological Disorder

Behavioral, psychological, or biological dysfunctions that are unexpected in their cultural context and associated with present distress and/or impairment in functioning, or increased risk of suffering, death, pain, or impairment.

Psychopathology

The scientific study of psychological dysfunction.

Scientist-Practitioner

A mental health professional who stays current with research in the field, evaluates their own assessment and treatment, and conducts research.

Presenting Problem

The original complaint or set of symptoms (e.g., chronic worry, panic attacks) that brings an individual to seek clinical attention.

Etiology

What contributes to the development of psychopathology; the causation or origin of psychological disorders.

Course

The pattern or progression of a disorder over time, which can be episodic, time-limited, or chronic.

Prognosis

The predicted future course and outcome of a disorder, described as good or guarded.

Paracelsus

A Swiss physician who suggested that mental health problems are affected by the pull of the moon and stars, leading to the term 'lunatic'.

Hippocrates (460-377 BC)

Father of modern Western medicine who viewed mental disorders as physical diseases, linked abnormality with brain chemical imbalances, and described hysteria as 'the wandering uterus'.

Galen (129-198 AD)

Extended Hippocrates' work and developed the Galenic-Hippocratic tradition based on humoral theory.

Humoral Theory

Theory stating that normal brain functioning is related to four key bodily fluids (blood, phlegm, black bile, yellow bile); for example, depression was believed to be caused by too much black bile.

General Paresis

A condition with severe psychological symptoms caused by syphilis; Louis Pasteur discovered its bacterial microorganism cause, leading to penicillin treatment and supporting the biological tradition.

John P. Grey

A U.S. psychiatrist who believed mental illness had physical roots and championed the biological tradition, leading to hospital reforms for psychiatric patients.

Emil Kraepelin

The father of classification who improved the diagnosis and classification of mental disorders.

Moral Therapy

A 19th-century psychological approach aiming to treat institutionalized patients as normally as possible in a normal environment, encouraging social interaction.

Philippe Pinel and Jean-Baptiste Pussin

Proponents of moral therapy who advocated that psychiatric patients should not be restrained.

Benjamin Rush

A proponent of moral therapy who led mental health reforms in the United States.

Dorothea Dix

A campaigner who initiated the mental hygiene movement and advocated for asylum reform.

Id

The structure of the mind driven by the pleasure principle that operates in an illogical, emotional, and irrational manner.

Ego

The structure of the mind driven by the reality principle; acts as a logical and rational mediator between the superego and id.

Superego

The structure of the mind driven by moral principles, representing the conscience.

Defense Mechanisms

Unconscious attempts by the ego to manage anxiety resulting from conflict between the id and superego (e.g., displacement, denial, rationalization, reaction formation, projection, repression, sublimation).

Anna Freud

Psychoanalytic theorist who developed self-psychology and emphasized the influence of the ego in defining behavior.

Object Relations Theory

Theory developed by Melanie Klein and Otto Kernberg emphasizing how children incorporate (introject) objects, which are significant others and their images, memories, and values.

Carl Jung

A Neo-Freudian who departed from Freud's emphasis on sexuality by introducing the concept of the 'collective unconscious'.

Alfred Adler

A Neo-Freudian who focused on feelings of inferiority and invented the term 'inferiority complex'.

Person-Centered Therapy

A humanistic therapy created by Carl Rogers (1902–1987) where the therapist conveys empathy and unconditional positive regard with minimal interpretation.

Hierarchy of Needs

A concept proposed by Abraham Maslow (1908–1970) stating that humans must fulfill basic needs (e.g., food, safety) before moving onto higher needs like self-esteem.

Classical Conditioning

A learning process studied by Pavlov and Watson where neutral stimuli become associated with unconditioned stimuli that already have meaning.

Stimulus Generalization

A response pattern in classical conditioning where an individual starts responding in the same way to stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus.

Extinction

The weakening of a learned association when a conditioned stimulus is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus.

John B. Watson (1878–1958)

Psychologist who advocated for scientific objectivity and conducted the 'Little Albert' experiment, teaching a baby to fear a white rat paired with a loud noise.

Mary Cover Jones (1897-1987)

One of the first researchers to treat phobias with exposure and extinction of learned associations.

Law of Effect

Principle formulated by E.L. Thorndike (1874–1949) stating that behavior will be repeated more often if followed by good consequences and less often if followed by bad consequences.

B.F. Skinner (1904–1990)

Behaviorist who developed operant conditioning principles and behavior shaping by reinforcing successive approximations.

Systematic Desensitization

Behavior therapy technique developed by Joseph Wolpe (1915–1997) where individuals are gradually exposed to fears while practicing relaxation exercises.