Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Body Dysmorphic Disorder, and Clinical Psychology Concepts

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder causal mechanisms, Body Dysmorphic Disorder features and treatments, and key clinical assessment concepts from the lecture.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

A chronic psychological disorder with a lifetime prevalence of $2\text{--}3\%$, an approximately equal gender ratio, and a typical onset in late adolescence or early adulthood, characterized by waxing and waning symptom severity.

Mowrer's Two-Process Theory of Avoidance Learning

A theoretical framework proposed in $1947$ explaining that avoidance behaviors in OCD are acquired through classical conditioning and maintained through operant conditioning.

Classical Conditioning (in OCD)

The learning phase where a neutral stimulus (such as a door knob) becomes paired with an unconditioned stimulus (such as contamination fears) to become a conditioned stimulus that elicits anxiety as a conditioned response.

Negative Reinforcement (in OCD)

The operant conditioning mechanism wherein performing a compulsive behavior (such as hand washing) relieves or reduces anxiety, thereby strengthening and maintaining the compulsive response.

Thought-Action-Fusion

A cognitive distortion involving the belief that thinking about an action is morally equivalent to carrying it out, or that thinking about an event makes it more likely to occur.

Thought Suppression

A cognitive factor in OCD characterized by active efforts to eliminate intrusive thoughts, which paradoxically increases their frequency and associated distress.

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

The primary, most researched psychological treatment for OCD, requiring systematic exposure to obsession-inducing stimuli while strictly refraining from engaging in compulsive rituals, resulting in a $50\text{--}70\%$ symptom reduction.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)

A disorder characterized by preoccupation with one or more perceived physical flaws or defects that are unobservable or appear slight to others, driving repetitive behaviors or mental acts in response.

Safety Behaviors (in BDD)

Coping actions utilized by individuals with BDD to hide or manage perceived flaws, including excessive grooming, wearing specific clothing, skin picking, self-medicating, or seeking plastic surgery.

Mirror Exposures

A cognitive-behavioral therapy intervention used for Body Dysmorphic Disorder to reduce distress and distorted perceptions surrounding one's physical appearance.

Trichotillomania

An OCD-related disorder characterized by recurrent, compulsive pulling out of one's own hair.

Hoarding Disorder

An OCD-related condition involving persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions regardless of their actual value.

Reliability

The consistency of a psychological assessment or test, which is a necessary prerequisite for validity.

Biological Orientation

A diagnostic and therapeutic perspective that focuses on brain structure and function, utilizing neuroimaging assessments such as fMRI and PET scans.

Psychodynamic Orientation

A therapeutic perspective focused on unconscious conflicts, utilizing clinical techniques such as unstructured interviews, free association, and sentence completion tests.

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)

The authoritative classification manual (abbreviated as DSM) used by mental health clinicians to diagnose psychiatric conditions.

Clinically Significant Distress or Impairment

The essential DSM diagnostic criterion required for deviant behavior to be classified as a mental disorder.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

A pervasive anxiety condition characterized by continual apprehension, worry, and anxiety focused on future events.

Reciprocal Relationship

A dynamic in which two events or behavioral responses continuously influence, reinforce, and maintain one another.

Compulsion

A repetitive, purposeful action or mental act in OCD performed primarily as a means of alleviating internal anxiety or tension.

Neuroticism

A broad personality dimension reflecting a dispositional tendency to experience negative affect and mood states.