Psych110 - Exam 1

Idiographic strategy

What is unique about an individual’s personality, cultural background, or circumstance

Nomothetic strategy

Often used when identifying a specific psychological disorder, to make a diagnosis

Taxonomy

classification in a scientific context

Nosology

taxonomy in psychological/medical phenomena

Nomenclature

labels in a nosological system

(e.g., “panic disorder” “depressive disorders”)

Classical (or pure) categorical approach

strict categories (e.g., you either have social anxiety disorder or you don’t)

Dimensional approach

classification along dimensions (e.g., different people have varying amounts of anxiety in social situations)

Prototypical approach

combines classical and dimensional views

What are the widely used classification systems?

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) & International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10)

Clinical assessment

Systematic evaluation and measurement (Psychological, Biological, Social)

Diagnosis

Degree of fit between symptoms and diagnostic criteria

Why do we assess psychological disorders?

Understanding the individual, Predicting the behavior, Treatment planning, Evaluating outcomes

Funnel analogy

• Broad, multidimensional start

• Narrows to specific problems

Reliability

Degree of consistency of a measurement

Ex: “Agreement” between two different testing times or between two different evaluators

Validity

Does the test measure what it’s supposed to?

Concurrent

Comparison between results of one assessment with another measure known to be valid

Predictive

How well the assessment predicts outcomes

Standardization

• Consistent use of techniques

• Provides normative population data

Ex: Administration procedures, Scoring, Evaluation of data

Clinical interview

• Assesses multiple domains

• Presenting problem

• Current and past behavior

• Detailed history

• Attitudes and emotions

What is the most common clinical assessment method?

Structured or semi-structured

Mental status exam

• Appearance and behavior

• Thought processes

• Mood and affect

• Intellectual functioning

• Sensorium

Physical Examination

Understand and rule out physical etiologies

• Toxicities

• Medication side effects

• Allergic reactions

• Metabolic conditions

Behavioral observation

• Identification and observation of target behaviors

• Determine the factors that are influencing target behaviors

Target behavior

Behavior of interest (ex: something that needs to be increased or decreased)

Projective tests

• Rooted in psychoanalytic tradition

• Used to assess unconscious processes

• Project aspects of personality onto ambiguous test stimuli

• Require high degree of inference in scoring and interpretation

Objective tests

• Roots in empirical tradition

• Test stimuli are less ambiguous

• Require minimal clinical inference in scoring and interpretation

Personality tests

• Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)

• Extensive reliability, validity, and normative database

Intelligence tests

• Nature of intellectual functioning and IQ

• The deviation IQ

• Verbal and performance domains

Anxiety

a future-oriented mood state

• Apprehension about future danger or misfortune

• Physical symptoms of tension

• Characterized by marked negative affect

• May lead to avoidance of situations likely to provoke fear

Fear

a present-oriented mood state

• Immediate fight or flight response to danger or threat

• Involves abrupt activation of the sympathetic nervous system

• Strong avoidance/escapist tendencies

• Marked negative affect

What are characters of anxiety disorders?

• Pervasive and persistent symptoms of anxiety and fear

• Involve excessive avoidance and escape

• Cause clinically significant distress and impairment

Panic attack

abrupt experience of intense fear

What are the physical symptoms of a panic attack?

heart palpitations, chest pain, dizziness, sweating, chills or heat sensations, etc.

What are the cognitive symptoms of a panic attack?

Fear of losing control, dying, or going crazy

What are the types of panic attacks?

Expected & unexpected

How are anxiety and brain circuits connected?

• Depleted levels of GABA are associated with more anxiety

• Deficits in norepinephrine and serotonin also associated with greater anxiety

How is genetic vulnerability related to anxiety?

More likely to be anxious if there is a family history of anxiety

How can early childhood contribute to anxiety?

Experiences with uncontrollability and unpredictability lead to more anxiety