AP PSYCH Unit 8

abnormal psychology

abnormal psychology

the study of people who suffer from psychological disorders

characteristics of disorders

• it is maldaptive and/or disturbing the individual

• it is disturbing to others

• it is unusual

• it is irrational (doesn’t make sense to the average person)

psychoanalytic view on causes of disorders

caused in unconscious conflicts caused by traumatic events

humanist view on causes of disorders

it is caused by failure to strive towards one’s potential or being out of touch with one’s feelings

behavioral view on causes of disorders

reinforcement history, environment

cognitive view on causes of disorders

irrational, dysfunctional ways of thinking or thoughts

sociocultural view on causes of disorders

dysfunctional thinking

biomedical view on causes of disorders

organic problems, biochemical imbalances, genetic predispositions

psychological disorder

a syndrome marked by a clinically significant disturbance in the individual’s cognition, emotion regulation, and behavior

ADHD

a psychological disorder marked by the appearance by age 7 of one or more 3 key symptoms: extreme irritation, hyperactivity, and impulsivity

• sustained attention

• limited ability to focus on tasks

medical model

the concept that diseases have physical causes that can be diagnosed, treated, and cured through a hospital

DSM-5

the widely used system for classifying psychological disorders

phobia

an intense fear of a situation or object

social anxiety

fear of a situation in which one could embarrass oneself in public

mood disorders

experience extreme or inappropriate emotions

Aaron Beck

believed that depression results from unreasonably negative ideas about themselves and the world

• cognitive triadbip

delusions

beliefs with no basis in reality

delusion of persecution

belief that people are out to get you

delusion of grandeur

belief that you enjoy greater power and influence than you do

halluncinations

are perceptions in the absence of any sensory stimulation

what is thought to be the most common cause of schizophrenia

high levels of dopamine

anxiety disorder

psychological disorders characterized by distressing, persistent anxiety or maldaptive behaviors that reduce anxiety

generalized anxiety disorder

an anxiety disorder in which a person is continually tense, apprehensive, and in a automatic nervous system arousal

panic disorder

marked by unpredictable, minutes-long, episodes of intense dread in which a person experiences terror and accompanying chest pain, choking, etc

obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

in which a person is troubled by repetitive thoughts or actions

post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

a person has lingering memories, nightmares, and other symptoms for weeks after a severely threatening, uncontrollable event

posttraumatic growth

positive psychological changes as a result of struggling with extremely challenging circumstances and life crisis

psychosis

a psychotic disorder marked by irrationality and lost contact with reality

catatonia

remaining motionless for hours

positive symptoms of schizophrenia

hallucinations, disorganized speech, delusions, inappropriate behavior

negative symptoms of schizophrenia

toneless voice, expressionless face, or mute or rigid bodies, catatonia

in psychological disorder behavior is

(1)deviant, (2) distressful, (3) dysfunctional, (4) dangerous

Philippe Pinel

insisted madness was an ailment of the mind

etiology

causation and development of the disorder

signs

objective observations of a patient’s physical or mental disorder by a diagnostician

symptoms

patient’s subjective description of a physical or mental disorder

David Rosenhan

a pioneer in applying psychological methods to the practice of law, including the examination of expert witnesses, jury selection, and jury deliberation.

paraphillas

marked by a sexual attraction to an object, person, or activity not usually seen as sexual

• ex. pedophilia (attraction to kids)

depressed moods

a response to a past and current loss

major depressive disorder

a mood disorder in which a person experiences 2 or more weeks with depression or not wanting to do anything

mania

a mood disorder marked by hyperactivity, wildly optimistic state

bipolar disorder

a mood disorder in which a person alternates between hopelessness and lethargy of depression and overexcited state of mania

rumination

compulsive fretting; overthinking about our problems and their causes

somatic symptom disorder

a psychological disorder in which symptoms take a bodily forms without an apparent cause

conversion disorder

a disorder in which a person experiences very specific genuine physical symptoms for which no physiological basis can be found

illness anxiety disorder

a disorder in which a person interprets normal physical sensations as symptoms of a disease

dissociative disorder

disorders in which conscious awareness becomes separated from previous memories, thoughts, and feelings

dissociative identity disorder

a rare dissociative disorder in which a person experiences 2 or more distinct and altering personalities

personality disorders

psychological disorders characterized by inflexible and enduring behavior patterns that impair social functioning

antisocial personality disorder

a person exhibits a lack of conscious for wrong doing

• typically male

schizophrenia

a psychological disorder characterized by disorganized and delusional thinking, disturbed perceptions, and inappropriate emotions and actions

neologisms

made up words or phrases that have meaning to the patient

what are schizophrenia’s subtypes

• paranoid: delusions and hallucinations

• disorganization: speech or behavior

• catatonic: immobility

• undifferentiated: many varied symptoms

• residual: withdrawl

autism spectrum disorder

• deficits in social communication and interaction

• developmental disorder

• more common in boys

• wide range of symptoms and levels of functioning

• lack of appropriate social response

tourette’s

• constant vocal or motor “tics”

• neurodevelopmental disorder

  • uncontrollable

intellectual disability

a term used when a person has certain limitations in cognitive functioning and skills, including conceptual, social and practical skills, such as language, social and self-care skills.

signs of major depressive disorder

• lethargy and tiredness

• feelings of worthlessness

• lost of interest in family and friends

• loss of interest in activities

• suicidal thoughts

dysthymic disorder

a milder version of depression characterized by daily depression lasting 2 years or more

seasonal affective disorder

triggered by the seasons

postpartum depression

• occurs within 3 weeks following birth

• feel detached with baby and people

• may have more delusions, display bizarre behavior, may kill herself and/or children

cyclothymia

symptoms alternate between emotional highs and lows

cycle of depression

1. negative stressful events

2. pessimistic explanatory cycle

3. hopeless depressed state

4. hampers the way the individual thinks and acts, and thus feels personal rejection

hypochondriasis

a preoccupation with the persistent and irrational fear the one has an illness

depersonalization disorder

feeling detached from one’s body

which therapies rely on interpretation

• hypnosis

• free association

• dream analysis

active listening

clients talk to therapist about how they feel and therapist mirrors back feelings to help clarify feelings for client

existential therapy

focus on helping clients achieve a subjectively meaningful perception of their lives

psychotherapy

treatment involving psychological techniques; consists of interactions between therapist and client

biomedical therapy

persecribed medications on procedures that act directly on a person’s physiology

eclectic approach

an approach to psychotherapy that uses techniques from various forms of therapy

resistence

the blocking from consciousness of anxiety-laden material

interpretation

the analyst’s noting of supposed dream meanings, resistances, and other significant behaviors that promote insight

transference

the patient’s transfer to the analyst of emotions linked with other relationships

psychodynamic therapy

views individuals as responding to unconscious forces and childhood experiences, and seek to enhance self-insight

insight therapies

a variety of therapies that aim to improve psychological functioning by increasing a person’s awareness of underlying motives and defenses

client- centered therapy

therapist uses techniques such as active listening within a genuine, accepting, empathetic environment to facilitate client’s growth

counterconditioning

an unpleasant conditioned response is replaced with a pleasant one

Joseph Wolpe

systematic desensitization

in vivo desensitization

a client confronts the actual feared objects or situations

covert desentization

the client imagines fear-inducing stimuli

flooding

having a client address the most frightening scenario first

aversive conditioning

pairing a habit a person wishes to break with an unpleasant one

token economy

desired behaviors are identified and rewarded with tokens

behavior therapy

applies learning principles to the elimination of unwanted behaviors

• v-r exposure therapy, aversive conditioning, counterconditioning, exposure therapies, systematic desensitization

exposure therapies

behavioral techniques that treat anxieties by exposing people to things that they fear and avoid

systematic desensitization

associated a pleasant, relaxed state with gradually increasing anxiety-triggering stimuli

virtual reality exposure therapy

progressively exposes people to electronic simulations of their greatest fears

cognitive therapies

teaches people new, more adaptive ways of thinking; based on the assumption that thoughts intervene between events and our emotional reactions

• beck

• cognitive triad: beliefs about themselves, their worlds, and their futures

• Ellis

rational-emotive behavior therapy (REBT)

challenges people’s illogical, self-defeating attitudes and assumptions

cognitive-behavioral therapy

combines cognitive therapy (changing thinking) with behavioral therapy (changing behavior)

what are the odd behavior personality disorders

paranoid personality disorder, schizoid personality disorder, and schizotypical personality disorder

paranoid personality disorder

chronic sense of being observed and persecuted, deep distrust of people, different than paranoid schizophrenia

schizoid personality disorder

• detached from social relationships

• true hermits, live alone, avoid intimate interactions

schizotypical personality disorder

characterized by need for isolation, odd behavior and thinking, and often unconventional beliefs

what are the impulsive behavior personality disorders

borderline personality disorder, histrionic personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder

borderline personality disorder

exhibit instability of emotions, self-image, behavior, and relationships

histrionic personality disorder

• excessive emotionality and attempt to get attention

• bizarre appearance

• bizarre speech

• rapidly shifting and shallow emotions

narcissistic personality disorder

grandiosity, need for admiration, intolerant of others, extremely self-absorbed

antisocial personality disorder

person lacks conscious for wrongdoings

• no respect for others

anxiety related personality disorders

avoidant personality disorder, dependent personality disorder, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder