Chapter 1. Psychopathology in Historical Context

Psychological Dysfunction

a breakdown in cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functioning

Psychological Disorder

a psychological dysfunction within an individual that causes stress or impairment in functioning

Phobia

a psychological disorder of common and persistent fear of an object or situation

Psychopathology

the scientific study of psychological disorders

Clinical description

details of all the behaviors, thoughts, and feelings of an individual that make up a certain disorder

Important function of clinical description

to specifiy what makes the disorder different from normal behavior or from other disorders

Acute onset disorder

disorder that begins suddenly

Insidious onset disorder

disorder that develops over an extended period

Prognosis

predicted future development of a disorder over time

Etiology

biological, psychological, and social influences all contribute to many disorders

Prevalence

how many people suffer from certain disorders

Course

the pattern a disorder follows can be chronic, time-limited, or episodic

Mass Hysteria

large outburst of bizarre behavior