quiz #6 ch. 12, 13, and 14

acrophobia

fear of high places

acute stress disorder

a disorder, like PTSD, that is characterized by feelings of anxiety and helplessness and caused by a traumatic event; acute stress disorder occurs within a month of the event and lasts from 2 days to 4 weeks

agoraphobia

fear of open, crowded places

antisocial personality disorder

the diagnosis given a person who is in frequent conflict with society, yet who is undeterred by punishment and experiences little or no guilt and anxiety

anxiety disorders

disorders characterized by excessive worrying, fear of losing control, nervousness, and inability to relax

attributional styles

the tendency to attribute one’s behavior to internal or external factors, stable or unstable factors, and global or specific factors

bipolar disorder

a disorder in which the mood alternates between two extreme poles (elation and depression); also referred to as manic depression

borderline personality disorder

a personality disorder characterized by instability in relationships, self-image, mood, and lack of impulse control

catatonia

a psychotic condition characterized by striking motor impairment

claustrophobia

fear of tight, small places

conversion disorder

a disorder in which anxiety or unconscious conflicts are “converted” into physical symptoms that often have the effect of helping the person cope with anxiety or conflict

delusions

false, persistent beliefs that are unsubstantiated by sensory or objective evidence

depersonalization-derealization disorder

a disorder in which one feels detached from oneself or that one’s surroundings are not real

dissociative amnesia

a dissociative disorder marked by loss of memory or self-identity; skills and general knowledge are usually retained

dissociative disorders

disorders in which there are sudden, temporary changes in consciousness or self-identity

dissociative identity disorder (DID)

(formerly termed multiple personality disorder) a disorder in which a person appears to have two or more distinct identities or personalities that may alternately emerge

generalized anxiety disorder

feelings of dread and foreboding and sympathetic arousal of at least 6 months’ duration

hallucination

a perception in the absence of sensory stimulation that is confused with reality

ideas of persecution

erroneous beliefs that one is being victimized or persecuted

illness anxiety disorder

a somatoform disorder characterized by persistent belief that one is ill despite lack of medical findings

la belle indifférence

a French term descriptive of the lack of concern for their (imagined) medical problem sometimes shown by people with conversion disorders

learned helplessness

a possible explanation for some depressive behavior, based on findings that organisms in aversive situations learn to show inactivity when their behavior is not reinforced

major depressive disorder

a serious to severe depressive disorder in which the person may show loss of appetite, psychomotor retardation, and impaired reality testing

manic

elated; showing excessive excitement

mutism

refusal to talk

narcissistic personality disorder

a disorder characterized by an inflated self-image, extreme need for admiration, and lack of empathy for others

negative symptoms

those symptoms of schizophrenia that reflect the absence of appropriate behavior, such as a blank face, monotone voice, and motionless body

obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

an anxiety disorder defined by recurrent, anxiety-provoking thoughts or images that seem irrational and beyond control (obsessions) and seemingly irresistible urges to engage in thoughts or behaviors that tend to reduce the anxiety (compulsions)

panic disorder

recurrent experiencing of attacks of extreme anxiety in the absence of external stimuli that usually elicit anxiety

paranoid personality disorder

a personality disorder characterized by persistent suspiciousness but not involving the disorganization of paranoid schizophrenia

personality disorders

enduring patterns of maladaptive behavior that are sources of distress to the individual or others

positive symptoms

those symptoms of schizophrenia that indicate the presence of inappropriate behavior, such as hallucinations, delusions, agitation, and inappropriate giggling

posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

a disorder that follows a distressing event outside the range of normal human experience and that is characterized by features such as intense fear and avoidance

psychological disorders

patterns of behavior or mental processes that are connected with emotional distress or significant impairment in function

psychomotor retardation

slowness in motor activity and (apparently) in thought

rapid flight of ideas

rapid speech and topic changes, characteristic of manic behavior

social anxiety disorder

an irrational, excessive fear of public scrutiny

somatoform disorders

disorders in which people complain of physical (somatic) problems even though no physical abnormality can be found

specific phobia

persistent fear of a specific object or situation

stupor

a condition in which the senses, thought, and movement are dulled

waxy flexibility

a feature of catatonic schizophrenia in which people can be molded into postures that they maintain for quite some time

antidepressant

acting to relieve depression

asylum

a historic institution for the care of the mentally ill

aversive conditioning

a behavior-therapy technique in which undesired responses are inhibited by pairing repugnant or offensive stimuli with them

behavior therapy

systematic application of the principles of learning to the direct modification of a client’s problem behaviors

biofeedback training (BFT)

the systematic feeding-back to an organism of information about a bodily function so that the organism can gain control of that function

catharsis

in psychoanalysis, the expression of repressed feelings and impulses to allow the release of the psychic energy associated with them

client-centered therapy

Rogers’s method of psychotherapy that emphasizes the creation of a warm, therapeutic atmosphere that frees clients to engage in self-exploration and self-expression

cognitive therapy

a form of therapy that focuses on how clients’ cognitions (e.g., expectations, attitudes, and beliefs) lead to distress and may be modified to relieve distress and promote adaptive behavior

cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)

an approach to therapy that uses cognitive and behavioral techniques that have been validated by research

ego analyst

a psychodynamically oriented therapist who focuses on the conscious, coping behavior of the ego instead of the hypothesized, unconscious functioning of the id

electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)

treatment of disorders like major depression by passing an electric current (that causes a convulsion) through the head

free association

in psychoanalysis, the uncensored uttering of all thoughts that come to mind

Gestalt therapy

Perls’s form of psychotherapy that attempts to integrate conflicting parts of the personality through directive methods designed to help clients perceive their whole selves

humanistic therapy

a form of psychotherapy that focuses on the client’s subjective, conscious experience in the “here and now”

meta-analysis

a statistical technique for combining and averaging the results of individual research studies

modeling

a behavior-therapy technique in which a client observes and imitates a person who approaches and copes with feared objects or situations

prefrontal lobotomy

the severing or destruction of a section of the frontal lobe of the brain

psychoanalysis

Freud’s method of psychotherapy

psychodynamic therapy

a type of psychotherapy that is based on Freud’s thinking and assumes that the psychological problems reflect early childhood experiences and internal conflicts

psychosurgery

surgery intended to promote psychological changes or to relieve disordered behavior

psychotherapy

a systematic interaction between a therapist and a client that brings psychological principles to bear on influencing the client’s thoughts, feelings, or behavior to help the client overcome psychological disorders, adjust to problems in living, or develop as an individual

rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT)

Ellis’s form of therapy that encourages clients to challenge and correct irrational expectations and maladaptive behaviors

rebound anxiety

anxiety that can occur when one discontinues use of a tranquilizer

resistance

the tendency to block the free expression of impulses and primitive ideas- a reflection of the defense mechanism of repression

selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)

antidepressant drugs that work by blocking the reuptake of serotonin by presynaptic neurons, thus increasing the amount of serotonin available to the brain

serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)

antidepressant drugs that block the reuptake of both serotonin and norepinphrine

social skills training

a behavior-therapy method for helping people in their interpersonal relations that utilizes self-monitoring, behavior rehearsal, and feedback

successive approximations

in operant conditioning, a series of behaviors that gradually become more similar to a target behavior

systematic desensitization

Wolpe’s method for reducing fears by associating a hierarchy of images of fear-evoking stimuli with deep muscle relaxation

token economy

a controlled environment in which people are reinforced for desired behaviors with tokens (such as poker chips) that may be exchanged for privileges

transference

responding to one person (such as a psychoanalyst) in a way similar to how one responded to another person (such as a parent) in childhood

wish fulfillment

in dreams, the acting-out of ideas and impulses that are repressed when one is conscious

A-B problem

the issue of how well we can predict behavior on the basis of attitudes

Actor-observer effect

the tendency to attribute our own behavior to situational factors but to attribute the behavior of others to dispositional factors

altruism

unselfish concern for the welfare of others

attitude

an enduring mental representation of a person, place, or thing that typically evokes an emotional response and related behavior

attitude-discrepant behavior

behavior inconsistent with an attitude that may have the effect of modifying an attitude

attraction

in social psychology, an attitude of liking or disliking (negative attraction)

attribution

a belief concerning why people behave in a certain way

bystander effect

the tendency to avoid helping other people in emergencies when other people are also present and apparently capable of helping

cognitive-dissonance theory

the view that we are motivated to make our cognitions or beliefs consistent with each other and with our behavior

commitment

the decision to maintain a relationship

consummate love

the ideal form of love within Sternberg’s model, which combines passion, intimacy, and commitment

deindividuation

the process by which group members may discontinue self-evaluation and adopt group norms and attitudes

diffusion of responsibility

the spreading or sharing of responsibility for a decision or behavior within a group

discrimination

hostile behavior directed against groups toward whom one is prejudiced

dispositional attribution

an assumption that a person’s behavior is determined by internal causes such as personal traits

effort justification

in cognitive-dissonance theory, the tendency to seek justification (acceptable reasons)for strenuous efforts

elaboration likelihood model

the view that persuasive messages are evaluated (elaborated) on the basis of central and peripheral cues

evaluation apprehension

concern that others are evaluating our behavior

fear appeal

a type of persuasive communication that influences behavior on the basis of arousing fear instead of rational analysis of the issues

foot-in-the-door technique

a method for inducing compliance in which a small request is followed by a larger request

fundamental attribution error

the assumption that others act predominantly on the basis of their dispositions, even when there is evidence suggesting the importance of their situations

groupthink

a process in which group members are influenced by cohesiveness and a dynamic leader to ignore external realities as they make decisions

intimacy

close acquaintance and familiarity; a characteristic of a relationship in which partners share their innermost feelings

passion

strong romantic and sexual feelings

prejudice

an attitude toward a group that leads people to evaluate members of that group negatively

primacy effect

the tendency to evaluate others in terms of first impressions

recency effect

the tendency to evaluate others in terms of the most recent impression