psy chapter 1 -3 supplied flash cards

norms

a society’s stated and unstated rules for proper conduct

psychopathology

the scientific study of mental difficulties or disorders, including their explanations, causes, progression, symptoms, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. The word also is used as a synonym for the disorders (or symptoms) themselves

culture

a people’s common history, values, institutions, habits, skills, technology, and arts

cultural humility

a process in which clinical scientists or practitioners continuously examine their own beliefs and cultural identities, explore individuals’ cultures and historical realities that differ from their own, seek to understand the cultural context of each person’s mental health challenges, and respond accordingly

treatment

a systematic procedure designed to change dysfunctional behavior into more functional behavior. also known as therapy

trephination

an ancient operation in which a stone instrument was used to cut away a circular section of the skull to treat severe psychopathology

humors

according to the Greeks and Romans, bodily chemicals that influence mental and physical functioning

asylum

a type of institution that first became popular in the sixteenth century to provide care for persons with mental disorders. Most asylums became virtual prisons

moral treatment

a nineteenth-century approach to treating people with mental dysfunction that emphasized moral guidance and humane and respectful treatment

state hospitals

state-run public mental institutions in the United States

somatogenic perspective

the view that psychopathology has physical causes

psychogenic perspective

the view that the chief causes of psychopathology are psychological factors

psychoanalysis

either the theory or the treatment of psychopathology that emphasizes unconscious psychological forces as the cause of psychological dysfunction

psychotropic medications

drugs that mainly affect the brain and reduce many symptoms of mental dysfunction

deinstitutionalization

the practice, begun in the 1960s, of releasing hundreds of thousands of patients from public mental hospitals

private psychotherapy

an arrangement in which a person directly pays a therapist for counseling services

prevention

interventions aimed at deterring mental disorders before they can develop

positive psychology

the study and enhancement of positive feelings, traits, and abilities

multicultural psychology

the field that seeks to understand how the varied histories, opportunities, and barriers experienced by people of different races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, disabilities, languages, and other such factors affect behavior, emotion, and thought

intersectionality

the cumulative experiences and psychological effects that result from interactions and intersections between multiple factors, such as race, sexual orientation, gender, discrimination, and socioeconomic class, for a given person

managed care program

health care coverage in which the insurance company largely controls the nature, scope, and cost of medical or psychological services

telemental health

the use of remote technologies, such as long-distance videoconferencing, to deliver mental health services without the therapist being physically present

scientific method

the process of systematically gathering and evaluating information, through careful observations, to understand a phenomenon

hypothesis

a hunch or prediction that certain variables are related in certain ways

case study

a detailed account of a person’s life and psychological problems

correlation

the degree to which events or characteristics vary along with each other

correlation method

a research procedure used to determine how much events or characteristics vary along with each other

experiment

a research procedure in which a variable is manipulated and the effect of that manipulation on another variable is observed

independent variable

the variable in an experiment that is manipulated to determine whether it has an effect on another variable

dependent variable

the variable in an experiment that is expected to change as the independent variable is manipulated

confound

in an experiment, a variable other than the independent variable that is also acting on the dependent variable

control group

in an experiment, a group of participants who are not exposed to the independent variable

experimental group

in an experiment, the participants who are exposed to the independent variable under investigation

random assignment

a selection procedure in an experiment that ensures that participants are randomly placed either in the control group or in the experimental group

mask design

a feature of an experiment in which participants do not know whether they are in the experimental condition or the control condition

placebo therapy

a pretend treatment that the participant in an experiment believes to be genuine

matched design

a research design that matches the experimental participants with control participants who are similar on key characteristics

natural experiment

an experiment in which nature rather than an experimenter manipulates an independent variable

analogue experiment

a research method in which the experimenter produces psychopathology-like behavior in laboratory participants and then conducts experiments on the participants

single-case experimental design

a research method in which a single participant is observed and measured both before and after the manipulation of an independent variable. also called single-subject experimental design

longitudinal study

a study that observes the same participants on many occasions over a long period of time

epidemiological study

a study that measures the incidence and prevalence of a problem, such as a disorder, in a given population

incidence

the number of new cases that emerge in a population during a given period of time

prevalence

the total number of cases in the population during a given period; prevalence includes both existing cases and new cases

qualitative methods

natural and unfiltered research methods intended to seek out each participant’s direct perspective—gathering information that is offered in the participant’s own word

mixed-methods research

a research tradition that combines, or mixes, both quantitative and qualitative approaches within the same research project

community-based participatory research

a research tradition that has members of an affected community work collaboratively with academically trained researchers at all stages of the research process

institutional Review Board

an ethics committee in a research facility that is empowered to protect the rights and safety of human research participants

model

A set of assumptions and concepts that help scientists explain and interpret observations. Also called a paradigm.

neuron

a nerve cell

synapse

The tiny space between the nerve ending of one neuron and the dendrite of another. 

neurotransmitter

A chemical that, released by one neuron, crosses the synaptic space to be received at receptors on the dendrites of neighboring neurons.

receptor

A site on a neuron that receives a neurotransmitter.

hormones

the chemicals released by endocrine glands into the bloodstream.

brain circuit

A network of particular brain structures that work together, triggering each other into action to produce a distinct kind of behavioral, cognitive, or emotional reaction.

genes

Chromosome segments that control the characteristics and traits we inherit.

psychotropic medications

Drugs that primarily affect the brain and reduce many symptoms of mental dysfunction.

brain stimulation

Interventions that directly or indirectly stimulate the brain in order to bring about psychological improvement.

electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)

A treatment in which a brain seizure is triggered when an electric current passes through electrodes attached to the patient’s forehead.

psychosurgery

brain surgery for mental disorders.

id

According to Freud, the psychological force that produces instinctual needs, drives, and impulses

ego

According to Freud, the psychological force that employs reason and operates in accordance with the reality principle.

ego defense mechanisms

According to psychoanalytic theory, strategies developed by the ego to control unacceptable id impulses and to avoid or reduce the anxiety they arouse.

super ego

According to Freud, the psychological force that represents a person’s values and ideals

fixation

according to Freud, a condition in which the id, ego, or superego do not mature properly and are frozen at an early stage of development.

self theory

The psychodynamic theory that emphasizes the role of the self—our unified personality. 

object relations theory

The psychodynamic theory that views the desire for relationships as the key motivating force in human behavior. 

free association

A psychodynamic technique in which the client describes any thought, feeling, or image that comes to mind, even if it seems unimportant. 

conditioning

A simple form of learning.

classical conditioning

A process of learning by temporal association in which two events that repeatedly occur close together in time become fused in a person’s mind and produce the same response. 

modeling

A process of learning in which an individual acquires responses by observing and imitating others. 

operant conditioning

a process of learning in which individuals come to behave in certain ways as a result of experiencing consequences of one kind or another whenever they perform the behavior. 

exposure therapy

A behavior-focused intervention in which fearful people are repeatedly exposed to the objects or situations they dread. 

self actualization

The humanistic process by which people fulfill their potential for goodness and growth. 

client-centered therapy

the humanistic therapy developed by Carl Rogers in which clinicians try to help clients by conveying acceptance, accurate empathy, and genuineness. 

gestalt therapy

The humanistic therapy developed by Fritz Perls in which clinicians actively move clients toward self-recognition and self-acceptance by using techniques such as role playing and self-discovery exercises.

existential therapy

A therapy that encourages clients to accept responsibility for their lives and to live with greater meaning and value

family systems theory

A theory that views the family as a system of interacting parts whose interactions exhibit consistent patterns and unstated rules. 

interpersonal psychotherapy

A therapy that addresses four interpersonal problem areas that may be leading to psychopathology: interpersonal losses, interpersonal role disputes, interpersonal role transitions, and interpersonal deficits.

group therapy

A therapy format in which people with similar problems meet together with a therapist to work on those problems.

support group

A group made up of people with similar problems who help and support one another without the direct leadership of a clinician. Also called a self-help group, peer group, or mutual-help group.

family therapy

A treatment in which a therapist meets with all members of a family and helps them change in therapeutic ways.

couple therapy

A treatment in which the therapist works with two people who share a long-term relationship. Also called marital therapy.

community mental health treatment

A treatment approach that emphasizes community care.

multicultural perspective

The view that each culture in a society has particular values, beliefs, and pressures that influence the behavior and functioning of its members.

people of color

The general term for people who are Black, Hispanic, Indigenous, and/or Asian American.

marginalized people

People whose communities experience discrimination, as well as social, political, and economic exclusion, due to unequal power relationships across a society.

dominant population

the societal group that holds, on average, the greatest power, privilege, and social status.

intersectionality

The interconnections among multiple factors such as race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, religion, ability, socioeconomic class, and discrimination that interact in a given person to help produce particular experiences and psychological effects.

culturally responsive therapies

Approaches that are designed to help address the unique issues faced by members of different cultural groups.

developmental psychopathology

A perspective that uses a developmental framework to understand how variables and principles from the various models may collectively account for human functioning.

equifinality

The principle that a number of different developmental routes can lead to the same psychological disorder.

multifinality

The principle that persons with similar developmental histories may nevertheless have different clinical outcomes or react to comparable current situations in different ways.

protective factor

A positive developmental variable such as effective parenting that helps to offset the impact of negative variables such as unfavorable genes or a difficult temperament.

idiographic information

information about a particular individual, as opposed to a larger population

assessment

The process of collecting and interpreting relevant information about a client or research participant.

standardization

the process in which a test is administered to a large group of people whose performance then serves as a standard or norm against which any individual’s score can be measured

reliability

A measure of the consistency of test or research results.

validity

A measure of the accuracy of a test’s or study’s results.

mental status exam

A set of interview questions and observations designed to reveal the degree and nature of a client’s psychopathology.