AP Psychology - Vocabulary 16

psychological disorder

deviant, distressful, and dysfunctional behavior patterns

attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

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

medical model

the concept that diseases have physical causes that can be diagnosed, treated, and, in most cases, cured. When applied to psychological disorders, it assumes that these mental illnesses can be diagnosed on the basis of their symptoms and cured through therapy, which may include treatment in a psychiatric hospital

DSM-IV(-TR)

the American Psychiatric Association's "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders", a widely used system for classifying psychological disorders. Presently distributed in an updated text revision, most recent is fifth edition

anxiety disorders

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

generalized anxiety disorder

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

panic disorder

an anxiety disorder marked by unpredictable minutes-long episodes of intense dread in which a person experiences terror and accompanying chest pain, choking, or other frightening sensations

phobia

an anxiety disorder marked by a persistent, irrational fear and avoidance of a specific object or situation

obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

an anxiety disorder characterized by unwanted repetitive thoughts and/or actions

post-traumatic stress disorder (PSTD)

an anxiety disorder characterized by haunting memories, nightmares, social withdrawal, jumpy anxiety, and/or insomnia that lingers for four weeks or more after a traumatic experience

dissociative disorders

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

dissociative identity disorder (DID)

a rare dissociative disorder in which a person exhibits two or more distinct and alternating personalities. Also called multiple personality disorder

mood disorders

psychological disorders characterized by emotional extremes

major depressive disorder

a mood disorder in which a person experiences, in the absence of drugs or a medical condition, two or more weeks of significantly depressed moods, feelings of worthlessness, and diminished interest or pleasure in most activities

mania

a mood disorder marked by a hyperactive, wildly optimistic state

bipolar disorder

a mood disorder in which the person alternates between the hopelessness and lethargy of depression and the overexcited state of mania (formerly called manic-depressive disorder)

schizophrenia

a group of severe disorders characterized by disorganized and delusional thinking, disturbed perceptions, and inappropriate emotions and actions

delusions

false beliefs, often of persecution or grandeur, that may accompany psychotic disorders

personality disorder

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

antisocial personality disorder

personality disorder in which the person, usually a man, exhibits a lack of conscience for wrongdoing, even toward friends and family members. May be aggressive and ruthless or a clever con artist.

autism

a disorder that appears in childhood and is marked by deficient communication, social interaction, and understanding of others' states of mind

Alzheimer's disease

a progressive and irreversible brain disorder characterized by gradual deterioration of memory, reasoning, language, and, finally, physical functioning

paranoid schizophrenia

preoccupations with delusions or hallucinations: often with themes of persecution or grandiosity

disorganized schizophrenia

disorganized speech or behavior, or flat or inappropriate emotion

catatonic schizophrenia

immobility or excessive, purposeless movement, extreme negativism, and/or parrot-like repeating of another's speech or movements

undifferentiated schizophrenia

many and varied symptoms

residual schizophrenia

withdrawal, after hallucinations and delusion have disappeared

histrionic personality disorder

displays shallow, attention-getting emotions and goes to great lengths to gain other's praise and reassurance

narcissistic personality disorder

exaggerate one's own importance, aided by success fantasies; find criticism hard to accept, often reacting with rage or shame

borderline personality

unstable identity, relationships, and emotions; the hardest to accurately diagnose

dependent personality

an excessive need to be taken care of, fear of separation, and clinging behavior

neurotic disorder

an old term for any distressing behavior that allows one to think rationally and function socially

psychotic disorder

an old term for losing contact with reality, experiencing irrational ideas and distorted perceptions

lithium

a chemical that provides an effective drug therapy for mood swings to bipolar disorders

psychogenic fugue

a dissociative disorder where a person loses all sense of identity, wanders away, and establishes a new life

splitting

failure to integrate positive and negative aspects of another's behavior into a coherent whole

culture-bound syndrome

recurrent, locally-specific patterns of aberrant behavior that may or may not be linked to a particular DSM-IV diagnostic category

amok

a dissociative episode in Malaysia characterized by a period of brooding followed by an outburst of violent behavior

ghost sickness

a preoccupation with death and the deceased among Native Americans. Bad dreams, dizziness, weakness, and feelings of futility

zar

in North Africa and the Middle East an experience of spirit possession where the person develops a relationship with the spirit. Withdrawal and apathy

Asperger's disorder

impairment in social interaction

somatoform disorders

physical complaints without a neurological explanation for the problem

factitious disorders

a psychological need to assume a sick role

malingering

falsifying symptoms to avoid responsibility

impulse control disorder

failure to resist destructive behavior

kleptomania

failure to resist stealing

pyromania

failure to resist setting fire

pathological gambling

persistent maladaptive gambling behavior

trichollomania

recurrent pulling out of one's hair

multiaxial assessment

Axis I: clinical disorders; Axis II: personality disorders; Axis III: General medical conditions; Axis IV: Psychosocial & environmental problems; Axis V: global assessment of functioning

narcissism

excessive self-love and self-absorption

paraphilias

sexual arousal from fantasies, behaviors, or urges involving nonhuman objects, the suffering of self or others, and/or nonconsenting persons