Chapter 10 and 11 - Mental Disorders and Social Psychology

social situations

actual, imagined, or implied presence of others that influences people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

collective

three or more people engaged in common activities but having minimal direct interaction

group

two or more interacting persons who share common goals, have a stable relationship, are somewhat interdependent, and members perceive that they are part of the group

group

two or more interacting persons who share common goals, have a stable relationship, are somewhat interdependent, and members perceive that they are part of the group

social influence

attempts by others to change our behavior

attitude

evaluation of a particular object, place, event, idea, or person

persuasion

active method of influence that attempts to guide people toward the adoption of an attitude

social categorization

process of sorting people into groups on the basis of common characteristics or attributes

attribution

conclusions that we draw about the causes of people's behavior

self

your entire person, including your mental processes, body image and personality characteristics

self-esteem

how one evaluates and feels about oneself

self-efficacy

a person's belief that he or she can perform a behavior that will produce wanted outcomes

stereotypes

associations that link certain traits, characteristics, and attributes with particular social categories

prejudice

feelings - usually negative - toward people based on their membership or affiliation with a particular social group

discrimination

behavior directed against people because of their membership or affiliation with a particular social group

prejudice reduction

strategies we can use to reduce stereotypes, prejudices, and acts of discrimination

aggression

any behavior that is intended to harm or injure someone who does not want to be harmed or injured

prosocial behaviors

actions that benefit individuals or groups

attraction

occurs when two or more people are drawn together

love

relationship that consists of three components - intimacy, passion, and commitment

social influence

attempts by others to change our behavior

social cognition

how people process, store, and apply information in social situations

social relations

how to get along with other people

social facilitation

presence of others sometimes helps improve performance on tasks

deindividuation

reduction of self-awareness and inhibitions that can occur when an individual is a part of a group whose members feel anonymous

group think

faulty decision-making, involves the overestimation of the group's capabilities, pressure toward reaching consensus, and being closed off to alternative courses of action

steps to avoid groupthink

remaining objective, encouraging opposing viewpoints, questioning, and dividing a group for discussion

social loafing

phenomenon where people tend to expend less effort on collective or group tasks than they do when performing the same task alone

industrial/organizational (I/O) psychology

a specialty area that involves the application of psychological principles to the workplace

conformity

tendency to change one's beliefs or behaviors in ways that are consistent with group standards or norms of the group

Asch conformity studies (1955)

classic studies by Solomon Asch demonstrating how people will go along with what others say

obedience

performance of an action in response to the direct orders of an authority or person of higher status

Milgram obedience studies (1964)

classic studies performed by Stanley Milgram demonstrating how requests from authority figures influence behavior

Stanford prison experiment (1971)

a classic study by Phillip Zimbardo on group and interpersonal dynamics in a simulated prison environment

compliance

being asked to do something and agreeing

cognitive dissonance

unpleasant state of psychological tension that we are motivated to reduce by bringing our attitudes, thoughts, and behaviors in line with each other

schema

organized structures of knowledge about concepts based on past experiences

internal

characteristics or tendencies of the actor (personal, dispositional) that endure over time

external

something outside the person, that is often temporary, is causing an actor's behavior

fundamental attribution error

tendency to overlook external causes of others' behavior, thus making the observer more likely to make internal attributions about the actor

self-schema

a cognitive component of the self, includes our social identities and personal qualities

self-concept

organized structure of cognitions or thoughts that we have about self, made up of mutliple self-schemas

social comparison

if objective information is not available, then individuals will compare themselves with others

automatic vs. controlled

mindless, as if programmed like a computer vs. mindful, requiring attention and effort

stereotype threat

fear that one's performance will confirm stereotypes about one's ingroup

intergroup contact

increasing contact and exposure to people from different social groups

self-regulation

process of bringing one's behavior inline with one's standards

diversity training

strategies to inform people of biases to create a more inclusive workplace environment

physical aggression

using your body or a weapon to harm or injure another person intentionally

verbal aggression

using words, by yelling or name-calling, to harm or injure another person intentionally

relational aggression

intentionally harming someone's social relationships

counterproductive workplace behaviors

behaviors that are intended to harm an organization in some way

altruism

form of prosocial behavior that is based on the apparently unselfish motivation to serve others above self

bystander effect

diffusion of responsibility - an individual is less likely to provide assistance as the number of bystanders increases

proximity

how close people are in physical (or functional) space

similarity

we tend to like people who are like us along a variety of dimensions

matching hypothesis

people of similar attractiveness levels are drawn to one another as romantic partners

intimacy

closeness, connectedness, and emotional intimacy

passion

drives that lead to romance, physical attraction, and sexual consummation

commitment

decision to love and maintain that love

psychopathology

psychological or mental disorder

continuum

a spectrum [of behavior] ranging from mild to severe, infrequent to constant, controllable to uncontrollable, with no clear dividing line to indicate when normal becomes abnormal

psychological disorder

classification of pattern of behavior marked by personal distress and/or functional impairment

biopsychosocial approach

viewpoint that considers biological, psychological, and social factors to explain behavior

B = f (P + E + PE)

behavior is best understood as a function of things about the person (inside), things about the environment (outside), and the complex interaction of person and environment

classification

process of describing and categorizing [behavior]

epidemiology

study of the frequency and distribution of disorders within specific populations over a specified period of time

psychosis

loss of contact with reality marked by severe disturbances in thought, language, sensory perception, emotion regulation, and behavior

biological diathesis

predispositions arising from genetic and/or physiological mechanisms

diathesis-stress model

model that explains how psychological disorders can develop; a predisposition (vulnerability) and stress are both necessary elements

sociocultural factors

diatheses and stressors that originate from social and cultural norms, beliefs, and practices

mania

state of unrealistically happy mood, with overactivity, distractibility, racing thoughts, and little need for sleep

depression

an abnormally low mood state characterized by feelings of sadness, emptiness, hopelessness, and guilt

biological diatheses

predispositions arising from genetic and/or physiological mechanisms

depression

an abnormally low mood state characterized by feelings of sadness, emptiness, hopelessness, and guilt

diathesis-stress model

model that explains how psychological disorders can develop; a predisposition (vulnerability) and stress are both necessary elements

continuum

a spectrum [of anxiety] ranging from mild to severe, infrequent to constant, controllable to uncontrollable, with no clear dividing line to indicate when normal becomes abnormal

pathological anxiety and fear

irrational, persistent, maladaptive, and uncontrollable, may strike without a specific threat and cause significant personal distress and functional impairment

diathesis-stress model

model that explains how psychological disorders can develop; a predisposition (vulnerability) and stress are both necessary elements

biomedical therapy

treatment approach that attempts to correct specific biological defects that are thought to contribute to psychopathology, in order to alleviate or prevent symptoms (often using drugs)

psychotherapy

treatment process during which a trained clinician interacts with a client to help her/him feel, think, and behave differently in order to alleviate or prevent distress

biomedical therapy

treatment approach that attempts to correct specific biological defects that are thought to contribute to psychopathology, in order to alleviate or prevent symptoms (often using drugs)

psychotherapy

treatment process during which a trained clinician interacts with a client to help her/him feel, think, and behave differently in order to alleviate or prevent distress

psychotherapeutic perspectives

various approaches to treating psychological disorders based in one or more historical perspectives in psychology

risk of suicide

likelihood that a person will commit suicide, varies according to diagnosis, gender, age, and warning signs

diathesis-stress model

model that explains how psychological disorders can develop; a predisposition (vulnerability) and stress are both necessary elements

clinical psychology

an integration of science, theory and clinical knowledge to understand, treat, and prevent psychological disorders

deviation from statistical norm

occurring very infrequently

deviation from social norm

culturally different

personal distress

subjective state characterized by emotional pain and suffering

functional impairment

dysfunctional state occurring when a person is unable to fulfill school or work obligations, sustain social relationships, or take care of oneself or children

internal dysfunction

origin of psychological problem is within the person, not an expected response to an event

etiology

the origin or cause (of abnormal behavior)

medical model

biological approach to psychological problems, considers psychopathology as disease with specific etiology, symptoms, and prognosis

symptoms

common set of behavioral indicators

prognosis

predictable course over time, likely outcome of a disorder

diathesis

biological and/or psychological predisposition that increases a person's chance of developing a disorder [or disease]

stressor

stressful life experience or event

DSM-5

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, classification system for psychopathologies

stigma

negative attitudes and beliefs [about psychopathology]