AP psych exam review

Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Personality disorder characterized by self-preoccupation, inflated estimates of one's abilities and attractiveness, and the need for others to focus on oneself.

Conversion Disorder

A somatic symptom disorder in which a psychological problem manifests itself as a deficit in physiological functioning (e.g. blindess, paralysis). Freud called these "Hysterias".

Dissociative Disorders

Group of disorders that involve dysfunction of memory or an altered state of identity (e.g. dissociative identity disorder, dissociative amnesia)

Histrionic Personality Disorder

Personality disorder characterized by excessive emotional reactions and excitability, as well as by the need for attention and overly dramatic behavior

Somatic Symptom-Related Disorders

This category of disorders includes psychological disorders characterized by physical symptoms without any (known) physical causes. Illness Anxiety Disorder and Conversion Disorder are examples.

electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)

a biomedical therapy for severely depressed patients in which a brief electric current is sent through the brain of an anesthetized patient

Illness Anxiety Disorder

A somatic symptom disorder characterized by excessive preoccupation with health concerns and incessant worry about developing physical illnesses.

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

also called multiple personality disorder; person displays more than one distinct personality & these personalities are expressed a different times.

Narcolepsy

a sleep disorder characterized by uncontrollable sleep attacks

Bipolar Disorder

a mental disorder characterized by episodes of mania and depression

dopamine

a neurotransmitter that is associated with Parkinson's disease (too little of it) and schizophrenia (too much of it)

hallucination

sensory experience without an accompanying sensory stimulus; auditory most common

Major Depressive Disorder

depressive disorder characterized by two weeks or more of low energy and mood

Factitious Disorder

disorder in which the sufferer purposefully ingests harmful substances or engages in acts of self-harm or mutilation in order to obtain medical attention

tardive dyskinesia

side effect of antipsychotic medications; repetitive, uncontrollable muscle movements

SSRI's

most commonly used drug treatment for depression; examples include Prozac and Zoloft

benzodiazepenes

central nervous system depressants used to treat anxiety disorders; examples include Xanax, Valium, and Librium

neuroleptics

drugs used to treat psychotic disorders; includes Risperdal, Clozaril, Thorazine

Lithium Carbonate

most common drug treatment for bipolar disorder

eating disorders

anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are examples

bulimia nervosa

eating disorder marked by episodes of binge eating followed by purging (through use of laxatives or induced vomiting)

Anorexia Nervosa

eating disorder wherein the sufferer is irrationally concerned about weight gain and avoids eating, despite being significantly underweight for his/her age and height

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

caused by exposure to trauma, such as war or violence, which leads to recurring thoughts and anxiety related to the trauma

sleep disorders

narcolepsy, sleep apnea, and night terrors are examples

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)

cognitive therapy developed by Albert Ellis; therapist often directly challenges the patient's irrational beliefs

Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)

cognitive therapy developed by Aaron Beck; therapist works with the patient to correct maladaptive thoughts and harmful beliefs through hypothesis testing

systematic desensitization

behavioral treatment for anxiety disorders that requires creation of a fear hierarchy; the patient approaches tasks on the list while practicing relaxation

flooding

behavioral treatment for anxiety disorders that requires the patient confront the fearful situation at full force

counterconditioning

behavioral treatment (using classical conditioning principles) that seeks to remove the association between a particular stimulus and the fearful response

psychoanalysis

Freud's "talking cure" that includes techniques like free association, dream interpretation, hypnosis, etc.

free association

Psychoanalytic technique that requires the patient to speak of anything that comes to mind, without censorship

transference

in Freudian theory, when a patient redirects feelings for a (for example) parent or loved one toward the therapist

resistance

pauses in speech or gaps in memory that occur during free association; believed by psychoanalysts to indicate attempts at repression

Gestalt Therapy

methods pioneered by Fritz Perls; includes the "empty chair" technique, use of "I-statements" and metaphor

client-centered therapy

therapy developed by Carl Rogers; non-directive

unconditional positive regard

according to Rogers, humans develop to their fullest when others display this: a total acceptance of others' value (without judgment)

active listening

conversational method used by client-centered therapists: includes summarizing and clarifying questions, as well as non-verbal signals of understanding

token economy

system used to encourage positive behaviors by providing small rewards that can be exchanged for desired items; relies on principles of operant conditioning

rTMS

treatment for depression that involves passing an electromagnet back & forth close to the person's left eyebrow (left frontal lobe).

psychopharmacology

the study of the effects of drugs on the mind and behavior

Dorothea Dix

known for her efforts to reform psychiatric institutions and improve living conditions for the mentally ill during the 19th century

Aaron Beck

known for developing a model of cognitive therapy

Albert Ellis

founder of Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy

Sigmund Freud

father of psychoanalysis

Carl Rogers

founder of person-centered (client-centered) therapy

Joseph Wolpe

credited with establishing procedure for systematic desensitization

anxiolytics

general term for drugs that reduce feelings of anxiety

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

A disorder characterized by pervasive, "free-floating" anxiety not connected to any one, specific stimulus

Specific Phobia

Anxiety disorder characterized by irrational and persistent fear of a particular object or situation, along with a compelling desire to avoid it.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

a disorder characterized by unwanted repetitive thoughts (obsessions) and/or actions (compulsions).

Panic Disorder

anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent, unexpected panic attacks

Anxiety Disorders

psychological disorders characterized by distressing, persistent anxiety or maladaptive behaviors that reduce anxiety (includes phobias, GAD, panic disorder, etc.)

Manic episode

a hyperactive, wildly optimistic state; occurs in persons with bipolar disorder

Persistent Depressive Disorder

a low-grade chronic depression with symptoms that are milder than those of severe depression but are present on a majority of days for 2 or more years; also known as dysthymia

Somatic Symptom Disorder

A disorder marked by a history of diverse physical symptoms that appear to be psychological in origin.

Personality Disorders

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

Antisocial Personality Disorder

a 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

Borderline Personality Disorder

a personality disorder characterized by lack of stability in interpersonal relationships, self-image, and emotion; impulsivity; angry outbursts; intense fear of abandonment; recurring suicidal gestures

Behavioral Therapies

Treatments designed to change behavior through the use of established learning techniques (for example, systematic desensitization, token economies); more concerned with change in behavior than any underlying thoughts

aversion conditioning

A method that uses classical conditioning to create a negative response to a particular stimulus (e.g. a client with a paraphilia might be trained to respond negatively to a previously arousing stimulus). Also known as avoidance conditioning.

behavior modification

psychotherapy that seeks to extinguish or inhibit abnormal or maladaptive behavior by reinforcing desired behavior and extinguishing undesired behavior (i.e. use of operant conditioning techniques to adjust behavior)

modeling

use of observational learning processes to help a client change behavior; the process of observing and imitating a behavior (e.g. a therapist might demonstrate how to introduce oneself to a stranger at a party and have the client repeat/mimic the behavior).

Cognitive Therapies

Treatments designed to remove irrational beliefs and negative thoughts that are presumed to be responsible for psychological disorders; includes CBT, REBT

stress inoculation

stress management technique in which a person consciously tries to prepare ahead of time for potential stressors

Psychodynamic therapies

looks at unconscious conflicts, defense mechanisms and symptom resolution in a broader manner than Freud; often more brief and present-focused than traditional psychoanalysis

Humanistic therapies

therapies that emphasize the development of human potential and the belief that human nature is basically positive

empty-chair technique

A role-playing intervention often used in Gestalt psychotherapy in which clients play conflicting parts. This typically consists of clients engaging in an imaginary dialogue between different sides of themselves.

I-statements

promoted by Gestalt therapists and others, this type of statement illustrates willingness to take responsibility for own feeling and actions by describing our feelings, rather than evaluating others

Family & Group Therapies

therapy that treats the family as a system. Views an individual's unwanted behaviors as influenced by, or directed at, other family members. Group therapies, in general, emphasize shared experience and mutual support.

Biomedical therapies

the use of medications, electroconvulsive therapy, or other medical treatments to treat the symptoms associated with psychological disorders

Risperdal

(Risperidone) antipsychotic used to treat schizophrenia; Dopamine antagonist

Haldol

(Haloperidol) tranquilizer used to treat some psychotic disorders and Tourette's syndrome; one of the "old" antipsychotics

Thorazine

An "old" antipsychotic drug thought to block receptor sites for dopamine, making it effective in treating the delusional thinking, hallucinations and agitation commonly associated with schizophrenia.

Clozaril

Antipsychotic drug; Blocks serotonin activity as well as dopamine. Requires regular blood tests to determine any abnormal changes on white blood cells (thus, less commonly used treatment)

antidepressants

drugs that combat depression by affecting the levels or activity of neurotransmitters in the brain (e.g. SSRI's and MAOI's)

psychosurgery

brain surgery on human patients intended to relieve severe and otherwise intractable mental or behavioral problems

lobotomy

a now-rare psychosurgical procedure once used to calm uncontrollably emotional or violent patients. The procedure cut the nerves that connect the frontal lobes to the emotion-controlling centers of the inner brain

medical model

the concept that diseases, in this case psychological disorders, have physical causes that can be diagnosed, treated, and, in most cases, cured, often through treatment in a hospital

Bio-Psycho-Social Model

contemporary perspective that assumes biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors combine and interact to produce psychological disorders

DSM-5

version of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published in 2013; includes changes to many diagnostic categories and more emphasis on severity of symptoms in diagnosis

McNaughten Rule

a rule determing insanity, which asks whether the defendant knew what he or she was doing or whether the defendant knew what he or she was doing was wrong

sanity/insanity

LEGAL (not psychiatric) determination of whether someone was aware enough of their own actions to be held responsible for their behavior.

Mary Cover Jones

"mother of behavior therapy"; used classical conditioning to help "Little Peter" overcome fear of rabbits

Fritz Perls

Creator of Gestalt Therapy

Paraphilias

Sexual disorders and deviations in which sexual arousal occurs almost exclusively in the context of inappropriate objects or individuals. (e.g. pedophilia)

serotonin

neurotransmitter believed to be in short supply for depression-sufferers

positive symptoms

Schizophrenic symptoms that involve behavioral excesses or peculiarities, such as hallucinations, delusions, bizarre behavior, and wild flights of ideas.

negative symptoms

Schizophrenic symptoms that involve behavioral deficits, such as flattened emotions, social withdrawal, apathy, impaired attention, and poverty of speech.

flat affect

a lack of emotional responsiveness

delusions

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

flight of ideas

symptom of schizophrenia; a confused state in which thoughts and speech go in all directions with no unifying concept

clinical psychologist

psychologist who treats people serious psychological problems or conducts research into the causes of behavior; holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology

psychiatrist

a medical doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders; can prescribe medication; holds an M.D. and likely has extensive training therapy & treatment

dodo bird verdict

refers to the finding of similar efficacy (effectiveness) for widely differing therapies; in Alice in Wonderland, the dodo bird declares "all have won and all must have prizes!"

placebo effect

the healing effect that faith in medicine, even inert medicine, often has; may be one of the reasons people overestimate the effectiveness of any particular psychotherapy

light exposure therapy

Treats seasonal affective disorder (SAD); scientifically proven to be effective, exposure to daily doses of intense light. Increases activity in the adrenal gland and the superchiasmatic nucleus.

regression toward the mean

the tendency for unusual events (or emotions) to return toward their average state; may be one reason many suffering from mental disorders seem to improve with time & that benefits of psychotherapy get overestimated

meta-analysis

a procedure for statistically combining the results of many different research studies; used to evaluated effectiveness of psychotherapies

agoraphobia

a morbid fear of open spaces or places from which quick escape would be difficult (like a large crowd); often occurs with Panic Disorder (though not always)

depressive disorders

general category of mood disorders in which people show extreme and persistent sadness, despair, and loss of interest in life's usual activities.