Chapter 14 PSYC 1010

Acrophobia

fear of heights.

acute stress disorder (ASD)

a disorder resulting from exposure to a major stressor, with symptoms of anxiety, dissociation, recurring nightmares, sleep disturbances, problems in concentration, and moments in which people seem to “relive” the event in dreams and flashbacks for as long as 1 month following the event.

adjustment disorders

disorders resulting from exposure to a stressor, with symptoms of anxiety, depression, or conduct that are out of proportion to the severity of the stressor. Symptoms occur within three months of the onset of the stressor and end within six months of the stressor being removed.

affect

in psychology, a term indicating “emotion” or “mood.”

agoraphobia

fear of being in a place or situation from which escape is difficult or impossible.

all-or-nothing thinking

the tendency to believe that one’s performance must be perfect or the result will be a total failure.

anorexia nervosa

a condition in which a person reduces eating to the point that their body weight is significantly low, or less than minimally expected. In adults, this is likely associated with a BMI less than 18.5.

antisocial personality disorder

disorder in which a person uses other people without worrying about their rights or feelings and often behaves in an impulsive or reckless manner without regard for the consequences of that behavior.

anxiety

the anticipation of some future threat, often associated with worry, vigilance, and muscle tension; anxiety is different from, but typically related to, the emotion of fear and the physiological consequences of sympathetic activation (the fight or flight response).

anxiety disorders

class of disorders in which the primary symptom is persistent and disproportionate or unrealistic anxiety, often characterized by excessive apprehension, worry, or fear.

binge-eating disorder

a condition in which a person overeats, or binges, on enormous amounts of food at one sitting, but unlike bulimia nervosa, the individual does not then purge or use other unhealthy methods to avoid weight gain.

biological model

model of explaining behavior as caused by biological changes in the chemical, structural, or genetic systems of the body.

biopsychosocial model

perspective in which both mental health and psychopathology are seen as the result of the combined and interacting forces of biological, psychological, social, and cultural Influences.

bipolar disorder

periods of mood that may range from normal to manic, with or without episodes of depression, or spans of normal mood interspersed with episodes of major depression and episodes of hypomania

borderline personality disorder

maladaptive personality pattern in which the person is moody, is unstable, lacks a clear sense of identity, and often clings to others with a pattern of self-destructiveness, chronic loneliness, and disruptive anger in close relationships.

bulimia nervosa

a condition in which a person develops a cycle of “bingeing,” or overeating enormous amounts of food at one sitting, and then using unhealthy methods to avoid weight gain.

catatonia

disturbed behavior ranging from statue-like immobility to bursts of energetic, frantic movement and talking.

claustrophobia

fear of being in a small, enclosed space.

cognitive psychologists

psychologists who study the way people think, remember, and mentally organize Information.

comorbidity

the presence of more than one illness or disorder in an individual at the same time.

cultural relativity

the need to consider the unique characteristics of the culture in which behavior takes place.

cultural syndromes

sets of particular symptoms of distress found in particular cultures, which may or may not be recognized as an illness within the culture.

delusions

false beliefs held by a person who refuses to accept evidence of their falseness.

dependent personality disorder

personality disorder in which the person is clingy, submissive, or fearful of separation; requires constant reassurance; feels helpless when alone; and has others assume responsibility for most areas of life.

dissociation

the experience of losing touch with our immediate environment or situation; may consist of a disconnect between our thoughts, feelings, memories, behaviors, or sense of identity.

dissociative disorders

disorders in which there is a break in conscious awareness, memory, the sense of identity, or some combination.

dissociative identity disorder

disorder occurring when an individual seems to experience two or more distinct Personalities.

flat affect

a lack of emotional responsiveness.

free-floating anxiety

anxiety that is unrelated to any specific and known cause.

generalized anxiety disorder

disorder in which a person has excessive anxiety and worry about multiple things, accompanied by physical and cognitive symptoms of stress, which lasts 6 months or more.

hallucinations

false sensory perceptions, such as hearing voices that do not really exist.

magnification

the tendency to interpret situations as far more dangerous, harmful, or important than they actually are.

major depressive disorder

severe depression that comes on suddenly and seems to have no external cause, or is too severe for current circumstances.

maladaptive or dysfunctional

anything that does not allow a person to function within or adapt to the stresses and everyday demands of life.

manic

having the quality of or resulting from mania, excessive excitement, energy, overactivity, and elation or irritability, often with impaired judgement.

minimization

the tendency to give little or no importance to one’s successes or positive events and Traits.

mood disorders

disorders in which the primary symptom is a prevalent and persistent disturbance of Emotion.

negative symptoms

symptoms of schizophrenia that are less than normal behavior or an absence of normal behavior, such as poor attention, flat affect, and poor speech production.

obsessive-compulsive disorder

disorder in which intruding, recurring thoughts or obsessions create anxiety that is relieved by performing a repetitive, ritualistic behavior or mental act (compulsion).

overgeneralization

distortion of thinking in which a person draws sweeping conclusions based on only one incident or event and applies those conclusions to events that are unrelated to the original; the tendency to interpret a single negative event as a never-ending pattern of defeat and failure.

panic attack

sudden onset of intense panic in which multiple physical symptoms of stress occur, often with feelings that one is dying.

panic disorder

disorder in which panic attacks occur more than once or repeatedly and cause persistent worry or changes in behavior.

paranoid personality disorder

personality disorder in which a person exhibits pervasive and widespread distrust and suspiciousness of others.

personality disorder

disorders in which a person adopts a persistent, rigid, and maladaptive pattern of behavior that interferes with normal social interactions.

phobia

an irrational, persistent fear of an object, situation, or social activity.

positive symptoms

symptoms of schizophrenia that are excesses of behavior or occur in addition to normal behavior; hallucinations, delusions, and distorted thinking.

posttraumatic stress disorder

a disorder resulting from exposure to a major stressor, with symptoms of anxiety, dissociation, nightmares, poor sleep, reliving the event, and concentration problems, lasting for more than 1 month; symptoms may appear immediately, or not occur until 6 months or later after the traumatic event.

prolonged grief disorder

a disorder associated with intense grief and other symptoms of loss, emotional pain, or disengagement from typical life activities, which are greater than what would be expected a year or longer after the death of a significant other.

psychological disorder

any pattern of behavior, thinking, or emotional function that causes someone significant distress, poses a danger to themselves or others, impairs their ability to function in daily life, or involves a combination of these factors.

psychopathology

the scientific study of psychological disorders

psychotic

refers to an individual’s inability to separate what is real and what is fantasy.

Schizophrenia

a psychotic disorder in which the person experiences disordered thinking, bizarre behavior, hallucinations, and inability to distinguish between fantasy and reality.

sexual dysfunction

a problem in sexual functioning.

situational context

the social or environmental setting of a person’s behavior.

stress-vulnerability model

explanation of disorder that assumes a biological sensitivity, or vulnerability, to a certain disorder will result in the development of that disorder under the right conditions of environmental or emotional stress.

sociocultural perspective

perspective that focuses on the relationship between social behavior and culture; in psychopathology, perspective in which disordered thinking and behavior (as well as expected) is seen as the product of learning and shaping within the context of the family, the social group to which one belongs, and the culture within which the family and social group exist.

social anxiety disorder

fear of interacting with others or being in social situations that might lead to a negative evaluation.

specific phobia

fear of objects or specific situations or events.

subjective discomfort

emotional distress or emotional pain.