Psychological Disorders Lecture Summary

A comprehensive set of flashcards covering psychological disorders, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, mood disorders, personality disorders, clinical diagnostic tools, treatments, and social psychology concepts.

What counts as a psychological disorder according to DSM-5?

A mental disorder must include clinically significant dysfunction, an internal source, and involuntary manifestation.

Clinically significant dysfunction

Something in thinking, emotion, or behavior is not working properly.

Internal source

The problem comes from within the person, not from an immediate external cause.

Involuntary manifestation

The person cannot control the symptoms; they aren’t choosing them.

Examples of psychological disorders

Alcohol addiction, insomnia, depression, anorexia, Tourette’s, phobias, schizophrenia, kleptomania, conversion disorder.

Not considered a mental disorder

Down Syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease, erectile dysfunction.

Anxiety Disorders

Involve persistent, excessive fear or maladaptive behaviors to reduce anxiety.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) Description

Constant tension, worry, and uneasiness with no specific cause.

Panic Disorder

Sudden episodes of intense fear, known as panic attacks.

Phobias

Irrational fear of a specific object or situation.

Arachnophobia

Fear of spiders.

Acrophobia

Fear of heights.

Agoraphobia

Fear of crowds or open spaces.

Social Anxiety Disorder

Fear of social situations or being judged by others.

Ophidiophobia

Fear of snakes.

Trypanophobia

Fear of needles or injections.

Aerophobia

Fear of flying.

Cynophobia

Fear of dogs.

Mysophobia (Germophobia)

Fear of germs or contamination.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Characterized by obsessions (intrusive thoughts) and compulsions (repetitive actions).

Fear conditioning

A bad experience teaches fear.

Stimulus generalization

Fear spreads to similar things.

Reinforcement in anxiety

Avoiding something reduces anxiety and reinforces the fear.

Observational learning

Learning fear by watching others.

Overactive amygdala

Stronger fear responses.

Underactive frontal lobe

Weaker control over fear signals.

Brain's fear center

The amygdala detects threats and triggers the fight-or-flight response.

Frontal lobe functions

Logical thinking, decision-making, controlling emotions.

Anxiety occurs when

The fear alarm is too loud and the calm down center is too quiet.

Symptoms of schizophrenia

Disorganized thinking, distorted perceptions, and inappropriate emotions or behaviors.

Positive symptoms of schizophrenia

Added behaviors or thoughts that shouldn’t be there, such as hallucinations and delusions.

Negative symptoms of schizophrenia

Absence of behaviors that should be present, like flat emotion and low motivation.

Cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia

Include poor concentration and memory problems.

Causes of schizophrenia

Brain abnormalities, viral exposure in pregnancy, genetics, and stress.

Dopamine activity

Too much dopamine activity leads to hallucinations and delusions.

Maternal illness during pregnancy

Can affect brain development.

Bipolar Disorder

Involves alternating between mania and depression.

Depression symptoms

Feelings of worthlessness, loss of interest, low mood, and low energy.

Manic episode

Extreme energy and optimism.

Mood disorders

Involve long-lasting emotional extremes.

Serotonin and norepinephrine

Low levels are associated with depression.

Hippocampus function

Memory, emotion regulation, learning.

Neurogenesis

The brain’s ability to create new neurons.

Vicious cycle of depression

Negative thoughts lead to depressed mood, which leads to withdrawal.

Personality disorders

Long-standing behavior patterns that impair relationships.

Histrionic personality disorder

Characterized by attention-seeking behaviors.

Narcissistic personality disorder

Lack of empathy, need for admiration.

Antisocial personality disorder

No conscience, charm combined with manipulation.

Clinical diagnostic tools

Interviews, history, direct observation, tests, brain scans.

Drug therapies

Treat psychological disorders using medications.

Antipsychotics

Medications used to treat schizophrenia.

Side effects of typical antipsychotics

Dizziness, blurred vision, motor side effects.

Atypical antipsychotics

Treat both positive and negative symptoms with fewer side effects.

Antianxiety drugs

Reduce symptoms but do not treat the underlying problem.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)

Increase serotonin levels to improve mood.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)

Used for severe depression when medications fail.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS)

Implants in the brain that stimulate specific areas.

Cognitive therapies

Focus on how thinking patterns influence feelings and behavior.

Behavior therapies

Use learning principles to eliminate unwanted behaviors.

Systematic desensitization

Exposure therapy that pairs relaxation with anxiety triggers.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Combines changing negative thoughts with changing problematic behaviors.

Humanistic therapies

Focus on personal growth and self-fulfillment.

Client-centered therapy

Therapist shows genuineness, acceptance, and empathy.

Psychoanalysis

Goal is to uncover repressed childhood conflicts.

Eclectic approach

Mixing multiple therapy types depending on client.

Group therapy

Used for eating disorders, addiction, communication issues.

Motivational interviewing

Useful for addiction and health behavior change.

Prejudice

An unjustifiable, usually negative attitude toward a group and its members.

Social roots of prejudice

Social inequality, ingroup vs. outgroup dynamics.

Ingroup bias

Tendency to favor people from our own group.

Scapegoating

Blaming someone for problems, often unjustly.

Cognitive roots of prejudice

Categorization and vivid cases influencing our perceptions.

Fundamental attribution error

Underestimating situational influences while overestimating personal traits.

Attitudes guide behavior when

Outside influences are minimal and self-awareness is high.

Foot-in-the-door phenomenon

Agreeing to a small request increases likelihood of agreeing to a larger one.

Role-playing impact

Acting a role shifts attitudes based on behavior.

Cognitive dissonance theory

Discomfort felt when actions and beliefs don't match.

Social influence mechanics

Conformity, obedience, and group influence.

Social facilitation

Performance improves in the presence of others for well-learned tasks.

Social loafing

Less effort put in when working in a group.

Deindividuation

Loss of self-awareness and restraint in group settings.

Group polarization

Discussion strengthens existing opinions within a group.

Groupthink

Desire for group harmony overrides realistic decision-making.

Conditions leading to groupthink

Pressure to agree leads to dissent suppression.

Observable behaviors in panic disorder

Sudden episodes of intense fear or panic attacks.

Examples of obsessive thoughts

Repetitive, intrusive thoughts such as fears of leaving appliances on.

Characteristics of mood disorders

Long-lasting emotional extremes affecting daily functioning.

Symptoms of psychopathy

No remorse, charm combined with manipulation.

Effects of impending deadlines on social behavior

Can enhance productivity during tasks with time constraints.

Underlying causes of depression

Genetic predispositions and neurochemical factors.

How fear develops through experience

Learning, conditioning, and reinforcement mechanisms.

Common side effects of antidepressants

Include weight gain, nausea, sexual dysfunction.

Challenges in treating anxiety disorders

Reinforcement of avoidance behaviors complicates treatment.

Diagnostic criteria used by professionals

Rely on standardized criteria such as DSM-5 guidelines.

Psychotherapeutic methods for addiction

Incorporate motivational interviewing and CBT techniques.

Function of the amygdala in anxiety disorders

Processes fear and emotional responses.

Consequences of poor concentration in cognitive disorders

Impacts daily functioning and task management.

Symptoms that characterize social anxiety disorder

Intense fear of being judged in social situations.

Impact of genetics on mood disorders

Runs in families, influencing susceptibility.

Influence of environmental factors on mental health

Can exacerbate symptoms and complicate treatment.