Midterm 1

normal behavior

expected behavior in individuals; social norms are followed

abnormal behavior

psychological dysfunction associated with distress or impairment in functioning, and a response that is not typical or culturally-expected

deviance

in the context of “the 3 D’s,” deviating from behaviors, thoughts, and emotions considered “normal”

distress

in the context of “the 3 D’s,” behavior must be considered distressing before classified as “abnormal”

dysfunction

in the context of “the 3 D’s,” abnormal behavior interferes with daily functioning; does not always mean abnormality

Dorothea Dix

advocate for the mentally ill who created the first mental hospitals across the US and Europe and changed the perception of the mentally ill

Benjamin Rush

“the father of American psychiatry”; the first to believe that mental illness is a disease of the mind and not a "possession of demons”

Galen

Greek philosopher who believed people were melancholy due to unwillingness to confess a troubling secret; followed Hippocratic bodily humors theory (differences in mood are caused by imbalances in one of the four bodily fluids: blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm)

Sigmund Freud

the father of psychodynamic/psychoanalytic therapy; known for establishing the field of “talk therapy”

paradigm

a conceptual framework used for looking at something; use of one influences how behavior is assessed and measured (similar to different lens in literature)

psychodynamic paradigm

also known as “psychoanalytic,” states that one’s behavior is determined by underlying psychological forces of which we are not aware (unconscious)

humanistic paradigm

also known as “existential,” has emphasis on people as friendly and cooperative, with guidance to self-actualization, self-determination, and individual responsibility

behavioral paradigm

also known as “learning,” states that our behavior is directly influenced by our life experiences; behavior is learned and maintained over time

cognitive paradigm

states that abnormal behavior can be caused by negative thoughts, worldview, and thoughts about ourselves and other people

biological paradigm

medical perspective; abnormal behavior is caused by malfunction in the brain (also focuses on genes)

gestalt theory

a humanistic approach developed by Fritz Perls; goal is to achieve self-recognition through challenge and frustration

strengths of psychodynamic paradigm

this paradigm was the first to recognize importance of psychological treatment/theories and saw internal conflict as a source of psychological abnormality

strengths of humanistic paradigm

this paradigm emphasizes the individual, is optimistic, and focuses on personal health

strengths of behavioral paradigm

this paradigm is powerful in the field, is rooted in empiricism (knowledge is gained from experience), and has significant research support

strengths of cognitive paradigm

this paradigm has a broad appeal, focuses on human processes, is effective in treating several disorders, is research-based, and adapts well to technology

strengths of biological paradigm

this paradigm has considerable respect in the field, can create new therapies, and suggests new avenues of scientific research

weaknesses of psychodynamic paradigm

this paradigm has unsupported ideas and is difficult to research; inaccessible to human subject because it is unconscious

weaknesses of humanistic paradigm

this paradigm does not have much influence, focuses on abstract issues, and is weakened by disapproval of scientific approach

weaknesses of behavioral paradigm

this paradigm is simple, thought to be unrealistic, and historically did not emphasize cognition

weaknesses of cognitive paradigm

this paradigm has a narrow focus, overemphasizes the present, and has limited effectiveness

weaknesses of biological paradigm

this paradigm is too simplistic, scientific evidence is incomplete/inconclusive, treatments can produce significant undesirable results

biological treatments

for psychological disorders, includes drug therapy, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), and psychosurgery

psychodynamic treatments

for psychological disorders, includes free association, therapist interpretation (resistance and/or transference), catharsis, and short-term dynamic therapies

humanistic treatments

for psychological disorders, involves patient acceptance of personal responsibility and recognition of freedom of action; emphasis on client-therapist relationship

gestalt treatments

for psychological disorders, involves skillful frustration, “empty-chair” roleplaying, and language rules (such as “Here and Now” and “I”)

behavioral treatments

for psychological disorders, involves either classical conditioning, operant conditioning, or modeling

cognitive treatments

for psychological disorders, involves recognizing and restructuring the thinking process

reliability

refers to the consistency of a test

validity

accuracy of a test’s results

correlation coefficient

measures the strength of a correlation

conditions of worth

rules of behaviour that a person believes they must follow to be loved and accepted; outlined by Carl Rogers

positive reinforcement

add pleasant stimuli to encourage behavior

negative reinforcement

remove negative stimuli to encourage behavior

positive punishment

add negative stimuli to discourage behavior

negative punishment

remove negative stimuli to discourage behavior

negative cognitive triad

three forms of negative thinking that are typical of those with depression; negative thoughts about the self, the world, and the future

automatic thought

mental images or mental activity that occur as a response to a trigger; similar to reflex?

thought distortion

an exaggerated or irrational thought pattern involved in the onset or perpetuation of psychopathological states, such as depression and anxiety

free association

speaking or writing of the content of consciousness without censorship as an aid in gaining access to unconscious processes

transference

a phenomenon in which one seems to direct feelings or desires related to an important figure in one’s life—such as a parent—toward someone who is not that person

insight

understanding or awareness of one's mental or emotional state or condition

conditioned stimulus

a neutral stimulus that, over time and training, elicits a response by repeatedly being linked with another naturally occurring stimulus

conditioned response

a behavior that does not come naturally, but must be learned by the individual by pairing a neutral stimulus with a potent stimulus; ex: sound of bell makes dogs drool (Pavlov)

unconditioned stimulus

a type of stimulus that leads to an automatic response (rather than learned)

unconditioned response

any original response that occurs naturally and in the absence of conditioning

dependent variable

the variable that is measured; impacted by the independent variable

independent variable

the variable that is actively manipulated

placebo

a substance or medical procedure that resembles an actual treatment but does not actually act on a disease or medical condition

treatment condition

a level of an independent variable or combination of levels of two or more independent variables; ex: research participants or subjects each receiving a different drug in each condition

control condition

a condition that does not involve exposure to the treatment or intervention under study

modeling

behavioral responses are learned by observing and repeating behavior

operant conditioning

behavior becomes learned due to consequences (positive and negative reinforcement)

classical conditioning

learning through association (Pavlov)

id

instinctual needs, drives, and impulses; the “pleasure principle”

ego

a group of functions that enable us to perceive, reason, make judgments, store knowledge, and solve problems; the “reality principle”

superego

conscience/morality; unconsciously adopted from our parents; the “morality principle”

somatogenic causes

disturbances in physical functioning resulting from either illness, genetic inheritance, or brain damage or imbalance

psychogenic causes

originating in the mind or in mental or emotional conflict

zeitgeist

meaning “spirit of the times,” implies nothing is static regarding definitions of abnormal behavior; cultural climate defines what is “normal” vs. “abnormal”