ABPSY COMPRE REVIEW

Psychological Disorder

psychological dysfunction causing distress or impaired functioning, with not typical or culturally expected responses

Psychopathology

scientific study of psychological disorders

Scientist-practitioners

training model for graduate programs that provide applied psychologists with a foundation in research and scientific practice

Clinical Description

unique combination of behaviors, thoughts, and feelings

Prevalence

how many people in the population have the disorder

Incidence

how many new cases occur during a given period

Course

how disorders follow an individual pattern

Prognosis

anticipated course of a disorder

Etiology

study of origins; why a disorder begins

Supernatural Conception

attributed to agents outside of our bodies and was treated by exorcisms and potions

Biological Conception

attributed to disease or biochemical imbalances and was treated by physical care and drugs

Psychological Conception

attributed to faulty psychological development and social context and was treated by moral therapy and modern psychotherapy

Sigmund Freud

founder of psychoanalytical therapy, elaborated conception of the unconscious

Psychoanalytic Psychology

in therapy, focused on the tapping into the unconscious using catharsis, free association, and dream analysis

Humanistic Psychology

main proponents are Jung and Adler; focused on human potential and self-actualizing

Humanistic Psychology

evolved into person-centered therapy, showing regard to clients feelings and thoughts

Behavioral Model

aka cognitive-behavioral or social learning model, focus on things that are measurable

Behavioral Model

techniques include systematic desensitization, reinforcement, and shaping

Integrative Approach

behavior is a product of interaction of psychological, biological, and social influences

Clinical Assessment

systematic evaluation of psychological, biological, and social factors with a possible psychological disorder

Diagnosis

if problems meet all criteria for a psychological disorder

Clinical Interview

behavior, attitudes, and emotions and detailed history

Mental Status Exam

way to organize information obtained during an interview

Physical Examination

patients first go to a physician and are given a physical exam

Behavioral Assessment

using direct observation in specific situations or contexts

Psychological Testing

personality inventories, projective and intelligence tests

Neuropsychological Tests

measure language, attention, memory, etc.

Neuroimaging

directly identify brain structure and function

Psychophysiological Assessment

measuring changes in the nervous system

Classical Categorical Approach

need only one set of defining criteria for diagnosing

Dimensional Approach

quantify cognition, moods and behaviors in a scale in diagnosing

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual

based on empirical findings for diagnosis

DSM-V-TR

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 5th Ed., Text Revision; latest version of the standard classification of mental disorders used by mental health professionals in the United States

Abnormal Psychology

branch of psychology that studies unusual patterns of behavior, emotion, and thought; in research, focuses on hypothesis to explain nature, cause, or treatment

Case Study

study one or more individuals in depth

Research by Correlation

tells if a relationship exists between two variables

Epidemiological Research

incidence, distribution, and consequences of problem

Experimental Research

variable is manipulated and the effects are observed

Family Studies

area of psychological study and research that examines how individuals change and grow and how those changes interact within the family

Adoption Studies

research studies that compare an adopted person's behavior to both their biological and adoptive parents' behavior

Twin Studies

studies conducted on identical or fraternal twins; aim to reveal the importance of environmental and genetic influences for traits, phenotypes, and disorders

Genetic Linkage Analyses

technique used to identify disease causing genetic 'mutations' by examination of the genomes of related individuals, both affected and unaffected subjects

Association Studies

assesses whether a disease is significantly related to a potential risk factor in a population

Cross-sectional Design

research of different individuals at different ages

Longitudinal Design

research of same individuals at different ages

Anxiety

future-oriented state characterized by negative affect

Fear

present-oriented state characterized by strong escapist tendencies and surge in sympathetic nervous system

Panic

sudden overwhelming reaction

Panic Attack

abrupt experience of intense fear or acute discomfort, accompanied by physical symptoms

Expected (Cued) Panic Attack

invariably occur when a person is exposed to certain situations or objects where panic attacks have previously occurred; onset is sudden and occurs immediately upon exposure

Unexpected (Uncued) Panic Attack

occur without warning or “out of the blue”; no situational or environmental triggers are associated with the attack

Deviance

different, extreme, unusual behavior

Distress

behavior is unpleasant & upsetting to the person

Dysfunction

behavior causes interference with the person's daily life

Danger

behavior poses risk of harm to themselves or others

Duration

the length of the abnormal behavior is significant

Diathesis

condition that makes someone susceptible to developing a disorder

Diathesis-Stress Model

individuals inherit tendencies to express certain traits or behaviors which may then be activated under conditions of stress

Neurodevelopmental Disorders

• autism spectrum and intellectual development disorder

• communication and learning disorders

• tic and motor disorders

• adhd

Autism Spectrum and Intellectual Development Disorder

• intellectual developmental disorder

• borderline intellectual functioning

• global developmental delay

• autism spectrum disorder

Intellectual Developmental Disorder

condition that usually begins in infancy; people with this have low intelligence that causes them to need special help in coping with life

Mild IDD

IQ range of 50-69, individuals can achieve basic academic and can often live independently with minimal support

Moderate IDD

IQ range of 35-49, individuals have limited academic skills, require moderate levels of support, and can perform simple tasks under supervision

Severe IDD

IQ range of 20-34 defines this level, where individuals have very limited communication skills, need extensive support for daily activities, and require constant supervision

Profound IDD

IQ below 20, individuals exhibit significant developmental delays, have minimal communication ability, and require continuous, intensive support for all aspects of daily life

Conceptual Domain

integrating of persons of mental processes to define the concepts of what they intend to do

Social Domain

focuses on the ability to interact with others

Practical Domain

self-management in areas such as personal care, job responsibilities, money management, recreation, and organizing school and work tasks

Borderline Intellectual Functioning

nominally ranked in the IQ range of 71-84 who do not have the coping problems associated with intellectual development disorder

Global Developmental Delay

a condition in which children under the age of five exhibit significant delays in multiple areas of development, such as motor skills, speech and language, cognitive skills, and social and emotional development

Autism Spectrum Disorder

a developmental disorder characterized by difficulties with social communication and interaction, alongside restricted and repetitive behaviors, interests, or activities

ASD, Level 1 “Requiring support“

individuals have noticeable difficulties with social interactions and communication, and may struggle with inflexibility of behavior, but can function with minimal support

ASD, Level 2 “Requiring substantial support“

individuals show marked deficits in verbal and nonverbal communication skills, exhibit limited social interactions, and have difficulty coping with change, requiring substantial support in daily life

ASD, Level 3 “Requiring very substantial support“

individuals experience severe challenges in social communication, exhibit extremely limited verbal and nonverbal communication, and have intense difficulty with change and behavior, necessitating very substantial support for daily activities

Communication and Learning Disorders

• language disorder

• social (pragmatic) communication disorder

• speech sound disorder

• childhood-onset fluency disorder

• specific learning disorder

Language Disorder

characterized by difficulties in acquiring and using spoken, written, and other forms of language due to problems with vocabulary, sentence structure, and discourse

Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder

marked by challenges in the social use of verbal and nonverbal communication, such as difficulties following conversation rules, understanding implicit meanings, and using language appropriately in social contexts

Speech Sound Disorder

condition where individuals have difficulty producing sounds correctly, leading to challenges with articulation and phonological processes, affecting speech intelligibility

Childhood-onset Fluency Disorder (Stuttering)

involves disruptions in the normal flow and timing of speech, characterized by repetitions, prolongations, and blocks

Specific Learning Disorder

neurodevelopmental disorder that impairs the ability to learn and use academic skills, such as reading, writing, or math, despite normal intelligence and adequate instruction

Dyscalculia

specific learning disorder involving difficulties in understanding and performing mathematical concepts, calculations, and problem-solving, affecting arithmetic skills

Dyslexia

specific learning disorder characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition, poor spelling, and decoding abilities, affecting reading skills

Dysgraphia

specific learning disorder that impacts writing abilities, including difficulties with spelling, handwriting, and putting thoughts on paper, affecting written expression

Tic and Motor Disorders

• developmental coordination disorder

• stereotypic movement disorder

• tourette’s disorder

• persistent (chronic) motor or vocal tic disorder

• provisional tic disorder

Tic

a sudden, rapid, recurrent, nonrhythmic motor movement or vocalization

Developmental Coordination Disorder

marked impairments in motor coordination, significantly affecting the ability to perform everyday activities and impacting academic achievement or daily living

Stereotypic Movement Disorder

repetitive, seemingly driven, and purposeless motor behaviors, such as hand-waving, head-banging, or body-rocking, which can cause self-injury or interfere with daily activities

Tourette’s Disorder

neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by multiple motor tics and at least one vocal tic that have persisted for more than one year, with onset before age 18

Persistent (Chronic) Motor or Vocal Tic Disorder

condition involving either motor tics or vocal tics (but not both) that persist for more than one year, with onset before age 18

Provisional Tic Disorder

condition involving one or more motor and/or vocal tics that have been present for less than one year, with onset before age 18

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

persistent patterns of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that interfere with functioning or development

Schizophrenia

chronic mental disorder characterized by persistent symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, and impaired cognitive functioning, lasting for at least six months and significantly impacting daily life

Schizophreniform Disorder

similar to schizophrenia, this disorder includes symptoms like delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized behavior, but the duration is between one and six months

Schizoaffective Disorder

mental disorder featuring symptoms of both schizophrenia (such as hallucinations or delusions) and mood disorders (like depression or mania), with these symptoms occurring concurrently for a significant portion of the illness

Brief Psychotic Disorder

short-term mental disorder with sudden onset of psychotic symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, or disorganized speech, lasting from one day to one month, followed by a full return to pre-episode functioning

Delusional Disorder

characterized by the presence of one or more delusions that persist for at least one month; delusions are typically non-bizarre (plausible but false beliefs) and are not accompanied by prominent hallucinations or other symptoms characteristic of schizophrenia

Delusion

fixed, false belief that is firmly held despite evidence to the contrary

Hallucination

perceptions that occur without any external stimulus

Catatonia

state of immobility and unresponsiveness, often with abnormal movements, postures, or repetitive behaviors

Catatonic Stupor

state of catatonia characterized by immobility and stupor, where the individual is unresponsive to external stimuli and may maintain a rigid posture for extended periods