Exam 1

Abnormal Psychology

the scientific study of abnormal behavior undertaken to describe, predict, explain, and change abnormal patterns of functioning

norms

a society's stated and unstated rules for proper conduct

culture

a people's common history, values, institutions, habits, skills, technology, and arts

eccentricity

unusual pattern with which others have no right to interfere

treatment

s systematic procedure designed to change abnormal behavior into more normal behavior

therapy

a systematic process for helping people overcome their psychological problems, consists of a client, trained therapist, and a series of contacts between them

humors

according to the greeks and romans, bodily chemicals that influence mental and physical functioning

somatogenic perspective

the view that abnormal functioning has physical causes

psychogenic perspective

the view that the chief causes of abnormal functioning are psychological

psychoanalysis

either the theory or treatment of abnormal mental functioning that emphasizes unconscious psychological forces as the cause of psychopathology

psychotropic medications

drugs that mainly affect the brain and reduce many symptoms of mental dysfunction

prevention

interventions aimed at deterring mental disorders before they can develop

positive psychology

the study and enhancement of positive feeling, traits, and abilities

multicultural psychology

the field that examines the impact of culture, race, ethnicity, and gender on behaviors and thoughts, and focuses on how such factors may influence the origin, nature, and treatment of abnormal behavior

biological model

full understanding of thought, emotions, and behavior in biological basis

neurons

a nerve cell

synapse

the tiny space between the nerve ending of one neuron and the dendrite of another

neurotransmitter

a chemical that released by one neuron, crosses the synaptic space to be received at receptors on the dendrites of neighboring neurons

receptors

a site on a neuron that receives a neurotransmitter

hormones

the chemicals released by endocrine glands into the bloodstream

brain circuits

a network of particular brain structures that work together, triggering each other into action to produce a distinct kind of behavioral, cognitive, or emotional reaction

genes

chromosome segments that control the characteristics and traits we inherit

brain stimulation

interventions that directly or indirectly stimulate the brain in order to bring about psychological improvement

electroconvulsive therapy

a biological treatment in which a brain seizure is triggered as an electric current passes through electrodes attached to the patient's forehead

psychosurgery

brain surgery for mental disorders

psychodynamic model

the theoretical perspective that sees all human functioning as being shaped by dynamic psychological forces and explains people's behavior by reference to unconscious internal conflicts

id

according to freud, the psychological force that produces instinctual needs, drives, and impulses

ego

according to freud, the psychological force that employs reason and operates in accordance with the reality principle

ego defense mechanisms

according to psychoanalytic theory, strategies developed by the ego to control unacceptable id impulses and to avoid or reduce the anxiety they arose

superego

according to freud, the psychological force that represents a person's values and ideals

fixated

according to freud, a condition in which the id, ego, or superego do not mature properly and are frozen at an early stage of development

self theory

the psychodynamic theory that emphasizes the role of the self- our unified personality

object relations theory

the psychodynamic theory that views the desire for relationships as the key motivating force in human behavior

free association

a psychodynamic technique in which the patient describes any thought, feeling, or image that comes to mind, even if it seems unimportant

resistance

an unconscious refusal to participate fully in therapy

transference

according to psychodynamic theorists, the redirection toward the psychotherapist of feelings associated with important figures in a patient's life, now or in the past

dream

a series of ideas and images that form during sleep

catharsis

the reliving of past repressed feelings in order to settle internal conflicts and overcome problems

working through

the psychoanalytic process of facing conflicts, reinterpreting feelings, and overcoming one's problems

cognitive-behavioral model

focuses on the behaviors people display and the thoughts they have

conditioning

a simple form of learning

classical conditioning

a process of learning by temporal association in which two events that repeatedly occur close together in time become fused in a person's mind and produce the same response

modeling

a process of learning in which an individual acquires responses by observing and imitating others

operant conditioning

a process of learning in which individuals come to behave in certain ways as a result of experiencing consequences of one kind or another whenever they perform the behavior

social anxiety disorder

a psychological disorder in which people fear social situations

exposure therapy

a behavior-focused intervention in which people are repeatedly exposed to the objects or situations they dread gradually

huamnists

human beings are born with a natural tendency to be friendly, cooperative, and constructive

self-actualize

the humanistic process by which people fulfill their potential for goodness and growth

existentialists

human beings have an accurate awareness of themselves, from birth we have total freedom to live up to our potential or to shrink in responsibility

client-centered therapy

the humanistic therapy developed by Carl Rodgers in which clinicians try to help clients by conveying acceptance, accurate empathy, and genuineness

gestalt therapy

the humanistic therapy developed by Fritz Perls in which clinicians actively more clients toward self-recognition and self-acceptance by using techniques such as role playing and self-discovery exercises

existential therapy

a therapy that encourages clients to accept responsibility for their lives and to live with greater meaning and value

sociocultural model

broad forces that influence and individual

family systems theory

a theory that views the family as s system of interacting parts whose interactions exhibit consistent patterns and unstated rules

group therapy

a therapy format in which a group of people with similar problems meet together with a therapist to work on these problems

self-help group

a group made up of people with similar problems who help and support one another without the direct leadership of a clinician

Family Therapy

a therapy format in which the therapist meets with all members of a family and helps them to change in therapeutic ways

couple therapy

a therapy format in which the therapist works with two people who share a long-term relationship

community mental health treatment

a treatment approach that emphasizes community care

primary prevention

efforts to improve community attitudes and policies, prevent psychological disorders all together

secondary prevention

identifying and treating psychological disorders in the early stages before they become serious

tertiary prevention

provide effective treatment as soon as it is needed so that moderate or severe disorders do not become long term

multicultural perspective

The view that each culture within a larger society has a particular set of values and beliefs, as well as special external pressures, that help account for the behavior and functioning of its members. Also called culturally diverse perspective

culture-sensitive therapies

approaches that are designed to help address the unique issued faced by members of cultural minority groups

gender-sensitive therapies

approaches geared to the pressures of being a woman in western society

biopsychosocial theories

Explanations that attribute the cause of abnormality to an interaction of genetic, biological, emotional, behavioral, cognitive, social, and societal influences

developmental psychopathology

A perspective that uses a developmental framework to understand how variables and principles from the various models may collectively account for human functioning

equifinality

The principle that a number of different developmental pathways can lead to the same psychological disorder

multifinality

The principle that persons with a similar developmental history may nevertheless react to similar current situations in very different ways

nomothetic understanding

a general understanding of the nature, causes, and treatments of abnormal functioning, in the form of laws or principles

scientific method

the process of systematically gathering and evaluating information, through careful observations, to understand a phenomenon

hypothesis

a hunch or prediction that certain variables are related in certain ways

case study

a detailed account of a person's life and psychological problems

internal validity

the accuracy with which a study can pinpoint one factor as the cause of a phenomenon

external validity

the degree to which the results of a study may be generalized beyond that study

correlation

the degree to which events or characteristics vary along with each other

correlational method

a research procedure used to determine how much events or characteristics vary along with each other

experiment

a research procedure in which a variable is manipulated and the effect of the manipulation on another variable is observed

independent variable

The variable in an experiment that is manipulated to determine whether it has an effect on another variable

dependent variable

The variable in an experiment expected to change as the independent variable is manipulated

confound

in an experiment, a variable other than the independent variable that is also acting on the dependent variable

control group

In an experiment, a group of participants who are not exposed to the independent variable

experimental group

In an experiment, the participants who are exposed to the independent variable under investigation

statistical significance

indicates whether a participant's improvement in functioning occurred because of treatment

clinical significance

indicates whether the amount of improvement is meaningful in the individual's life

random assignment

A selection procedure that ensures that participants are randomly placed either in the control group or in the experimental group

masked design

An experiment in which participants do not know whether they are in the experimental or the control condition

placebo therapy

A pretend treatment that the participant in an experiment believes to be genuine.

quasi-experimental designs

A research design that fails to include key elements of a "pure" experiment and/or intermixes elements of both experimental and correlational studies

matched design

A research design that matches the experimental participants with control participants who are similar on key characteristics

natural experiment

An experiment in which nature, rather than an experimenter, manipulates an independent variable

analogue experiment

a research method in which the experimenter produces abnormal-like behavior in laboratory participants and then conducts experiments on the participants

single-subject experimental design

A research method in which a single participant is observed and measured both before and after the manipulation of an independent variable

longitudinal studies

A study that observes the same participants on many occasions over a long period of time

epidemiological study

A study that measures the incidence and prevalence of a problem, such as a disorder, in a given population

incidence

The number of new cases of a disorder occurring in a population over a specific period of time

prevalence

The total number of cases of a disorder occurring in a population over a specific period of time

institutional review boards

An ethics committee in a research facility that is empowered to protect the rights and safety of human research participants

Idiographic Understanding

an understanding of a particular individual

assessment

the process of collecting and interpreting relevant information about a client or a research participant