Abnormal Psychology Definitions (1.01)

Diathesis

Predisposition towards developing a disorder.

Stress

A difficult experience.

Risk Factors

Multiple stressors that increase the likelihood of a disorder.

Diathesis-stress model

A framework explaining the interaction between predisposition and stress in the development of disorders.

Developmental norms

Age-graded averages that indicate typical development.

Developmental Psychology

An approach to abnormal psychology that emphasizes how abnormal behavior develops and changes over time.

Premorbid history

Pattern of behavior that precedes the onset of the disorder.

Prognosis

Pattern of behavior that follows the onset of the disorder.

Hindbrain

Parts of the brain atop the brain stem, including the medulla, pons, and cerebellum.

Midbrain

Brain region involved in hypothalamus activities such as fighting and sex.

Forebrain

The largest part of the brain, encompassing the cerebrum.

Experiment

Research method used to determine cause and effects.

Hypothesis

Experimenter's prediction about cause and effect.

Independent Variable

Variable controlled by the researcher in an experiment.

Dependent Variable

Outcome of the experiment that is measured.

Experimental group

Group that receives treatment in an experiment.

Control group

Group that receives no treatment in an experiment.

Random Assignment

Method of randomly assigning participants to groups with equal chance.

Statistical significance

Result that has a 1 in 20 chance of occurring by random chance.

Clinical significance

Result that has meaningful effects on a patient's life.

External Validity

The extent to which the findings of the experiment generalize to other circumstances.

Symptom

Reported sign of a disorder (from the patient)

Sign

Observed sign of a disorder (from practitioner)

Emotion

State of arousal that is defined by subjective feelings. Generally accompanied by physiological changes

Affect

pattern of observable behaviors (facial expression, voice pitch, body movements) 

Mood

Feelings that last for extended periods

Depression

syndrome (mood) of disappointment and despair

Mania

elevated or irritable mood that lasts for a week or more

Euphoria

exaggerated emotion of well-being

Episodes

periods of time a particular syndrome or disorder last

Psychomotor Retardation

several features of behavior that may occupy onset of serious depression (slow moving, no talking, etc.)

Dexamethasone suppression test (DST)

Dexamethasone suppresses cortisol, normally a person's hypothalamus won't release cortisol however depressed patients (typically) do

Analogue study

experiment where researchers study behaviors similar to those found in mental disorders or isolated behaviors of mental disorders

Onset

When a disorder starts

Course

Stages of a disorder or disease and how it will affect the body

Acute Course

When a disorder starts and finishes, so the person returns to normal

Chronic Course

When a disorder starts but doesn’t stop

Episodic Course

When a disorder starts and stops repeatedly

Outcome

What happens to the patient at the end of the disorder

Etiology

Cause of a disorder

Reliability

How consistent a test is for measuring something after repeated trials

Validity

Measures what it was intended to measure

Generality

Applying to the largest group of people possible

Problems with Labels

They can cause stigma and neglect evidence (drunkard under the lampost)

DSM V

Book written and published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA). It is used to classify and diagnose disorders. Also the first version to use dimensional diagnosis (got changed back) and be updated multiple times rather than once every few years.

Correlational Method

uses an experiment to find how two events influence each other

Unstructured interview

Questions that vary depending on the patient

Structured Interview

Questions that are set beforehand by the practitioner

fMRI

(Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) Measures the functioning of the brain by changes in blood flow

MRI

(Magnetic Resonance Imaging) uses iron in the blood to examine the functioning of organs

Interpersonal Theory

the closer you are, the less likely you are to be depressed; disruptions of those relationships cause depression

B. F. Skinner (1953)

American Behaviorist who believed that all actions resulted from pursuing a reward. Also created the Operant Conditioning Theory

John B. Watson (1920)

Created the “Little Albert” experiment where his assistant would make loud noises every time “Albert” interacted with a rat. Shows conditioning as “Albert” would be distressed every time something white and furry approached him.

Ivan Pavlov (1928)

Russian physiologist who discovered Classical Conditioning. He would ring a bell (NS) before feeding (US) a dog until the dog would salivate (CR) at the sound of the bell (CS)

Barnum Statements

Statements that are true for everyone

Neurotransmitter Reuptake

The process of re absorbing excess neurotransmitters

Candidate Genes

Genes that are believed to have potential to identify the correlation between genes and disorders