Abnormal Psych Final Exam

ABAB (reversal) design

type of experimental design in which an intervention is introduced, withdrawn, and then reinstated, and the behavior of a participant is examined on and off the treatment

abstinence violation effect

what happens when a person attempting to abstain from alcohol use ingests alcohol and then endures conflict and guilt by making an internal attribution to explain why he or she drank, thereby making him or her more likely to continue drinking in order to cope with the self-blame and guilt

acute stress disorder

disorder similar to post-traumatic stress disorder but occurs within 1 month of exposure to the stressor and does not last more than 4 weeks; often involves dissociative symptoms

adjustment disorder

stress-related disorder that involves emotional and behavioral symptoms (depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and/or antisocial behaviors) that arise within 3 months of the onset of a stressor

adolescent-onset conduct disorder

a conduct disorder characterized by aggression, destructiveness, deceitfulness, and rules violation beginning after age 10

adoption study

study of the heritability of a disorder by finding adopted people with a disorder and then determining the prevalence of the disorder among their biological and adoptive relatives, in order to separate out contributing genetic and environmental factors

adrenal-cortical system

the hormonal system situated in the adrenal cortex and activated by the hypothalamus, that responds to stress to determine fight-or-flight reactions

agnosia

impaired ability to recognize objects or people

agoraphobia

anxiety disorder characterized by fear of places and situations in which it would be difficult to escape, such as enclosed places, open spaces, and crowds

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)

an organization created by and for people with alcoholism involving a 12-step treatment program

ALI rule

legal principle stating that a person is not responsible for criminal conduct if he or she lacks the capacity to appreciate the criminality (wrongfulness) of the act or to conform his or her conduct to the requirements of the law as a result of mental disease

allostatic load

physiological condition resulting from chronic arousal of the fight-or-flight response to stress

altruistic suicide

suicide committed by people who believe that taking their own life will benefit society

Alzheimer's disease

progressive neurological disease that is the most common cause of dementia

amenorrhea

cessation of the menses

American Psychiatric Association definition of insanity

states that people cannot be held responsible for their conduct if, at the time they commit crimes, as the result of mental disease or mental retardation they are unable to appreciate the wrongfulness of their conduct

amphetamines

stimulant drugs that can produce symptoms of euphoria, self-confidence, alertness, agitation, paranoia, perceptual illusions, and depression

amygdala

structure of the limbic system critical in emotions such as fear

animal studies

studies that attempt to test theories of psychopathology using animals

animal-type phobias

extreme fears of specific animals that may induce immediate and intense panic attacks and cause the individual to go to great lengths to avoid the animals

anomic suicide

suicide committed by people who experience a severe disorientation and role confusion because of a large change in their relationship to society

anorexia nervosa

eating disorder in which people fail to maintain body weights that are normal for their age and height and have fears of becoming fat, distorted body images, and amenorrhea

antagonism

hostility toward others

antagonist drugs

drugs that block or change the effects of an addictive drug, reducing desire for the drug

anterograde amnesia

deficit in the ability to learn new information

anti-anxiety drugs

drugs used to treat anxiety, insomnia, and other psychological symptoms

anticonvulsants

drugs used to treat mania and depression

antidepressant drugs

drugs used to treat the symptoms of depression, such as sad mood, negative thinking, and disturbances of sleep and appetite; common types are tricyclics, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors

antipsychotic drugs

drugs used to treat psychotic symptoms, such as delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized thinking

antisocial personality disorder (ASPD)

pervasive pattern of criminal, impulsive, callous, and/or ruthless behavior, predicted on disregard for the rights of others and an absence of respect for social norms

anxiety

state of apprehension, tension, and worry

anxiety sensitivity

belief that bodily symptoms have harmful consequences

aphasia

impaired ability to produce and comprehend language

applied tension technique

technique used to treat blood-injection-injury type phobias in which the therapist teaches the client to increase his or her blood pressure and heart rate, thus preventing the client from fainting

apraxia

impaired ability to initiate common voluntary behaviors

arousal phase

in the sexual response cycle, psychological experience of arousal and pleasure as well as physiological changes, such as the tensing of muscles and enlargement of blood vessels and tissues (also called the excitement phase)

assertive community treatment programs

system of treatment that provides comprehensive services to people with schizophrenia, employing the expertise of medical professionals, social workers, and psychologists to meet the variety of patients' needs 24 hours a day

assessment

process of gathering information about a person's symptoms and their possible causes

association studies

genetic studies in which researchers identify physical disorders associated with a target psychological disorder for which genetic abnormalities or markers are known; the DNA of individuals with the psychological disorder and their first-degree relatives is then examined to determine if they also have this genetic marker (one form of molecular genetic studies)

attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

syndrome marked by deficits in controlling attention, inhibiting impulses, and organizing behavior to accomplish long-term goals

atypical anorexia nervosa

disorder characterized by all the criteria for anorexia nervosa except that despite significant weight loss, the weight of the affected individual remains within or above the normal range

atypical antipsychotics

drugs that seem to be even more effective in treating schizophrenia then phenothiazines without the same neurological side effects; they bind to a different type of dopamine receptor than other neuroleptic drugs

autism

childhood disorder marked by deficits in social interaction (such as a lack of interest in one's family or other children), communication (such as failing to modulate one's voice to signify emotional expression), and activities and interests (such as engaging in bizarre, repetitive behaviors)

autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

a spectrum of neurodevelopment disorders characterized by disrupted social and language development (formerly referred to as autism)

autonomic nervous system

the part of the nervous system that controls bodily functions not consciously directed, such as breathing, the heartbeat, and digestive processes

aversion therapy

treatment that involves the pairing of unpleasant stimuli with deviant or maladaptive sources of pleasure in order to induce an aversive reaction to the formerly pleasurable stimulus

avoidant personality disorder

pervasive anxiety, sense of inadequacy, and fear of being criticized that lead to the avoidance of most social interactions with others and to restraint and nervousness in social interactions

avolition

inability to persist at common goal-directed activities

barbiturates

drugs used to treat anxiety and insomnia that work by suppressing the central nervous system and decreasing the activity level of certain neurons

behavioral approaches

approaches to psychopathology that focus on the influence of reinforcements and punishments in producing behavior; the two core principles or processes of learning according to behaviorism are CLASSICAL CONDITIONING and OPERANT CONDITIONING

behavioral genetics

study of the processes by which genes affect behavior and the extent to which personality and abnormality are genetically inherited

behavioral inhibition

set of behavioral traits including shyness, fearfulness, irritability, cautiousness, and introversion; children with this tend to avoid or withdraw from novel situations, are clingy with parents, and become excessively aroused when exposed to unfamiliar situations

behavioral observation

method for assessing the frequency of a client's behaviors and the specific situations in which they occur

behavioral theories of depression

theories that view depression as resulting from negative life events that represent a reduction in positive reinforcement; sympathetic responses to depressive behavior then serve as positive reinforcement for the depression itself

behavioral therapies

psychotherapeutic approaches that focus on identifying the reinforcements and punishments contributing to a person's maladaptive behaviors and on changing specific behaviors

behavioral therapy

therapy that focuses on changing a person's specific behaviors by replacing unwanted behaviors with desired behaviors

behaviorism

study of the impact of reinforcements and punishments on behaviors

benzodiazepines

drugs that reduce anxiety and insomnia

beta-amyloid

class of proteins that accumulates in the spaces between neurons in the brain, contributing to Alzheimer's disease

binge-eating disorder

eating disorder in which people compulsively overeat either continuously or on discrete binges but do not behave in ways to compensate for the overeating

bingeing

eating a large amount of food in one sitting

binge/purge type of anorexia nervosa

type of anorexia nervosa in which periodic bingeing or purging behaviors occur along with behaviors that meet the criteria for anorexia nervosa

biological approach

view that biological factors cause and should be used to treat abnormality

biological theories

theories of abnormality that focus on biological, psychological, and social factors in understanding and treating psychopathology

bipolar disorder

disorder marked by cycles between manic episodes and depressive episodes; also called manic-depression

bipolar I disorder

form of bipolar disorder in which the full symptoms of mania are experienced; depressive aspects may be more infrequent or mild

bipolar II disorder

form of bipolar disorder in which only hypomanic episodes are experienced and the depressive component is more pronounced

blood-injection-injury type phobias

extreme fears of seeing blood or an injury or of receiving an injection or another invasive medical procedure, which cause a drop in heart rate and blood pressure and fainting

body dysmorphic disorder

syndrome involving obsessive concern over a part of the body the individual believes is defective

borderline personality disorder

syndrome characterized by rapidly shifting and unstable mood, self-concept, and interpersonal relationships, as well as impulsive behavior and transient dissociative states

breathing-related sleep disorder

group of sleep disorders characterized by numerous brief sleep disturbances due to problems breathing

brief psychotic disorder

disorder characterized by the sudden onset of delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, and/or disorganized behavior that lasts only between 1 day and 1 month, after which the symptoms vanish completely

bulimia nervosa

eating disorder in which people engage in bingeing and behave in ways to prevent weight gain from the binges, such as self-induced vomiting, excessive exercise, and abuse of purging drugs (such as laxatives)

caffeine

chemical compound with stimulant effects

cannabis

substance that causes feelings of well-being, perceptual distortions, and paranoid thinking

case studies

in-depth analyses of individuals

cataplexy

episodes of sudden loss of muscle tone lasting under 2 minutes, triggered by laughter or joking in people who have had narcolepsy for a long time

catatonia

group of disorganized behaviors that reflect an extreme lack of responsiveness to the outside world

catharsis

expression of emotions connected to memories and conflicts, which, according to Freud, leads to the release of energy used to keep these memories in the unconscious

causal attribution

explanation for why an event occurred

central sleep apnea

sleep disorder characterized by complete cessation of respiratory activity for brief periods of time (20 seconds or more); sufferers do not have frequent awakenings and do not tend to feel tired during the day; occurs when the brain does not send the signal to breath to the respiratory system

cerebral cortex

part of the brain that regulates complex activities, such as speech and analytical thinking

cerebrovascular disease

disease that occurs when the blood supply to the brain is blocked, causing tissue damage to the brain

childhood-onset conduct disorder

a conduct disorder characterized by aggression, destructiveness, deceitfulness, and rules violation beginning before age 10 that tends to worsen with age

childhood-onset fluency disorder

disturbances of the normal fluency and motor production of speech, including repetitive sounds or syllables, prolongation of consonants or vowel sounds, broken words, blocking or words produced with an excess of physical tension; also known as stuttering

chlorpromazine

antipsychotic drug

circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorder

sleep disorder characterized by insomnia, excessive sleepiness, or both due to disruptions in circadian rhythms

civil commitment

forcing of a person into a mental health facility against his or her will

classical conditioning

form of learning in which a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a stimulus that naturally elicits a response, thereby making the neutral stimulus itself sufficient to elicit the same response

classification system

set of syndromes and the rules for determining whether an individual's symptoms are part of one of these symptoms

client-centered therapy (CCT)

Carl Rogers' form of psychotherapy, which consists of an equal relationship between therapist and client as the client searches for his or her inner self, receiving unconditional positive regard and an empathic understanding from the therapist

cocaine

central nervous system stimulant that causes a rush of positive feelings initially but that can lead to impulsiveness, agitation, and anxiety and can cause withdrawal symptoms of exhaustion and depression

cognitions

thoughts or beliefs

cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)

treatment focused on changing negative patterns of thinking and solving concrete problems through brief sessions in which a therapist helps a client challenge negative thoughts, consider alternative perspectives, and take effective actions

cognitive theories

theories that focus on belief systems and ways of thinking as the causes of abnormal behavior

cognitive therapies

therapeutic approaches that focus on changing people's maladaptive thought patterns

cohort effect

effect that occurs when people born in one historical period are at different risk for a disorder than are people born in another historical period

collective unconscious

according to Carl Jung, the wisdom accumulated by a society over hundreds of years of human existence and stored in the memories of individuals

communication disorders

disorders characterized by persistent difficulties in the acquisition and use of language and other means of communicating

community mental health centers

institutions for the treatment of people with mental health problems in the community; may include teams of social workers, therapists, and physicians