Intro to Psychology Final

Autism Spectrum Disorder

A neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social communication deficits and rigid/repetitive behavior.

Bipolar I Disorder

A disorder characterized by the presence of a manic episode.

Compulsion

Repetitive behaviors or mental acts which temporarily reduce the anxiety associated with an obsession.

Delusion

A fixed belief that is not amenable to change in light of conflicting evidence.

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)

A guide which specifies the diagnostic criteria for mental disorders.

Dissociative Identity Disorder

A disorder in which a person experiences two or more distinct personality states, indicated by changes in affect, behavior, perception, etc.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

A disorder characterized by excessive anxiety and worry.

Hallucination

A sensory perception in the absence of any external stimulus.

Major Depressive Disorder

A disorder characterized by the presence of a depressive episode.

Manic episode

A distinct period of abnormally and persistently elevated mood and abnormally and persistently increased activity or energy.

Medical model of mental illness

The view that mental illness is a physical disorder requiring medical treatment.

Moral model of mental illness

The view that mental illness is caused by something the person has done.

Obsession

Recurrent and persistent thoughts, urges, or images that are unwanted and cause distress, and which the person tries to ignore or suppress.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

A disorder characterized by the presence of obsessions, compulsions, or both.

Panic attack

An abrupt surge of intense fear or intense discomfort that reaches a peak within minutes, experienced as symptoms such as pounding heart, sweating, feeling of choking, etc.

Panic disorder

A disorder characterized by recurrent and unexpected panic attacks, persistent concern about additional attacks or their consequences, and significant maladaptive change in behavior related to the attacks.

Personality Disorder

A category of disorders characterized by impairment in personality functioning, interpersonal functioning, and by the presence of pathological personality traits.

Phobia

A significant fear or anxiety about a specific object or situation.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

A disorder in which a person experiences significant psychological and behavioral problems associated with a traumatic event.

Psychopathology

A mental illness.

Psychosis

A loss of contact with reality.

Schizophrenia

A disorder characterized by the presence of psychosis.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Therapy focused on increasing acceptance of negative thoughts and behaviors while also clarifying and increasing commitment to values.

Action-focused therapies

Psychotherapy approaches focused on changing the disordered behavior and thoughts.

All-or-nothing thinking (maladaptive thinking)

A pattern of thinking in which a person classifies things as only 'good' or 'bad'.

Behavioral rehearsal

A therapeutic technique in which the client role-plays with a therapist to learn and practice new skills.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy

Therapies focused on changing maladaptive thoughts, beliefs, and feelings (cognitions) and maladaptive behaviors.

Electroconvulsive therapy

A therapeutic technique in which patients receive brief electrical pulses to the brain, producing a seizure.

Exposure therapy

Therapy for fear/anxiety in which the person is exposed to the feared stimulus.

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy

Therapy in which a person engages in bilateral stimulation while recounting traumatic memories.

Gestalt therapy

A therapeutic approach focused on gaining insight into a person’s current experiences and on the individual as a whole.

Humanistic therapy

A therapeutic approach focused on helping clients gain awareness and acceptance and to live fully in the present.

Insight therapies

Psychotherapy approaches focused on gaining understanding and self-awareness.

Nonspecific factors

Aspects of a treatment that are beneficial beyond the specific therapeutic techniques.

Overgeneralization (maladaptive thinking)

A pattern of thinking in which a person applies a single event to all other situations.

Person-centered therapy

A therapeutic approach that is nondirective and is centered on the client’s goals and ways of solving problems.

Pharmacotherapy

The use of medications to treat psychological problems.

Psychoanalytic therapy

A therapeutic approach focused on the influence of unconscious forces and childhood traumas on the mental life and adjustment of the individual.

Psychosurgery

The use of brain surgery to treat psychological problems.

Psychotherapy

A psychological intervention designed to help people resolve emotional, behavioral, and interpersonal problems and to improve the quality of their lives.

Reflective listening

A technique where a therapist rephrases what the client is saying, instead of directing or interpreting the client’s thoughts.

Selective perception (maladaptive thinking)

A pattern of thinking in which a person tends to focus on negative events and ignore positive events.

Systematic desensitization

A technique where gradual exposure occurs from the least frightening stimulus to the most frightening stimulus.

Transference

In psychoanalytic therapy, the process in which the client projects intense, unrealistic feelings from the past onto the therapist.

Unconditional positive regard

Nonjudgmental acceptance of all client feelings.