AP PSYCHOLOGY

Antisocial personality disorder

a personality disorder in which a person (usually a man) exhibits a lack of conscience for wrongdoing, even toward friends and family members; may be aggressive and ruthless or a clever con artist

Anxiety Disorders

a psychological disorder characterized by distressing, persistent anxiety or maladaptive behavior that reduces anxiety

Specific Phobia

an anxiety disorder marked by a persistent, irrational fear and avoidance of a specific object, activity, or situation (heights, spiders)

Agoraphobia

fear or avoidance of situations, such as crowds or wide open places, where one has felt loss of control and panic.

Panic Disorder

an anxiety disorder marked by unpredictable, minute long episodes of intense dread in which a person experiences terror and accompanying chest pains, choking, or other frightening sensations. Often followed by worry for the next attack

Social Anxiety Disorder

Fear of interacting with others or being in social situations that might lead to a negative evaluation

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)

an anxiety disorder in which a person is continually tense, apprehensive, and in a state of autonomic nervous system arousal

Bipolar I

the most severe form, in which people experience a euphoric, talkative, highly energetic, and overly ambitious state that lasts a week or longer

Bipolar II

a less severe form of bipolar in which people move between depression and a milder hypomania

Mania

a hyperactive, wildly optimistic state in which dangerously poor judgment is common

Dysfunction

a breakdown or impairment in a person's thinking, emotional regulation, or behavior that significantly impacts their ability to function in daily life

Distress

refers to a state of unpleasant emotional or psychological suffering or a feeling of being overwhelmed, often associated with high levels of stress or negative life events that can impact daily functioning

Deviation from social norms

abnormality as behavior that is significantly different from the accepted standards or rules of a particular society or culture

Depressive Disorders

a group of disorders characterized by an enduring sad, empty, or irritable mood, along with physical and cognitive changes that affect a person's ability to function

Major Depressive Disorder

A state of hopelessness and lethargy lasting several weeks or months

Persistent Depressive Disorder

a disorder in which people experience a depressed mood on more days than not for at least two years (formerly called dysthymia)

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5)

the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition; a widely used system for classifying psychological disorders

Diathesis-stress Model

mental and physical disorders arise from a combination of a genetic or biological predisposition (diathesis) and stressful environmental conditions.

Dissociative Disorders

controversial, rare disorders in which conscious awareness becomes separated from previous memories, thoughts, and feelings

Dissociative Amnesia

a disorder in which people with intact brains reportedly experience memory gaps; people with dissociative amnesia may report not remembering trauma related specific events, people, places, or aspects of their identity and life history

Dissociative Identity Disorder

a rare dissociative disorder in which a person exhibits two or more distinct and alternating personalities.

Eclectic Approach to Diagnosis Treatment

drawing upon multiple theoretical perspectives and techniques to create a customized treatment plan that best suits the individual client's needs

Feeding and Eating Disorder

a group of disorders characterized by altered consumption or absorption of food that impairs health or psychological functioning. (feeding is typically in infants and young children, eating disorders is people who self feed)

Anorexia Nervosa

an eating disorder in which a person (usually an adolescent female) maintains a starvation diet, despite being significantly underweight (15% or more)

Bulimia Nervosa

an eating disorder in which a person's binge eating is followed by inappropriate weight loss promoting behavior, such a vomiting, laxative use, fasting, or exercise

Binge-eating disorder

an eating disorder characterized by significant binge-eating with significant binge-eating episodes, that's followed by distress or guilt, but no compensatory behavior (purging, fasting, excessive exercise)

Hoarding Disorder

a persistent difficulty parting with possessions, regardless, of their value

International Classification of Mental Disorders (ICD)

refers to the World Health Organization (WHO) classification system for all diseases, including mental disorders, used for diagnosis, research, and statistical tracking

Manic Episodes

a period of abnormally elevated expansive, or irritable mood and persistently increased goal directed activity or energy, lasting at least a week and present most of the day, nearly every day

Hypomanic Episodes

a period of abnormally elevated expansive, or irritable mood and persistently increased goal directed activity or energy, lasting less than a week

Neurodevelopmental Disorders

central nervous system abnormalities (usually in the brain) that start in childhood and alter thinking and behavior (as in intellectual limitations or a psychological disorder)

ADHD

a psychological disorder marked by extreme inattention and/or hyperactivity and impulsivity

Autism Spectrum Disorders

a disorder that appears in childhood and is marked by limitations in communication and social interaction, and by rigidly fixated interests and repetitive behaviors

OCD (obsession vs compulsion)

a disorder characterized by unwanted repetitive thoughts (obsessions), actions (compulsions), or both.

Hoarding Disorder

A psychological disorder characterized by persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions, regardless of their actual value.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder

A mental health condition involving obsessive focus on perceived flaws in physical appearance, which are often unnoticeable to others.

Trichotillomania

A psychological disorder characterized by the compulsive urge to pull out one's hair, leading to noticeable hair loss.

Excoriation

A mental health disorder characterized by the repetitive picking of one's skin, leading to skin lesions and significant distress.

Behavioral Perspective

Claims that psychological disorders are primarily learned through conditioning and reinforcement, rather than being solely rooted in biological factors.

Biological Perspective

Attributes psychological disorders to underlying factors like genetics, brain chemistry, or structure, rather than psychological or social causes.

Cognitive Perspective

Suggests that psychological disorders arise from maladaptive or distorted thought patterns, beliefs, and interpretations of events.

Evolutionary Perspective

Suggests that certain mental disorders are maladaptive traits rooted in genetic predispositions that were once beneficial for survival.

Humanistic Perspective

Posits that psychological disorders arise from a lack of self-actualization and unmet basic needs.

Psychodynamic Perspective

Views psychological disorders as stemming from unconscious conflicts, repressed experiences, and unresolved childhood issues.

Sociocultural Perspective

Emphasizes how social and cultural factors, like norms and values, influence the development and manifestation of mental illnesses.

Personality Disorders

Psychological disorders characterized by inflexible and enduring behavior patterns that impair social functioning.

Cluster A: Odd or Eccentric

A category of personality disorders that includes paranoid, schizoid, and schizotypal personality disorders.

Paranoid Personality Disorder

Characterized by pervasive distrust and suspicion of others, interpreting their motives as malevolent.

Schizoid Personality Disorder

Characterized by a pervasive pattern of detachment from social relationships and limited emotional expression.

Schizotypal Personality Disorder

A mental health condition characterized by a persistent pattern of odd and eccentric thoughts, behaviors, and interpersonal difficulties.

Cluster B: Dramatic, Emotional, or Erratic

A category of personality disorders that includes avoidant, dependent, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorders.

Avoidant Personality Disorder

Characterized by a pervasive pattern of social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and fear of rejection.

Dependent Personality Disorder

Characterized by a pervasive and excessive need to be taken care of, leading to submissive and clinging behaviors.

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder

Characterized by a pervasive pattern of preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and control.

Positive Effects of Diagnosing

Diagnosing mental disorders offers potential benefits like access to appropriate treatment and research advancement.

Negative Effects of Diagnosing

Diagnosing mental disorders poses risks like stigma, reduced independence, and potentially inaccurate labeling.

Ageism

based on age, particularly against older adults, encompassing stereotypes, prejudice and discriminatory actions

Discrimination

unfair or biased treatment of groups based on diagnoses

Racism

diagnosis criteria based on a person's race or ethnicity, leading to inaccurate or harmful outcomes

Sexism

diagnoses influenced by societal stereotypes or assumptions about gender roles, potentially leading to misdiagnosis or undertreatment (examples: anorexia in men, body dysmorphia in women, ADHD in young boys)

Stigma

negative social attitudes and beliefs about a particular characteristic or attribute, can lead to discrimination, exclusion, and shame

Schizophrenic Spectrum Disorders

Severe disorder in which the person suffers from disordered thinking, bizarre behavior, hallucinations, and inability to distinguish between fantasy and reality

Positive symptoms

positive symptoms are those that represent an excess or distortion of normal functions, such as hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized speech or behavior

Delusions (Paranoid and Grandiose)

false belief that is firmly held despite contradictory evidence and is not rooted in cultural or societal norms (paranoid: someone is being harmed or persecuted by others; grandiose: unfounded belief that one is famous, omnipotent, wealthy or otherwise very powerful/high status)

Hallucinations

a false perception of objects or events involving your senses. a perception that is not based on any real sensory experience.

Disorganized thinking or speech (word salad)

disorganized thinking or speech, also known as formal thought disorder, refers to a disorder of a person's thought process where they are unable to express thoughts in a logical and linear way, often characterized by incoherent or jumbled speech

Catatonic excitement

refers to a state of extreme restlessness and purposeless motor activity, often seen in individuals with catatonic schizophrenia, characterized by hyperactive behavior, agitation, and potentially violent outbursts.

Negative symptoms

refer to the absence or reduction of normal emotional and behavioral functions often seen in individuals with schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders, such as a lack of motivation, diminished emotional expression, and social withdrawal.

Catatonic stupor

a state characterized by markedly slowed motor activity, often to the point of immobility and seeming unawareness of surroundings, and can be a symptom of catatonia, which is a condition that can occur with various mental and physical health issues.

Flat affect

Observable absence or significant reduction of emotional expression, including facial expressions, tone of voice, and body language, in response to situations and events.

Possible Causes

Genetic/biological links (prenatal virus, dopamine hypothesis).

Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders

A group of disorders in which exposure to a traumatic or stressful event is followed by psychological distress.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Characterized by haunting memories, nightmares, social withdraws, jumpy anxiety, numbness of feeling, and or insomnia that lingers for four weeks or more after traumatic experience.

Rosenhan study

Demonstrated how easily individuals can be mislabeled and misdiagnosed in psychiatric settings, highlighting the potential for bias and the lasting impact of diagnostic labels.

Insanity defense

A legal argument claiming a defendant is not criminally responsible for a crime due to a mental illness or defect that impaired their ability to understand the nature or wrongfulness of their actions at the time of the crime.

Rumination

Compulsive fretting; overthinking our problems and their causes.

Acute schizophrenia

A form of schizophrenia, in which a person has hallucinations, delusions, and other symptoms, that can begin at any age; frequently occurs in response to a traumatic event.

Chronic schizophrenia

Form of Schizophrenia in which symptoms usually appear by late adolescence or early adulthood. As people age, psychotic episodes last longer and recovery periods shorten.

Illness anxiety disorder

A disorder in which a person interprets normal physical sensations as symptoms of disease (Formerly called hypochondriasis).

Somatic symptom disorder

A psychological disorder in which the symptoms take a somatic (bodily) form without apparent physical cause (Formerly called somatoform disorder).