EXAM 3 - Psychology 101

FUCK THIS CLASS.

What is Personality?

Individual differences/characteristics that define and differentiate people.

What is the psychodynamic approach to personality?

interplay of conflicting forces—including unconscious ones—within
the individual causing personality. freud moment

personality develops within first few years of life

shaped by resoloution of psychosexual stages

What are the 3 criteria for personality traits?

consistency, stability, and individual differences

What are the big 5 / what does OCEAN stand for?

O - Openness. C - conscientiousness. E - extroversion. A - agreeableness. N - neuroticism.

What is a personality TRAIT?

Basic dimensions on which people differ.

What is the Eyesnek emphasis?

Eysenck proposed a dimensional approach to personality, emphasizing traits as continuous variables rather than discrete categories.

Extraversion & Neuroticism, Biological basis, Reward and Avoidance

What does HEXACO stand for; and what is its significance?

HEXACO has the same elements as OCEAN, but adds honesty-humility.

OCEAN is more beneficial for predicting behavior in traditional settings, whereas HEXACO is more useful for predicting behavior in non-traditional settings.

What is The Dark Tetrad?

Machiavellianism (someone who scores high on manipulation), psychopathy, narcissism, sadism.

What is the person-situation debate?

Walter Mischel theorized that behavior not as consistent as theorized & that the situation has more of an impact on personality traits than other influences

current theory is situation + traits. Traits predict on average, but
not specific situations

What is a psychological disorder?

different/more extreme behavior that causes persistent disturbances or dysfunctions in behavior, thoughts, and emotions.

Given that thoughts, emotions, and behaviors occur on a continuum, what characteristics are considered when determining whether a set of behaviors, thoughts, and emotions constitute a disorder?

if the behaviors are: more different and extreme than usual and distresses the person and others

What are the benefits of the medical model framework to disorders? The shortcomings?

medical model framework - treats the mental illness like it’s a physical one (syndrome w/ symptoms and treatments).

benefits - reduced stigma and more researched cures

issues - pathologizes “extremes” in human behavior (i.e. this behavior is a problem that needs to be fixed), self-report info always accurate/appropriate, and inattention to psychological & social causes

Know what the DSM is and how it is used.

DSM - Diagnostic and Statistical Manual

used by mental health professionals to diagnose and classify mental health conditions based on specific criteria and symptoms. (will have something like disorder name, what it typically is defined as, and required symptoms)

Be able to explain the biopsychosocial model of disorders and the diathesis-stress model. Consider how they may be applied to the different kinds of disorders discussed.

biopsychosocial - disorders result from interactions among biological factors (more similar across cultures), psychological & social factors (less similar across cultures)

diathesis-stress - internal and external causes. diathesis - internal predisposition. stress - external trigger

Know the characteristics and effective treatments for the following anxiety disorders: generalized anxiety disorder, phobic disorders, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

generalized anxiety disorder - chronic, excessive anxiety and worry.

phobias - excessive fear and avoidance of certain situations/objects that interfere with life. must REALIZE it’s unreasonable

panic disorder - sudden onset panic attacks (intense terror/feelings of doom)

PTSD - re-experiencing flashbacks, nightmares, thoughts of event; constantly on-edge, difficulty sleeping, exaggerated startle reflex, avoidance of certain places and feelings

OCD - obsessive persistent intrusive throuughts or ideas. compulsive repetitive behavior/mental action whose goal is to reduce anxiety

How does learning/conditioning contribute to anxiety disorders?

• depending on the disorder, anxiety can validate an obsessive motion (i.e. in ocd fulfiling an urge = less anxiety)

• or, negative operant conditioning type of thing (fear of dog being caused by being bitten at a young age. US: dog bite, UR: fear/pain; CS: seeing any dog CR: fear of any dog)

How does the idea of biological preparedness [preparedness theory] contribute to our understanding of anxiety disorders?

• theory: people are instinctively predisposed towards certain fears

Be able to characterize and distinguish between major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, double depression, and bipolar disorder.

mdd: 1 or more major depressive episodes, no manic symptoms/history

dyd: 2 years of consistent depressed mood; some signs of depression

dd: both of the above

bpd: a mix of depressive symptoms and manic symptoms; never ‘in-between’, one or the other

Consider mood disorders in the biopsychosocial framework: what different factors may contribute to the development of a mood disorder?

What treatments are considered effective for different mood disorders?

Psychoanalytic/psychodynamic - uncovering & resolving unconscious desires/conflicts

Humanistic/person-centered therapy - basically, talk therapy

CBT - uses different types of conditioning to change harmful behaviors into good ones

What are characteristic symptoms of schizophrenia? Differences between positive and negative symptoms?

an alteration in thoughts, perceptions, or consciousness (2+ of delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech or behavior)

positive symptoms: higher than average

negative symptoms: lower than average

What disruptions in cognitive processing are thought to contribute to schizophrenia? What are common structural differences in the brain in individuals with schizophrenia?

deficits in episodic and working memory
slower processing speed
Impaired social cognition

salience detection misfires
dlPFC → working memory, cognitive control
reduced brain volume

What environmental factors are associated with greater risk of the development of the disorder?

social/environmental stress (example: adoption study)
birth complications, exposure to viruses(?)
well before diagnosis: behavioral issues, motor
movements

What treatments are considered effective for schizophrenia?

• antipsychotics & CBT