psych summer test

psychology

the scientific study of behavior and mental processes

nature vs nurture

nature: behavior determined by genes

nurture: behavior is influenced by environment and experiences

genetics set framework, experience influences how things play out

1800s & and 1900s ideas that shaped the field

• early ideas came from philosophers in ancient greece

• 1879 - wilhelm opened 1st psych lab in germany

• split into 2 groups: concuous experience vs how thoughts and behavior help us adapt to our environment

• 1900s - sigmund freud said unconscious forces from childhood influence behavior

behaviorism

argument that psychologists should only focus on observable behavior

humanistic psychology

emphasizes free will, personal control

• made because some psychologists thought behaviorists were missing the human experience

cognitive revolution

regained interest in studying memory, language, decision-making and problem solving after advances in neuroscience

american psychological association (APA)

• largest professional organization for psychologists in the us, made to promote psych as a science and set research standards

importance of apa

• apa guidelines set ethical standards

• lets psychologists communicate findings through conferences + writing

• developed apa format for paper organization and citations

• supports psych education and ensures that it remains scientific, ethical, and evidence based

psychoanalytic/psychodynamic perspective

focuses on how early childhood experiences and unconscious drives influence behavior, defense mechanisms, and aggressive selfish or sexual urges

behavioral perspective

focused on observable behavior and its environmental causes, and the affects of learning and conditioning

observational learning: rewards and punishments and how they influence behavior

rewards = repeat action, punishment = extinguish action

cognitive perspective

focuses on internal processes of the mind and how they influence out behavior, most widely applied perspective today

humanistic perspective

positive outlook on human behavior, sees people as naturally good and growth seeking

• humans need the right amount of love and acceptance

sociocultural perspective

focuses on the role of society and culture in shaping thoughts and behaviors,

biological perspective

focuses on how genetics and brain chemistry influence behavior, neuroscience (the scientific study of the structure, function, development, genetics, and biochemistry if the nervous system)

evolutionary perspective

mental processes exist because they aid in survival and reproduction, good genes have a higher probability of being passed on, humans are driven by a desire to survive and reproduce

biopsychosocial approach

integrates biological, psychological, and social forces and how they work together to affect thoughts and behaviors

health psychology

subfield of psychology where psychologists study how biological, psychological, and social factors interact to influence mental&physical health/illness

stress

the process by which we perceive and respond to certain events called stressors, that we consider threatening

• brain interprets situation and triggers responses like high heart rate, muscle tension, and release of cortisol

• short term stress can enhance performance, long term can be damaging

key components of stress

• stressors

• cognitive appraisal - how we interpret the situation determines stress response, influenced by past experiences, emotional state, and ability to cope

• stress response

daily hassles - stress

everyday annoyances that build up, nultiplicative, combined effect is more intense than each one by itself

traumatic events - stress

sudden or intense experiences that overwhelm ability to cope in the moment

adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)

harmful experiences during childhood can affect brain development which increases the risk of mental and physical health issues throughout life

biological perspective - stress

stress is a physiological response driven by the nervous system and hormones like cortisol to help us survive

psychodynamic perspective - stress

stress comes from unconscious conflicts and unresolved emotional tension, can surface as physical symptoms

evolutionary perspective - stress

stress is a byproduct of evolutionary adaptation

sociocultural perspective - stress

stress arises from pressure to meet societal/ctural expectations and norms

humanistic perspective - stress

stress arises when we encounter barriers to personal growth

cognitive perspective - stress

stress depends on how we think, negativity makes it worse

behavioral perspective - stress

stress happens when our actions don’t lead to expected rewards or outcomes

distress

unpleasant, not chosen, often comes from situations where both options are bad, leads to feeling stuck, unhealthy

eustress

feels motivating but challenging, welcomed challenge, often comes from situations where something good is at stake, leads to growth

hedonic adaptation

how we adjust emotionally to new situations over time, the tendency to return to a stable level of happiness after positive or negative events

negativity bias

the psychological tendency to give more attention to negative experiences than positive ones, helped early humans prioritize attention to danger, now is bad for us

general adaptation syndrome (gas)

model developed to describe how the body reacts to stress in three predictable stages

1. resistance drops suddenly as body reacts to shock

2. body adapts to challenge and stress resistance rises

3. if stress continues too long, stress resistance falls sharply, making you vulnerable to illness

mediators

the various factors that influence how we respond to stress

• helps explain individual differences in stress reactions, key mediator is cognitive appraisal (how we interpret a stressful event)

tend and befriend theory

alternative to flight or fight response, proposes that some respond to stress by attending to their needs or others, or by seeking social connection

• biologically influenced by oxytocin which promotes social bonding, social connections de intensify stress

problem focused coping

actively addressing the source of stress and working to find solutions, considered a longer term strategy

emotion focused cooing

aims to reduce distress rather than eliminate stressor entirely, short term approach, usually used before problem focused, which addresses and resolves the issue

positive psychology

the scientific study if human strengths and virtues focusing on human flourishing and optimal functioning

measuring happiness

subjective experience, making it hard to define, operational definitions are used to define it

operational definitions

creating clean, measurable ways to define concepts like happiness, so they can be studied in consistent and reliable ways

self report instruments

surveys that ask people to rate how often they feel joyful, purposeful, and supported

social desirability bias

when people answer questions in a socially acceptable way instead of answering honestly, self-reported dats not always accurate

subjective happiness

personal individual subjective experience, influenced by feelings, personality, and preferences

objective happiness

universal, measurable factors contributing to well being, like basic needs not influences by opinion

well being

a state of happiness with low levels of distress, overall good quality of life and health

resilience

the process and outcome of successfully adapting to difficult life experiences, involves developing skills and support systems

gratitude

a sense of thankfulness and appreciation that can improve well being and relationships

benefits of practicing gratitude

brings lasting psychological benefits, and is a strategy for boosting emotional and physical well being

signature strengths

strengths that are natural that you use in daily life, often noticed when you interact or decision make, people who regularly use them have higher levels of life satisfaction and well being

posttraumatic growth

positive psychological change following trauma or major stress, linked to personal strength, improved relationships, new life possibilities and appreciation, spiritual growth

psychological disorder

a syndrome marked by a clinically significant disturbance in an individual’s cognition, emotional regulation, or behavior

3 d’s for disorder classification of abnormal behavior

deviant, distressing, dysfunctional

deviant

psychologists look at why their behavior deviates from whats typical or expected in a cultural or social context

• statistically rare, violates norms

deviant

psychologists look at why their behavior deviates from whats typical or expected in a cultural or social context

• statistically rare, violates norms

dysfunctional

actions and patterns that interfere with someone’s ability to carry out everyday tasks and responsibilities, key factor in diagnosing because it reflects how the disorder affects the person’s life

trephination - history

holes drilled into skull because it was thought that mental illness was caused by demons that could escape through holes

explanation for disorders in history

demonic possession, leading to mentally ill people being put in cages, denied care, and getting genitals mutilated to prevent offspring

hippocrates

said mental disorders weren’t caused by demons, but imbalances in bodily fluids called the “four humers”

philippe pinel

challenged demon possession beliefs and viewed mental illness as sickness of the mind, advocated for moral treatment contributing to the medical model

medical model: idea that psychological disorders have physical causes that can be identified, diagnosed, treated, and cured

the dsm-v

diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders

• main tool used to describe and diagnose

• published by APA, provides common language and standard criteria for diagnosis

• updated sometimes to reflect new knowledge and cultural understandings

psychodynamic perspective - causes of disorders

disorders come from traumatic childhood experiences ir the influence of unconscious thoughts

behavioral perspective - causes of disorders

abnormal behaviors are learned and reinforced

humanistic perspective - causes of disorder

psychological issues come from low self-esteem and unmet needs, inability to be oneself

sociocultural perspective- causes of disorders

abnormal behavior is shaped by family, society, culture

biological perspective- causes of disorders

brain structures, neurotransmitters, genetics

evolutionary perspective - causes of disorders

fears that affect survival and reproduction

epigenetics

the study if environmental influences on gene expression that occur without DNA change

ecclectic approach

combining ideas from multiple perspectives to get a fuller understanding and provide better treatment

diathesis stress model

individual characteristics combine with environmental stressors to increase and decrease the likelihood of developing of a psychological disorder

labeling psych disorders pros

• provides relief to some by naming symptoms

• simplifies communication to others

• guides appropriate treatment, supports research

labeling pysch disorders cons

• can contribute to stigma, towards mental illness in society

• may lower self esteem and limit peoples beliefs about what they can do

david rosenhans experiment

study that highlighted impact of labels on diagnosis and treatment

• he and 7 others acted like fake patients and claimed to hear voices, they were dehumanized and sent somewhere for schizophrenia, revealing the power of labels and issues

individualistic cultures views

strong focus on individual rights, personal growth, self expression

• view mental illness as common, encourage seeking help, less stigma

collective cultures views

strong focus on family rep, and social roles, view mental illness as a family weakness that should be hidden, limited services

how does recognizing cultural differences help professionals

it helps them treat and support in a way that respects patients’ backgrounds and beliefs

stigma

negative stereotypes that label people with mental illness as weak, dangerous, or attention seeking

prejudice

unfair judgements or assumptions based in those stereotypes

discrimination

unjust treatments based on prejudiced beliefs

anxiety disorders

psychological disorders characterized by distressing, persistent anxiety or maladaptive behaviors that reduce anxiety

social anxiety disorder

intense fear/avoidance of social situations and of being judged, avoiding social situations makes anxiety worse

generalized anxiety disorder

excessive and uncontrollable worry that persists for 6 months or more

• not always a clear trigger, people experience a buildup of dread, more common in women

symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (gad)

hard time concentrating, irritability, muscle tension, unease, trembling, fidgeting , headaches, accompanied by depression

panic disorder

an anxiety disorder marked by unpredictable,

minutes ling episodes of intense dread in which a person may experience terror, chest pain, choking, frightening sensations, often accompanied by worry over another attack

panic disorder symptoms

recurrent, unexpected panic attacks over a period of at least a month or persistent concern over having another

agoraphobia

fear/avoidance of situations such as crowds or wide open places, from which escape might be difficult

phobia

a persistent, irrational fear and avoidance of a specific object, activity, or situation

acrophobia

heights

hemophobia

blood

obsessive compulsive disorder - ocd

disorder characterized by unwanted repetitive thoughts called obsessions and repetitive actions called compulsions

brain scans of ocd

obsession may be from chemical imbalance involving serotonin, or psychological origins or both

obsession → anxiety or stress → compulsive ritual → relief

ocd related disorders

disorders that share features like intrusive thoughts, compulsive behaviors, significant distress

body dysmorphic disorder

preoccupation with an imagined or exaggerated defect in personal appearance, may cause avoidance of social situations, typically starts in adolescence, affects both genders equally

hoarding disorder

a persistent difficulty disgarding possessions because of a perceived need to save them, obessesive thoughts that importance is connected to items and that throwing them away can lead to crisis

tritchotillomania

recurrent, irresistible urges to pull out hair from areas if the body, described as built up tension only relieved by pulling, can lead to embarrassment because of hair loss

excoriation disorder

repeated picking at one’s own skin, resulting in lesions, driven by compulsive urge, temporary relief followed by distress

ptsd

disorder characterized by haunting memories, nightmares, social withdrawal, numbness, anxiety, and or insomnia that lingers for more than 4 weeks after a traumatic experience

biological perspective - anxiety

anxiety disorders run in families, genes regulate the levels of neurotransmitters in our brain like glutamate, which heightens activity in brain parts associated with fear and alarm

behavioral perspective - anxiety

fears are learned and reinforced, when someone avoids something frightening to them, they experience temporary relief that reinforces the fear