AP Psych Unit 8

abnormal behavior

abnormal behavior

behavior that is atypical or statistically uncommon within a particular culture or that is maladaptive or detrimental to an individual or to those around that individual

deviance

any behavior that differs significantly from what is considered appropriate or typical for a social group

psychopathology

the scientific study of mental illness or disorders

psychosis

a person loses contact with reality, experiencing irrational ideas and distorted perceptions

diathesis-stress model

the theory that mental and physical disorders develop from a genetic or biological predisposition for that illness (diathesis) combined with stressful conditions that play a precipitating or facilitating role

comorbidity

the co-occurence of more than one disorder in the same individual

dopamine

neurotransmitter that plays a role in movement, memory and pleasurable reward and motivation; lack or surplus contributes to schizophrenia, psychosis, ADHD. etc

serotonin

neurotransmitter that plays a role in mood, sleep, digestion, nausea, wound healing; low levels contribute to mood and anxiety disorders

anxiety disorders

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

agoraphobia

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

generalized anxiety disorder

a person is continually tense, apprehensive, and in a state of autonomic nervous system arousal

panic disorder

anxiety disorder marked by unpredictable, minute-long episodes of intense dread in which a person experiences terror and accompanying chest pain, choking, or other frightening sensations; often followed by worry over a possible next attack

social anxiety disorder

intense fear of social situations, leading to avoidance of such

specific phobia disorder

an intense, irrational fear of something that poses little or no actual danger

neuro-cognitive disorders

decreased mental function due to a medical disease other than a psychiatric illness

Alzheimer’s disease

a brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and, eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks

Lewy Body Dementia

a disease associated with abnormal deposits of a protein called alpha-synuclein in the brain, leading to problems with thinking, movement, behavior, and mood

depressive disorders

mood disorders that cause a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest

disruptive mood dysregulation disorder

a condition in which children or adolescents experience ongoing irritability, anger, and frequent, intense temper outbursts

major depressive disorder

a mood disorder in which a person experiences, in the absence of drugs or another medical condition, two or more weeks with five or more symptoms, at least one of which must be either 1) depressed mood or 2) loss of interest or pleasure

persistent depressive disorder

experiencing a mildly depressed mood more often than not for at least two years

exposure therapy

psychologists create a safe environment in which to “expose” individuals to the things they fear and avoid to help reduce fear

extinction

the fading of a non-reinforced conditioned response over time

flooding

a technique in behavior therapy in which the individual is exposed directly to a maximum-intensity anxiety-producing situation or stimulus, either described or real, without any attempt made to lessen or avoid anxiety or fear during the exposure

free association

process in psychoanalysis and other forms of psychodynamic psychotherapy, in which the patient is encouraged to verbalize without censorship or selection whatever thoughts come to mind, no matter how embarrassing, illogical, or irrelevant

gestalt therapy

a form of psychotherapy that is centered on increasing a person's awareness, freedom, and self-direction

humanistic perspective

the assumption in psychology that people are essentially good and constructive, that the tendency toward self-actualization is inherent, and that, given the proper environment, human beings will develop to their maximum potential

insight therapies

any form of psychotherapy based on the theory that a client's problems cannot be resolved without his or her gaining self-understanding and thus becoming aware of their origins

latent content

the symbolic meaning of a dream that lies behind the literal content of the dream

manifest content

the actual literal content and storyline of a dream

modeling

a technique used in cognitive behavior therapy and behavior therapy in which learning occurs through observation and imitation alone

client-centered therapy

non-directive approach to talk therapy that requires the client to actively take the reins during each therapy session, while the therapist acts mainly as a guide or a source of support for the client

psychoanalysis

approach originally developed by Sigmund Freud; assumption that much mental activity is unconscious and that understanding people requires interpreting the unconscious meaning underlying their overt behavior.

psychodynamic approach

the psychological approach that views human behavior from the standpoint of unconscious motives that mold the personality

psychotherapy

general term for treating mental health problems by talking with a psychiatrist

rational-emotive behavior therapy

a form of psychotherapy that helps you identify self-defeating thoughts and feelings, challenge the nature of irrational and unproductive feelings, and replace them with healthier, more productive beliefs

systematic desensitization

type of exposure therapy that aims to remove the fear response of a phobia and substitute a relaxation response to the conditional stimulus gradually using counter-conditioning

transference

when one seems to direct feelings or desires related to an important figure in one’s life toward someone who is not that person

unconditional positive regard

showing complete support and acceptance of a person no matter what that person says or does (Carl Rogers)

dissociative disorders

mental disorders that involve experiencing a disconnection and lack of continuity between thoughts, memories, surroundings, actions and identity

dissociative amnesia

occurs when a person blocks out certain events, often associated with stress or trauma, leaving the person unable to remember important personal information

dissociative identity disorder

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

eating disorders

abnormal eating habits

anorexia nervosa

person (usually an adolescent female) maintains a starvation diet despite being significantly (15% or more) underweight; sometimes exercise excessively

binge-eating disorder

significant binge-eating episodes, followed by distress, disgust, or guilt, but without the compensatory purging or fasting of bulimia

bulimia nervosa

a person alternates between binge-eating with purging, excessive exercise, or fasting; marked by weight fluctuations within or above normal ranges, making it easier to hide

trauma disorders

disorders that develop in some people who have experienced a shocking, scary, or dangerous event

acute stress disorder

similar symptoms to PTSD, but only lasting for about a month after the event

post-traumatic stress disorder

mental disorder one develops after exposure to a traumatic event; symptoms include nightmares, social withdrawal, and jumpy anxiety

obsessive compulsive disorder

chronic and long-lasting disorder in which a person has uncontrollable, reoccurring thoughts ("obsessions") and/or behaviors ("compulsions") that he or she feels the urge to repeat over and over

body dysmorphic disorder

a mental health condition where a person spends a lot of time worrying about flaws in their appearance

hoarding disorder

where someone acquires an excessive number of items and stores them in a chaotic manner, usually resulting in unmanageable amounts of clutter

personality disorders

conditions in which an individual differs significantly from an average person, in terms of how they think, perceive, feel or relate to others

antisocial personality disorder

condition in which a person consistently shows no regard for right and wrong and ignores the rights and feelings of others

borderline personality disorder

a mental illness that severely impacts a person's ability to regulate their emotions; increased impulsivity and self-destructive behaviors

histrionic personality disorder

a mental health condition marked by unstable emotions, a distorted self-image and an overwhelming desire to be noticed; often behave dramatically to get noticed

narcissistic personality disorder

a mental health condition in which people have an unreasonably high sense of their own importance; want people to admire them; may lack the ability to understand or care about the feelings of others

obsessive-compulsive personality disorder

condition that causes an extensive preoccupation with perfectionism, organization and control

paranoid personality disorder

condition in which a person has a long-term pattern of distrust and suspicion of others

bipolar disorders

a mental illness that causes unusual shifts in a person's mood, energy, activity levels, and concentration

bipolar I

manic episodes that last for at least 7 days (nearly every day for most of the day) or by manic symptoms that are so severe that the person needs immediate medical care; depressive episodes occur as well, typically lasting at least 2 weeks.

bipolar II

a pattern of depressive episodes and hypomanic episodes. The hypomanic episodes are less severe than the manic episodes in bipolar I disorder

cyclothymic disorder

emotional ups and downs, but they're not as extreme as those in bipolar I or II disorder

hypomania

milder version of mania

mania

periods of over-active and high energy behavior that can have a significant impact on your day-to-day life

schizophrenia spectrum disorders

experience a range of often debilitating symptoms that may include hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking, speech, and/or disorganized or unusual behavior

delusions

false beliefs, often of persecution or grandeur, that may accompany psychotic disorders

hallucinations

false sensory experiences, such as seeing something in the absence of an external visual stimulus

schizophrenia

a psychological disorder characterized by delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, and/or diminished or inappropriate emotional expression

schizoaffective disorder

a mental health disorder that is marked by a combination of schizophrenia symptoms, such as hallucinations or delusions, and mood disorder symptoms, such as depression or mania

illness anxiety disorder

a person interprets normal physical sensations as symptoms of a disease

somatic symptom disorder

diagnosed when a person has a significant focus on physical symptoms, such as pain, weakness or shortness of breath, to a level that results in major distress and/or problems functioning

neurodevelopmental disorders

multifaceted conditions characterized by impairments in cognition, communication, behavior and/or motor skills resulting from abnormal brain development

attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

a behavioral condition that makes focusing on everyday requests and routines challenging

autism

a neurological and developmental disorder that affects how people interact with others, communicate, learn, and behave

action therapies

any therapy that emphasizes doing and taking action rather than verbal communication or discussion

active listening

psychotherapeutic technique in which the therapist listens to a client closely, asking questions as needed, in order to fully understand the content of the message and the depth of the client's emotion

all-or-none thinking

thinking in extremes; you either did perfect or completely terrible

aversion therapy

psychotherapy designed to cause a patient to reduce or avoid an undesirable behaviour pattern by conditioning the person to associate the behaviour with an undesirable stimulus

awfulizing

occurring when a person believes that a bad circumstance is more than bad, it is the worst it could be

behavior modification

the process of changing patterns of human behavior using various motivational techniques

behavioral therapy

a range of treatments and techniques which are used to change an individual's maladaptive responses to specific situations

catastrophizing

believing that you're in a worse situation than you really are or exaggerating your difficulties

catharsis

the discharge of previously repressed affects connected to traumatic events that occurs when these events are brought back into consciousness and reexperienced

cognitive-behavior-therapy

a structured, goal-oriented type of talk therapy. It can help manage mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety, and emotional concerns, such as coping with grief or stress

cognitive distortions

internal mental filters or biases that increase our misery, fuel our anxiety, and make us feel bad about ourselves

cognitive therapy

therapy meant to to change the way you think about an issue that's causing concern

common factors therapy

proposes that different approaches and evidence-based practices in psychotherapy and counseling share common factors that account for much of the effectiveness of a psychological treatment

congruence

a term used by Carl Rogers to describe a state in which a person’s ideal self and actual experience are consistent or very similar

dream analysis

a technique, originally used in psychoanalysis but now also used in some other psychotherapies, in which the content of dreams is interpreted to reveal underlying motivations or symbolic meanings

eclectic approach

an approach that draws on multiple theoretical orientations and techniques. It is a flexible and multifaceted approach to therapy that allows the therapist to use the most effective methods available to address each individual client's needs

empathy

the cognitive and emotional reactions of an individual to the observed experiences of another

David Rosenhan

pioneer in applying psychological methods to the practice of law, including the examination of expert witnesses, jury selection, and jury deliberation

Aaron Beck

father of cognitive behavioral therapy and the cognitive theory of depression

Albert Ellis

father of rational-emotive therapy

Sigmund Freud

father of psychoanalysis

Mary Cover Jones

mother of behavior therapy; tested techniques on reducing phobias in children

Carl Rogers

one of the fathers of humanistic psychology; client-centered therapy, active listening, and unconditional positive regard

B.F. Skinner

father of operant conditioning

Joseph Wolpe

developed systematic desensitization and reciprocal inhibition