Modules 14–17 Review: Psychological Disorders, Therapies, Social & Prosocial Behavior

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering major terms and concepts from Modules 14–17, including psychological disorders, therapeutic approaches, social influence, aggression, prejudice, and prosocial relationship factors.

Comorbidity

The simultaneous presence of two or more mental disorders in the same person.

Relative Factors (in diagnosis)

Subjective discomfort, statistical abnormality, and non-lethal social norm deviations that alone do not define mental disorder.

Generalizing Factors (in diagnosis)

Maladaptive psychological or biological dysfunction that causes suffering and impairs daily functioning and relationships.

Cultural Relativity (in psychopathology)

The need to judge behavior within the values, norms, and traditions of its culture of origin.

Stigma (mental health)

Prejudice and discrimination that arise from labeling mental disorders, often deterring people from seeking help.

Insanity (legal)

A legal term meaning the inability to foresee the consequences of one’s actions, established through expert testimony.

Positive Symptoms

Excesses of behavior (e.g., delusions, hallucinations) seen in disorders such as schizophrenia.

Negative Symptoms

Behavioral deficits (e.g., flat affect, avolition) commonly seen in schizophrenia.

Diathesis–Stress Model

Theory that psychological disorders result from a vulnerability interacting with stressful life events.

Psychotic Disorder

Mental condition marked by loss of contact with reality, hallucinations, and delusions.

Delusional Disorder

Psychosis featuring persistent, logically constructed, non-bizarre delusions.

Erotomanic Delusion

False belief that someone—usually of higher status—is in love with the person.

Grandiose Delusion

False conviction of great, unrecognized talent, power, or identity.

Jealous Delusion

Unfounded belief that one’s partner is unfaithful.

Somatic Delusion

False belief concerning bodily functions or sensations (e.g., infestation, foul odor).

Persecutory Delusion

Belief that one is being conspired against, cheated, or harmed; the most common delusional theme.

Schizophrenia – Thinking Disturbance

Impaired selective attention and fragmented, illogical thought.

Schizophrenia – Perceptual Disturbance

Hallucinations or extreme sensory sensitivity.

Schizophrenia – Emotional Disturbance

Inappropriate, blunted, or flat affect.

Schizophrenia – Behavioral Disturbance

Social withdrawal, apathy, or personal-care neglect.

Stress-Vulnerability Model (schizophrenia)

Genetic/biological vulnerability interacts with psychosocial stress to trigger episodes.

Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia)

Chronic, mild depressive mood lasting at least two years.

Major Depressive Disorder

Severe, prolonged depression with significant functional impairment.

Bipolar I Disorder

Mood disorder featuring full manic episodes alternating with depression.

Bipolar II Disorder

Hypomanic episodes with major depression; mania never reaches full intensity.

Cyclothymic Disorder

Long-term, moderate fluctuations between hypomanic and mild depressive symptoms.

Seasonal Affective Disorder

Major depression that recurs during fall/winter; often treated with phototherapy.

Suicide Risk Factors

Prior attempts, mental disorder, family history, firearm access, hopelessness, shame, impulsivity.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Persistent, excessive worry accompanied by physical tension.

Panic Disorder

Recurrent, unexpected panic attacks and fear of future attacks.

Social Phobia (Social Anxiety Disorder)

Intense fear of being scrutinized or humiliated in social situations.

Specific Phobia

Irrational, persistent fear of a particular object or situation.

Agoraphobia

Fear of public places or situations where escape may be difficult; may lead to staying home.

Humanistic Approach (to disorders)

Sees problems as blocks to personal growth; therapy focuses on subjective experience.

Behavioral Approach (to disorders)

Views maladaptive behavior as learned; treatment uses conditioning principles.

Cognitive Approach (to disorders)

Attributes distress to distorted thinking; therapy corrects irrational thoughts.

Obsessions

Intrusive, unwanted thoughts or images that cause anxiety in OCD.

Compulsions

Repetitive behaviors or mental acts performed to reduce obsession-related anxiety.

Compulsive Obsessive Disorder (COD) Theory

Idea that conscious coping rituals become automatic, maladaptive habits.

Adjustment Disorder

Maladaptive reaction to identifiable stressor, producing anxiety or depression within 3 months.

Dissociative Amnesia

Memory loss for personal information following trauma or stress.

Dissociative Fugue

Amnesia combined with unexpected travel and identity confusion.

Dissociative Identity Disorder

Presence of two or more distinct personality states with memory gaps.

Somatic Symptom Disorder

Excessive health anxiety and misinterpretation of normal bodily sensations.

Factitious Disorder

Deliberate fabrication or induction of illness for attention or care.

Conversion Disorder

Neurological-like symptoms caused by psychological stress without medical explanation.

Free Association

Psychoanalytic technique of speaking freely to uncover unconscious material.

Insight Therapy

Non-directive treatment aimed at increasing self-understanding of motives and feelings.

Action Therapy

Directive treatment focused on changing overt behaviors or thoughts.

Directive Therapy

Therapist provides guidance, advice, or interpretation to foster change.

Nondirective Therapy

Therapist avoids giving solutions, allowing client to lead exploration.

Psychodrama

Therapeutic role-play method for exploring and resolving conflicts.

Role Reversal (psychodrama)

Client enacts another person’s role to gain perspective on a conflict.

Mirror Technique (psychodrama)

Actors reenact client’s behavior so the client can observe it objectively.

Transference

Client projects feelings about significant others onto the therapist.

Aversion Therapy

Pairs unwanted behavior with an unpleasant stimulus to reduce the behavior.

Exposure Therapy

Planned, gradual confrontation with feared stimuli to extinguish anxiety.

Systematic Desensitization

Exposure hierarchy combined with relaxation training to counter-condition fear.

Reciprocal Inhibition

Principle that opposing responses (e.g., relaxation and anxiety) cannot co-exist.

Client-Centered Therapy

Carl Rogers’ nondirective therapy emphasizing unconditional positive regard, empathy, authenticity, and reflection.

Existential Therapy

Focuses on meaning, free will, and personal responsibility; generally nondirective.

Gestalt Therapy

Directive approach aimed at integrating thoughts, feelings, and behaviors into a unified self.

Selective (Distorted) Perception

Cognitive distortion of focusing on negative details while ignoring positives.

Overgeneralization

Drawing broad, negative conclusions from a single event.

All-or-Nothing Thinking

Viewing situations in extreme, black-and-white categories.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Therapy that alters dysfunctional thoughts and behaviors through cognitive and behavioral techniques.

Thought-Stopping

CBT technique of mentally interrupting intrusive thoughts.

Cognitive Restructuring

Identifying and replacing maladaptive thoughts with realistic ones.

Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)

Albert Ellis’ approach targeting irrational beliefs to reduce emotional distress.

Irrational Belief: "I must be loved by nearly everyone."

Unrealistic expectation that leads to anxiety and low self-esteem.

Consistency & Distinctiveness (attribution)

Behaviors that are stable and specific to a context are easier to attribute to personal causes.

Fundamental Attribution Error

Tendency to overemphasize internal traits and underestimate situational factors when judging others.

Actor–Observer Bias

Attributing our own actions to situations while attributing others’ actions to dispositions.

Self-Handicapping

Creating obstacles or excuses to protect self-esteem in case of failure.

Cognitive Dissonance

Discomfort from incongruent attitudes and behaviors, motivating change or justification.

Social Facilitation

Enhanced performance on easy tasks in the presence of others.

Social Loafing

Reduced individual effort when working in groups compared with working alone.

Diffusion of Responsibility

Reduced personal accountability felt by individuals in a group setting.

Bystander Effect

Decreased likelihood of helping as the number of witnesses increases.

Social Norms

Implicit or explicit rules that guide acceptable behavior within a group.

Groupthink

Faulty decision-making from group pressure for conformity and unanimity.

Asch Conformity Effect

Tendency to agree with a group’s incorrect answer; ~30 % conform regularly.

Foot-in-the-Door Technique

Securing compliance with a small request to increase likelihood of agreement with a larger one.

Door-in-the-Face Technique

Following an extreme request with a smaller one, which is then accepted.

Lowball Technique

Obtaining commitment then raising the cost or reducing the benefit.

Milgram Obedience Study

Found 65 % of participants delivered maximum shocks when instructed by authority.

Physiological Aggression Factors

Influences such as high testosterone or low blood sugar that lower the threshold for hostility.

Aversive Stimuli (aggression)

Unpleasant events that evoke negative arousal and can trigger aggression.

Ethnocentrism

Belief that one’s own group is superior to others, often linked to prejudice.

Authoritarian Personality

Rigid, conforming style oriented toward power and obedience; correlated with prejudice.

Stereotype Threat

Anxiety that one will confirm a negative group stereotype.

Self-Stereotype

Internalizing and acting in accordance with stereotypes about one’s group.

Need for Affiliation

Motivation to seek and maintain social contacts and relationships.

Halo Effect

Assumption that physically attractive people possess other positive traits.

Reciprocity (attraction)

We tend to like those who show that they like us.

Social Exchange Theory

View that relationships are judged by cost–benefit analyses versus expectations (comparison level).

Triangular Theory of Love

Sternberg’s model of intimacy, passion, and commitment forming different love types.

Romantic Love

Combination of intimacy and passion without strong commitment.

Companionate Love

Intimacy plus commitment with low passion.

Fatuous Love

Passion and commitment without much intimacy.