Psych Unit 5.5a - 5.5d

deinstitutionalization

policy of shifting people with psychological disorders from inpatient institutions to community-based treatment

psychotherapy

treatment involving psychological techniques to help someone overcome problems or improve functioning

biomedical therapy

treatment using medication or medical procedures to treat psychological disorders

eclectic approach

approach that uses techniques from various forms of therapy

Sigmund Freud

founder of psychoanalysis who emphasized unconscious conflicts and early childhood experiences

psychoanalysis

Freud’s therapy aiming to bring unconscious thoughts and feelings into awareness

resistance

in psychoanalysis, blocking from consciousness of anxiety-laden material

interpretation

analyst’s explanation of a patient’s thoughts, dreams, or behaviors to reveal unconscious meaning

transference

patient’s transfer of emotions linked to other relationships onto the therapist

psychodynamic therapy

modern therapy focusing on unconscious processes and unresolved past conflicts

insight therapies

therapies that aim to improve psychological functioning by increasing awareness of underlying motives

person-centered therapy

humanistic therapy emphasizing growth potential and self-understanding

Carl Rogers

founder of person-centered therapy

active listening

empathic listening in which the listener echoes and restates the speaker’s thoughts and feelings

unconditional positive regard

accepting and valuing a person without judgment

behavior therapy

therapy that applies learning principles to eliminate unwanted behaviors

counterconditioning

conditioning new responses to stimuli that trigger unwanted behaviors

Mary Cover Jones

psychologist who demonstrated counterconditioning with Little Peter

Joseph Wolpe

developed systematic desensitization

exposure therapies

treatments that expose people to feared stimuli to reduce anxiety

systematic desensitization

gradual exposure to feared stimuli paired with relaxation techniques

virtual reality exposure therapy

use of virtual environments to simulate feared situations for exposure therapy

aversive conditioning

associating unwanted behavior with unpleasant stimuli

B. F. Skinner

behaviorist known for operant conditioning and reinforcement

token economy

system in which desired behaviors are rewarded with tokens that can be exchanged for privileges

cognitive therapy

therapy that teaches people to change harmful thinking patterns

Albert Ellis

developer of rational-emotive behavior therapy

rational-emotive behavior therapy (REBT)

therapy that challenges irrational beliefs and replaces them with more constructive thoughts

Aaron Beck

developed cognitive therapy for depression

cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)

therapy that combines cognitive and behavioral techniques

group therapy

therapy conducted with multiple participants

family therapy

therapy that treats the family as a system

confirmation bias

tendency to seek information that confirms preexisting beliefs

meta-analysis

statistical method combining results of multiple studies

evidence-based practice

clinical decision-making based on research evidence, clinical expertise, and patient characteristics

therapeutic alliance

bond between therapist and client that facilitates treatment

psychopharmacology

study of how drugs affect mind and behavior

antipsychotic drugs

medications used to treat psychotic disorders by reducing symptoms like hallucinations

antianxiety drugs

medications that reduce anxiety by depressing central nervous system activity

antidepressant drugs

medications that treat depression by altering neurotransmitter levels

electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)

biomedical therapy that induces seizures to treat severe depression

transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

noninvasive brain stimulation using magnetic pulses

psychosurgery

surgery that removes or destroys brain tissue to treat disorders

lobotomy

early psychosurgery that cut connections in the frontal lobes

hypnosis

state of focused attention and increased suggestibility

Ernest Hilgard

psychologist known for research on hypnosis and dissociation

dissociation

split between different levels of consciousness

posthypnotic suggestion

suggestion made during hypnosis that influences behavior afterward

posttraumatic growth

positive psychological change following adversity