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Psychopathology
Scientific study of the origins, symptoms, and development of psychological disorders
Cultural Relativity
The need to consider the unique characteristics of the culture one comes from due to differences in what is considered normal behavior
Psychological Disorder
A collectoin of symptoms marked by significant disturbance in one’s cognition, behavior, and emotional regulation
6 Measures of Abnormal Behavior
Maladaptiveness, Irrationality, Observer Discomfort, Unpredictability, Personal Distress, and Unconventionality
Maladaptiveness
Behaviors that are dysfunctional which create an inability to function normally and inability to adapt to day to day circumstances
Observer Discomfort
Social norm violations that make those who witness it feel unpleasant
Personal Distress
One experiences Subjective Discomfort, which is the emotional distress from performing a behavior
The Medical Model
The concept that diseases have physical causes that can be diagnosed and treated
DSM V
A book which uses common language to diagnose and describe over 250 psychological disorders
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
A symptom marked by extreme Hyperactivity, Impulsiveness, and Inattention. There is debate around what is considered normal childhood behavior and what is considered ADHD
David Rosenhan
Claimed to be hearing voices and was able to be diagnosed with a disorder despite not exhibiting other symptoms. Highlighted how labels can skew a psychologist’s evaluation of a patient
Anxiety Disorders
Disorders characterized by distressing, persistent anxiety or maladaptive behaviors to reduce anxiety
Anxiety
Diffuse, vague feelings of fear and apprehension
Free Floating
Anxiety that is not related to a realistic source
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Symptoms must last for six months, characterized by free floating, pathological anxiety that causes the person to be tense, apprehensive, and in a state of ANS arousal
Panic Disorder
Unpredictible minutes long episodes of intense dread where a person feels terror and physical symptoms. Followed by fear about when the next episode will occur
Phobia
Persistant and irrational fear and avoidance of an object, activity, or situation. Can be super specific or super general
Social Anxiety Disorder
Intense fear of social situations, usually of embarrassment or failure, leading to avoidance of them
Agoraphobia
Fear of areas where one has lost control and cannot escape
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Unwanted repartition of thoughts or actions that interferes with normal functioning
Anterior Cingulate Cortex
Area of the brain with heightened activity for individuals with OCD
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Psychological Disorder characterized by haunting memories, nightmares, anxiety, insomnia and numbness that lingers for at least 4 weeks after the event. Reliving, Avoidance, and Limbic System arousal are the three biggest symptoms
Posttraumatic Growth
Positive changes as a result of dealing with extremely challenging circumstances and crisis
Learning Perspective (Anxiety Disorders)
Conditioning and Observational Learning can create a fear, then is rewarded by avoidance and generalization
Biological Perspective (Anxiety Disorders)
Some phobias and fears are explained through evolution. Genes and a heightened amygdlla can increase risk of developing an anxiety disorder
Hoarding
An extreme form of OCD where one holds onto items that others would say have no value
Cognitive Psychologists
Believe anxiety is caused by illogical and irrational thought processes
Magnification
Tendancy to interpret situations as more dangerous, harmful, or important than they actually are
All or Nothing Thinking
One believes performance must be perfect or else it is a total failure
Overgeneralization
Tendancy to interpret one single negative outcome as a pattern
Minimalization
Tendancy to give little or no importance to positive events and traits
Hypervigilance
Constant state of increased anxiety and arousal
Mood Disorders
Psychological Disorders characterized by significant and chronic mood disruption leading to emotional extremes, and impaired cognitive, behavioral, and physical functioning
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)
Often occurs after a major loss, symptoms must be experienced for at least 2 weeks (including suicidal thoughts) in order to be diagnosed
Persistant Depressive Disorder/Dysthymia
A form of depression where symptoms are seen for two years, but without suicidal thoughts
Bipolar Disorder
A person alternates between depression and mania from week to week/month to month with no relation to time of the year
Mania
A hyperactive, wildly optimistic state where one has supreme self confidence and grandiose ideas alongside a lack of impulse control and high energy
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Cyclical severe depression that occurs throughout the winter months and in the evenings
Biological Perspective (Mood Disorders)
Seratonin and Norepinephrine are the NTs related to low moods. Alongside that, there is less activity in the frontal lobe and mood disorders are very heretible
Social Cognitive Perspective (Mood Disorders)
Mood Disorders are a result of learned helplessness and a negative explanatory style which reinforces itself
Rumination
Compulsive overthinking about a problem and its cause
Nonsuicidal self injury
Occurs when one is very self critical and cannot handle distress, but typically does not lead to suicide
Psychosis
A state characterized by a loss of contact with reality,experiencing irrational ideask, and a distorted perception
Schitzophrenia
A disorder characterized by Delusions, Hallucinations, Breakdown in selective attention, word salad, inappropriate expressions of emotions, and compulsive acts which all make relationships and daily activities difficult
Hallucinations
False sensory experiences, typically auditory for those with Schitzophrenia
Delusions
False beliefs, often of grandure or extreme paranoia about persecution
Flat Effect
An emotionless state of someone with schitzophrenia
Catatonia
A state in which one is motionless for hours
Acute/Reactive Schitzophrenia
Rapid development that often occurs in episodes and is easier to cure with drug therapy
Chronic/Process Schitzophrenia
Prolonged development and is not very reactive to drug therapy
Positive Symptoms of Schitzophrenia
Exhibit inappropriate behavior/expressions of emotion, word salad, and delusions/hallucinations
Negative Symptoms of Schitzophrenia
A lack of appropriate behavior/expressions of emotion, social withdrawl, and limited speech
Biological Perspective (Schitzophrenia)
Increased Dopamine levels alongside a smaller frontal lobe due to fluid are found in those with Schitzophrenia. In addition, there is increased activity in the Thalamus/Amygdala during hallucinations. Mothers who get a virus during pregnancy also have an increased risk of a child with schitzophrenia
Avolition
Inability to perform simple tasks
Stress Vulnerability Model
To develop a disorder, one must have both a genetic predisposition alongside a stressful/Traumatic experience to “activate” those genes
Somatic Symptom Disorders
Symptoms express themselves throughout the body despite lacking a physical cause
Conversion Disorder
Specific genuine symptoms, such as blindness or paralysis, are caused by anxiety without a physical cause
Illness Anxiety Disorder
Normal physical symptoms, such as a headache or cramps, are mistaken as symptoms of a serious illness
Muchausen Syndrome
Someone gets sick on purpose or gets others sick on purpose to get attention and concern
Dissociative Disorders
Concious awareness becomes separated from previous thoughts, memories, and experiences
Dissociative Amnesia
Inability to recall important personal information
Dissociative Fugue
Sudden travel away from home, extensive amnesia, and identity confusion
Dissociative Identity Disorder (Previously Multiple Personality Disorder)
Rare disorder in which one alternates between distinct personalities with distinct memories and feelings
Depersonalization/Derealization Disorder
Feelings of detachment and disconnectedness from the body and surroundings
Anorexia Nervosa
Typically adolescent females, characterized by maintaining a starvation diet despite being underweight
Body Dysmorphic Disorder
Obsessive focus on perceived physical flaws that aren’t accurate to their actual body
Binge Eating Disorder
Significant binge eating episodes followed by distress, disgust, and guilt without purging or fasting
Bulimia Nervosa
Alternates between binge eating and purging via vomit or fasting and excessive excercise
Understanding Eating Disorders
Often occurs in women and gay men, cultures which value thinness, and people who have low self esteem or perfectionist values
Personality Disorders (PDs)
Inflexible and enduring behavioral patterns that impair social functioning
Cluster A PDs
Odd, Eccentric Behavior
Paranoid Personality Disorder
Pervasive but unwarranted distrust and suspicion of others. Constantly assumes that others are out to deceive, exploit, or harm them and look for any means of validating those fears
Schizoid Personality Disorder
Pervasive detachment from social relationships; emotionally cold and flat; indifferent to praise or criticism from others due to a lack of a desire to follow social norms or to form relationships
Schitzotypal Personality Disorder
Odd thoughts, speech, emotional reactions, mannerisms, and appearance; impaired social and interpersonal functioning; often supersticious
Cluster B PDs
Dramatic, Emotional, and Erratic Behavior
Antisocial Personality Disorder
Blatant disregard of the rights and feelings of others that leads to impulsiveness, irresponsiblility, deceitfulness, and manipulation. They show a lack of guilt or remorse and have weakened anxiety/fear responses
Borderline Personality Disorder
Erratic unstable relationships, emotions, and self image. Paranoia about abandonment leads to desperate attempts to avoid being abandoned including threats of self harm and other self destructive behaviors
Histrionic Personality Disorder
Exaggerated, overly dramatic expression of emotions and attention seeking behavior (often sexually provocative) due to a lack of self worth
Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Grandiose sense of self importance; exaggeration of abilities and accomplishments; excessive need for admiration; boastful and pretencious
Cluster C PDs
Anxious and Fearful Behaviors
Avoidant Personality Disorders
Extreme social inhibition due to feelings of inadequacy and hypersensitivity to criticism, rejection, or disapproval
Dependent Personality Disorder
Excessive need to be taken care of eading to submissive and clingly behavior. Extreme fears of abandonment and an inability to be responsible leads to needing help with basic decisions
Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder
Rigid preocupation with orderliness, personal control, rules, or schedules that interfere with completing tasks. Personality is characterized around being perfect at everything