AP Psych Unit 8a

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