Psychology: Key Concepts in Therapy, Research, and Cognitive Biases

Confirmation bias

A tendency to search for information that

supports our preconceptions and to ignore or

distort contradictory evidence

Meta analysis

A statistical procedure for analyzing the results of multiple studies to

reach an overall conclusion.

Evidence based practice

clinical decision making that integrates the best

available research with clinical expertise and

client characteristics and preferences

Therapeutic Alliance

A bond of trust and mutual

understanding between a

therapist and client, who

work together

constructively to overcome

the client's problem

Psychopharmacology

the study of the effects of drugs on mind

and behavior

antipsychotic drugs

Drugs used to treat schizophrenia and other

forms of severe thought disorder

antianxiety drugs

Drugs used to control anxiety and agitation

antidepressant drugs

Used to treat depressive disorders, anxiety

disorders, OCD and related disorders, and PTSD.

Several widely used are selective serotonin reuptake

inhibitors - SSRIs)

electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)

A biomedical therapy for severe depression in

which a brief electrical current is sent through the

brain of an anesthetized person

repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS)

The application of repeated pulses of magnetic

energy to the brain; used to stimulate or suppress

brain activity.

Psychosurgery

Surgery that removes or destroys brain tissue to

change behavior

lobotomy

A psychosurgical procedure

once used to calm

uncontrollably emotional or

violet patients.

The procedure cut the nerves

connecting the frontal lobes to

the emotion-controlling centers

of the inner brain

Hypnosis

A social interaction in which one

person (hypnotist) suggests to another

(subject) that certain perceptions,

feelings, thoughts, or behaviors will

spontaneously occur; in a therapeutic

context, the hypnotist attempts to use

suggestion to reduce unpleasant

physical sensations or emotions

posthypnotic suggestion

A suggestion, made during a

hypnosis session, to be carried out

after the subject is no longer

hypnotized.

Use by some clinicians to help

control undesired symptoms and

behaviors

Dissociation

A split in consciousness, which allows some thoughts and

behaviors to occur simultaneously with others