PSYC-100: Chapter 16 - Psychological Disorders II: Schizophrenia, Personality Disorders, and Dissociative Disorders

Psychotic disorder

Psychological disorders whose core symptoms are that people's thoughts and actions are disorganized and their thinking loses touch with reality; people see and worry about things that do not exist

Schizophrenia

A psychological disorder in which people exhibit multiple psychotic symptoms

Delusional benefits

Personal convictions that contradict known facts about the world but that a person clings to even when faced with conflicting evidence

Positive symptoms of schizophrenia

Undesirable mental events experienced by people with schizophrenia but rarely by others

Negative symptoms of schizophrenia

The absence, among people with schizophrenia, of desirable psychological experiences common among most others

Cognitive impairments in schizophrenia

Among people with schizophrenia, reduced ability to perform everyday thinking tasks

Hallucinations

Experiences of people or things that are not really there

Disorganized thinking

A positive symptom of schizophrenia in which thoughts and speech are not properly structured, and speech is thus unintelligible

Flat affect

An absence of normal emotional expression; a negative symptom of schizophrenia

Dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia

A hypothesis stating that abnormal levels of dopamine are responsible for the symptoms of schizophrenia

Antipsychotic drugs

Medications that alter the action of neurotransmitters in the brain in a manner that reduces psychotic symptoms

Typical antipsychotics

One of two major types of antipsychotic drugs, specifically, the first such drugs developed in the 1950s

Atypical antipsychotics

One of two major types of antipsychotic drugs, specifically, the second class of such drugs to be developed in the 1990s

Tardive dyskinesia

Repetitive, uncontrollable muscular movements, typically of the face, such as odd grimacing and lip smacking; a side effect of antipsychotic medication

Brief psychotic disorder

A disorder in which people experience symptoms typical of schizophrenia, but only for a brief period of time

Delusional disorder

A psychological disorder in which people hold convictions that contradict known facts, like thinking somebody is trying to hurt them

Personality disorders

Chronic styles of thinking, behavior, and emotion that severely lower the quality of people's personal relationships, creating conflict with others

Antisocial personality disorder

A psychological disorder defined by a set of negative personality traits such as being manipulative, callous, hostile; taking risks; and lacking empathy

Psychopathy

A personality style defined by hostility toward others, lack of guilt, and a tendency toward dishonesty and manipulation of others

Avoidant personality disorder

A psychological disorder characterized by feelings of social inadequacy, low self-esteem, and preoccupation with potential negative evaluation by others, leading to behavior that is shy, withdrawn, and inhibited

Borderline personality disorder (BPD)

A psychological disorder involving an unstable sense of self, emotional instability, unstable interpersonal relationships, and a sense of abandonment

Narcissistic personality disorder

A psychological disorder characterized by self-centeredness, concern with enhancing one's self-image, and disregard for the thoughts and feelings of others

Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCD)

A psychological disorder characterized by perfectionism, a seeking of order and control, rigid adherence to rules of behavior, and attention to small details

Schizotypal personality disorder

A psychological disorder characterized by 1) odd beliefs in manner or dress, and suspiciousness; and 2) few close friends, that is, social isolation resulting from these beliefs and behaviors

Dialectical behavior therapy

A therapy for BPD whose core element is a dialectical approach that attempts to identify and reconcile opposing points of view on psychological problems, in an effort to reduce emotional distress

Dissociative disorders

A category of psychological disorders in which people experience profound alterations in their sense of personal identity, their conscious experiences of events, or their memory of their own past

Dissociative identity disorder (DID)

A psychological disorder in which people experience more than one self; that is, more than one personality seems to inhabit their mind

Depersonalization/derealization disorder

A psychological disorder in which people feel detachment from their own experiences

Dissociative amnesia

A psychological disorder in which people are unable to remember significant personal information that typically would be highly memorable

Dissociative fugue

A psychological disorder featuring complete loss of memory of one's own personal identity

Conversion disorder

A psychological disorder characterized by physical symptoms that cannot be explained by a medical condition