Psychology Exam Review Flashcards

Flashcards for exam review based on lecture notes on psychology.

Health Psychology

The study of psychological and behavioral processes in health, illness, and healthcare.

Psychoneuroimmunology

The study of the interaction between the nervous system, the endocrine system, and the immune system.

Stress

A state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances.

Approach and Avoidance Motives

Motivational forces that either draw a person toward a goal or push a person away from a goal.

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

A three-stage process (alarm, resistance, exhaustion) that describes the body's response to stress.

Problem-Focused Coping

A type of coping that targets the causes of stress in practical ways which tackles the problem or stressful situation directly.

Emotion-Focused Coping

A type of coping that targets the emotional response to stress, rather than dealing directly with the stressor.

Learned Helplessness

A condition in which a person suffers from a sense of powerlessness, arising from a traumatic event or persistent failure to succeed. It is thought to be one of the underlying causes of depression.

External Locus of Control

The belief that one's life is controlled by external factors such as fate or chance.

Internal Locus of Control

The belief that one has control over one's own life and destiny.

Positive Psychology

The scientific study of human flourishing, and an applied approach to optimal functioning.

Relative Deprivation

The experience of lacking something to which one feels entitled.

Resilience

The ability to bounce back from adversity.

Gratitude

A feeling of thankfulness and appreciation.

Psychological Disorder

A pattern of behavioral or psychological symptoms that causes significant personal distress, impairs the ability to function in one or more important areas of life, or both.

Diathesis-Stress Model

A model that suggests that a person's predisposition to a disorder (diathesis) interacts with environmental stressors to produce a psychological disorder.

DSM-5-TR

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, text revision.

Anxiety Disorders

A group of mental disorders characterized by excessive fear, worry, and anxiety.

Social Anxiety Disorder

An anxiety disorder characterized by intense fear of social situations.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

An anxiety disorder characterized by excessive worry and anxiety about a variety of things.

Panic Disorder

An anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent, unexpected panic attacks.

Agoraphobia

An anxiety disorder characterized by fear of places or situations where escape might be difficult or embarrassing.

Specific Phobia

An anxiety disorder characterized by an excessive and irrational fear of a specific object, activity, or situation.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

An anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions).

Hoarding Disorder

A disorder characterized by persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions, regardless of their actual value.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

A mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event.

Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders

A group of mental disorders that are triggered by a traumatic or stressful event.

Depressive Disorders

A group of mental disorders characterized by persistent sadness, loss of interest, and other symptoms.

Bipolar Disorders

A group of mental disorders characterized by extreme mood swings between mania and depression.

Major Depressive Disorder

A depressive disorder characterized by persistent sadness and loss of interest.

Persistent Depressive Disorder

A depressive disorder characterized by a chronic, low-grade depression.

Bipolar I Disorder

A bipolar disorder characterized by at least one manic episode.

Mania

A state of abnormally elevated mood, energy, and activity.

Bipolar II Disorder

Mood disorder with hypomanic and depressive episodes.

Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders

Group of disorders with distorted thinking, perception, and emotions.

Delusion

False, fixed belief.

Chronic Schizophrenia

Long-term schizophrenia

Acute Schizophrenia

Sudden onset schizophrenia

Dissociative Disorders

Conditions with disruptions in identity, memory, or consciousness.

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

Multiple distinct identities.

Dissociative Amnesia

Memory loss due to psychological trauma.

Personality Disorders

Enduring patterns of inflexible behavior.

Paranoid Personality Disorder

Distrust and suspicion of others.

Schizoid Personality Disorder

Detachment from social relationships.

Schizotypal Personality Disorder

Odd thoughts, behavior, and appearance.

Borderline Personality Disorder

Instability in relationships, self-image, and emotions.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Grandiosity, need for admiration, lack of empathy.

Histrionic Personality Disorder

Excessive emotionality and attention-seeking.

Avoidant Personality Disorder

Social inhibition due to fear of criticism.

Dependent Personality Disorder

Need to be taken care of by others.

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder

Preoccupation with orderliness and control.

Antisocial Personality Disorder

Disregard for others' rights.

Feeding and Eating Disorders

Disturbed eating patterns and body image.

Anorexia Nervosa

Restriction of food intake, fear of gaining weight.

Bulimia Nervosa

Binging and purging behaviors.

Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Conditions that affect brain development.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Social and communication deficits, repetitive behaviors.

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.

Deinstitutionalization

Shift from long-term mental hospitals to community care.

Eclectic Approach

Using various therapy techniques.

Psychodynamic Therapy

Exploring unconscious conflicts.

Person-Centered Therapy

Emphasizing empathy and acceptance.

Active Listening

Paying close attention and responding to the speaker.

Unconditional Positive Regard

Accepting someone without judgment.

Counterconditioning

Replacing unwanted responses with new ones.

Exposure Therapies

Facing feared stimuli.

Systematic Desensitization

Gradually exposing someone to feared stimuli.

Aversive Conditioning

Pairing unpleasant stimuli with unwanted behaviors.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Therapy that changes thoughts and behaviors.

Cognitive Therapy

Therapy that focuses on changing negative thoughts.

Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)

Therapy that challenges irrational beliefs.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Therapy for managing emotions and relationships.

Group Therapy

Therapy with multiple people.

Family Therapy

Therapy that focuses on family dynamics.

Biomedical Therapy

Treatments that involve medications or procedures.

Psychopharmacology

Study of how drugs affect the mind.

Antipsychotic Drugs

Medications for psychotic disorders.

Antianxiety Drugs

Medications for anxiety.

Antidepressant Drugs

Medications for depression.

Mood-Stabilizing Medications

Medications for mood disorders.

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)

Procedure using electricity to treat severe depression.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

Procedure using magnetic fields to stimulate the brain.

Psychosurgery

Surgery to treat mental disorders.

Lobotomy

Surgery that cuts connections in the brain.

Resilience

Ability to recover from difficulties.

Posttraumatic Growth

Positive change after trauma.

Community Psychology

Study of how people interact with their communities.

Primary Prevention

Preventing problems before they start.

Secondary Prevention

Addressing problems early.

Tertiary Prevention

Reducing the impact of ongoing problems.

Evidence-Based Practice

Using treatments supported by research.

Meta-Analysis

Combining results from multiple studies.

Regression Toward the Mean

Tendency for extreme scores to move closer to the average.

Placebo Effect

Improvement due to belief in a treatment.

Double-Blind Procedure

Neither the patient nor the researcher knows who gets the treatment.

Therapeutic Alliance

Relationship between therapist and patient.

Behavior Therapy

Focuses on changing observable behaviors.

Token Economy

System where good behavior is rewarded with tokens.

Exposure Therapy

Gradually exposing someone to feared stimuli.

Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy

Using virtual reality to simulate feared situations.