chapter 3.2: diagnosing psychological disorders

idiographic strategy

close and detailed investigation of an individual emphasizing what makes that person unique

nomothetic strategy

identification and examination of large groups of people with the same disorder to note similarities and develop general laws

classification

assignment of objects or people to categories on the basis of shared characteristics

taxonomy

system of naming and classification in science

nosology

the classification and naming system for medical and psychological phenomena

nomenclature

in a naming system or nosology, the actual labels or names that are applied; in psychopathology, these include mood disorders and eating disorders

classical categorical approach

a classification method founded on the assumption of clear-cut differences among disorders, each with a different known cause

dimensional approach

method of categorizing charactreristics on a continuum, rather than on a binary, either-or, all-or-none basis

prototypical approach

system for categorizing disorders using both essential, defining characteristics and a range of variation on other characteristics

familial aggregation

the extent to which a disorder is found among a patient’s relatives

comorbidity

presence of two or more disorders in an individual at the same time

labeling

applying a name to a phenomenon or a pattern of behavior; the label may acquire negative connotations or be applied erroneously to the person rather than that person’s behaviors