Abnormal Psychology Reviewer

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering basic concepts, etiology, neurological bases, cognitive styles, and specific psychological disorders as defined in the provided lecture notes summary for the BLEPP review.

Psychological Disorder

Psychological dysfunction within an individual associated with distress or impairment in functioning and a response that is not typical or culturally expected.

Psychological Dysfunction

Refers to a breakdown in cognitive, emotional, or behavioral functioning that interferes with daily functioning.

Psychopathology

Scientific study of mental disorders.

Clinical Psychology

Applied branch of psychology that seeks to understand, assess, and treat psychological conditions in a clinical setting.

Epidemiology

Study of the distribution of diseases, disorders, or health-related behaviors in a given population.

Prevalence

Number of active cases in a population during a given period of time.

Incidence

Number of new cases occur over a given period of time.

Syndrome

Group of symptoms that occur together more often by chance.

Genotypes

Unique genetic makeup of an individual.

Polymorphisms

Naturally occurring variations of genes.

Epigenetics

Study of how behavior and environment can cause changes that affect how genes work, altering phenotypic expression without changing the DNA sequence.

Neuroscience

Study of the nervous system, especially the brain, to understand behavior, emotions, and cognitive processes.

Agonist

Effectively increase the activity of the neurotransmitters (Excitatory).

Antagonist

Decrease or block neurotransmitter activity (Inhibitory).

Glutamate

The most abundant neurotransmitter in the brain that plays a key role in thinking, learning, and memory.

GABA

The most common inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain that regulates mood, irritability, sleep, and seizures.

Serotonin

Neurotransmitter that regulates mood, sleep patterns, sexuality, appetite, and pain.

Dopamine

Neurotransmitter involved in the body reward system, pleasures, achieving heightened arousal, and learning.

Amygdala

Part of the limbic system involved in processing emotions.

Hippocampus

Part of the limbic system that shrinks when a person has depression; involved in regulating emotional experiences and expression.

Cerebral Cortex

Area of the brain that provides distinctly human qualities, allowing one to plan, reason, and create.

Autonomic Nervous System

Regulates the cardiovascular system and endocrine system, including the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches.

HPA Axis

The Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis involved in the body's stress response.

Permissive Hypothesis

The theory that when serotonin levels are low, other neurotransmitters are permitted to range more widely and become dysregulated, contributing to mood irregularities.

Classical Conditioning

Type of learning in which a neutral stimulus is paired with a response until it eventually elicits that response.

Operant Conditioning

Learning process where behavior changes as a function of what follows the behavior, such as rewards or punishment.

Self-Efficacy

A person’s confidence in their own abilities to accomplish their goals.

Learned Helplessness

A condition where individuals encounter conditions over which they have no control, leading them to give up attempting to cope.

Prepared Learning

The concept that evolution has prepared humans to learn about certain types of objects or situations faster for the survival of the species.

Dichotomous Thinking

Cognitive style involving seeing only the extremes of things, never the middle, also known as black and white thinking.

Overgeneralization

Drawing broad negative conclusions on the basis of a single insignificant event.

Arbitrary Inference

Interpreting a situation when there is no factual evidence, often emphasizing negative aspects.

Personalization

The tendency for individuals to relate external events to themselves even when there is no basis for the connection.

General Adaptation Syndrome

Hans Selye’s theory of the body’s response to stress, consisting of three stages: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion.

Cognitive Appraisal Theory

The theory that stress is a two-way process involving the production of stressors and the individual’s response (Primary and Secondary Appraisal).

Anosognosia

A condition where an individual has no memory or awareness of their own illness.

Dissociative Fugue

Memory loss revolving around a specific incident and an unexpected trip where the individual finds themselves in a new place with no memory of how they got there.

Diathesis-Stress Model

Hypothesis that individuals inherit tendencies (vulnerabilities) to express certain traits or behaviors which are activated under conditions of stress.

Ego-Syntonic

Actions or behaviors that align with the client’s personal goals, values, and beliefs.

Ego-Dystonic

Actions or behaviors that are inconsistent with the client’s ego or self-image.

Primary Gain

When a psychological disorder manifests physically.

Secondary Gain

When an individual acts sick because they want external reinforcement, such as attention or avoiding responsibilities.

Panic Disorder

Anxiety disorder characterized by an abrupt surge of intense fear or discomfort with no triggers, followed by persistent concern about future attacks.

Agoraphobia

Fear in two or more situations (e.g., public transport, open spaces) due to thoughts that escape might be difficult or help unavailable.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Excessive anxiety and worry occurring more days than not for at least $6\,\text{months}$ about a number of events or activities.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Exposure to actual or threatened death, injury, or sexual violence resulting in symptoms persisting for more than $1\,\text{month}$.

Obsessions

Intrusive and mostly nonsensical thoughts, images, or urges that an individual tries to resist or eliminate.

Compulsions

Thoughts or actions used to suppress obsessions and provide relief.

Somatic Symptom Disorder

Condition where one or more physical symptoms cause distress and disruption of daily life, accompanied by excessive thoughts and feelings about the symptoms.

Depersonalization

A perception alteration where one temporarily loses the sense of their own reality, feeling as if they are in a dream watching themselves.

Dissociative Identity Disorder

Disruption of identity characterized by two or more distinct personality states (alters) and a host personality.

Anhedonia

Loss of interest or pleasure in things normally enjoyed.

Cyclothymic Disorder

A milder but more chronic version of bipolar disorder lasting at least $2\,\text{years}$ ($1\,\text{year}$ for children).

Pica

Persistent eating of non-nutritive, nonfood substances for at least $1\,\text{month}$.

Bulimia Nervosa

Recurrent episodes of binge eating followed by compensatory behaviors (purging) to prevent weight gain, occurring at least once a week for $3\,\text{months}$.

Dyssomnias

Sleep disorders involving difficulties in getting enough sleep or complaints about the quality of sleep.

Narcolepsy

Sleep disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of irrepressible need to sleep or lapsing into sleep, occurring 3 times per week for $3\,\text{months}$.

Gender Dysphoria

Marked incongruence between one’s experienced/expressed gender and assigned gender for at least $6\,\text{months}$.

Delirium tremens

A condition caused by alcohol withdrawal that produces frightening hallucinations and body tremors.

Opposition Defiant Disorder

Pattern of angry/irritable mood and argumentative behavior against authority figures for at least $6\,\text{months}$.

Conduct Disorder

Repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior where the basic rights of others or major age-appropriate societal norms are violated.

Catatonia

Symptom associated with schizophrenia involving alternating immobility and excited agitation.

Capgras Syndrome

The delusional belief that a person someone knows has been replaced by a double.

Avolition

A negative symptom of schizophrenia characterized by the inability to initiate and persist in activities.

Fregoli Syndrome

Delusional belief that different people are in fact a single person who changes appearance or is in disguise.

Brief Psychotic Disorder

Psychotic symptoms such as delusions or hallucinations lasting at least $1\,\text{day}$ but less than $1\,\text{month}$ with a full return to premorbid functioning.

Schizoaffective Disorder

Psychotic disorder featuring a major mood episode (depressive or manic) concurrent with delusions or hallucinations for $2\,\text{or more weeks}$ in the absence of a major mood episode.

RA 11036

The Mental Health Act of the Philippines.