PSYCHOLOGY UNIT 5 VOCAB REVIEW

psychological disorder

a “harmful dysfunction” in which behavior is judged to be atypical, disturbing, maladaptive, and unjustifiable

medical model

the concept that diseases have physical causes that can be diagnosed, treated, and in most cases, cured

bio-psycho-social perspective

a contemporary perspective which assumes that biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors combine and interact to produce psychological disorders

DSM-IV

the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, a widely used system for classifying psychological disorders

neurotic disorder

a psychological disorder that is usually distressing but that allows one to think rationally and function socially. Freud saw this as a way of dealing with anxiety

psychotic disorder

a psychological disorder in which a person loses contact with reality, experiencing irrational ideas and distorted perceptions

anxiety disorders

psychological disorders characterized by distressing, persistent anxiety or maladaptive behaviors that reduce anxiety

generalized anxiety disorder

an anxiety disorder in which a person is continually tense, apprehensive, and in a state of autonomic nervous system arousal

panic disorder

an anxiety disorder marked by a minutes-long episode of intense dread in which a person experiences terror and accompanying chest pain, choking, or other frightening sensations

phobia

an anxiety disorder marked by a persistent, irrational fear and avoidance of a specific object or situation

obsessive-compulsive disorder

an anxiety disorder characterized by unwanted repetitive thoughts (obsessions) and/or actions (compulsions)

mood disorders

psychological disorders characterized by emotional extremes

major depressive disorder

a mood disorder in which a person, for no apparent reason, experiences two or more weeks of depressed moods, feelings of worthlessness, and diminished interest or pleasure in most activities

manic episode

a mood disorder marked by a hyperactive, wildly optimistic state

bipolar disorder

a mood disorder in which the person alternates between the hopelessness and the lethargy of depression and the overexcited state of mania

dissociative disorders

disorders in which conscious awareness becomes separated from previous memories, thoughts, and feelings

dissociative identity disorder

a rare dissociative disorder in which a person exhibits two or more distinct alternating personalities. Also called multiple personality disorder

schizophrenia

a group of severe disorders characterized by disorganized and delusional thinking, disturbed perceptions, and inappropriate emotions and actions

delusions

false beliefs, often of persecution or grandeur, that may accompany psychotic disorders

personality disorders

psychological disorders characterized by inflexible and enduring behavior patterns that impair social functioning

antisocial personality disorder

a personality disorder in which the person exhibits a lack of conscience for wrongdoing, even toward friends and family members. May be aggressive and ruthless or a clever on artist

psychotherapy

an emotionally charged, confiding interaction between a trained therapist and someone who suffers from psychological difficulties

eclectic approach

an approach to psychotherapy that, depending on the client’s problems, uses techniques from various forms of therapy

psychoanalysis

Freud’s therapeutic technique. Freud believed the patient’s free associations, resistances, dreams, and transferences--and the therapist’s interpretations of them--released previously repressed feelings, allowing the patient to gain self-insight

resistance

in psychoanalysis, the blocking from consciousness of anxiety-laden material

interpretation

in psychoanalysis, the analyst’s noting supposed dream meanings, resistances, and other significant behaviors in order to promote insight

transference

in psychoanalysis, the patient’s transfer to the analyst of emotion linked with other relationships

client-centered therapy

a humanistic therapy developed by Carl Rogers, in which the therapist uses techniques such as active listening within a genuine, accepting, empathic environment to facilitate clients’ growth. Also called person-centered therapy

active listening

empathic listening in which the listener echoes, restates, and clarifies. A feature of Rogers’ client-centered therapy

behavior therapy

therapy that applies learning principles of elimination of unwanted behaviors

counterconditioning

a behavior therapy procedure that conditions new responses to stimuli that trigger unwanted behaviors; based on classical conditioning. Includes systematic desensitization and aversive conditioning

systematic desensitization

a type of counterconditioning that associates a pleasant relaxed state with gradually increasing anxiety-triggering stimuli. Commonly used to treat phobias

aversive conditioning

a type of counterconditioning that associates an unpleasant state with unwanted behavior

token economy

an operant conditioning procedure that rewards desired behavior. A patient exchanges a token of some sort, earned for exhibiting the desired behavior, for various privileges or treats

cognitive therapy

therapy that teaches people new, more adaptive ways of thinking and acting; based on the assumption that thoughts intervene between events and our emotional reactions

cognitive-behavior therapy

a popular integrated therapy that combines cognitive therapy \[changing self-defeating thinking\] with behavior therapy \[changing behavior\]

family therapy

therapy treats the family as a system. Views an individual’s unwanted behaviors as influenced by or directed at other family members; attempts to guide family members toward positive relationships and improved communication

regression toward the mean

the tendency for extremes of unusual scores to fall back \[regress\] toward the average

meta-analysis

a procedure for statistically combining the results of many different research studies

psychopharmacology

the study of the effects of drugs on mind and behavior

lithium

a chemical that provides an effective drug therapy for the mood swings of bipolar \[manic - depressive\]\] disorders

electroconvulsive therapy

a biomedical therapy for severely depressed patients in which a brief electric current is sent through the brain of an anesthetized patient

psychosurgery

surgery that removes or destroys brain tissue in an effort to change behavior

lobotomy

a now-rare psychological procedure once used to calm uncontrollably emotional or violent patients. The procedure cut the nerves that connect the frontal lobes to the emotion-controlling centers of the inner brain