VCE Psychology Unit 4 AOS 2

Agonist

drugs and other medications that stimulate a neurotransmitter's activity

Anticipatory anxiety

the gradual rise in anxiety level as a person thinks about, or 'anticipates', being exposed to a phobic stimulus in the future

Anxiety

a state of physiological arousal associated with feelings of apprehension, worry or uneasiness that something is wrong or something unpleasant is about to happen

Avoidance behaviour

actions that help avert any contact, exposure or engagement with a feared object or situation

Benzodiazepine

a drug that works on the central nervous system, acting selectively on GABA receptors in the brain to increase GABA's inhibitory effects and make post-synaptic neurons resistant to excitation

Biological risk factor

originate or develop within the body and consequently may not be under our control

Biopsychosocial model

a description and explanation of mental (and physical) health in terms of the combination and interaction of biological, psychological and social factors

Breathing retraining

in relation to specific phobia, an anxiety management technique that involves teaching correct breathing habits. It is a biological intervention strategy.

Catastrophic thinking

a thinking style which involves overestimating, exaggerating or magnifying an object or situation and predicting the worst possible outcome

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)

a type of psychotherapy that uses cognitive and behavioural strategies to treat mental health problems and disorders. Assumes that the way people feel and behave is largely a product of the way they think

Cognitive bias

a tendency to think in a way that involves errors of judgment and faulty decision- making

Cognitive model

in relation to phobia, an approach to understanding and treatment or management that emphasises how the individual processes information about a phobic stimulus and related events, particularly their cognitive biases and 'distorted' ways of thinking

Continuum

a representation of something that varies or changes over time without clear dividing points, such as consciousness and mental health

Emotional wellbeing

generally refers to how well we feel about our ability to control our emotions and express them appropriately and comfortably

Evidence-based interventions

treatments that have been found to be effective on the basis of valid and reliable research studies

External factor

factor that originates outside a person

Fear hierarchy

a list of feared objects or situations, ranked from least to most anxiety-producing

Functioning

generally refers to how well an individual independently performs or operates in their environment

Gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA)

the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system

Gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) dysfunction

failure to produce, release or receive the correct amount of GABA needed to regulate neuronal transmission in the brain. A type of biological risk factor.

Internal factor

influences that originate inside or within a person

Long-term potentiation

the long-lasting strengthening of synaptic connections, resulting in enhanced or more effective neurotransmission across the synapse. A type of biological risk factor in specific phobia.

Memory bias

the distorting influences of present knowledge, beliefs and feelings on the recollection of previous experiences

Mental disorder

a mental health state that involves a combination of thoughts, feelings and/or behaviours which are usually associated with significant personal distress and impair the ability to function effectively in everyday life

Mental health

a state of wellbeing in which an individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to his or her community

Mental health problem

a problem or concern that affects the way a person thinks, feels and/or behaves but is typically mild and temporary, of a shorter duration than a mental disorder

Mentally healthy

being in a generally positive state

of mental wellbeing, having the ability to cope with and manage life's challenges, working productively, striving to fulfill one's goals and potential, and having a sense of connection to others and the community in general

Panic attack

period of sudden onset of intense fear or terror, often associated with feelings of impending doom

Perpetuating risk factor

maintains the occurrence of a specific mental disorder and inhibits recovery. For example, operant conditioning maintains a specific phobia.

Placebo treatment

commonly used in research studies (or 'clinical trials') to determine the effectiveness of a new or improved medication or other treatment

Precipitating risk factor

contributes to the occurrence of a specific mental disorder; present at the time of onset. Seen as a 'trigger'

Predisposing risk factor

increases susceptibility/likelihood of developing a specific mental disorder

Protective factor

any characteristic or event that reduces the likelihood of the occurrence or recurrence of a mental disorder, either on its own or when risk factors are present

Psychoeducation

the process of increasing an individual's knowledge and understanding of a mental disorder and its treatment. A type of social intervention for mental disorders such as a specific phobia.

Resilience

the ability to successfully cope with adversity, and to 'bounce back' and restore positive functioning

Risk factor

any characteristic or event that increases the likelihood of the development or progression of a mental disorder

Rumination

repeatedly thinking about or dwelling on undesirable thoughts and feelings, such as problems or bad moods, without acting to change them

Self-efficacy

an individual's belief in their capacity to execute behaviours necessary to succeed in a specific situation or accomplish a specific task

Self-stigma

the stigmatising views that individuals hold about themselves

Short-acting

in relation to a drug, remains in the bloodstream and is cleared from the body in a relatively short period of time

Social risk factors

for mental disorders originate in the external environment and interact with biological and psychological factors in influencing our mental health state

Social stigma

any aspect of an individual's identity that is devalued in a social context

Social wellbeing

generally refers to how well we

feel about our relationships and interactions with others, including our ability to establish and maintain positive relationships

Specific phobia

an anxiety disorder characterised by excessive or unreasonable fear produced by exposure to a specific feared object or situation, often leading to avoidance behaviour and interfering with everyday functioning

Stigma

a mark or sign of shame, disgrace or disapproval typically associated with a particular characteristic or attribute that sets a person apart, such as skin colour, cultural background, a disability or a mental health disorder

Stress

a state of physiological and psychological arousal produced by internal or external stressors that are perceived by the individual as challenging or exceeding their ability or resources to cope; may be acute, episodic acute or chronic

Systematic desensitisation

a behaviour therapy for treatment of specific phobia that aims to replace an undesirable response, such as fear, with a relaxation response through conditioning; the individual learns to associate being relaxed with the fear-arousing stimulus through a series of graded steps

Two-factor learning theory

a behavioural model that explains precipitation and perpetuation of phobias as a two-part process involving classical conditioning (for precipitation) and operant conditioning (for perpetuation)

Unrealistic thoughts

unhelpful thoughts triggered by anxious thoughts that can also trigger anxious thoughts

Wellbeing

our sense of 'wellness' or how well we feel about ourselves and our lives

Phobia