Psychology Unit 5 Flashcards: Understanding Anxiety and Mood Disorders

Personality

An individual's characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting

Classic Perspectives on Personality

Psychoanalytic theories, humanistic perspectives, trait theories, cognitive perspectives, behaviorist perspectives, and biological perspectives

Psychoanalytic theory

A theory developed by Freud that attempts to explain personality, motivation, and mental disorders by focusing on unconscious determinants of behavior - includes id, ego, and superego

Id (Freud)

Innate biological instinct and urges; self serving, irrational, and totally unconscious

Ego (Freud)

Rational thought; controls & channels the id; reality principle

Superego (Freud)

Represents the conscience, holds rules, values for socially acceptable behavior

Reality principle (Freud)

Tendency of the ego to postpone gratification until it can find an appropriate outlet

Sigmund Freud

Austrian physician whose work focused on the unconscious causes of behavior and personality formation; founded psychoanalysis.

Humanistic perspective

The psychological view that assumes the existence of the self and emphasizes the importance of self-awareness, subjective experiences, and personal growth

- Contrasts with deterministic views

- Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers are principle humanistic perspective psychologists

Abraham Maslow

Humanistic psychologist known for his "Hierarchy of Needs" and the concept of "self-actualization"

Hierarchy of Needs (Maslow)

Maslow's pyramid of human needs, beginning at the base with physiological needs that must first be satisfied before higher-level safety needs and then psychological needs become active

Hierarchy of Needs Representation (Maslow)

Carl Rogers

Humanistic; self-concept and unconditional positive regard drive personality

Person-centered perspective (Rogers)

People are basically good, and given the right environment their personality will develop fully and normally

Trait theory of personality

Personality consists of a set of traits which are characteristics that vary between people and are stable over the course of the lifetime.

Key: NO ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES. Very little personal control over personality, personality is hereditable and predictable

- Gordon Allport is principle trait theory of personality psychologist

Gordon Allport

Trait theory of personality; 3 levels of traits: cardinal, central, and secondary

Cognitive perspective

Role of thought processes and cognitive patterns on shaping personality

How individuals perceive, interpret, and make sense of experiences

Behaviorist perspective

Observable behaviors and the impact of the environment on personality

- Downplays role of internal mental processes

- B.F Skinner and John B. Watson are principle Behaviorist perspective psychologists

B.F. Skinner

Behaviorist that developed the theory of operant conditioning by training pigeons and rats

Operant Conditioning (Skinner)

A type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer or diminished if followed by a punisher

John B. Watson

Behaviorism; emphasis on external behaviors of people and their reactions on a given situation; famous for Little Albert study

Little Albert Study

Little Albert learns to make associations between stimuli in the environment and reflexes; Albert shows little fear with dog, monkey, or burning newspaper, neutral stimuli since he hasn't learned to fear anything; Shows Albert a white rat while making loud clanging noise, which upsets Albert, who eventually associates white rat with being upset; Proves fear is learned.

Biological perspective

The psychological perspective that emphasizes the influence of genetic and physiological factors on personality

- Includes role of brain structure, heritability of traits, and temperament

Contemporary Perspectives of Psychology

Cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, humanistic, physiological (biological), social-cognitive, and cultural

Cognitive-behavioral perspective

Combination of the role of thought processes and cognitive patterns on shaping personality with observable responses

Social-cognitive perspective

Views behavior as influenced by the interaction between people's traits (including their thinking) and their social context

- Albert Bandura is a principle social-cognitive perspective psychologist

Albert Bandura Social Cognitive Theory

- Human behavior and personality are caused by the interaction of behavioral, cognitive, and environmental factors (reciprocal determinism)

- Person's cognitive skills, abilities, and attitudes represent the person's self-system

- Most critical elements influencing the self-system are our beliefs of self-efficacy

Cultural perspective

A view that focuses on the influence of culture on thought, feeling, behavior, and personality development

How cultural norma, values, socialization, and practices contribute to variations in personality across societies

Rorschach inkblot test

The most widely used projective test, a set of 10 inkblots, designed by Hermann Rorschach; seeks to identify people's inner feelings by analyzing their interpretations of the blots

Recipirocal Determinism

The interacting influences of behavior, internal cognition, and environment

MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory)

The most widely researched and clinically used of all personality tests. Originally developed to identify emotional disorders (still considered its most appropriate use), this test is now used for many other screening purposes

Spotlight effect

Overestimating others' noticing and evaluating our appearance, performance, and blunders (as if we presume a spotlight shines on us)

Three levels of consciousness

Conscious: mental events we are aware of

Preconscious: mental events that can be brought to our awareness

Unconscious: mental events inaccessible to our awareness

Three levels of consciousness iceberg

Mental conflict

Id impulses, superego demands, and reality often conflict with one another

-These conflicts can occur at any level of consciousness, and produce anxiety

-Anxiety will continue (and grow) until the ego resolves the conflict, often through compromise

Resolving mental conflicts

- Give in to id or superego

- Compromised between competing demands

- Keep conflict out of mind using defense mechanisms

Ego defense mechanisms

Largely unconscious mental strategies employed to reduce the experience of conflict or anxiety

Include repression, displacement, and rationalization

Repression (defense mechanism)

Blocking of unpleasant feelings and experiences from ones awareness

Displacement (defense mechanism)

The transfer of feelings from one target to another that is considered less threatening or that is neutral (often aggressive or sexual)

Rationalization (defense mechanism)

Attempting to make excuses or formulate logical reasons to justifying unacceptable feelings or behaviors

Mental energy (libido)

Psychoanalytic approach is that the apparatus of the mind needs energy to make it go.

Also known as libido, only a fixed and finite amount is available at any given moment which when used impairs ego functions

Mental determinism (Freudianism)

All human mental life and behavior is determined by unconscious pleasure principles (food, shelter, sex) , which drive all decisions

Freudian slip

A verbal mistake that is thought to reveal an unconscious belief, thought, or emotion

Freud five stages of development

1. Levels of consciousness (Correct)

2. Parts of the mind (Sometimes correct)

3. Mental conflict (Correct)

4. Mental energy (Sometimes correct)

5. Mental determinism (Sometimes correct)

Hartshore & May (1928)

Using 8000 elementary-school students found:

Moral behavior consistent across similar situations

Moral behavior not as consistent across dissimilar situations

Concluded that behavior is jointly determined by personality and situation

Bandura's Reciprocal Determinism

Personality traits change

Personality traits can change based on life experiences, however genetic personality traits like eye color can not

5 big traits of personality (OCEAN)

Openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism (OCEAN)

Soto, John, Gosling, and Potter (2011)

Cross sectional study examining age differences in personality from childhood through middle age

Study was large and diverse providing accurate analysis.

Soto, John, Gosling, and Potter (2011) - Results

Found genes held a starting point for personality but life experiences shaped traits. Adolescence saw pronounced and curvilinear age trends and emergence of gender differences. Adults saw increase in agreeableness and conscientiousness with a decrease in neuroticism

Maturity principle

People become better equipped to deal with the demands of life as they acquire experience and skills

Allport and Odbert (1936)

Identified almost 18,000 words representing traits

Personality traits

Enduring tendencies to feel, think, and act in certain ways

Psychological traits

Genetic (nature) v. Environment (nurture)

Behavioral genetics

Studies the inheritance of traits related to behavior

Popular study found identical twins are more similar than fraternal twins, showcasing the impact of genetic, however twins were still different from one another, showing the impact of environment

Genes and the environment have equal influence over personality

Psychological (mental) disorder

A syndrome marked by a clinically significant disturbance in an individual's cognition, emotion regulation, or behavior

Not just unusual or conflicting behavior

Not an ordinary response to a negative event

Psychological diagnosis

The label given to psychological abnormality by classifying and categorizing the observed behavior pattern into an approved diagnostic system

Lifetime prevalence around 50%

DSM-5

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

Goal of psychological diagnosis

Define:

- Psychological disorder symptoms

- Relevant medical conditions

- Social and environmental stressors

- Overall functioning vs disability

Therapy

Safe and confidential treatment methods aimed at making people feel better and function more effectively

Big three approaches to psychotherapy

1. Psychodynamic

2. Humanistic

3. Cognitive-behavioral therapy

Psychodynamic therapy

Therapy deriving from the psychoanalytic tradition that views individuals as responding to unconscious forces and childhood experiences, and that seeks to enhance self-insight

- Free association (encourage freudian slips_

- Transference (client treats therapist like important life figure)

- Dream analysis (manifest vs latent content)

Humanistic/Client-Centered Therapy

Treatment for psychological disorders where a therapist works with clients to help them develop their full potential for personal growth through greater self-understanding

Developed by Carl Rogers and believe that disorders occur when personal identity and self-actualization are disrupted

Self-actualization

The process by which people achieve their full potential

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)

A popular integrative therapy that combines cognitive therapy (changing self-defeating thinking) with behavior therapy (changing behavior)

Believe disorders occur from learned patters of thinking, feeling, and behaving that are now maladaptive

Cognitive Triangle (CBT)

Biomedical approach

Proposes disorder stem from neurological abnormalities from brain structure or neurochemistry

Biomedical therapies

The use of medications, brain stimulation, psychosurgery or other medical treatments to treat the symptoms associated with psychological disorders

Brain stimulation

Applying electrical stimulation to specific brain areas to examine localization of brain function and observing how this affects behavior

Includes ECT, TMS, and rTMS

Therapeutic approach

CBT is more consistently effective, however this differs across disorders

Eclectic psychotherapy along with medication is key to help resolving issues

Anxiety-related disorders

A mental disorder involving overwhelming worry, anxiety, or fear that interferes with a person's daily functioning

Includes GAD, SAD, Panic disorder, OCD, PTSD

Depressive disorders

Mood disorders in which the individual suffers from depression

Includes MDD, Dysthymia, Bipolar disorder I/II

Schizophrenia

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

Dissociative disorders

Disorders in which conscious awareness becomes separated (dissociated) from previous memories, thoughts, and feelings

Includes multiple personality disorder, depersonalization, and dissociative amnesia

Personality disorders

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

Includes BPD, ASPD, and NPD

Eating disorders

Severe disturbances in eating behavior characterized by preoccupation with weight concerns and unhealthy efforts to control weight

Neurodevelopmental disorders

A group of conditions manifested early in development that are characterized by developmental deficits that produce impairments of personal, social, academic, or occupational functioning

Includes ASD, ADHD, learning disabilities

Interpersonal therapy (IPT)

Treatment that strengthens social skills and targets interpersonal problems, conflicts, and life transitions

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy

An approach that combines elements of CBT with mindfulness meditation to help people with depression learn to recognize and restructure negative thought patterns

Family therapy

Therapy that treats the family as a system. Views an individual's unwanted behaviors as influenced by, or directed at, other family members

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)

A treatment often used for borderline personality disorder that incorporates both cognitive-behavioral and mindfulness elements.

Group therapy

Therapy conducted with groups rather than individuals, permitting therapeutic benefits from group interaction

Preventing Psychological Disorders

- Support programs for stressed families

- Community programs to provide healthy activities and hope for children

- Relationship-building communication skills training

- Working to reduce poverty and discrimination

- Access to health services and assessments

- Psychoeducation

Motor system

Carries signals to skeletal muscles and is voluntary

Somatic nervous system

Division of the PNS that controls the body's skeletal muscles.

Sympathetic system

Fight or flight

Parasympathetic system

Rest and digest

Epigenetics

The study of environmental influences on gene expression that occur without a DNA change

Microgenetics

Participants are presented with a novel task, and their mastery is followed over a series of sessions

Practical skills

Activities of daily living (personal care), occupational skills, healthcare, travel/transportation, schedules/routines, safety

Conceptual skills

The ability to analyze and diagnose a situation and to distinguish between cause and effect

Adaptive skills

Personal attributes or traits that enable a person to approach changing workplace situations with flexibility

Systematic desensitization

A type of exposure therapy 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 (such as nausea) with an unwanted behavior (such as drinking alcohol)

Psychopharmacology

The study of the effects of drugs on mind and behavior

Phobias

Excessive or irrational fears of specific objects or situations

- Recognition that fear is excessive or irrational

- Fear avoided or endured with intense distress

Phobias Treatment

- Biomedical approach is ineffective

- Psychodynamic approach fo uses on impulses or conflicts related to the fear but is typically ineffective

- Cognitive-behavioral approach recognizes how phobias are acquired by classical conditioning and maintained by operant conditioning -> solution is exposure therapies

Exposure therapies

- Graduated exposure uses fear hierarchies to slowly build up tolerance to stressful situations

- Intensive exposure uses sudden exposure at once to the biggest fear

- Both of these are effective (~80%)

Fear heirarchy

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

Fear and Anxiety Components

- Subjective (fear something bad will happen)

- Physiological component (sympathetic nervous system)

- Behavior component (Vigilance, avoidance, aggression)