General Psychology (Exam 4)

diagnostic and statistical manual (DSM)

categorizes psychological disorders

bipolar disorder

a psychological disorder marked by dramatic swings in mood, ranging from manic episodes to depressive episodes

psychological disorder

a set of behavioral, emotional, and cognitive symptoms that are significantly distressing or disabling in terms of social functioning, work endeavors, and other aspects of life

abnormal behavior

behavior that is atypical, dysfunctional, distressful and/or deviant

insanity

a legal determination of the degree to which a person is responsible for criminal behavior

stigma

a negative attitude or opinion about a group of people based on certain traits or characteristics

comorbidity

the occurrence of two or more disorders at the same time

medical model

an approach suggesting that psychological disorders are illness that have underlying biological causes

anxiety disorders

a group of psychological disorders associated with extreme anxiety and/or debilitating, irrational fears

panic attack

sudden, extreme fear or discomfort that escalates quickly, often with no obvious trigger, and includes symptoms such as increased heart rate, sweating, shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea, lightheadedness, and fear of dying

panic disorder

a psychological disorder that includes recurrent, unexpected panic attacks and fear that can cause significant changes in behavior

specific phobia

a psychological disorder characterized by an excessive amount of worry and anxiety about activities relating to family, health, school, and other aspects of daily life

agoraphobia

extreme fear of situations involving public transportation, open spaces, or other public settings

generalized anxiety disorder

a psychological disorder characterized by an excessive amount of worry and anxiety about activities relating to family, health, school, and other aspects of daily life

obsessive-compulsive disorder

a psychological disorder characterized by obsessions and/or compulsions that are time consuming and cause a great deal of stress

obsession

a thought, an urge, or an image that happens repeatedly, is intrusive and unwelcome, and often causes anxiety and distress

compulsion

a behavior or "mental act" that a person repeats over and over in an effort to reduce anxiety

post-traumatic stress disorder

a psychological disorder characterized by exposure to or being threatened by an event involving death, serious injury, or violence; can include disturbing memories, nightmares, flashbacks, and other distressing symptoms

major depressive disorder

a psychological disorder that includes at least one major depressive episode, with symptoms such as depressed mood, problems with sleep, and loss of energy

learned helplessness

a tendency for people to believe they have no control over the consequences of their behaviors resulting in passive behavior

manic episodes

a state of continuous elation that is out of proportion to the setting, and can include irritability, very high and sustained levels of energy, and and "expansive" mood

delusions

strange or false beliefs that a person firmly maintains even when presented with evidence to the contrary

hallucination

perception-like experiences that an individual believes are real, but that are not evident to others

positive symptoms

excesses or distortions of normal behaviors; examples are delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized speech (+)

negative symptoms

behaviors or characteristics that are limited or absent; examples are social withdrawal, diminished speech, limited or no emotions, and loss of energy and follow-up (-)

dopamine hypothesis

a theory suggesting that the synthesis, release, and concentrations of the neurotransmitter dopamine play a role in schizophrenia

personality disorders

a group of psychological disorders that can include impairments in cognition, emotional responses, interpersonal functioning, and impulse control

antisocial personality disorder

a psychological disorder distinguished by unethical behavior, deceitfulness, impulsivity, irritability, aggressiveness, disregard for others, and lack of remorse

borderline personality disorder

a psychological disorder distinguished by an incomplete sense of self, extreme self-criticism, unstable emotions, and feelings of emptiness

dissociative disorders

psychological disorders distinguished by disturbances in normal psychological functioning; may include problems with memory, identity, consciousness, perception, and motor control

dissociation

a disturbance in the normally integrated experience of psychological functions involved in memory, consciousness, perception, or identity

dissociative amnesia

a psychological disorder marked by difficulty remembering important personal information and life events

dissociative fugue

a condition in which a person with dissociative amnesia or dissociative identity disorder wanders about in a confused and unexpected manner

dissociative identity disorder

a psychological disorder that involves the occurrence of two or more distinct personalities with an individual

anorexia nervosa

an eating disorder identified by significant weight loss, an intense fear of being overweight, a false sense of body image, and a refusal to eat the proper amount of calories to achieve a healthy weight

bulimia nervosa

an eating disorder characterized by extreme overeating followed by purging, with serious health risks

binge-eating disorder

an eating disorder characterized by episodes of extreme overeating, during which a larger amount of food is consumed than most people would eat in a similar amount of time under similar circumstances

deinstitutionalization

the mass movement of patients with psychological disorders out of institutions, and the attempt to reintegrate them into the community

biomedical therapy

drugs and other physical interventions that target the biological processes underlying psychological disorders; primary goal is to reduce symptoms

psychotherapy

"talk therapy": a treatment approach wherein a client works with a mental health professional to reduce psychological symptoms and improve quality of life

insight therapies

psychotherapies aimed at increasing awareness of self and environment

behavior therapy

a type of therapy that focuses on behavioral change

eclectic approach to therapy

drawing on multiple theories and approaches to tailor treatment for a client

evidence-based practice

making treatment decisions that integrate valuable research findings, clinical expertise, and knowledge of a patient's culture, values, and preferences

free association

a psychoanalytic technique in which a patient says anything that comes to mind

interpretation

a psychoanalytic technique used to explore unconscious conflicts driving behavior

resistance

a patient's unwillingness to cooperate in therapy; a sign of unconscious conflict

transference

an unconscious conflict that occurs when a patient reacts to a therapist as if dealing with parents or other caregivers from childhood

psychodynamic therapy

a type of insight therapy that incorporates core psychoanalytic themes, including the idea that personality and behaviors frequently can be traced to unconscious conflicts and experiences from the past

humanistic therapy

a type of insight therapy that emphasizes the positive nature of humankind

person-centered therapy

a form of humanistic therapy by Rogers; aimed at helping clients achieve their full potential

nondirective

a technique used in person-centered therapy whereby the therapist follows the lead of client during treatment sessions

empathy

the ability to feel what a person is experiencing by attempting to observe the world through their eyes

genuineness

the ability to respond to client in an authentic way rather than hiding behind a polite or professional mask

active listening

the ability to pick up on the content and emotions behind words in order to understand a client's perspective, often by echoing the main point of what the client says

therapeutic alliance

a warm and accepting client-therapist relationship that serves as a safe place for self-exploration

exposure

a therapeutic technique that brings a person into contact with a feared object or situation in a safe environment, with the goal of extinguishing or eliminating the fear response

systematic desensitization

a treatment that combines anxiety hierarchies with relaxation techniques

aversion therapy

a therapeutic approach that uses the principles of classical conditioning to link problematic behaviors to unpleasant physical reactions

behavior modification

a therapeutic approach in which behaviors are shaped through reinforcement and punishment

token economy

a type of behavior modification that uses tokens to reinforce desired behaviors

cognitive therapy

a type of therapy aimed at addressing the maladaptive thinking that leads to maladaptive behaviors and feelings

overgeneralized

a cognitive distortion that assumes self-contained events will have major repercussions

rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT)

a type of cognitive therapy, developed by Ellis, that identifies illogical thoughts and attempts to convert them into rational ones

cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

an action-oriented type of therapy that requires clients to confront and resist their illogical thinking

antidepressant drugs

psychotropic medications used for the treatment of depression

mood-stabilizing drugs

psychotropic medications that minimize the lows of depression and the highs of mania

antipsychotic drugs

psychotropic medications used in the treatment of psychotic symptoms, such as hallucinations and delusions

anti-anxiety drugs

psychotropic medications used for treating the symptoms of anxiety

electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)

a biomedical treatment for severe disorders that induces seizures in the brain through electrical currents

neurosurgery

a biomedical therapy that involves the destruction of some portion of the brain or connections between different areas of the brain

family therapy

a type of therapy that focuses on the family as an integrated system, recognizing that the interactions within it can create instability or lead to the breakdown of the family unit

psychoanalytic therapy

Sigmund Freud, therapist uses Freuds analysis of the conscious, preconscious, and unconscious to help patients (meet 2-3 times a week for an hour for 6 years minimum)

hypnosis

very popular technique because in older days they did not have drugs in the medical field yet, used in therapy to knock out the ego and break into the unconscious to retrieve repressed thoughts/memories

dream analysis

Freud believed this was the royal road to the unconscious

manifest content

in dreams, content from todays activities or thoughts (not the real meaning of the dream)

latent content

repressed and deep/hidden content of your dream (the real meaning of the dream)

symbolic representation

the representation of a principal (what manifest is to latent content)

universal symbols

symbols with universally the same meaning to a whole culture or group of people

personal symptoms

symbols relevant to you and you only (independent)

Acceptance + Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Hayes, therapy revolving around the belief that you can't thought stop because you have to expose yourself to the thoughts and accept you are the one with the problem and commit to being a normal person (deal with it)

social psychology

the study of human cognition, emotion, and behavior in relation to others

social cognition

the way people think about others, attend to social information and use this information in their lives, both consciously and unconsciously

attributions

beliefs one develops to explain human behaviors and characteristics, as well as situations

fundamental attribution error

the tendency to overestimate the degree to which the characteristics of an individual are the cause of an event, and to underestimate the involvement of situational factors

dispositional attribution

a type of internal attribution where behaviors are assumed to result from traits or personality characteristics

situational attribution

a type of external attribution where behaviors are assumed to result from situational factors

just-world hypothesis

the tendency to believe the world is a fair place and individuals generally get what they deserve

false consensus effect

the tendency to overestimate the degree to which others think or act like we do

self-serving bias

the tendency to attribute our successes to personal characteristics and our failures to environmental factors

attitudes

the relatively stable thoughts, feelings, and responses one had towards people, situations, ideas, and things

cognitive dissonance

a state of tension that results when behaviors are inconsistent with attitudes

social influence

how a person is affected by others as evidenced in behaviors, emotions, and cognition

persuasion

intentionally trying to make people change their attitudes and beliefs, which may lead to changes in their behaviors

compliance

changes in behavior at the request or direction of another person or group, who in general does not have any true authority

foot-in-the-door technique

a compliance technique that involves making a small request first, followed by a larger request

door-in-the-face technique

a compliance technique that involves making a large request first, followed by a smaller request

conformity

the tendency to modify behaviors, attitudes, beliefs, and opinions to match those of others

norms

standards of the social environment

obedience

changing behavior because we have been ordered to do so by an authority figure