Exam 3 stufrf w/o cutral

What is considered 'abnormal' behavior?

Abnormal behavior can be classified as behaviors that are statistically rare, deviant from social norms, dysfunctional, and cause personal distress.

Rosenhan's study (1973)

Rosenhan's study involved pseudo patients who pretended to hear voices and were all diagnosed with schizophrenia despite acting normally after admission.

Mental Disorder

A persistent disturbance or dysfunction in behavior, thoughts, or emotions that causes significant stress or impairment.

Person-first language

An important approach in mental health that emphasizes the individual first, e.g., 'a person with schizophrenia' instead of 'a schizophrenic'.

Diathesis-stress model

A psychological theory that posits a person may be predisposed to a mental disorder that remains unexpressed until triggered by stress.

DSM-5

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, used for diagnosing psychological disorders.

Social norms

Expectations or rules within a society about acceptable behavior, which play a key role in labeling actions as 'abnormal'.

Causal factors in mental disorders

Different psychological disorders can arise from a variety of causes, which may include biological, psychological, and environmental/social factors.

Antisocial personality disorder

A mental health disorder characterized by a long-term pattern of disregarding or violating the rights of others.

Prevalence of psychological disorders

Refers to the commonality or frequency of psychological disorders within a population, which can be influenced by factors such as stress and societal norms.

Loneliness as a risk factor

Loneliness is recognized as a significant environmental risk factor for all-cause mortality, impacting mental health.

Belonging uncertainty

The negative impact of feeling uncertain about one's acceptance in social environments, which can affect self-esteem and motivation.

OCD

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, characterized by obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors that individuals feel driven to perform.

Schizophrenia - positive symptoms

Symptoms that reflect excesses or distortions of normal functions, including hallucinations and delusions.

Schizophrenia - negative symptoms

Symptoms that reflect a decrease or loss of normal functions, such as emotional expression and motivation.

Integrated perspective (biopsychosocial)

A view that considers biological, psychological, and social factors in understanding mental health disorders.

COVID-19 impact on mental health

The pandemic has led to increased mental health issues across various demographics, significantly increasing reports of anxiety and depression.

Stressors

Events or situations that cause stress, ranging from traumatic incidents to routine activities.

General Adaptation Syndrome

A three-phase response to stress that includes alarm reaction, resistance, and exhaustion.

Coping

Strategies to manage stress and its effects, which can be psychological or physiological.

Sleep Hygiene

Practices that promote quality sleep, including maintaining a cool, dark, and quiet sleeping environment.

Primary Appraisal

The initial evaluation of whether a situation is stressful.

Secondary Appraisal

The evaluation of one's ability to cope with a stressor.

Repressive Coping

Avoiding the stressor or ignoring the stressor with an artificially positive outlook.

Rational Coping

Facing the stressor with a structured approach to overcome it.

Burnout

A state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged and excessive stress.

Sympathetic Nervous System

The part of the autonomic nervous system that prepares the body for fight or flight during stressful situations.

Parasympathetic Nervous System

The part of the autonomic nervous system that promotes relaxation and recovery.

Telomeres

Caps at the end of chromosomes that protect them; stress can shorten them, leading to accelerated aging.

Aerobic Exercise

Physical activity that increases heart rate and is associated with improved psychological well-being.

Social Support

Interacting with others that can help reduce stress and improve mental health.

Humor

A coping strategy that can reduce sensitivity to pain and distress during stressful situations.

Cholinergic Receptors

Receptors that respond to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, involved in the body's stress response.

Social Influence

The ability to control or affect the behavior of others.

Social Behavior

Interacting with others in social contexts.

Social Cognition

The process of understanding how people think and act.

Informational Influence

Conforming to others because we believe they have accurate information.

Normative Influence

Conforming to others to gain their approval or acceptance.

Conformity

The act of matching attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors to group norms.

Obedience

Complying with instructions or commands from an authority figure.

Stereotype

An over-generalized belief about a group of people.

Prejudice

Affective feelings towards a group of people, which can be either positive or negative.

Discrimination

Treatment of individuals based on their group membership.

Cognitive Dissonance

An unpleasant state arising from recognizing inconsistencies in one’s actions, attitudes, or beliefs.

Foot-in-the-Door Technique

A persuasion strategy involving a small initial request followed by a larger request.

Culture

The customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a particular group.

Cultural Stereotyping

The tendency to overemphasize characteristics of a particular culture.

Reification

Believing that culture is static and uniform, rather than dynamic and evolving.

Cultural Patterns

Both explicit and implicit systems derived from historically selected ideas reflected in social practices and artifacts.

Essentializing

The practice of attributing cultural differences to inherent traits or characteristics, often leading to stereotyping.

Mutual Constitution

The concept that culture and individual psychology mutually influence each other, shaping thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Neuroticism

A personality trait characterized by a tendency to experience negative emotions such as anxiety, sadness, and anger.

Extroversion

A personality trait where individuals are energized by social interactions and seek high levels of social stimulation.

Openness to Experience

A personality trait defined by a propensity to seek out and embrace new experiences and ideas.

Agreeableness

A personality trait reflecting an individual's inclination towards cooperation, trust, and social harmony.

Dimensions of Personality

The understanding that personality traits exist on a spectrum rather than as fixed categories.

Implicit Culture

Cultural factors that influence behaviors and thoughts without being consciously recognized.

Explicit Culture

Observable cultural traits such as customs, practices, and artifacts that can be easily identified.

Cultural Artifacts

Objects or products that are created by humans, reflecting the culture and values of a society.

Stimulus Control

The influence of social and environmental factors on individual behavior and emotional responses.

Cultural Exchange

The process through which cultural traits and practices are shared and transformed between groups.

What is personality?

An individual’s characteristic pattern of behavior, thoughts, and feelings - stable over time and across situations.

Biological model of personality

The mind is what the brain does; to understand personality, one needs to understand brain function.

Psychoanalytic model

Developed by Sigmund Freud; focuses on early psychological development and the unconscious mind.

Cognitive model of personality

Focuses on personality as a result of information processing in the brain.

Humanistic/Existential model

Emphasizes free will and conscious subjective experience; focuses on narrative construction of personality.

Behavioral model

Suggests that behavior is shaped by environment, reinforcement, and punishment.

Trait approach

Focuses on stable attributes of personality to predict future behavior, ignoring underlying causes.

What is a Trait?

A stable attribute of personality, such as impulsivity or warmth.

Dispositions

A set amount of tendencies to behave in certain ways across various situations.

The Big Five personality traits

Include Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness to Experience, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness.

Neuroticism

Proneness to experience negative emotional reactions like anxiety and sadness.

Extraversion

The tendency to crave high levels of stimulation and seek social interaction.

Openness to Experience

The tendency to seek out new experiences and invite change.

Agreeableness

The tendency to maintain a positive emotional tone in interpersonal dealings.

Conscientiousness

The tendency to pursue goals in an organized, methodical fashion.

Critique of the Trait Approach

Mischel's situationist critique argues that traits may not be stable across situations.

Empirical Problems with Trait Research

Correlation between questionnaire scores and actual behavior is typically around .30.

What is the significance of the Big Five traits?

Each of the Big Five traits is associated with various aspects like psychiatric outcomes, life satisfaction, and job performance.

Expected behavioral variance from traits

Personality traits account for no more than 10% of the variance in actual behavior.