AP Psych - Positive Psychology, Psychological Disorders, and Therapy

positive psychology

promotes strengths and virtues that foster well-being, resilience, and positive emotions to help individuals and communities to thrive

broaden and build theory

positive emotions prompt people to consider novel (creative) solutions to their problems

psychological disorder

a disturbance in people's thoughts, emotions, or behaviors that causes distress or suffering and impairs their daily lives

medical model (perspective)

mental disease can have PHYSICAL causes that can be diagnosed, treated, and in most cases cured through treatment in a hospital

biopsychosocial approach

the biological, psychological, and social-cultural can influence one's health

diathesis-stress model

the concept that genetics combined with environmental stressors influence psychological disorder (high stress environments can activate a gene that contributes to a disorder)

DSM-5-TR

a widely used system for classifying psychological disorders

classifying disorders helps to…

predict future behavior

disorders usually appear in

mid teens-early 20s

non suicidal self injury (NSSI)

maladaptive coping mechanisms used to regulate emotion (ex: cutting, burning). doesn't usually lead to suicide

anxiety disorders

a group of disorders characterized by distressing, persistent anxious symptoms and/or maladaptive behaviors that aim to reduce symptoms

generalized anxiety disorder

anxiety disorder in which a person is CONTINUALLY tense, apprehensive, and in a state of ANS arousal. occurs for 6 months or more, anxiety is "free-floating"

social anxiety disorder

intense fear and avoidance of SOCIAL situations, fear of being harshly judged

panic disorder

UNPREDICTABLE moments of long intense dread in which a person experiences terror and accompanying chest pain, choking and other frightening sensations

agoraphobia

a specific phobia involving a fear of public places or situations

specific phobia

persistent, irrational fear and avoidance of a specific object, activity or situation

evolutionary theory for phobias

certain fearful behaviors were favored for survival

obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

unwanted thoughts (obsessions) produce unwanted compulsive behaviors that cause distress/interfere with everyday life

OCD related disorders

hoarding disorder, body dysmorphic disorder, and trichotillomania (hair pulling)

what part of the brain is extremely active during compulsive behaviors?

anterior cingulate cortex

we learn anxiety disorders/phobias through…

conditioning (associations, reinforcement) and observation

biological causes of anxiety

HIGH glutamate and LOW serotonin

post-traumatic stress disorder

a trauma and stressor disorder that includes reoccurring memories, nightmares, avoidance of trauma-related stimuli and more

why doesn't everyone have PTSD after a traumatic event?

differences in memory processing

major depressive disorder

TWO OR MORE weeks of significantly depressed moods, feelings of worthlessness, and diminished interest or pleasure in most activities

persistent depressive disorder

marked by a mildly depressed mood more often than not in a two year period

biological causes of depression

low serotonin, decreased brain activity

depression from social cognitive perspective

self defeating beliefs (like rumination) + negative explanatory style = greater amounts of depression

rumination

compulsive fretting; overthinking about our problems and their causes

bipolar disorder

mood disorder where one switches between manic (hyperactive) and depressed episodes

bipolar I

most severe form of bipolar

bipolar II

type of bipolar where mania is LESS severe

genes that predict bipolar are also predictive of

creativity

psychotic disorders

characterized by irrational beliefs, distorted perceptions and loss of contact with reality

schizophrenia spectrum disorder

group of disorders where people suffer from delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech (word salad), and diminshed/inappropriate emotions

acute schizophrenia

well adjusted individual experiences a stressor and QUICKLY develops positive symptoms of schizophrenia, easier recovery

chronic schizophrenia

when disease progresses SLOWLY and people develop both positive and negative symptoms, recovery is doubtful

positive vs negative symptoms

positive: symptoms that are gained/added

negative: abilities that are lost

biological causes of schizophrenia

Excessive dopamine levels. Overactivity in thethalamus and the amygdala. Enlarged ventricles. Smaller corpus callosum, hippocampus and cortex.

we know that environment has a large effect on schizophrenia because of..

twin studies; twins only have disorder if they've shared a placenta

prenatal influences on schizophrenia

famine, viruses, oxygen deprivation

schizophrenia can be triggered by

drug use

dissociative disorders

conscious awareness separates from painful memories and thoughts, identity, perception, body representation and motor control

dissociative fugue

sudden loss of memory accompanied by leaving home and assuming a new identity

dissociative identity disorder (DID)

characterized by exhibiting two or more distinct and alternating personalities

personality disorders

group of disorders with experiences or behavior patterns that differ from cultural norms and expectations, are inflexible

personality cluster a

eccentric and/or odd

personality cluster b

dramatic, emotional and erratic

personality cluster c

anxious or fearful

Paranoid Personality Disorder

suspiciousness; distrust of others

Schizoid Personality Disorder

social detachment; limited emotional expression

Schizotypal Personality Disorder

intense social discomfort; distorted cognitions or perceptions; behavioral eccentricity

Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD)

a LACK OF CONSCIENCE for wrongdoing, indifference to (and willingness to violate) others' rights, impulsive

biological causes of antisocial personality disorder

low ANS arousal

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)

impulsivity; unstable relationships and self-image

Histronic Personality Disorder

extreme emotional expression; a need for attention

Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD)

characterized by a BIG sense of self-importance, deficient empathy, and a need for constant ATTENTION or ADMIRATION

Avoidant Personality Disorder

extremely introverted, overly sensitive to criticism, feeling inadequate

Dependent Personality Disorder (DPD)

excessive need to be taken care of; submissive and clinging behavior

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD)

a personality disorder characterized by preoccupation with orderliness, perfection, and control

feeding/eating disorders

altered consumption or absorption of food that impairs health or psychological functioning

anorexia nervosa

maintaining a starvation diet despite being significantly underweight, inaccurate self perception sometimes accompanied by EXCESSIVE exercise.

bulimia nervosa

a person's binge eating is followed by inappropriate weight loss (vomiting, laxative use, fasting or excessive exercise)

binge eating disorder

significant binge eating with remorse but no exercising or purging

lesser known eating disorders

pica, ARFID, diabulimia

family personality traits in families with eating disorders

competitive, high achieving, and protective

social-cultural influences on eating disorders

media and cultural perceptions of "ideal body shape" contribute to poor body image

neurodevelopmental disorders

central nervous system abnormalities that start in childhood and alter thinking and behavior (intellectual limitations or psychological disorder)

specific learning disorders

Chronic difficulties perceiving and processing information. Treatment is to make adjustments to the learning environment.

ex: dyslexia

motor disorders

extreme clumsiness and stereotyped movement that impair one's ability to communicate, interact with others, or perform necessary tasks (appears from age 5-18)

ex: Tourette's disorder

autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

cognitive and social emotional disorder marked by limitations in social interaction, rigidly fixated interests, and repetitive behaviors

biological factors of autism

genetics, prenatal development (viral infections/drug use), parental age, and underconnectivity in the brain

autism is NOT influenced by

vaccines--1998 study was fradulent

attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

extreme inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity

majority of psychological disorders are

genetic, passed down through family

psychotherapy

the use of psychological techniques to create a relationship between a trained therapist that promotes healing from difficulties and promoting growth

greatest curative factor in therapy

therapeutic alliance

therapeutic alliance

a trusting relationship between a therapist and patient

psychologists/therapists should:

(1) use EVIDENCE BASED interventions to develop treatment plans

(2) develop cultural humility

(3) focus on establishing the therapeutic alliance

creation of psychotropic drugs led to

deinstitutionalization

deinstitutionalization

the discharge of large numbers of patients from long-term institutional care so that they might be treated in community programs

Ethical guidelines for therapists (APA)

1. Nonmaleficence (no harm)

2. Fidelity (loyal)

3. Integrity (honesty)

4. Respect for people's rights and dignity (confidentiality)

if violated, license can be revoked

Freud's psychoanalytic therapy

Bringing the patients awareness to the repressed feelings from the unconscious mind into the conscious mind. Helps release the energy built up from id-ego-superego conflicts.

free association

a method of exploring the unconscious in which a patient says whatever comes to mind

resistance

conflicts (forms of repression) that block the flow of free associations

interpretations

analyst's ideas about meanings, meant to provide you with insight

transference

unconscious redirection of feelings from one person to another

psychodynamic therapy

Focuses on effects of past relationships and experiences (childhood, parental relations) on mental health. Interpretations used so clients can gain insight into behavior/emotions

interpersonal therapy

variation of psychodynamic therapy that focuses on CURRENT relationships rather than past ones

Carl Rogers' humanistic therapy

attempts to assist clients in reaching their full POTENTIAL through genuineness, acceptance, and empathy

person centered therapy

focuses on taking responsibility for CONSCIOUS feelings and actions in the present and future, therapists listen without judgement or interpretation

active listening

echoing, restating, and seeking clarification and acknowledgement of expressed feelings

behavior therapy

applies learning principles to remove unwanted behavior

counterconditioning

behavior therapy procedure that uses classical conditioning to produce new responses to stimuli that are triggering unwanted behaviors; includes exposure therapies and aversive conditioning

systematic desensitization

therapist conditions relaxation with gradually increasing anxiety producing stimuli

aversive conditioning

therapist attempts to replace a positive response to something that a person should avoid with a negative (aversive) response

operant conditioning

punishments and rewards are used to eliminate unwanted behavior or increase appropriate behavior

token economy

patient gets tokens for desired behavior that can be exchanged for various rewards

cognitive therapy

Assumes that our thinking intervenes between events and our reactions. New and constructive ways of thinking are taught.

rational-emotive behavior therapy (REBT)

a form of psychotherapy that helps you:

(1) identify self-defeating thoughts and feelings

(2) challenge the nature of irrational and unproductive feelings

(3) replace them with healthier, more productive beliefs