Clinical Psych Ch 1 Terms

theory

theory

a gathering together and organization of knowledge about a particular object or phenomenon

context

the particular set of circumstances surrounding a specific event or situation

biomedical perspective

belief that biological, genetic, or physiological factors cause mental and emotional problems and are central to therapeutic strategies

trephining

using a stone tool to chip away at a human skull to create a circular opening to release evil spirits

religious/spiritual perspective

emphasized spiritual explanations for human distress and recovery

psychosocial perspective

verbal and relational interactions can change thoughts, mood, and behavior

feminist/multicultural perspective

uses social and cultural oppression and liberation as primary explanations for mental disorders and therapeutic recovery

talking cure

talking, expressing, verbalizing, or sharing one’s pain and life story is potentially healing

meta-analysis

pools together and obtains an overall average treatment effect size across different therapy research studies

effect size

a statistic used to estimate how much change is produced by a particular intervention

Dodo bird effect

the relative equivalent efficacy of various treatment approaches

the great psychotherapy debate

the specific techniques versus common factors conflict

common therapeutic factors

elements that exist across a wide range of different therapy approaches

extratherapeutic factors

client factors such as severity of disturbance, motivation, capacity to relate to others, ego strength, psychological-mindedness, the ability to identify a single problem to work on in counseling, and sources of help and support within client environments

therapeutic relationship

many different factors that contribute to rapport and a positive working relationship between therapist and client

working alliance

1. bond between therapist and client, 2) agreed upon therapy goals, 3) collaboratively working together linked to the goal

expectancy

hope for positive outcomes

efficacy research

employs experimental designs that emphasize internal validity

internal validity

allowing researchers to comment of causal mechanisms

effectiveness research

uses experimental designs that emphasize external validity

external validity

allowing researchers to comment on generalizability of their findings

randomized controlled trials (RCTs)

statistically compares outcomes between randomly assigned treatment and control groups

empirically validated treatments

must be (a) manulized and (b) shown to be superior to a placebo or other treatment

• aka empirically supported treatments (ESTs) - manualized approaches designed to treat specific mental disorders

competence

a centrat tenet of all professional codes: practitioners must have adequate knowledge and skills to perform specific professional services

informed consent

clients’ right to know about and consent to ways you intent to work with them

multicultural competencies

having competency in 4 major areas 1) self awareness. 2) multicultural knowledge, 3) culturally specific techniques, 4) advocacy

confidentiality

information that clients share with therapists is private and not shared without client permission

multiple roles

situations where professionals simultaneously hold more than one role in their clients’ lives

primum non nocere

(“first, do no harm”) an ethical mandate for medical and mental professionals

beneficence

striving to benefit those with whom (psychologists) work

potentially harmful therapies

specific therapy approaches that produce unacceptable negative effects

practice-based evidence or progress monitoring

involves collecting data, sometimes every session, pertaining to the clients symptoms and/or client satisfaction

client informed therapy

helps to inform clients to directly share their treatment progress with their therapists

frontal lobe

associated with complex thought processes such as planning, reasoning, and decision-making

zeitgeist

“the spirit of the time” explains why several individuals can, without consulting each other, make a significant discovery at around the same time

ortgeist

“spirit of the place” explains why people in close proximity often move toward similar discoveries

poltergeist

a mischievous spirit or ghost

neurogenesis

creation of new brain cells