Abnormal Psych - Ch. 1 Key Terms

psychological disorder

psychological dysfunction associated with distress or impairment in functioning that is not a typical or culturally expected response

abnormal behavior

psychological dysfunction within an individual that is associated with distress or impairment in functioning and a response that is not typical or culturally expected

phobia

a psychological disorder characterized by marked and persistent fear of an object or situation

psychopathology

scientific study of psychological disorders

scientist-practitioners

mental health professionals who are expected to apply scientific methods to their work. They must keep current in the latest research on diagnosis and treatment, they must evaluate their own methods for effectiveness, and they may generate their own research to discover new knowledge of disorders and their treatment

presenting problem

original complaint reported by the client to the therapist. The actual treated problem may sometimes be a modification derived from the presenting problem

clinical description

details of the combination of behaviors, thoughts, and feelings of an individual that make up a particular disorder

prevalence

number of people displaying a disorder in the total population at any given time (compare with incidence)

incidence

number of new cases of a disorder appearing during a specific period (compare with prevalence)

course

pattern of development and change in disorder over time

prognosis

predicted future development of a disorder over time

etiology

cause or source of a disorder

exorcism

religious ritual that attributes disordered behavior to possession by demons and seeks to treat the individual by driving the demons from the body

psychosocial treatment

treatment practices that focus on social and cultural factors (such as family experience), as well as psychological influences. These approaches include cognitive, behavioral, and interpersonal methods

moral therapy

psychosocial approach in the 19th century that involved treating patients as normally as possible in normal environments

mental hygiene movement

mid-19th-century effort to improve care of the mentally disordered by informing the public of their mistreatment

psychoanalysis

psychoanalytic assessment and therapy, which emphasizes exploration of, and insight into, unconscious processes and conflicts, pioneered by Sigmund Freud

behaviorism

explanation of human behavior, including dysfunction, based on principles of learning and adaptation derived from experimental psychology

uncoscious

part of the psychic makeup that is outside the awareness of the person

catharsis

rapid or sudden release of emotional tension thought to be an important factor in psychoanalytic therapy

psychoanalytic model

complex and comprehensive theory originally advanced by Sigmund Freud that seeks to account for the development and structure of personality, as well as the origin of abnormal behavior, based primarily on inferred inner entities and forces

id

in psychoanalysis, the unconscious physical entity present at birth representing basic sexual and aggressive drives

ego

in psychoanalysis, the physical entity responsible for finding realistic and practical ways to satisfy id drives

superego

in psychoanalysis, the physical entity representing the internalized moral principles of parents and society

intrapsychic conflicts

in psychoanalysis, the struggles among the id, ego, and superego

defense mechanisms

common patterns of behavior, often adaptive coping styles when they occur in moderation, observed in response to particular situations. In psychoanalysis, these are thought to be unconscious processes originating in the ego

psychosexual stages of developement

in psychoanalysis, the sequence of phases a person passes through during development. Each stage is named for the location on the body where id gratification is maximal at that time.

castration anxiety

in psychoanalysis, the fear in young boys that they will be mutilated genitally because of their lust for their mothers

neurosis

obsolete psychodynamic term for psychological disorder thought to result from unconscious conflicts and the anxiety they cause.

ego psychology

derived from psychoanalysis, this theory emphasizes the role of the ego in development and attributes psychological disorders to failure of the ego to manage impulses and internal conflicts. Also known as self-psychology

self-psychology

this theory emphasizes the role of the ego in development and the attributes psychological disorders to failure of the ego to manage impulses and internal conflicts. Also known as ego psychology

object relations

modern development in psychodynamic theory involving the study of how children incorporate the memories and values of people who are close and important to them

collective unconscious

accumulated wisdom of a culture collected and remembered across generations, a psychodynamic concept introduced by Carl Jung

free association

psychoanalytic therapy technique intended to explore threatening material repressed into the unconscious. The patient is instructed to say whatever comes to mind without censoring

dream analysis

psychoanalytic therapy method in which dream contents are examined as symbolic of id impulses and intrapsychic conflicts

psychoanalyst

therapist who practices psychoanalysis after earning either an M.D. or a Ph. D. degree and receiving additional specialized postdoctoral training

transference

psychoanalytic concept suggesting that clients may seek to relate to the therapist as they do to important authority figures, particularly their parents

psychodynamic psychotherapy

contemporary version of psychoanalysis that still emphasizes unconscious processes and conflicts but is briefer and more focused on specific problems.

self-actualizing

process emphasized in humanistic psychology in which people strive to achieve their highest potential against difficult life experiences

person centered therapy

therapy method in which the client, rather than the counselor, primarily directs the course of discussion, seeking self-discovery and self-responsibility

unconditional positive regard

acceptance by the counselor of the client’s feelings and actions without judgement or condemnation

cognitive-behavioral model

model that combines insights from the behavioral, cognitive, and social learning models, which brought the systematic development of a more scientific approach to the psychological aspects of psychopathology

classical conditioning

fundamental learning process first described by Ivan Pavlov. An event that automatically elicits a response is paired with another stimulus even that does not (a neutral stimulus). After repeated pairings, the neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus that by itself can elicit the desired response

extinction

learning process in which a response maintained by reinforcement or pairing in classical conditioning decreases when that reinforcement or pairing is removed; also the procedure of removing that reinforcement or pairing

introspection

Early, nonscientific approach to the study of psychology involving systemic attempts to report thoughts and feelings that specific stimuli evoked

systemic desensitazation

behavioral therapy technique to diminish excessive fears, involving gradual exposure to the feared stimulus paired with a positive coping experience, usually relaxation

behavior therapy

array of therapy methods based on the principles of behavioral and cognitive science, as well as principles of learning as applied to clinical problems. It considers specific behaviors rather than inferred conflicts as legitimate targets for change

reinforcement

in operant conditioning, consequences for behavior that strengthen it or increase its frequency. Positive reinforcement involves the contingent delivery of a desired consequence. Negative reinforcement is the contingent escape from an aversive consequence. Unwanted behaviors may result from their reinforcement or the failure to reinforce desired behaviors

shaping

in operant conditioning, the development of a new response by reinforcing successively more similar versions of that response. Both desirable and undesirable behaviors may be learned in this manner