ABPS311 Abnormal Psychology - Lecture Notes (Transcript)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and definitions from the notes.

Abnormal psychology

The scientific study of psychological disorders and patterns of behavior, thought, and emotion that are atypical or distressing.

Moral therapy

A treatment approach focusing on emotional and psychological factors; originated with Pinel, Pussin, Tuke, and Rush to provide humane care.

Psychoanalytic theory

Psychological theory emphasizing unconscious processes and catharsis, developed with Freud and colleagues.

Humanistic theory

Psychological perspective emphasizing self-actualization and person-centered growth.

Behaviorist

A school of thought (e.g., Pavlov) that emphasizes learning processes like classical and operant conditioning.

Hippocrates

Father of Western medicine; proposed that disorders could be treated like other diseases and linked to humors.

Humors

Four bodily fluids (blood, black bile, yellow bile, phlegm) thought to influence personality and health.

Sanguine

Cheerful and optimistic; associated with the blood humor.

Melancholy

Depression; associated with black bile.

Phlegmatic

Calm, unemotional; associated with phlegm.

Choleric

Hot-tempered; associated with yellow bile.

Hysteria

Historically a diagnosis linked to somatic symptoms; term coined by Hippocrates and linked to somatic symptom disorders.

Galen

Physician who expanded Hippocratic ideas and influenced biological explanations of disorders.

John P. Grey

American psychiatrist who championed the biological tradition in the U.S. and improved hospital care.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)

Therapeutic brain electroshocks used to induce seizures for certain psychiatric conditions.

Insulin shock therapy

Insulin-induced hypoglycemia used historically to treat psychotic patients.

Rauwolfia serpentina (reserpine)

A plant-derived compound used as a major tranquilizer to reduce agitation and psychotic symptoms.

Neuroleptics (major tranquilizers)

Antipsychotic medications that diminish psychotic symptoms and agitation.

Scientist-practitioners

Professionals (psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, etc.) who integrate science and clinical practice.

Clinical description

Describes the specific disorder’s behavior, thoughts, and feelings, plus prevalence, incidence, course, etiology, and treatment.

Prevalence

How many people have a disorder at a given time.

Incidence

How many new cases occur in a given period.

Course

Pattern of onset and progression, including age of onset and sex differences.

Etiology

Origin of a disorder; causes, including biological, psychological, and social factors.

Reliability

Consistency of an assessment or diagnosis across time, tests, or raters.

Validity

Accuracy of a measure; whether a test assesses what it is intended to measure.

Standardization

Applying uniform norms and procedures to testing and scoring.

Clinical Interview

Structured or unstructured interview collecting current/past behavior, thoughts, emotions, and history.

Mental Status Exam (MSE)

Assessment of appearance, behavior, thought processes, mood, intellect, and sensorium.

Neuroimaging

Techniques (e.g., PET, MRI) that visualize brain structure and function.

Neuropsychological testing

Tests assessing cognitive, motor, perceptual, and memory functions to locate brain dysfunction.

EEG

Electroencephalography; measures electrical activity of the brain.

GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder)

Excessive, pervasive worry about everyday events with no obvious cause.

Panic attack

Abrupt, intense surge of fear with physical symptoms (palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness).

Panic disorder

Recurrent panic attacks and ongoing concern about having more attacks.

Agoraphobia

Fear of places where escape would be difficult or embarrassing; can lead to avoidance of public settings.

Specific phobia

Irrational, persistent fear of a specific object or situation.

Animal phobia

Fear of animals or insects; onset often around age 7.

Natural environment phobia

Fear of natural events (storms, heights, etc.); onset around age 7.

Situational phobia

Fear of situations like public transport or enclosed spaces; emerges in adolescence.

Blood-Injection-Injury (BII) phobia

Phobia with distinct physiological responses (fainting); onset around age 9.

Separation Anxiety Disorder

Excessive worry about separation from attachment figures; persistent and developmentally inappropriate.

Social Anxiety Disorder

Marked fear of social or performance situations with scrutiny by others.

PTSD

Persistent stress following trauma, with intrusive memories, avoidance, and arousal.

OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder)

Obsessions (intrusive thoughts) and compulsions (repetitive behaviors) aimed at reducing distress.

Obsessions

Intrusive, unwanted thoughts/images/urges.

Compulsions

Ritualistic or repetitive behaviors performed to reduce distress from obsessions.

Symmetry (OCD obsession/compulsion type)

Necessity for things to be perfectly orderly or 'just right'.

Forbidden thoughts (OCD type)

Intrusive fears of harming self or others; repetitive checking.

Contamination (OCD type)

Fear of germs or contamination; repetitive cleaning.

Hoarding Disorder

Excessive acquisition and failure to discard possessions, resulting in clutter.

Trichotillomania

Hair-pulling disorder.

Excoriation

Skin-picking disorder.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)

Preoccupation with imagined or slight defects in appearance; distress/impairment.

Somatic Symptom Disorder

Excessive thoughts, feelings, or behaviors related to somatic symptoms causing distress.

Illness Anxiety Disorder

Preoccupation with having or acquiring a serious illness, with mild/no symptoms.

Conversion Disorder

Neurological symptoms (paralysis, blindness) without an organic cause; functional neurological symptom disorder.

Factitious Disorder

Deliberate production or feigning of symptoms to assume the sick role; no clear external gain.

Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder

Episodes of unreality or detachment from self or surroundings.

Dissociative Amnesia

Inability to recall important autobiographical information, often after trauma.

Localized/Selective Amnesia

Memory loss for a specific event or time period.

Generalized Amnesia

Inability to recall identities and life history across broad time.

Dissociative Fugue

Sudden travel or wandering with memory loss for identity or past; often abrupt.

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

Presence of multiple distinct identities or personalities within one person.

Mood disorders

Disorders characterized by disturbances in mood (depression, mania, or both).

Major depressive episode

Severe depressive symptoms for at least two weeks, with anhedonia and functional impairment.

Mania

Abnormally elevated or irritable mood with increased energy; decreased need for sleep; grandiosity.

Hypomania

A milder form of mania lasting at least 4 days without marked impairment.

Unipolar mood disorder

Mood disorder involving depression or mania on a single pole (usually depression).

Bipolar mood disorder

Mood disorder with alternating periods of depression and mania.

Cyclothymic disorder

Chronic fluctuations between mild depression and hypomania for at least 2 years.

Persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia)

Chronic depressive symptoms lasting at least 2 years with few symptom-free periods.

Double depression

Major depressive episodes atop chronic dysthymia.

Specifiers (depressive disorders)

Descriptors that clarify features: psychotic, anxious distress, mixed, melancholic, atypical, catatonic, peripartum, seasonal.

Psychotic Features Specifier

Mood disorder with psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations or delusions.

Anxious distress Specifier

Significant anxiety accompanying a depressive episode.

Mixed Features Specifier

Depressive episodes with manic symptoms or vice versa.

Melancholic Features Specifier

Severe somatic symptoms (e.g., early morning awakening, weight loss, anhedonia) in depression.

Catatonic Features Specifier

Absence of movement or extreme psychomotor symptoms during a depressive episode.

Atypical Features Specifier

Depression with hypersomnia, increased appetite, and reactive mood.

Peripartum Onset Specifier

Depressive or bipolar symptoms around pregnancy and postpartum.

Seasonal Pattern Specifier

Episodes linked to seasons, typically improving in spring/summer (SAD).

Peripartum depression

Depression occurring during pregnancy or after childbirth (13-19% of new mothers).

Grief (acute, integrated, complicated)

Bereavement responses ranging from acute grief to integrated adjustment, with possible complications.

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)

Severe mood and physical symptoms in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle.

Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder

Diagnosis in youth; chronic irritability and frequent temper outbursts.

Bipolar I disorder

Bipolar disorder with full manic episodes, often with depressive episodes.

Bipolar II disorder

Bipolar disorder with hypomanic episodes and major depressive episodes.

Cyclothymic disorder

Chronic mood fluctuations between hypomanic and depressive symptoms not meeting full criteria.

Lithium carbonate

Mood stabilizer commonly used to treat bipolar disorder.

Antidepressants (SSRIs, SNRIs, TCAs, MAOIs)

Medications that regulate mood; varied mechanisms across classes (e.g., SSRIs).

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)

Medical treatment using controlled brain seizures; effective for severe depression. (Listed again as a treatment option.)

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Therapy combining cognitive and behavioral techniques to address faulty thinking and behavior.

Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT)

Therapy focusing on improving interpersonal relationships to reduce depressive symptoms.

Suicide ideation

Thoughts about self-harm or ending one’s life.

Suicidal plans

Formulation of a specific method for killing oneself.

Suicidal attempts

Engagement in actions with at least some risk of death to try to end life.

Suicidal intent

Plan and desire to die, often with means and premeditation.

Reliability (clinical assessment)

Consistency of a measurement across time or raters.

Validity (clinical assessment)

Accuracy of a measurement in capturing the intended construct.