DC Psychology Ch. 14 Part 2

biochemical abnormality

Disturbance in brain’s chemical systems or in the brain’s neurotransmitters; biochemical explanations of schizophrenia have focused on excessive amounts of dopamine and glutamate

dopamine

neurotransmitter involved with emotions and muscle movement; works in the limbic system; may be related to schizophrenia

computed tomography (CT) scan

computer enhanced x-ray of brain or body; CT scans show schizophrenic brains as having wider surface fissures

magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan

computer enhanced three-dimensional image of brain or body; based on magnetic field; MRIs show schizophrenic brains as having enlarged

positron emission tomography (PET) scan

computer-generated color image of brain activity; radioactive sugar solution is injected into the brain: activity is abnormally low in frontal lobes of schizophrenics

organic psychosis

psychosis caused by brain injury or disease

dementia

most common organic psychosis; serious mental impairment in old age accused by brain deterioration; known as at times senility

alzheimer’s disease

most common cause of dementia; symptoms include impaired memory, confusion, and progressive loss of mental abilities; Ronald Reagan is one of the most famous Alzheimer’s victims

erotomanic type

in this disorder, people have erotic delusions that they are loved by another person, especially by someone famous or of higher status; some celebrity stalkers suffer from erotomania

grandiose type

in this case people suffer from the delusion that they have some great, unrecognizable talent, knowledge, or insight; they may also believe that they have a special relationship with an important person or with God or that they are a famous person (if the famous person is alive, the deluded person regards her or him as an imposter)

persecutory type

delusions of persecution involve belief that you are being conspired against, cheated, spied on, followed, poisoned, maligned, or harassed

somatic type

people suffering from somatic delusions typically believe that their bodies are diseased or rotting, or infested, with insects or parasites, or that parts of their bodies are defective

stress disorder

occurs when streses outside range of normal human experience cause major emotional disturbance. Symptoms include reliving traumatic event repeatedly, avoiding reminders of the event, and numbing of emotions

acute stress disorder

psychological disturbance lasting up to one month following stresses from a traumatic event

acute stress

symptoms last less than 1 month

dissociative amnesia

inability to recall one’s name, address, or past; memory loss is partial or complete for personal information

dissociative fugue

sudden travel away from home and confusion about personal identity

hypochondriasis

person is preoccupied with fears of having a serious illness or disease; interpret normal sensations and bodily signs as proof that they have a terrible disease; no physical disorder can be found

somatization disorder

person expresses anxieties through numerous physical complaints; many doctors are consulted, but no organic or physical cause can be found

pain disorder

pain that has no identifiable organic, physical cause, but appears to have psychological origin

conversion disorder

severe emotional conflicts are “converted” into physical symptoms or a physical disability; caused by anxiety or emotional distress but not by physical causes

glove anesthesia

loss of sensitivity in areas of skin normal covered by a glove

munchausen syndrome

an affected person fakes the medical problems of themselves in order to gain attention; also called factitious disorder

munchausen by proxy disorder

an affected person fakes the medical problems of someone in his or her care in order to gain attention; also called factitious disorder

exaggerating existing symptoms

even when an actual medical or psychological condition exists, they may exaggerate symptoms to appear sicker or more impaired that is true

making up histories

they may give loved ones, health care professionals, or support groups a false medical history, such as claiming to have had cancer or AIDS or they may falsify medical records to indicate an illness

faking symptoms

they may fake symptoms, such as stomach pain, seizures or passing out

causing self-harm

they may make themselves sick, for example, by injecting themselves with bacteria, milk, gasoline, or feces; they may injure, cut or burn themselves; they may take medication, such as blood thinners or drugs for diabetes, to mimic diseases; they may also interfere with wound healing such as reopening of infecting or infecting cuts

tampering

they may manipulate medical instrument to skew results, such as heating up thermometers, tamper with lab tests, such as contaminating their urine samples with blood or other substances

avoidance learning

when making a particular response delays or prevents the onset of a painful or unpleasant stimulus

anxiety reduction hypothesis

when reward of immediate relief from anxiety perpetuates self-defeating avoidance behaviors

cognitive

when distorted thinking causes people to magnify ordinary threats and failures. leading to anxiety and distress

ASPP definition

a person who lacks a conscience (superego); typically, emotional shallow, impulsive, selfish, and manipulative toward others; often called psychopaths or sociopaths

antisocial personality disorder

difficult to treat, but there is NOT a decline in antisocial behavior a year or two after adolescence; create a good first impression and are often charming; they may cheat their way through life; they are blind to signs of disgust in other people; possibly caused by neglect, physical abuse, and under arousal of the brain; very difficult to effectively treat; will lie, charm, and manipulate their way through therapy

mass murder

four or more murders occurring during a particular event with no “cooling-off” period between the murders; this murder typically occurs in a single location in which a number of victims are killed by an individual or more; these murderers have a clear agenda; higher the death toll means the better the job was done; typically ends with death of perpetrator either by suicide or killed by law enforcement

cooling-off period

a time-out from murder for a serial killer; during this time, a serial killer disappears from the public eye and resumes his/her seemingly normal routine and life; serial predators reemerge from a cooling-off period to strike again when the urge to kill becomes overwhelming to them; a serial killer may not even understand his/her compulsion to kill but knows that it is both undeniable to uncontrollable when the urge arises

spree murderers

much like a serial killer; characteristics- kills more that one person at two or more locations, happens quickly (with no cooling off period), killer is constantly moving (hiding, running, planning) and often ends with suicide

serial killer

a series of three or more killings, not less than one of which was committed within the United States; having common characteristics such as to suggest the reasonable possibility that the crimes were committed by the same unub (unidentified subject)

common serial killer profile

a caucasian male, between the ages of 18-40, likely a victim of child abuse, and has exhibited signs of the “homicidal triad”

homicidal triad

also called the Triad of Sociopathy or the McDonald Triad; includes animal abuse, arson, and bed wetting past toddler age

the aura phase

where the killer begins losing grip on reality

the trolling phase

when the killer searches for a victim

the wooing phase

where the killer lures his victim in

the capture phase

where the victim is entrapped

the murder or totem phase

the emotional high for killers

the depression phase

which occurs after the killing; when this sets in, it triggers the phases into beginning again

modus operandi

method of operations

signature

the murderer’s psychological calling card; unusual characteristics of a murder that are repeated at several crime scenes

necrophilia

sex with the dead

cannibalism

eating human parts

Jefrey Dahmer

22 on scale of evil, sentenced to 937 years, necrophilia and cannibalism,

Ted Bundy

went to Chi Omega at Florida State

David Ray Parker

toy box killer, 22 on scale of evil, $100,000 toy box, daughter captured victims for him

BTK

bind, torture, kill

organized crime scenes

planned, victim targeted, personalizes victims, controlled conversations, controlled crime scene, submissive victim, restraints used, aggressive acts, body is moved, weapon is taken, little evidence

disorganized crime scenes

spontaneous event, victim unknown, depersonalizes victim, minimal conversation, chaotic crime scene, sudden violence, no restraints, sex after death, body not moved, weapon left, physical evidence

trophies or souvenirs

jewelry, clothing, drivers license, or body parts

John Wayne Gacy

killed homosexual boys

Jack the Ripper

to this day, he/she is unidentified

Zodiac Killer

America’s unsolved serial killer

adjustment disorders

when ongoing stressors cause emotional disturbance and push people beyond their ability to effectively cope

panic disorder w/ agoraphobia

a chronic stat of anxiety and brief moments of sudden panic; the person fears that these panic attacks will occur in public places or unfamiliar situations

panic disorder w/o agoraphobia

a chronic state of anxiety with brief moments of sudden, intense, unexpected panic (panic attack)

agoraphobia w/ panic disorder

intense, irrational fear that a panic attack will occur in a public place or in an unfamiliar situation

agoraphobia w/o panic disorder

fear that something extremely embarrassing will happen if one leaves the house or enters unfamiliar situations

psychodynamic (freud)

anxiety caused by conflicts among id, ego and superego; anxiety disorder that is the end result of a loss of meaning

Gypsy Rose Blanchard

a victim of munchausens by proxy disorder, daughter of Dee Dee Blanchard, sentenced to 10 years

Dee Dee Blanchard

had munchausens syndrome, mother of Gypsy Rose Blanchard

Charles Manson

convicted serial killer; cult leader; believed that he did not kill anyone but he commanded the killings

Dr. Kevorkian

also known as Dr. Death; assisted suicide

Rodney Alcala

was on the show The Dating Game

post traumatic stress disorder

last more than 1 month