Learn: PSY 350 Mini Exam #1

What is a mental disorder?

A syndrome characterized by clinically significant disturbance in cognition, emotion regulation, or behavior reflecting dysfunction in psychological, biological, or developmental processes.

What are the four criteria to determine if something is a mental disorder?

Deviance, Distress, Dysfunction, and Danger.

What percentage of adults have a mental illness according to recent data?

More than 1 in 5 adults.

What was the ancient view of abnormal behavior?

It was regarded as the work of evil spirits.

What treatment methods were used in ancient societies for mental disorders?

Exorcism and trephination.

What did Hippocrates believe about illnesses?

He believed that illnesses had natural causes related to humors.

What were common treatments during the Greek and Roman period?

Blood letting, quiet life, vegetable diet, temperance, exercise, and celibacy.

What significant change occurred during the Renaissance regarding mental health?

The rise of asylums and the belief that the mind could be sick like the body.

What was the moral treatment movement in the 19th century?

A movement focused on treating people with respect and dignity.

Who is considered the Father of American psychiatry?

Benjamin Rush.

What are the two main origins of psychopathology identified in the early 20th century?

Somatogenic (physical origins) and Psychogenic (psychological origins).

What is deinstitutionalization?

The process of reducing the population of mental hospitals and increasing outpatient care.

What types of mental health professionals exist?

Clinical psychologists, counseling psychologists, school psychologists, psychiatrists, counselors, social workers, and marriage and family therapists.

What role does technology play in mental health today?

It introduces new triggers for abnormal behavior and provides new treatment methods like tele-health and mental health apps.

What is managed care in the context of mental health?

Insurance determines care issues and coverage, often leading to lower reimbursements for mental disorders compared to medical disorders.

What is a case study in psychological research?

A detailed examination of a person's life and psychological problems.

What is the correlation method in psychological research?

A method that examines the relationship between two variables to see if they co-occur.

What does experimental research involve?

Actively manipulating the environment to observe effects on dependent variables.

What is an independent variable in research?

The variable that is manipulated or changed in an experiment.

What is the significance of the DSM-5 in defining mental disorders?

It provides standardized criteria for diagnosing mental disorders.

What is the importance of assessing case studies?

They provide new ideas and initial support for theories of behavior but can be biased and not generalizable.

What is the role of tele-health in mental health treatment?

It allows patients to receive mental health services remotely, increasing accessibility.

What are psychotropic medications?

Medications used to treat mental disorders, including antipsychotic, antidepressant, and antianxiety drugs.

What historical treatment method involved drilling holes in the head?

Trephination, used to release evil spirits.

What does the term 'moral treatment' refer to?

A 19th-century approach to mental health care that emphasized treating patients with respect.

What is the significance of the NIMH's finding on mental health prevalence?

It suggests that about 1 in 3 college students may struggle with mental health issues.

What is a dependent variable?

The variable that is observed in an experiment, such as depressive symptoms.

What is the purpose of an experimental control?

To ensure that experimental and control groups are identical except for the independent variable.

What are confounding variables?

Uncontrolled variables that can influence the dependent variable.

What does internal validity refer to?

The extent to which an experiment is free from confounding variables.

What is random assignment in experiments?

A method that gives each participant an equal chance of being assigned to any group.

What are randomized controlled trials (RCTs)?

Studies that compare the efficiency of a treatment with a control condition using random assignment.

What are expectancy effects?

When participants figure out the experiment, potentially biasing the results.

How can expectancy effects be reduced?

Through deception, using placebos, and blinding participants and experimenters.

What is external validity?

The degree to which results can be generalized to real-world situations.

What is qualitative research?

Research that uses words, not numbers, to describe the meaning of lived experiences.

What are models or paradigms in mental health?

Frameworks used by scientists and clinicians to explain events and guide treatment techniques.

What are the theoretical paradigms of abnormality?

Biological, psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, humanistic-existential, and sociocultural.

What does the biological model focus on?

Brain circuits, brain chemistry, and genetics as sources of dysfunction.

What are the three leading biological treatments today?

Drug therapy, psychosurgery, and brain stimulation.

What role does dopamine play in mental health?

Linked to movement, pleasure, and addictions; triggered by incentives and rewards.

What is the function of serotonin?

Regulates mood, appetite, sleep, and inhibits impulses like worrying and anger.

What is the psychodynamic paradigm?

A perspective that behavior is determined by unconscious psychological forces.

What are the components of the mind according to Freud?

Id, ego, and superego, with conscious and unconscious thoughts.

What is the goal of psychodynamic treatment?

To make the unconscious conscious through talk therapy.

What is the behavioral treatment approach?

Focuses on learning problematic behaviors through classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and modeling.

What does cognitive treatment emphasize?

The idea that thoughts cause emotions and behaviors.

What is the significance of cognitive evaluations in mental health?

How we cognitively evaluate our experiences matters.

What is 'all or nothing thinking'?

Seeing things in only two categories, such as viewing oneself as a complete failure if not perfect.

What does overgeneralization refer to in cognitive distortions?

Making a general rule based on a single event or piece of evidence, such as feeling rejected after one rejection.

What is the goal of humanistic therapy?

To become a 'fully functioning' person with self-acceptance and trust in one's inner guide.

What are 'conditions of worth'?

Believing one is valuable only if they meet certain conditions or standards.

What is congruence in psychotherapy?

Genuineness or realness; a lack of inner conflict.

Define unconditional positive regard.

Acceptance and caring towards a client, regardless of their circumstances.

What is the difference between congruence and incongruence?

Congruence is when there is little discrepancy between who we are and who we wish to be; incongruence is when there is a large discrepancy.

What is existentialism in the context of mental health?

A philosophy that addresses the meaning of life and the anxiety that can arise from questioning life's value.

What is an existential crisis?

A period of questioning life's meaning or value, often accompanied by feelings of emptiness and confusion.

What does the sociocultural paradigm emphasize in mental health?

The interconnectedness of family members and how changes in one affect the entire system.

What is the focus of family systems therapy?

To treat the family system as a whole rather than focusing on the individual.

How does feminism and multiculturalism influence mental health?

Cultural and societal pressures, including prejudice and discrimination, impact mental health.

What is the purpose of a Mental Status Exam?

To assess a patient's physical appearance, grooming, dress, posture, eye contact, and orientation to reality.

What are the four orientation questions in a Mental Status Exam?

Who are you? Where are you? What time is it? What is today's date? Why are you here?

What are the three categories of clinical assessment tools?

Clinical interviews, tests, and observations.

What is the limitation of clinical interviews?

They may lack validity or accuracy unless standardized and can be affected by interviewer bias.

What are objective tests in psychological assessment?

Standardized measures that have objective answers.

What is the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)?

A widely used personality inventory consisting of 335 true/false items.

What is the purpose of the MMPI-3?

To provide an empirical test for assessing personality traits.

What is the purpose of administering items in clinical assessments?

To compare answers of different groups, such as depressed vs. not depressed.

What does low face validity indicate in a test?

It suggests that the items do not relate to each other or measure what they appear to measure.

What are the 10 clinical scales used in psychological assessments?

Hypochondriasis, Depression, Conversion Hysteria, Psychopathic Deviate, Masculinity-Femininity, Paranoia, Psychasthenia, Schizophrenia, Hypomania, Social Introversion.

What is the score range for the clinical scales?

Scores range from 0 to 120.

What are the strengths of personality inventories?

They are easy, cheap, fast, objectively scored, and standardized.

What is a limitation of personality inventories?

They are not highly valid and do not account for cultural differences.

What do response inventories focus on?

One specific area of functioning, such as mood or social skills.

What is the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)?

An affective response inventory that assesses mood.

What are psychophysiological tests used for?

To measure physiological responses as indicators of psychological problems.

What are some examples of physiological responses measured in psychophysiological tests?

Heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, galvanic skin response, and muscle contraction.

What is the purpose of neurological tests?

To directly assess brain function by observing brain structure and activity.

What are some methods used in neurological testing?

EEG, PET scans, CT scans, MRI, and fMRI.

What do intelligence tests measure?

They indirectly measure intellectual ability through verbal and nonverbal assessments.

What is a significant strength of intelligence tests?

They are highly standardized and have very high reliability and validity.

What is a weakness of projective tests?

They often have weak reliability and validity and can be biased against minority groups.

What are the two types of clinical observations?

Naturalistic observations and analogue observations.

What are the characteristics of good assessment tools?

Standardized, reliable, and valid.

What does predictive validity measure?

How accurately a tool predicts future characteristics or behavior.

What is the DSM-5?

A classification system used to diagnose psychological disorders.

What are the strengths of the DSM-5-TR?

It is considered valid and continues to improve, with the addition of dimensional information.

What are some problems associated with the DSM-5?

Pathologizing normal reactions to stressors, reliance on clinical judgment, and potential for stigmatization.

What factors influence treatment decisions in clinical settings?

Therapist's theoretical orientation, client's presenting problems, current research, and therapist's competencies.