AP Psych Unit 5 - Vocab Quiz #2

Specific Phobia

Fear of a particular object

Acrophobia

Fear of heights

Arachnophobia

Fear of spiders

Agoraphobia

Fear of entering certain fear-evoking or unfamiliar situations, which often accompany panic attacks… so avoids crowds where attacks could occur

Panic Disorder

Similar to GAD, except they experience a magnified sudden onset (panic attack)

Panic Attack

Shortness of breath, racing heart, numbness or tingling, feels like death

Social Anxiety Disorder

the intense fear of being judged or watched by others

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Prolonged, unexplained, but intense, fears that do not seem to be attached to a particular object

Obsessions

unwanted thoughts

Compulsions

senseless rituals

Obsessive-compulsive disorder

Persistence of unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and urge to engage in senseless rituals (compulsions) that cause distress

Hoarding disorder

persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions because of a perceived need to save them

Dissociative disorders

Characterized by separation of critical parts of the personality (like memory, consciousness or identity) that are normally integrated and work together

Dissociation

like daydreaming or getting lost in the moment while working on a project

Dissociative amnesia

a mental disorder where a person experiences significant gaps in their memory, usually related to a traumatic or stressful event

Dissociative identity disorder

Condition in which a person appears to have 2 or more distinct personalities, each of which can speak, act and write in different ways

Trauma and stressor-related disorders

a group of mental health conditions triggered by exposure to traumatic or stressful events, characterized by persistent symptoms and difficulties in managing stress

Hypervigilance

a state of abnormally heightened alertness and awareness, especially to potential threats or dangers

Flashbacks

a vivid, intrusive recollection of a past traumatic event that feels as if it is happening in the present

Insomnia

persistent difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or both

Emotional detachment

lack of emotional connection with others, or with their own feelings

Hostility

a negative attitude or behavior characterized by antagonism, aggression, and a lack of empathy towards others

Posttraumatic stress disorder

condition that develops after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event, characterized by persistent symptoms like intrusive memories, avoidance behaviors, and hyperarousal

Feeding and eating disorders

a persistent disturbance of eating patterns that leads to poor physical and/or psychological health

Anorexia nervosa

normal-weight person (usually adolescent women) losing (dramatic amounts) weight continuously and yet still feeling overweight

Bulimia nervosa

episodes of overeating, usually of high-calorie foods, followed by vomiting, laxative use, fasting, or excessive exercise

Personality disorders

inflexible and enduring patterns of behavior that impair social functioning

Cluster A (odd or eccentric cluster)

odd or eccentric behaviors and interpersonal difficulties, including paranoid, schizoid, and schizotypal personality disorders

Paranoid personality disorder

characterized by paranoia and a pervasive, long-standing suspiciousness and generalized mistrust of others

Schizoid personality disorder

a pattern of indifference to social relationships, with a limited range of emotional expression and experience

Schizotypal personality disorder

a pattern of social and interpersonal difficulties that includes a sense of discomfort with close relationships, eccentric behavior, and unusual thoughts and perceptions of reality

Cluster B (dramatic, emotional, or erratic cluster)

dramatic, emotional, or erratic behaviors, and include antisocial, borderline, histrionic, and narcissistic personality disorders

Antisocial personality disorder

Lack of empathy, morality; Disobeys laws, ethical rules, lacks conscience; Little or no regard for other people’s feelings; Manipulative, impulsive, lacks sense of guilt; Reckless disregard for safety of self or others; Views the world as hostile and looks out only for themselves; May be charming, personable and friendly

Histrionic personality disorder

characterized by a pattern of excessive attention-seeking emotions, usually beginning in early adulthood, including inappropriately seductive behavior and an excessive need for approval

Narcissistic personality disorder

Have a long-term pattern of abnormal behavior characterized by exaggerated feelings of self-importance, excessive need for admiration, and a lack of empathy.

Borderline personality disorder

marked by an ongoing pattern of varying moods, self-image, and behavior. These symptoms often result in impulsive actions and problems in relationships

Cluster C (anxious or fearful cluster)

characterized by anxious or fearful behaviors, encompassing avoidant, dependent, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorders

Avoidant personality disorder

characterized by feelings of extreme social inhibition, inadequacy, and sensitivity to negative criticism and rejection, causing significant inabilities to maintain relationships in day-to-day life.

Dependent personality disorder

characterized by an inability to be alone, developing symptoms of anxiety when they’re not around others, needing constant reassurance from others to function.

Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder

characterized by a preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and mental and interpersonal control, at the expense of flexibility, openness, and efficiency.

Evidence-based interventions

psychological strategies or treatments that are backed by rigorous scientific research and proven effective in addressing specific issues or conditions

Cultural humility

a lifelong process of self-reflection and critique, encouraging individuals to recognize and challenge their own biases, power imbalances, and assumptions about other cultures, while prioritizing the client's values and worldview

Therapeutic alliance

the bond of trust and mutual understanding between a therapist and client, who work together constructively to overcome the client's problems

Psychotropic medication

drugs that affect mental processes, mood, and behavior by influencing neurotransmitter activity in the brain, used to treat mental health disorders

Nonmaleficence

therapist or psychologist must prioritize their client's well-being, avoiding harm and minimizing negative effects of treatment. (put patient well being first)

Fidelity

therapist must implement treatment consistently and accurately, following the plan while upholding ethics like confidentiality, transparency, and avoiding conflicts of interest

Integrity

Psychologists must uphold honesty, accuracy, and professional standards, ensuring interventions are properly implemented without misleading or harming clients

Respect for people’s rights and dignity

Treat all clients with dignity, respecting their privacy, confidentiality, and right to self-determination

Psychodynamic therapies

techniques include free association and dream interpretation to release previously repressed feelings, allowing the patient to gain self-insight

Free association

a technique where patients are encouraged to verbalize any thoughts, feelings, or memories that come to mind without censorship, aiming to access unconscious material

Dream interpretation

the process of interpreting the hidden meaning of dreams to gain insight into unconscious thoughts, desires, and conflicts

Cognitive therapies

teaches people new, more adaptive ways of thinking

Cognitive restructuring

involves identifying and challenging negative thoughts, then replacing them with more realistic and helpful ones, essentially "reframing" the situation to promote positive changes in thinking and behavior

Fear hierarches

Used primarily in treating anxiety disorders, a fear hierarchy is a graduated list of anxiety-provoking situations, ranging from mild to severe, that a person gradually confronts through exposure therapy to desensitize themselves to their fears

Combating maladaptive thinking

identifying and challenging negative, unhelpful thought patterns (like "I'll always fail") and replacing them with more realistic and positive ones

Cognitive triad

the interconnected negative thoughts people often hold about themselves, their world, and their future, which can perpetuate negative emotions and behaviors

Applied behavior analysis

evidence-based approach that modifies behavior by identifying environmental influences and using techniques like positive reinforcement

Exposure therapies

forcing patients to confront their fears

Systematic desensitization

in a relaxed state  incrementally expose the person to the object of anxiety

Aversion therapies

substitute a negative response with a positive one by pair undesirable behavior with negative stimulus

Token economies

where patients earn points or tokens for exhibiting desired behaviors that can be exchanged for rewards

Biofeedback

using electronic monitoring to help individuals gain awareness and control of physiological functions like heart rate, muscle tension, and skin temperature

Cognitive-behavior therapy

combines the technique of changing one’s thinking with techniques to change one’s actions

Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT)

a confrontational cognitive therapy developed by Albert Ellis that vigorously challenges people’s illogical, self-defeating attitudes and assumptions

Person-centered therapy

therapist listens to the needs of the patient in an accepting and non-judgmental way, addressing his problems in a productive way and building his or her self-esteem

Active listening

echoes, restates, and clarifies patient’s thinking, acknowledging expressed feelings

Unconditional positive regard

a caring, accepting, nonjudgmental attitude for their clients

Group therapy

normally consists of 6-9 people and a 90-minute session which can help more people and cost less. Clients benefit from knowing others have similar problems

Hypnosis

a therapist induces a trance-like state in a client to access subconscious thoughts and behaviors, aiming to modify unwanted patterns or alleviate psychological

Psychoactive medication

substances that cause changes in the normal activities of the central nervous system

Antidepressants

Elevate arousal and mood

Antianxiety drugs

Depress central nervous system activity

Lithium

usually effective in reducing manic activity; levels emotional highs and lows

Antipsychotic medications

Calm hallucinations and delusions

Tardive dyskinesia

lowering of white blood cell count, weight gain

Lesioning

areas of the brain are intentionally damaged/removed through surgery to alleviate severe symptoms of a psychological disorder by disrupting abnormal neural pathways

TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation)

Application of repeated pulses of magnetic energy to the brain to depress or stimulate brain activity

Electroconvulsive therapy

Use of brief electrical currents on targeted areas of a patient’s brain

Lobotomy

severs nerves between frontal lobe and centers of inner brain structures

Dialectical behavior therapy

a type of psychotherapy, helps individuals manage intense emotions, improve interpersonal skills, and reduce self-harm behaviors, particularly those with borderline personality disorder, by combining acceptance and change strategies

Psychosurgery

brain surgery performed to treat mental disorders, often involving the severing or ablation of brain tissue to alter effective or cognitive states