psych

Anxiety Disorders

Distressing, persistent anxiety or maladaptive behaviors that reduce anxiety.

Generalized anxiety disorder

continually tense and uneasy for no apparent reason

Panic disorder

sudden intense dread (Tony Soprano)

Phobias

irrational avoidance of a specific object or situation (snakes, heights, crowds)

Obsessive-compulsive disorder

unwanted repetitive thoughts (obsessions) and/or actions (compulsions)

compulsions reduce anxiety caused by_____

obsessions

How do anxiety disorders develop? (Learning perspective)

Fear conditioning, Stimulus generalization, Reinforcement , and Observational learning

How do anxiety disorders develop? (Biological Perspective)

Evolution (What we developed over time), Genes, and Physiology (unusually high frontal lobe activity)

Schizophrenia

Disorganized and delusional thinking, disturbed perceptions, and inappropriate emotions and actions.

positive symptoms of schizophrenia

hallucinations, delusions, bizarre behavior, incoherence, disassociated thoughts, and illogicality

negative symptoms of schizophrenia

toneless voice, expressionless face, rigid posture, blunted affect, apathy, social withdrawal

Causes of Schizophrenia? (Brain Abnormalities)

Dopamine overactivity, Brain anatomy (low frontal lobe activity, thalamus, shrunken brain tissue), Maternal virus during pregnancy, Genetics (identical twins have a 50% chance of being schizophrenic if their twin is), and Psychological factors (stress)

Mood Disorders

Depression, Manic, and Bipolar

Depression

feelings of worthlessness, decreased pleasure and interest, depressed mood

Manic episode

hyperactive, wildly optimistic state

Bipolar disorder

alternating between depression and mania

Causes of Mood Disorders (Biological influences)

Genetics, the brain (low levels of serotonin and norepinephrine (drugs like Prozac, Zoloft, and Paxil increase serotonin)), less active brains and hippocampus

Causes of Mood Disorders (Social-cognitive perspective)

outlook on life can influence your mood, Vicious cycle (negative thoughts create negative moods and negative moods create negative thoughts)

personality disorders

Behavior patterns that impair social functioning (or example, histrionic, narcissistic, and borderline personality disorders)

Antisocial personality disorder (psychopath)

Lack of conscience, maybe ruthless, aggressive, con-artist, and very charming (As young children, antisocial adolescents tended to be impulsive, uninhibited, unconcerned with social rewards, low in anxiety)

Clinical Diagnostic Tools

Interview (client & family/friends), history (family and medical)

, direct observation, IQ Tests (WAIS), personality tests (MMPI, Big Five), projective tests (Rorschach, DAPT), brain Imaging (CAT, PET, MRI), and DSM - IV

DSM-V

a widely used system for classifying psychological disorders (the diagnostic classification, the diagnostic criteria sets, and the descriptive text)

Therapy

Biomedical Therapies, Psychological Therapies, evidence based

Biomedical Therapies

Drug Therapies

Antipsychotics

used to treat schizophrenia through blockade of dopamine receptors

traditional/typical antipsychotics

only relieves positive symptoms through antagonism of dopamine (subtype 2) receptors

other effects of antipsychotics

dizziness, nausea, blurred vision, sexual impotence, motor (Parkinson's symptoms), tardive dyskinesia (chlorpromazine (Thorazine); haloperidol (Haldol))

Why does atypical antipsychotics reduce both positive and negative symptoms without the motor side effects?

Antagonism of dopamine (is not as great and more specific) and serotonin (5HT2) (Examples - clozapine (Clozaril) specific to D4 receptors - can cause agranulocytosis, olanzapine (Zyprexa), Aripiprazole (Abilify))

Other Effects of atypical antipsychotics

sedation, weight gain, constipation (Warnings: 9-14% increase in risk of developing Type II diabetes)

Biomedical

Antianxiety Drugs

Antianxiety Drugs

reduce anxiety, most helpful for generalized anxiety disorder, but really shouldn't be used (Benzodiazepines- Valium, Xanax, Ativan)

Other Effects of antianxiety drugs

lightheadedness, slurred speech, drowsiness, ADDICTION (DO NOT drink with alcohol)

Antidepressanys

SSRI's (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors)

SSRI's (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors)

Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, effect serotonin only, block 5-HT reuptake, increasing amount of 5-HT, most commonly prescribed class of antidepressants, helpful for some depression and anxiety

Prozac (fluoxetine)

5-HT syndrome (can't mix with other antidepressants), Sexual dysfunction - 80% (orgasm, erection, desire, arousal), Pregnancy and breast-feeding, Increased risk of suicide in children/teens and not fatal in overdose

other effects of SSRI's

anxiety, agitation, insomnia, sexual (Concern with all antidepressants: Slow onset of action: 4-6 weeks)

biomedical therapy

New but Old Therapies (Hallucinogen Assisted Therapy LSD, psilocybin, DMT, ketamine, & MDMA have all shown promise for depression, PTSD, addiction (not a prescription. drug is administered during therapy, 1-3 times depending)

biomedical therapy (Electroconvulsive Shock Therapy (ECT))

used to treat severe depression (Treatment occurs in a series (once every 2-3 days for two weeks)), An electric current is run through the brain for 1-2 sec that produces a seizure, an electric current is run through the brain for 1-2 sec that produces a seizure

Electroconvulsive Shock Therapy (ECT) effects

Temporary memory loss, some relapse

biomedical therapy (Deep Brain Stimulation)

Parkinson's, chronic pain, depression, and OCD (invasive)

biomedical therapy (Vagus nerve stimulation)

epilepsy, depression

Vagus nerve stimulation Issues

sleep apnea, affects on throat, invasive

biomedical therapy (transcranial magnetic stimulation)

diagnosis of motor conditions, treatment of neuropathic pain, depression - generates electric current under scalp (about 5 cm) - less invasive

Psychological Therapies

Behavior Therapies, Systematic desensitization

Behavior Therapies

apply learning principles to eliminate unwanted behaviors (Does not deal with the underlying problem)

Classical Conditioning in Therapy

anxiety disorders

Systematic desensitization

an exposure therapy that associates a relaxed state with gradually increasing anxiety-triggering stimuli

Aversive conditioning

replacing a positive response with a negative response (Antabuse and alcohol)

Operant Conditioning

Token economy (giving of rewards for desired behaviors)

Cognitive Therapies

teach people new, more adaptive ways of thinking and acting (negative thinking patterns influence your mental health), ("musterbating", "awfulizing", "catastrophizing")

Cognitive-Behavior Therapies

change self defeating thinking and behavior (Aaron Beck), give homework (e.g. diaries, getting out of the house, exercising, meeting people)

Humanistic Therapies

focus on selffulfillment (past is not important, conscious, responsibility for one's feelings, promote growth)

Carl Roger's Client-Centered Therapy

nondirective (genuineness, acceptance, and empathy, Active-listening, Ideal and actual selves)

Psychoanalysis - (Freud)

bring repressed childhood feelings into conscious awareness

Psychodynamic

understanding of current symptoms by exploring childhood (face-to-face, fewer sessions, deemphasizes sexual conflict)

eclectic

made up of a variety of sources or styles

Group and Family Therapy

A method of therapy which views a relationship as a system. The therapist guides the clients to improve communication among people in their life.

Social Relations

Prejudice - "prejudgment" - unjustifiable and usually negative attitude towards a group

Social Roots of Prejudice

Social Inequality, Ingroup (Us) and Outgroup (Them),

ingroup bias

tendency to favor one's own group

Scapegoating

blaming is an outlet for anger (e.g. - Saddam Hussein, Nazis and Jews)

Cognitive Roots of Prejudice

stereotypes come from how we cognitively simplify the world (Categorization - we overestimate the similarity of people within groups different from our own)

Vivid Cases

easily remembered and can bias judgments (e.g. Rodney King, Muslims are terrorists)

Just-World Phenomenon

the tendency for people to believe the world is just and that people therefore get what they deserve and deserve what they get

Social Thinking

attributing behavior to persons or to situations

Fundamental attribution error

the tendency for observers, when analyzing another's behavior, to underestimate the impact of the situation and to overestimate the impact of personal disposition (e.g. Napolitan & Goethels (1979))

Attitudes will guide behaviors if:

Outside influences are minimal, The attitude is specifically relevant to the behavior, We are keenly aware of our attitudes (e.g. - Deiner mirror studies)

Behaviors will guide attitudes if:

foot-in-the-door phenomenon (tendency for people who agree to a small action to comply later with a larger one), role-playing, and cognitive dissonance theory

Cognitive dissonance theory

we act to reduce the discomfort (dissonance) we feel when two of our thoughts (cognitions) are inconsistent.

social influence

the ability to control another person's behavior (Conformity - Asch (1955) line measuring experiments)

Obedience

Milgram's shock experiments (63% delivered highest shock of 450 volts

-65% delivered highest shock with learner who reported a "heart problem"

-93% delivered highest shock when someone else was pushing the buttons)

Group Influence

ways in which group members influence attitudes, behaviors, and opinions of others within the group

Social Facilitation

- improved performance of tasks in the presence of others (simple tasks)

Social loafing

people in a group tend to exert less effort

Deindividuation

loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity (e.g. - women with hoods (Zimbardo, 1970), Puerto Rican pride parade)

Group polarization

enhancement of a group's attitudes through discussion within the group

Groupthink

the mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives (e.g. Challenger explosion)

The Scientific Method

theory, hypothesis, operational definition, replication

Theory

Explanation that organizes and predicts observations.

Hypothesis

Specific, testable prediction.

Operational Definitions

The procedures used in the research

Replication

Repeating a study to see if the original findings generalize to other participants and situations.

Research Strategies (Description)

Case Study, Survey, Naturalistic Observation (Correlation - statistic used for descriptive or pseudo-exp. studies)

Research Strategies (Experimentation)

An investigator manipulates one or more factors (independent variables) to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process (the dependent variable).

Description - Case Study (Limitations)

Any given individual can be atypical, therefore it becomes easy to make false conclusions.

Description - Survey (Limitations)

sampling errors, response rate. (The best basis for generalizing is not from the exceptional cases at the extremes, but from a representative sample of cases.)

Description -Naturalistic Observation (Limitations)

does not explain behavior

Correlation (Limitations)

Does correlation mean causation?

How do neurons communicate with each other?

the sending neuron releases neurotransmitters across a synapse to the receiving neuron

What is the role of the nucleus accumbens?

part of dopamine reward system

What controls much of your behavior?

hypothalamus

What tools are used by our brain to perceive depth?

Binocular Cues and Monocular Cues

Retinal disparity (Binocular Cues)

The greater the difference between the two images the retina receives of an object, the closer the object is to the viewer.

Convergence (Binocular Cues)

the extent to which the eyes converge inward when looking at an object.

Interposition (Monocular Cues)

object in front blocks

Relative size (Monocular Cues)

if objects same size, the one that casts a smaller retinal image is farther away

Relative motion (Monocular Cues)

As we move stable objects move with us