Abnormal Psych Chapter 3

Model (Paradigm)

A set of assumptions and concepts that help scientists explain and interpret observations

Neuron

A nerve cell

Synapse

The tiny space between the nerve ending of one neuron and the dendrite of another

Neurotransmitter

A chemical that, released by one neuron, crosses the synaptic space to be received at receptors on the dendrites of neighboring neurons

Receptor

A site on a neuron that receives a neurotransmitter

Hormones

The chemicals released by endocrine glands into the bloodstream

Brain Circuit

A network of particular brain structures that work together, triggering each other into action to produce a distinct kind of behavioral, cognitive, or emotional reaction

Genes

Chromosome segments that control the characteristics and traits we inherit

Psychotropic Medications

Drugs that mainly affect the brain and reduce many symptoms of mental dysfunction

Brain Stimulation

Interventions that directly or indirectly stimulate the brain in order to bring about psychological improvement

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)

A biological treatment in which a brain seizure is triggered when an electric current passes through electrodes attached to the patient’s forehead

Psychosurgery

Brain surgery for mental disorders

Id

According to Freud, the psychological force that produces instinctual needs, drives, and impulses

Ego

According to Freud, the psychological force that employs reason and operates in accordance with the reality principle

Ego Defense Mechanisms

According to psychoanalytic theory, strategies developed by the ego to control unacceptable id impulses and to avoid or reduce the anxiety they arouse

Superego

According to Freud, the psychological force that represents a person’s values and ideals

Fixation

According to Freud, a condition in which the id, ego, or superego do not mature properly and are frozen at an early stage of development

Self Theory

The psychodynamic theory that emphasizes the role of the self — our unified personality

Object Relations Theory

The psychodynamic theory that views the desire for relationships as the key motivating force in human behavior

Free Association

A psychodynamic technique in which the patient describes any thought, feeling, or image that comes to mind, even if it seems unimportant

Resistance

An unconscious refusal to participate fully in therapy

Transference

According to psychodynamic theorists, the redirection toward the psychotherapist of feelings associated with important figures in a patient’s life, now or in the past

Dream

A series of ideas and images that form during sleep

Catharsis

The reliving of past repressed feelings in order to settle internal conflicts and overcome problems

Conditioning

A simple form of learning, in order to better understand how behaviors are acquired

Classical Conditioning

A process of learning by temporal association in which two events that repeatedly occur close together in time become fused in a person’s mind and produce the same response

Modeling

A process of learning in which an individual acquires responses by observing and imitating others

Operant Conditioning

A process of learning in which individuals come to behave in certain ways as a result of experiencing consequences of one kind or another whenever they perform the behavior

Exposure Therapy

A behavior-focused intervention in which fearful people are repeatedly exposed to the objects or situations they dread

Self-Actualization

The humanistic process by which people fulfill their potential for goodness and growth

Client-Centered Therapy

The humanistic therapy developed by Carl Rogers in which clinicians try to help clients by conveying acceptance, accurate empathy, and genuineness

Gestalt Therapy

The humanistic therapy developed by Fritz Perls in which clinicians actively move clients toward self-recognition and self-acceptance by using techniques such as role playing and self-discovery exercises

Existential Therapy

A therapy that encourages clients to accept responsibility for their lives and to live with greater meaning and value

Family Systems Theory

A theory that views the family as a system of interacting parts whose interactions exhibit consistent patterns and unstated rules

Group Therapy

A therapy format in which a group of people with similar problems meet together with a therapist to work on those problems

Support Group

A group made up of people with similar problems who help and support one another without the direct leadership of a clinician

Family Therapy

A therapy format in which the therapist meets with all members of a family and helps them to change in therapeutic ways

Couple Therapy

A therapy format in which the therapist works with two people who share a long-term relationship. Also called marital therapy

Community Mental Health Treatment

A treatment approach that emphasizes community care

Multicultural Perspective

The view that each culture within a larger society has a particular set of values and beliefs, as well as special external pressures, that help account for the behavior and functioning of its members

Intersectionality

A multicultural framework that examines how each individual’s membership in multiple cultural groups and social identities — including race, ethnicity, socioeconomic class, gender, and sexual orientation — combines to shape their particular experiences, opportunities, outlook, and functioning

Culture-Sensitive Therapies

Approaches that are designed to help address the unique issues faced by members of cultural minority groups

Gender-Sensitive Therapies

Approaches geared to the pressures of being a female or gender minority in society

Developmental Psychopathology

A perspective that uses a developmental framework to understand how variables and principles from the various models may collectively account for human functioning

Equifinality

The principle that a number of different developmental pathways can lead to the same psychological disorder

Multifinality

The principle that persons with similar developmental histories may nevertheless have different clinical outcomes or react to comparable current situations in very different ways