Psychopathology WEEK 1.5

What is psychopathology?

The scientific study of psychological disorders

What is a psychological disorder?

A condition involving psychological dysfunction that causes clinically significant distress or impairment and/or involves behavior that is not typical or culturally expected.

What is psychological dysfunction?

A breakdown in cognitive, emotional, or behavioral functioning.

What are some things considered when deciding whether behavior is a psychological disorder?

Psychological dysfunction, distress, impairment in functioning, and whether the behavior is typical or culturally expected.

A psychological dysfunction is a breakdown in ________, ________, or ________ functioning

cognitive, emotional, behavioral

A psychological disorder involves behavior or responses that may not be ________ or culturally expected

typical

What does distress mean in psychopathology?

Significant emotional suffering or discomfort

What is distress tolerance?

The ability to handle or cope with distress without becoming overwhelmed.

What is the window of tolerance?

The range of emotional arousal in which a person can function effectively.

What does impairment mean?

Difficulty functioning normally in important areas of life.

What are examples of impairment mentioned in the lecture?

Avoiding parties, freezing during public speaking, never leaving home, being unable to address basic needs, or being unable to carry out activities of daily living

What are ADLs?

Activities of Daily Living — basic activities needed to take care of yourself.

Does unusual behavior automatically mean someone has a psychological disorder?

No. Behavior must be considered in its cultural and situational context.

Why is culture important when identifying abnormal behavior?

A behavior that seems unusual in one culture may be normal or expected in another.

What is one problem with defining abnormal behavior simply as "behavior that is different"?

Being different from the average does not automatically mean something is psychologically disordered

Note: The lecture gives examples such as not eating for long periods, avoiding caffeine, harming yourself, binge drinking, and killing to demonstrate that behavior needs to be considered carefully rather than simply labeled "normal" or "abnormal."

Does being common or average automatically mean a behavior is healthy?

no

What does "deviation from the average" mean?

Behavior that differs from what most people do.

Why can't we define psychological disorders only by what is average?

Something can be uncommon without being unhealthy, and something common can still be harmful

Is behavior always simply normal or abnormal?

No. Behavior exists on a spectrum.

Think:

Normal ←────────────→ Abnormal

There isn't always one exact point where behavior suddenly changes from "normal" to "abnormal."

What does it mean that everything is on a spectrum?

Psychological characteristics can vary in degree rather than fitting into only two categories.

What is the fallacy of a single cause?

The mistake of assuming that a psychological disorder has only one cause.

Remember: Psychological disorders can involve multiple contributing factors, rather than one simple cause.

Who studies psychopathology?

Researchers and mental health practitioners.

What types of practitioners are mentioned in the lecture?

Psychologists, clinical social workers, counselors, psychiatrists, and psychiatric nurses.

What is a scientist-practitioner?

A professional who uses both scientific research and clinical practice.

Why might psychopathology be difficult to study scientifically?

Thoughts and emotions cannot always be directly observed or measured like physical objects.

What is the scientific method used for?

To systematically investigate questions, collect evidence, analyze data, and draw conclusions

Main steps from the lecture:

1. Observe and collect data

2. Analyze data

3. Draw conclusions

Why is collecting data important in science?

It provides evidence that can be analyzed instead of relying only on opinions or assumptions.

What does falsifiability mean?

A hypothesis must be testable in a way that could potentially show that it is wrong.

Does failing to disprove a hypothesis prove that it is true?

NO.

Easy example:

If someone says:

“Santa exists”

You can't prove Santa exists simply because you haven't proven that he doesn't.

Not disproven ≠

proven true

main idea behind falsifiability in the lecture

It emphasizes that scientific claims must be structured so they can be tested and potentially refuted, ensuring rigorous evaluation.

What is a clinical description?

A description of the important characteristics and features of a person's psychological problem

What is a presenting issue?

The problem or symptoms that bring someone to seek professional help.

What is diagnosis?

Identifying and classifying a psychological disorder based on its characteristics.

What does "spectrum vs. categorical" refer to?

Whether a disorder is viewed as existing along a range of severity or as belonging to a specific category.

What is prevalence?

How common a disorder is within a population.

Prevalence =

How many people have it?

What does "course" mean in psychopathology?

How a disorder develops and changes over time

What does chronic mean?

A condition that continues for a long period of time.

What does episodic mean?

A condition that occurs in separate episodes, with periods between them.

What does time-limited mean?

A condition that lasts for a specific period and then ends.

What does acute onset mean?

Symptoms begin suddenly or relatively quickly.

What does insidious onset mean?

Symptoms develop gradually and may be difficult to notice at first.

What is prognosis?

The expected course or outcome of a disorder

A disorder that begins suddenly has an ________ onset.

acute

A disorder that develops gradually has an ________ onset.

insidious

The expected outcome or course of a disorder is called its ________.

prognosis

Throughout history, people have had different ideas about where psychological disorders come from.

The lecture discusses three major models:

1. Supernatural model

2. Biological/Biomedical model

3. Psychobiological model

What did the supernatural model believe caused psychological problems?

Supernatural forces such as divinities, demons, and spirits

What other concept was included in some supernatural explanations?

astronomy

What does the biological/biomedical model focus on?

Physiological or biological causes of psychological problems

What does "physiological only" mean?

Explaining psychological problems primarily through physical or biological processes

What was one difficulty with the biological model?

It struggled to produce empirical evidence for biological explanations of psychological disorders

Example:

Researchers might try to find a biological source of depression

Historical Treatments

What was trephination?

Removing or cutting a small part of the skull.

Historical Treatments

What was bloodletting?

Removing blood from the body as a treatment.

Historical Treatments

What was purging?

Attempting to remove substances from the body as a treatment.

Historical Treatments

How were leeches used historically?

They were used for bloodletting

Historical Treatments

What was isolation?

Separating people from others as a form of treatment

Historical Treatments

What was insulin coma therapy?

A historical treatment involving inducing a coma using insulin.

Historical Treatments

What were shock therapies?

Treatments that used induced physical shocks as part of psychiatric treatment.

Historical Treatments

What was hydrotherapy?

A historical treatment involving the use of water.

Historical Treatments

What was a lobotomy?

A procedure involving removal or disruption of connections involving the prefrontal cortex and frontal lobes.

What does the psychobiological model emphasize?

The interaction between the mind and body.

What does the psychobiological model recognize that the biological model may overlook?

Psychosocial influences

What are psychosocial influences?

Factors involving psychological processes and social/environmental experiences.

What was moral therapy?

An approach that emphasized more humane treatment and the importance of treating people with respect and care.

What happened to moral therapy during asylum reform?

It declined as the asylum system became increasingly overburdened.

What problem developed in the asylum system?

The system became overburdened.

Overburdened means having too much work, responsibility, or weight to handle comfortably.

What does "efficient > effective" mean in this historical context?

The system began prioritizing efficiency and managing large numbers of people rather than providing effective individualized care.

What problems were associated with the overburdened asylum system?

Isolation, restraints, and forced overmedicating.

Who was Dorothea Dix?

An important figure in mental health reform.

What movement was Dorothea Dix associated with?

The mental hygiene movement.

What did the mental hygiene movement promote?

Improved standards of care, prevention, and promotion of mental health.

What is psychoanalysis?

A psychological theory and approach developed around understanding unconscious processes, inner conflicts, personality, and defense mechanisms.

What did psychoanalysis propose about the mind?

Different parts of the mind and personality can conflict with one another.

What are defense mechanisms?

Ways the mind protects itself from uncomfortable or unacceptable thoughts, feelings, or conflicts.

What did psychoanalysis propose about psychosexual development?

That different stages of development contribute to inner conflicts.

What are the three parts of Freud's personality structure?

Id, ego, and superego.

Id =

"I want it!"
Wants immediate satisfaction.

Ego =

"Let's be realistic"
Deals with reality

Superego =

"Is this right or wrong?

Represents rules and standards.

What three levels of consciousness are associated with Freud's theory in the lecture?

Conscious, subconscious, and unconscious mind

What is the unconscious mind?

Mental processes outside conscious awareness

Psychoanalytic Treatments

What is catharsis?

The release or expression of emotions.

Psychoanalytic Treatments

What is free association?

A technique in which a person expresses thoughts as they come to mind.

Psychoanalytic Treatments

What is the "talking cure"?

Using conversation and verbal expression as part of psychological treatment

Psychoanalytic Treatments

What are projective tests?

Psychological tests designed to reveal underlying thoughts or feelings through responses to ambiguous material

Psychoanalytic Treatments

What is dream analysis?

Analyzing dreams to explore possible unconscious thoughts or conflicts.

Defense Mechanisms

What is denial?

Refusing to acknowledge an aspect of reality or personal experience that is apparent to others.

Easy example:
Someone has clear evidence that something happened but insists it didn't.

Defense Mechanisms

What is displacement?

Transferring feelings or a response from the original source onto a less threatening person or object.

Easy example:
You're angry at your boss but take your frustration out on someone safer, like a family membe

Defense Mechanisms

What is projection?

Attributing your own unacceptable feelings, thoughts, or impulses to someone else.

Easy example:
Someone who is jealous accuses another person of being jealous.

Defense Mechanisms

What is rationalization?

Creating reassuring or self-serving explanations that hide the true motivation behind thoughts, feelings, or actions.

Easy example:
"I didn't really want that job anyway" after being rejected.

Defense Mechanisms

What is reaction formation?

Expressing thoughts, feelings, or behaviors that are the opposite of unacceptable ones.

Easy example:
Someone strongly dislikes another person but acts extremely friendly toward them.

Defense Mechanisms

What is repression?

Blocking disturbing wishes, thoughts, or experiences from conscious awareness

Defense Mechanisms

What is sublimation?

Directing potentially maladaptive feelings or impulses into socially acceptable behavior.

Easy example:
Turning intense anger into exercise or another socially acceptable activity

Freud's Psychosexual Stages

What is the oral stage?

The first psychosexual stage, occurring from infancy to about age 2.

Freud's Psychosexual Stages

What is the anal stage?

The stage occurring approximately from 15 months to 3 years

Freud's Psychosexual Stages

What is the phallic stage?

The stage occurring approximately from 3 to 6 years

Freud's Psychosexual Stages

What is the latency stage?

The stage occurring from about age 6 until puberty

Freud's Psychosexual Stages

What is the genital stage?

The stage beginning at puberty and continuing through adulthood/death

Freud's psychosexual stages occur in this order: ________, ________, ________, ________, and ________

Oral, Anal, Phallic, Latency, Genital