Psych Exam 3

acute stress

sudden onset of demands experienced as emotional upset, tension headaches, and gastrointestinal disturbances

episodic acute stress

repeated instances of acute stress

traumatic stress

massive instance of acute stress

chronic stress

serious stress that can lead to systemic illness such as decreased immune system functioning or cardiovascular disease

uplifts

minor positive events that make us feel good

general adaptation syndrome (GAS)

3 distinct phases of physiological change that occur in response to long-term stress (alarm, resistance, exhaustion)

alarm stage

fight or flight (general adaptation syndrome)

resistance stage

using up resources (general adaptation syndrome)

exhaustion stage

resources depleted (general adaptation syndrome)

HPA axis

hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal glands; stress response begins with release of ACTH and results in release of cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine

fight or flight

emotional and behavioral reaction to stress that increases readiness for action

tend or befriend

behavioral reaction to stress-involving activities designed to create social networks for protection from threats

primary appraisal

perception of threat

secondary appraisal

resources to cope with demands of threat

hardiness

commitment, challenge, control; allows one to cope with stress better

disclosure

telling someone about a private aspect of oneself

emotion regulation

ability to successfully control our emotions

optimism

general tendency to expect positive outcomes

self-efficacy

belief in our ability to carry out actions that produce desired outcomes

social support

positive social relationships with others

psychological disorder

a set of behavioral, emotional, and cognitive symptoms that are substantially
distressing and impair normative functioning; symptoms are abnormal relative to the general population

atypicality

rare and infrequent

dysfunction

interference with some aspect of daily functioning

distress

cause of upset or discomfort (regularly)

deviance

outside standard rules of society or culture

biological (medical) model

looks at disorder as a disease

psychological approach

looks at personality and emotion for disorders

sociocultural approach

looks at culture relevant disorders

bio-psycho-social approach

blend of other three approaches for assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of disorders

DSM

guidelines for diagnosis and classification of psychological disorders

comorbidity

diagnosis of more than one disorder at the same time

prevalence of disorders

percentage of population that exhibits a disorder during a specified time
period

lifetime prevalence

percentage of individuals meeting diagnostic criteria for disorder at least once in their lifetime

autism spectrum disorder

symptoms include deficits in communication and social interaction starting in infancy, restrictive and/or repetitive behaviors, and sensory sensitivity; diagnosed incidence has increased from .5% to 1.7%; more common in boys than girls; wide range of severity

ADHD

symptoms include inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and deficits in executive function (working memory; prefrontal areas) and reward processing and these must occur in multiple contexts; traditionally considered a childhood disorder, but 66% persist to adulthood; effectively treated by stimulant medication and parent management training-related therapies

anxiety disorders

include excessive fear and anxiety and related behavioral disturbances for over six months

fear

emotional response to real or perceived imminent threat

anxiety

anticipation of future threat (e.g., hypervigilance, cautious, avoidance behaviors)

generalized anxiety disorder

excessive, chronic anxiety unrelated to specific threat that interferes with functioning; females are twice as likely to be diagnosed

social anxiety disorder

intense fear or anxiety of social situations (almost every single
time) in which individual may be scrutinized by others; self-medication, submissive or inadequately assertive in social contexts

phobic disorders

fear and anxiety targeted at a specific object (phobic
stimulus); may lead to agoraphobia (fear of public places) and extreme
isolation; females twice as likely to be diagnosed

panic disorder

sudden attacks of anxiety and terror; lead to significant behavioral changes in the person’s life; excessively sensitive to cues that signal possibility of threat

obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)

persistent, uncontrollable thoughts or urges and ritualized behavior ; excessive, time-consuming (1+ hours per day performing), and impair daily functioning

obsessions

recurrent, intrusive, unwanted thoughts that lead to tension and anxiety

compulsions

behaviors that ‘ease’ the anxiety caused by obsessions

post-traumatic stress disorder

symptoms develop as a result of exposure to a traumatic event, oppressive situation, natural or unnatural disasters and last for 4+ weeks, including flashbacks/re-experiencing parts of trauma, avoidance of emotional experience, emotional numbness, excessive arousal/startle, difficulties with memory and concentration, sleep disturbance

dissociative amnesia

extensive, but selective, memory loss with no physiological explanation for forgetting

dissociative fugue

individual loses complete memory of identity; may even assume a new one, often far from home

dissociative identity disorder

two or more distinct personalities exist in the same person; extreme memory disruption regarding personal information about the other personalities; host vs. alter personalities; women diagnosed more frequently than men

schizophrenia

psychotic disorder defined by abnormalities in 2+ of the following: delusions (Persecutory, Grandiose, Erotomanic), hallucinations, disorganized thinking or speech, grossly disorganized or abnormal motor behavior, negative symptoms; better prognosis if sudden and late onset; comorbidity is substance use disorders

depressive disorders

presence of sad, empty, or irritable mood accompanied by somatic and
cognitive changes

major depressive disorder

5+ symptoms, persistent for 2+ weeks: depressed mood (most of, and every day), diminished interest and pleasure in activities, significant weight changes, sleep changes, psychomotor agitation or retardation (observed by others), fatigue or loss of energy, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, diminished ability to think or concentrate, thoughts of death or suicide; symptoms cause social, occupational, or other life distress or impairment; episode not attributable to a substance or medical condition; three times more likely in females and most common in teens and young adults

anhedonia

loss of pleasure in activities nearly always present

disruptive mood dysregulation disorder

chronic (1+ year) and persistent (3+ times/ week) depressive disorder characterized by severe irritability and anger outbursts

persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia)

depressed mood most of the time for 2+ years; fewer symptoms concurrently than MDD

bipolar disorders

periods of depression with one or more manic episodes

manic episodes

abnormally and persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable mood with increased goal-directed activity or energy; occurs for 1+ week (hypomanic is 4-6 days); includes 3+ of the following: inflated self-esteem or grandiosity, decreased need for sleep (feel rested after 3-4 hours of sleep), hyper-talkative, “flight of ideas” or persistent racing thoughts, distractibility, increased goal-directed activity or psychomotor agitation, risk-taking activities (e.g., excessive shopping, sexual indiscretions, poor investments, dangerous physical activities)

bipolar 1

at least 1 manic episode + at least 1 major depressive episode

bipolar 2

at least 1 hypomanic episode + at least 1 major depressive episode; never a manic episode

personality disorders

inflexible and maladaptive way of interacting with the world; enduring pattern of experience and behavior; cause social impairment and distress; manifest in 2+ areas: cognition, affectivity, interpersonal functioning, or impulse control; stable and long duration, onset in adolescence or early adulthood; not a consequence of another disorder, substances, or medical condition

eating disorders

persistent disturbance of eating or eating-related behavior resulting in altered
consumption or absorption of food; significant impact on physical health or psychosocial functioning

amenorrhea

loss of fertility

bulimia nervosa

recurrent episodes of binge eating; compensatory behaviors to prevent weight gain such as excessive exercise and/or vomiting

binge eating disorder

recurrent episodes of binge eating 1+ times per week for 3+ months; negative feelings following the binge (e.g., shame); typically in private

psychological assessment

an evaluation of the patient’s psychological and mental health

psychotherapy

professional treatment for psychological disorders through techniques
designed to encourage communication of conflicts and insight; patient directly confronts the disorder and works with therapist to help reduce it

psychodynamic therapy

psychological treatment based on Freudian and neo-Freudian personality
theories in which the therapist helps the patient explore the unconscious
dynamics of personality

free association

patient verbalizes thoughts and the therapist listens

dream analysis

therapist analyzes the symbolism of dreams in an effort to probe the unconscious thoughts of the client

insight

an understanding of the unconscious causes of the disorder

resistance

using defense mechanisms to avoid the painful feelings in the unconscious

transference

patients unconsciously redirect feelings experienced in an important personal relationship toward the therapist

humanistic therapy

psychological treatment based on the personality theories of Carl Rogers and
other humanistic psychologists

person-centered therapy

an approach to treatment in which the client is helped to grow and develop as the therapist provides a comfortable, nonjudgmental environment

therapeutic alliance

a relationship between the client and therapist that is facilitated when the therapist is genuine, expresses unconditional positive regard, develops empathy with the client

cognitive behavioral therapy

structured approach to treatment that attempts to reduce psychological
disorders through systematic procedures based on cognitive and behavioral principles; goal is to stop the negative cycle

behavioral therapy

psychological treatment that is based on principles of learning

exposure therapy

behavioral therapy based on classical conditioning principle of extinction; flooding (all at once) vs. systematic desensitization (gradual)

aversion therapy

behavioral therapy in which positive punishment is used to reduce the frequency of an undesirable behavior

cognitive therapy

psychological treatment that helps clients identify incorrect or distorted beliefs that are contributing to a disorder

rational emotive behavior therapy

goal is to challenge irrational thought patterns

mental filter

only paying attention to certain types of evidence

mind reading

jumping to conclusions by imagining we know what others are thinking

fortune telling

jumping to conclusions by predicting the future

overgeneralizing

seeing a pattern based on a single event, or being overly broad in the conclusions we draw

personalization

blaming yourself or taking on responsibility for something that wasn't completely your fault; conversely,

emotional reasoning

assuming that because we feel a certain way what we think must be true

disqualifying the positive

discounting the good things that have happened or that you have done for some reason or another

catastrophizing

blowing something out of proportion

eclectic therapy

an approach to treatment in which the therapist uses whichever techniques
seem most useful and relevant for a given patient

biomedical therapy

treatments designed to reduce psychological disorder by influencing the
action of the central nervous system

electroconvulsive therapy

medical procedure designed to alleviate psychological disorder in which electric currents are passed through the brain, deliberately triggering a brief seizure

transcranial magnetic stimulation

medical procedure designed to reduce psychological disorder that uses a pulsing magnetic coil to electrically stimulate the brain

psychosurgery

surgery that removes or destroys brain tissue in the hope of improving disorder

social therapy

therapy that focuses on the influence of the social context in which the
person is living

group therapy

psychotherapy in which clients receive psychological treatment together with others

self help group

voluntary association of people of share a common desire to overcome psychological disorder or improve their well-being

community mental health

psychological treatments and interventions that are distributed at the community level