Untitled Flashcards Set

44. depressive disorders: a group of disorders characterized by an enduring sad,

empty, or irritable mood, along with physical and cognitive changes that affect a

person’s ability to function.

45. bipolar disorders: a group of disorders in which a person alternates between

the hopelessness and lethargy of depression and the overexcited state of mania.

(Formerly called manic-depressive disorder.)

46. major depressive disorder: a disorder in which a person experiences five or

more symptoms lasting two or more weeks, in the absence of drug use or a medical

condition, at least one of which must be either (1) depressed mood or (2) loss of

interest or pleasure.

47. persistent depressive disorder: a disorder in which people experience a de-

pressed mood on more days than not for at least two years. (Formerly called

dysthymia.)

48. bipolar I disorder: the most severe form, in which people experience a

euphoric, talkative, highly energetic, and overly ambitious state that lasts a week or

longer.

49. mania: a hyperactive, wildly optimistic state in which dangerously poor judgment

is common.

50. bipolar II disorder: a less severe form of bipolar in which people move between

depression and a milder hypomania.

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51. rumination: compulsive fretting; overthinking our problems and their causes.

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52. schizophrenia spectrum disorders: a group of disorders characterized by

delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking or speech, disorganized or unusual

motor behavior, and negative symptoms (such as diminished emotional expression);

includes schizophrenia and schizotypal personality disorder.

53. psychotic disorders: a group of disorders marked by irrational ideas, distorted

perceptions, and a loss of contact with reality.

54. delusion: a false belief, often of persecution or grandeur, that may accompany

psychotic disorders.

55. chronic schizophrenia: (also called process schizophrenia) a form of

schizophrenia in which symptoms usually appear by late adolescence or early

adulthood. As people age, psychotic episodes last longer and recovery periods

shorten.

56. acute schizophrenia: (also called reactive schizophrenia) a form of

schizophrenia that can begin at any age, frequently occurs in response to a

traumatic event, and from which recovery is much more likely.

57. dissociative disorders: a controversial, rare group of disorders characterized by

a disruption of or discontinuity in the normal integration of consciousness, memory,

identity, emotion, perception, body representation, motor control, and behavior.

58. dissociative identity disorder (DID): a rare dissociative disorder in which a

person exhibits two or more distinct and alternating identities. (Formerly called

multiple personality disorder.)

59. dissociative amnesia: a disorder in which people with intact brains reportedly

experience memory gaps; people with dissociative amnesia may report not

remembering trauma-related specific events, people, places, or aspects of their

identity and life history.

60. personality disorders: a group of disorders characterized by enduring inner

experiences or behavior patterns that differ from someone’s cultural norms and

expectations, are pervasive and inflexible, begin in adolescence or early adulthood,

are stable over time, and cause distress or impairment.

61. antisocial personality disorder: a personality disorder in which a person (usu-

ally a man) exhibits a lack of conscience for wrongdoing, even toward friends and

family members; may be aggressive and ruthless or a clever con artist.

62. feeding and eating disorders: a group of disorders characterized by altered

consumption or absorption of food that impairs health or psychological functioning.

(Feeding disorders typically occur in infants and young children, whereas eating

disorders affect people who self-feed.)

63. anorexia nervosa: an eating disorder in which a person (usually an adolescent

female) maintains a starvation diet despite being significantly underweight, and has

an inaccurate self-perception; sometimes accompanied by excessive exercise.

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64. bulimia nervosa: an eating disorder in which a person’s binge eating

(usually of high-calorie foods) is followed by inappropriate weight-loss-promoting

behavior, such as vomiting, laxative use, fasting, or excessive exercise.

65. neurodevelopmental disorders: central nervous system abnormalities

(usually in the brain) that start in childhood and alter thinking and behavior (as in

intellectual limitations or a psychological disorder).

66. autism spectrum disorder (ASD): a disorder that appears in childhood and is

marked by limitations in communication and social interaction, and by rigidly

fixated interests and repetitive behaviors.

67. attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): a psychological

disorder marked by extreme inattention and/or hyperactivity and impulsivity.

68. deinstitutionalization: the process, begun in the late twentieth century, of

moving people with psychological disorders out of institutional facilities.

69. psychotherapy: treatment involving psychological techniques; consists of

inter- actions between a trained therapist and someone seeking to overcome

psychological difficulties or achieve personal growth.

70. biomedical therapy: prescribed medications or procedures that act directly

on the person’s physiology.

71. eclectic approach: an approach to psychotherapy that uses techniques

from various forms of therapy.

72. psychoanalysis (technique): Sigmund Freud’s therapeutic technique. Freud

believed the patient’s free associations, resistances, dreams, and transferences

— and the analyst’s interpretations of them — released previously repressed

feelings, allowing the patient to gain self-insight.

73. resistance: in psychoanalysis, the blocking from consciousness of

anxiety-laden material.

74. interpretation: in psychoanalysis, the analyst’s noting of supposed dream

meanings, resistances, and other significant behaviors and events in an effort

to promote insight.

75. transference: in psychoanalysis, the patient’s transfer to the analyst of

emotions linked with other relationships (such as love or hatred for a parent).

76. psychodynamic therapy: therapy deriving from the psychoanalytic tradition;

views individuals as responding to unconscious forces and childhood

experiences, and seeks to enhance self-insight.

77. insight therapies: therapies that aim to improve psychological functioning

by increasing a person’s awareness of underlying motives and defenses.

78. person-centered therapy: a humanistic therapy, developed by Carl Rogers,

in which the therapist uses techniques such as active listening within an

accepting,

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genuine, empathic environment to facilitate clients’ growth. (Also called client-

centered therapy.)

79. active listening: empathic listening in which the listener echoes, restates,

and seeks clarification. A feature of Rogers’ person-centered therapy.

80. unconditional positive regard: a caring, accepting, nonjudgmental attitude,

which Carl Rogers believed would help clients develop self-awareness and self-

acceptance. (Also known as unconditional regard.)

81. behavior therapy: therapy that uses learning principles to reduce

unwanted behaviors.

82. counterconditioning: behavior therapy procedures that use classical

conditioning to evoke new responses to stimuli that are triggering unwanted

behaviors; include exposure therapies and aversive conditioning.

83. exposure therapies: behavioral techniques, such as systematic

desensitization and virtual reality exposure therapy, that treat anxieties by

exposing people (in imaginary or actual situations) to the things they fear and

avoid.

84. systematic desensitization: a type of exposure therapy that associates a

pleasant relaxed state with gradually increasing anxiety-triggering stimuli.

Commonly used to treat specific phobias.

85. virtual reality exposure therapy: a counterconditioning technique that

treats anxiety through creative electronic simulations in which people can safely

face specific fears, such as flying, spiders, or public speaking.

86. aversive conditioning: associates an unpleasant state (such as nausea)

with an unwanted behavior (such as drinking alcohol).

87. token economy: an operant conditioning procedure in which people earn a

token for exhibiting a desired behavior and can later exchange tokens for

privileges or treats.

88. cognitive therapy: therapy that teaches people new, more adaptive ways of

thinking; based on the assumption that thoughts intervene between events and

our emotional reactions.

89. rational-emotive behavior therapy (REBT): a confrontational cognitive

therapy, developed by Albert Ellis, that vigorously challenges people’s illogical,

self-defeating attitudes and assumptions.

90. cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT): a popular integrative therapy that

com- bines cognitive therapy (changing self-defeating thinking) with behavior

therapy (changing behavior).

91. group therapy: therapy conducted with groups rather than individuals,

providing benefits from group interaction.

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92. family therapy: therapy that treats people in the context of their family

system. Views an individual’s unwanted behaviors as influenced by, or directed at,

other family members.

93. confirmation bias: a tendency to search for information that supports

our preconceptions and to ignore or distort contradictory evidence.

94. meta-analysis: a statistical procedure for analyzing the results of multiple

studies to reach an overall conclusion.

95. evidence-based practice: clinical decision making that integrates the best

available research with clinical expertise and client characteristics and

preferences.

96. therapeutic alliance: a bond of trust and mutual understanding between

a therapist and client, who work together constructively to overcome the

client’s problem.

97. psychopharmacology: the study of the effects of drugs on mind and behavior.

98. antipsychotic drugs: drugs used to treat schizophrenia and other forms

of severe thought disorders.

99. antianxiety drugs: drugs used to control anxiety and agitation.

100. antidepressant drugs: drugs used to treat depressive disorders, anxiety

dis- orders, obsessive-compulsive and related disorders, and posttraumatic stress

dis- order. (Several widely used antidepressant drugs are selective serotonin

reuptake inhibitors — SSRIs.)

101. electroconvulsive therapy (ECT): a biomedical therapy for severe

depression in which a brief electric current is sent through the brain of an

anesthetized person.

102. transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS): the application of repeated

pulses of magnetic energy to the brain; used to stimulate or suppress brain

activity.

103. psychosurgery: surgery that removes or destroys brain tissue to

change behavior.

104. lobotomy: a psychosurgical procedure once used to calm uncontrollably

emotional or violent patients. The procedure cut the nerves connecting the frontal

lobes to the emotion-controlling centers of the inner brain.

105. hypnosis: a social interaction in which one person (the hypnotist)

suggests to another (the subject) that certain perceptions, feelings, thoughts, or

behaviors will spontaneously occur; in a therapeutic context, the hypnotist

attempts to use suggestion to reduce unpleasant physical sensations or

emotions.

106. dissociation: a split in consciousness, which allows some thoughts and

behaviors to occur simultaneously with others.

107. posthypnotic suggestion: a suggestion, made during a hypnosis session,

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to be carried out after the subject is no longer hypnotized; used by some clinicians

to help control undesired symptoms and behaviors.

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108. posttraumatic growth: positive psychological changes following a

struggle with extremely challenging circumstances and life crises.