PSY 200 Exam Study Guide: Chapters 13 & 14

Abnormal Psychology and Models of Abnormality

• Abnormal Behavior Criteria:
  • Faulty perceptions or interpretations of reality: Experiencing hallucinations or delusions.
    • Example: Felicia hearing voices that demean her.
  • Social deviance: Behavior that deviates from accepted social norms.
  • Dangerousness: Behavior that poses a threat to oneself or others.
  • Maladaptive behavior: Behavior that interferes with a person's ability to function effectively in daily life.
• Medical Model:
  • Views abnormal behavior as arising from underlying physical disorders or diseases.
  • Distinctive patterns of abnormal behavior are described as mental disorders or mental illnesses.
• Diathesis-Stress Model:
  • Suggests that mental disorders develop from an interaction of a predisposition (diathesis) and stressful life experiences.
  • Example: Schizophrenia can be influenced by:
    • A diathesis and early brain trauma.
    • Brain abnormalities and psychosocial influences.
    • Life stresses and biochemical imbalances.
• Earliest Beliefs:
  • Abnormal behavior was often attributed to supernatural forces and demonic spirits.

Anxiety-Related Disorders

• Specific Phobia:
  • Claustrophobia (fear of enclosed spaces).
  • Acrophobia (fear of heights).
• Panic Disorder:
  • Characterized by states of sheer terror that last for several minutes, often accompanied by a feeling of