Untitled Flashcards Set

Unit 5 Part 1: Mental and Physical Health

AP Psychology Study Outline

Directions: Please use your assigned readings and the information presented in class to complete and turn-in this Study Outline prior to the unit test.   Think of this Study Outline as an organized set of notes that you will use to study for your unit test, final exams, and AP Test.  In order to receive full credit, you should include notes on all of the items that are explicitly prompted in the outline.  

Punctuation matters:

• Items in the outline that are followed by a question mark or a colon should be considered “prompts” that require a response

• Items in the outline that are not followed by  any punctuation are section headers and do not require a response

Some items will also be fill-in-the-blank.

Your outline should be completed in your handwriting using this document. 

Please note that the College Board’s topic numbers appear in parentheses after each underlined topic heading.  These numbers can sometimes be useful if you want to conduct an internet search for additional materials on the same topic.  (However, the College Board’s course outline is new this year, so it’s possible that there won’t be many online resources tagged to these numbers.)

Items with an asterisk (*) were heavily tested by the College Board in the past.

Introduction to Health Psychology (5.1)

• ___________________________________________________*: a subfield of psychology that uses psychological and behavioral principles to study health, illness, and health care

• ____________________________*: the process by which we perceive and respond to certain events (______________________________*) that we appraise as threatening or challenging

  • Types of Stress

  • __________________________________*: stress interpreted as detrimental

    • Examples: 

• __________________________________*: stress interpreted as beneficial or motivating

  • Examples:

    • Exercise and  travel

    • Stressors that __________________________ people to achieve their goals – such as when increased arousal leads to improved performance ( ____________________________________ ) when competing, testing, etc.

• The Stress Response

  • The term “_________________________________” refers to the choices our ancient ancestors had when they were faced with danger in their environment: they could fight or they could flee.  These responses are ____________________________ in modern times when they occur in response to common daily events that do not threaten our safety

  • General Adaptation Syndrome* (GAS)

    • Selye proposed that the body’s adaptive response to stress (which he called the General Adaptation Syndrome) is so ___________________________ that, like a single burglar alarm, it sounds no matter what intrudes.  

    • GAS has three phases

      • Phase 1: Alarm Reaction*

        • The body detects stress and initiates the _______________________________________________________* response. This is similar to the fight-or-flight response but includes an additional reactive state in which a person may “freeze” (be unable to move) in response to a perceived threat.

        • __________________________ nervous system is suddenly activated.  Heart rate zooms, blood is diverted to skeletal muscles, resources are mobilized.

      • Phase 2: Resistance*

        • Physiological indicators ( ______________________________, _________________________________, ________________________… ) remain high as the person tries to cope with stressors. Your endocrine system pumps ___________________________ and _____________________________ into your bloodstream. You are fully engaged, using all of your resources to meet the challenge. But as time passes, your body’s resources start to ____________________.

      • Phase 3: Exhaustion*

        • With no relief from the stressor, your body’s physiological resources are _________________________. The body’s ability to resist is compromised, leading to burnout (physical, mental, and/or emotional exhaustion) and decreased _____________________. The greatest susceptibility to ____________________ occurs during this phase*

    • Selye’s basic point: Although the human body copes well with temporary stress, _________________________ stress can damage it*

• Physiological Effects of Stress*

  • ________________________________* (high blood pressure)

    • Can contribute to heart disease

  • ________________________________* 

    • Stress can trigger tension headaches and migraines

  • ________________________________*

    • If the hormones produced by stress are consistently released, they can weaken the immune system, reducing the body’s ability to fight off illnesses, infections and disease

• Traumatic stressors tend to have ____________________ negative effects than other styles of stressors

  • Includes Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)*, which can be categorized into three major types: ___________________________,  ___________________________,  ________________________________________

    • ACEs can have profound negative effects on children’s development, shaping their _________________________, _________________________, and _______________________ functioning for the rest of their lives*

• Tend-and-Befriend Theory*

  • In response to stress, people — especially __________________* — come together with others for join protection of self and offspring

  • _______________ refers to nurturing and protective behaviors, such as:

• _______________ refers to the act of seeking social connection and support, such as: 

• Coping with Stress

  • Coping: 

• When people have trouble coping with chronic stress, they often show emotional signs such as:

• Unhealthy coping may take the form of:

• Coping Strategies

  • ______________________________________________________*: involves managing or fixing the distressing situation, either by changing our behavior or changing the situation

    • We tend to use these strategies when we feel some sense of ______________________ over a situation

    • Examples:

• _________________________________________*: attempting to alleviate stress by avoiding or ignoring a stressor and attending to emotional needs related to our stress reaction

  • We tend to use these strategies when we believe we _____________________________________ a situation

  • Can be ________________________ or ________________________

    • Adaptive examples:

• Adaptive emotion-focused coping strategies may also include ____________________________________, ___________________________, or taking ____________________________ aimed at reducing stressful emotional responses

• Maladaptive examples:

Positive Psychology (5.2) 

• Positive Psychology 🙂

  • Definition of Positive Psychology*: 

• Seeks to identify and promote factors that lead to ______________________, _____________________________, __________________________ and ______________________________________________________ in order to help ________________________________ and ______________________________ thrive

• Subjective Well-Being (SWB): 

• ________________________________ is only one of many factors that contribute to SWB

• Research shows that we often do not ________________________________________ what will bring us happiness and increase our subjective well-being

• Numerous factors can impact subjective well-being, including

  • Good Deeds

    • The feel good, do-good phenomenon:

• Gratitude*

  • Definition: 

• The practice of gratitude _______________________ well-being in many areas, including social, physical, and psychological domains*

  • Examples:

• Other factors that affect subjective well-being:

• Resilience & Posttraumatic Growth* 

  • Although trauma can lead to adverse outcomes like posttraumatic stress disorder, most people __________________ develop PTSD after experiencing trauma

  • Resilience*: 

• Posttraumatic Growth (PTG)*: 

• Examples:

• Character Strengths*

• _________________________________________* are the psychological attributes or traits contributing to an individual’s positive functioning and well-being

  • Positive psychologists believe it is essential to learn more about each person’s positive qualities and, in doing so, help them gain _____________ for putting their strengths to work in their lives 

• Values in Action (VIA) Classification*: 

• The virtue categories* and their associated character strengths* appear in the table below

• Your defining character strength is known as your _____________________________*

  • People typically feel a sense of natural ______________________________, ________________________________, and ______________________________ when using their signature strength*

  • Character strengths can be ________________________ and developed through deliberate __________________________*

  • People who exercise their signature strengths/virtues report _________________ levels of subjective well-being*

Explaining and Classifying Psychological Disorders (5.3)

• ____________________________________________: the scientific study of mental disorders and different types of maladaptive behaviors associated with various disorders

  • Maladaptive: 

• Psychological disorder (aka mental disorder, mental illness, psychiatric disorder):

• Three criteria* (“3Ds”) are commonly used in the identification and diagnosis of psychological disorders

  • Level of Dysfunction*

    • Refers to the __________________________________________________________ in the person’s ability to function effectively in various areas of life, including:

• Perception of Distress*

  • Refers to the degree to which the person in question ____________________ discomfort, pain, or distress as a result of their symptoms/difficulties 

    • Note: a person who reports no significant distress may still have a psychological disorder

• Deviation from the social norm*

  • Refers to behaviors, thoughts, or emotions that significantly diverge from ___________________ or _____________________ expectations or norms

  • Example: 

• Note: By itself, this criteria is not sufficient for diagnosing a psychological disorder, but it may indicate a mental disorder when accompanied by dysfunction and/or distress

• Diagnosing Psychological Disorders

  • In clinical practice, assessment and diagnosis of psychological disorders involve multiple factors, including the presence of ___________________, their ___________________ and _______________________, their impact on __________________________ and well-being, and the individual’s __________________ background and personal ____________________

  • Diagnosing psychological disorders requires ____________________________________ and the use of ____________________________________ diagnostic tools

    • In 1948, the ________________________________________________ developed the International Classification of Mental Disorders ( ___________ )* 

      • Used by most countries _____________________ of the United States*

      • The current edition is _________________ (2022)*

    • In 1952, the _________________________________________________________ developed the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual ( ____________ ) of Mental Disorders*

      • Used to diagnose psychological disorders in the __________________________*

      • The current edition is _______________________ (2022)*

    • The DSM has _______________________ its criteria and coding to the ICD in order to help provide ______________________ diagnoses worldwide*

    • Both diagnostic systems are ____________________________ 

  • Diagnostic Labels: Pros and Cons*

    • Positives: Diagnostic labels can…

      • Provide ___________________________; an individual may experience relief upon knowing that their cluster of symptoms has a name

      • Reduce feelings of ___________________ (“other people struggle with this too”)

      • Guide patient and clinician toward appropriate course of _______________________

      • Simplify _______________________________ among clinicians and researchers by providing shared ________________________________ for discussing disorders

      • Facilitate ___________________ to treatment (DSM diagnosis is usually required for __________________________ coverage)

    • Negatives: Diagnostic labels can…

      • ________________________ impact attitude toward ____________ (lower self-esteem, etc.)

      • Lead to reduced hope

      • Be _______________________ or _____________________!

        • Diagnostic systems can involve _______________________________ and __________________________/ _________________

          • Example: Homosexuality was considered a disorder for a while

        • Racism, sexism, ageism, discrimination, and ____________________________ insensitivity could lead to an inaccurate/inappropriate diagnosis

      • Lead to ______________________

        • Definition of stigma: 

• Psychological Perspectives*

  • Introduction

    • During the last 100 years, a number of perspectives/theoretical approaches have attempted to explain the causes (“___________________”) of psychological disorders

    • Although these perspectives are extremely useful for conceptualizing psychological disorders, __________ mental health professionals today use an _____________________*  approach that draws from a _______________________________ of perspectives to diagnose and treat individuals

  • Biological Perspective (aka Medical Model)*

    • Assumes psychological disorders have a ______________________________ cause, such as:

• Has become the _________________________________________ model, as evidence by the medical language that is frequently used to describe psychological disorders:

• The increasing use of _________________________________ drugs for the treatment of psychological disorders has also enforced the dominance of this model

• Psychodynamic Perspective* 

  • Psychological problems stem from repressing __________________________________ thoughts/urges in an effort to avoid _____________________________. 

  • When anxiety-producing thoughts/memories try to break through to _________________ awareness, they may cause mental distress or maladaptive behavior

  • Emphasis on ______________________________ experiences

• Behavioral Perspective*

  • All behavior – whether adaptive or maladaptive – is __________________________.

    • For example, psychological disorders can be the result of  _________________ conditioning or  ________________ conditioning

• Cognitive Perspective*

  • Psychological disorders result from illogical, irrational, or maladaptive _______________________ processes and emotions. 

  • Cognitive therapy helps people develop healthier, more ________________________ ways of thinking.

• Humanistic Perspective*

  • Mental illness stems from low self-esteem and the inability to be one’s ________________________________ self. 

  • Each individual has a natural drive toward growth                                                              ( ____________________________________________ ); when this is blocked, a person may experience stress and dysfunction.

• Evolutionary Perspective*

  • Some psychological disorders stem from behaviors that might have been advantageous in ________________________ settings but are problematic in today’s world

    • Anxiety Disorders Example: 

• Sociocultural Perspective*

  • Maladaptive _______________________, group, and _________________________ dynamics impact the development of an individual’s psychological disorder

    • Example of the role of culture in eating disorders in the US:

• Notably, the DSM-5 reflects greater awareness and sensitivity to cultural influences than previous versions, including an appendix on ___________________________________________ (psychological disorders specific to a particular culture) 

• Interaction Models*

  • What is the general idea underlying interaction models?

• Two prominent interaction models are the Biopsychosocial Model and the Diathesis-Stress Model

  • Biopsychosocial Model*

    • An ___________________________ model that combines the biological (medical), psychological, and sociocultural approaches

    • Example of how this model might approach a case of depression:

• One of two _______________________________ models of psychological disorder (the other is the Biological Approach/Medical Model)

• Diathesis-Stress Model*

  • Main idea: _______________________________________________ can __________________________ the onset of a biologically-based psychological disorder in individuals who have a ________________________________________________________________ to that particular mental illness

    • Diathesis

      • The ___________________________________ or biologically-based ___________________________________ to a particular mental illness

      • Can stem from genes, neurotransmitter dysfunction, etc.

    • Stressors

      • _______________________________________ events that can trigger the onset of the biologically-based disorder

      • ___________________ of environmental stress required to trigger onset varies depending on the level of biological vulnerability

    • Protective factors

      • Factors that ____________________________ the likelihood that a specific disorder will be triggered, such a resilient temperament, coping skills, and the ability to avoid stress triggers

• Person-First Language

  • Widely preferred in the context of discussing psychological disorders

  • Places the emphasis on the __________________ instead of the disorder when discussion psychiatric diagnoses

  • Examples:

Selection of Categories of Psychological Disorders (5.4)

• Neurodevelopmental Disorders

  • The Category

    • Conditions associated with central nervous system functioning that begin during the developmental period (from __________________________ to __________________________________)*

    • Symptoms focus on whether the person is exhibiting behaviors appropriate for their ____________ or maturity range*

    • There are several disorders in this category, but we will focus on the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

  • Symptoms*

  • Characterized by ____________________________ behaviors and challenges with _________________________________________ and _________________________________________ across multiple contexts, such as the following symptoms in each of the areas identified below. 

    • Repetitive behaviors:

• Social and emotional interaction:

• Nonverbal communication:

• Social relationships:

• Additional behaviors and characteristics associated with autism include:

• Possible causes of ASD*

  • A combination of _____________________, _______________________________, and _____________________________ factors

    • Strong ________________________ component; _________ genes involved

• Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

  • Symptoms*

    • Characterized by ongoing problems with paying _____________________________ AND/OR being __________________________________ / __________________________________

    • Inattention symptoms:

• Hyperactive/Impulsive symptoms:

Note: Although there is a stereotype of people with ADHD always being hyperactive, this is inaccurate; many _________________ have inattention symptoms

• Symptoms must begin prior to age _______, be present in __________ or more settings (ie, home, school, work, social events…), and must have direct negative impacts on social or academic/occupational __________________________________

• Possible Causes*

  • ___________________________________________

    • Strong genetic influence

    • May affect neurotransmitter regulation, including dopamine

  • ___________________________________________

    • Prenatal exposure to teratogens

    • Environmental toxins or pollutants 

• Anxiety Disorders

  • The Category

  • Anxiety disorders involve excessive _______________ and/or __________________ with related disturbances in _____________________________

  • Fear:

• Anxiety:

• Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress and the unknown/unpredictable.  What elevates common nervousness to an anxiety disorder is the ______________________ and ________________________ of symptoms and their _____________________________ with daily life

• Panic Disorder

  • Symptoms*

  • Marked by recurrent _________________________ that occur in situations that would not “normally” elicit panic

    • Panic attack

      • An abrupt surge of intense fear/anxiety that reaches its peak within minutes, during which some of these symptoms occur:

• The panic attacks have a negative impact on the person’s functioning that lasts ______________ the attack itself  

  • Examples

    • Persistent ________________ about additional panic attacks

    • Changing behavior in maladaptive ways to _______________ situations that might trigger an attack 

• Cultural Considerations

• Cultural syndromes:

• Ataque de nervios (“Attack of Nerves”)*

• A cultural syndrome with some symptoms that _________________ with those of Panic Disorder

  • Prevalent among people of Caribbean and Iberian descent, including Hispanic populations, especially Puerto Ricans

  • Symptoms include:

• Frequently brought on by a ______________________________

• Some of the symptoms overlap with Panic Disorder but they are not the same, and so the DSM-5 gives specific instructions about how clinicians should evaluate someone with Ataque for Panic Disorder

• Specific Phobia Disorder 

• Definition of Phobia:

• Symptoms*

  • An overwhelming, ____________________________, and persistent sense of fear of a ____________________ object or situation that provokes the fear response and sometimes leads to a ______________________

    • Any _____________________ with the object or situation will produce _______________________ and _____________________________ fear

    • Usually the person will actively _____________________ the fear-eliciting stimulus

      • The individual may recognize that the fear is __________________________________ but is unable to control it

    • The fear/anxiety/avoidance causes _______________________ or _________________________ in important areas of functioning

• Common phobias include

  • Acrophobia*:

• Arachnophobia*:

• Agoraphobia

  • Symptoms*

    • Intense fear or anxiety about two (or more) of the following specific  situations

      • Being in _______________________________ (ie, shops, movie theaters)

      • Being in __________________________ (ie, parking lots, bridges)

      • Being _______________________________________________

      • Riding on _____________________________________________ 

      • Standing in _____________ or being in a ___________________

    • Fear/anxiety is __________________________________________ to the actual threat posed by the situation

    • The individual fears or avoids these situations because of thoughts that ______________________ or __________________ might not be available in the event of a ________________________ or other incapacitating/embarrassing issues (ie, fear of falling in the elderly, etc.)

    • The fear/anxiety/avoidance causes clinically significant  _______________________ or _________________________ 

• Social Anxiety Disorder

  • Symptoms*

    • Persistent, intense fear or anxiety regarding _______________ situations in which the individual is being ________________________ or ___________________________ by others (ie, social interactions such as conversation; meeting unfamiliar people; eating or drinking with others; performing in front of others)

      • The person fears that they will be _______________________________

      • Fear/anxiety is ______________________________ to the actual threat posed by the situation

    • Note: Social anxiety disorder is ___________________ from but may include _______________________________

  • Cultural considerations

    • Taijin Kyofusho*

      • Means ““interpersonal fear disorder” in Japanese

      • A cultural syndrome experienced mainly by Japanese people in which people have anxiety about interpersonal situation s because they fear others are ____________________________________________________ as undesirable, offensive, or displeasing

      • Can sometimes meet the DSM criteria for Social Anxiety Disorder or other disorders related to body image or maladaptive thoughts

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder

  • Symptoms*

    • Excessive feelings of worry and unease _______________________________; worry tends to span a __________________________________

    • The feelings must last ________ months or longer

    • The constant worry ________________________ daily life

    • Symptoms may also include:

• Possible Causes of Anxiety Disorders

  • Evolutionary Explanation:

• Biological Explanations:

• Behavioral Perspective:

• Cognitive Perspective:

• Interaction Models:

• Obsessive-Compulsiv