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100 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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What makes defining abnormality difficult? |
There is not a clear dividing line that serves to distinguish different behavior from that which is anormal |
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What is a sufficient element to determine abnormality. |
- No one element of abnormality is sufficient in or of itself to define or determine abnormality. - Maladaptivity? |
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How do the values of a society affect what is defined as normal? |
- One of the defining factors of abnormality is when a person "violates standards of society" if they are having a way that is "normal" for a particular society, it's not abnormal in that particular society... but it could be somewhere else. there are also culture-specific psychopathologies. |
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A person injects himself with pain killers. This has greatly increased his chance of overdosing and dying. His behavior harms no one else. According to the DSM-5, is this behavior consistent with the definition of a mental disorder? |
- Yes, because he is persistently acting in way that harms him. A mental disorder is defined as a syndrom that is present in an individual and that involves clinically significant disturbance in behavior, emotion regulation, or cognitive functioning. |
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In the field of abnormal psychology, what does DSM stand for? |
Diagnostic and statistical manual of Mental disorders |
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What are the reasons for classifying mental disorders? |
1. Provide nomenclature that allows information structuring 2. Makes disorders "easier" to study and understand 3. Insurance reimbursement |
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What are the advantages and disadvantages of having a classification system for mental disorders? |
- Advantage: Provide nomenclature (shorthand) that allows information structuring which turns the attention to the diagnosis and not the person. Makes the disorder "easier" to study and understand. Insurance reimbursement - Disadvantage: Loss of information due to shorthand nomenclature. Stereotyping/labeling. Once diagnosed, the person becomes the diagnosis. |
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Stereotyping is an example of the stigma of mental illness. It is defined as? |
The automatic and often incorrect beliefs people have about people with mental illness. |
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Abnormal behavior is defined as |
Maladaptive behavior that is detrimental to an individual or group. |
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Why is it important to know how many people have diagnosable mental illness? |
- Planning, establishing, and funding mental health services for specific disorders - such information is needed to plan for the provision of adequate services |
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What is epidemiology? |
The study of distribution of disease, disorders, and health related behavior |
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Comorbidity is defined as |
The presence of two or more disorders in the same person |
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Archaeology and early writing indicated that who thought that the brain was the site of mental function? |
Ancient Egyptians |
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In ancient societies, if a person's abnormal conduct consisted of speech that appeared to have a religious or mystical significance, then the person is considered |
to be possessed by a good or bad spirit/god |
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According to Hippocrates, mental disorders were part of which three general categories? |
1. Mania 2. Melancholia 3. Phrenitis (Brain Fever) |
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The doctrine of the four humors explained what? |
An explanation for personality/temperament trait where the four liquids (blood, bile, black bile, phlegm), when in balance, results in good mental and physical health |
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According to early beliefs, what would characterize an individual with an excess of blood |
They would have a temperament that is optimistic, cheerful, and happy. |
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Hippocrates suggested marriage was a cure for? |
Hysteria in women |
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What did Aristotle believe about the causation of mental disorders? |
He didn't think that it was caused by anything psychological, rather it was caused by disturbances in the bile |
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What is mass madness? |
The widespread occurance of group behaviors disorders that were apparently causes of hysteria |
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The disorder Koro, where males fear that their genitals have retracted into their body, possibly leading to death, is similar to the episodes of mass madness during the Black Death because? |
Both demonstrated the effect that sociocultural stressors can have on mental functioning of large groups of people |
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What was the most common treatment for mental illness during the Middle Ages in Europe? |
Exorcisms |
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Who was one of the first physicians in the early 1500s to criticize the idea that mental illness was not due to demon possession (although he did believe the moon influenced the brain) |
Paracelsus |
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What did Philippe Pinel believe about mental illness? |
Believed that experiments in regards to mental illness should be done with kindness and consideration. Patients should be treated like sick people and not like wild beasts |
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Who is considered the founder of American Psychiatry |
Benjamin Rush |
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Which book publicized the plight of the mentally ill in the mid 1940s |
The Snake Pit by Mary Jane Ward |
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The rationale behind deinstitutionalization was? |
Deinstitutionalization was a concern that prolonged hospitalization could keep patients from being able to adjust to and function in the outside world. |
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What is the difference between etiology, epidemiology, and prevalence? |
- Etiology: The causal pattern of a disorder - Epidemiology: The study of distribution of disease, disorders, and helath related behaviors - Prevalance: Refers to, in a population, the proportion of active cases of a disorder that can be identified at a given point in time or during a given time period |
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What is the difference between a risk factor, a necessary cause, a sufficient cause, and a contributory cause? |
- Risk Factor: Variables correlated with an abnormal outcome - Necessary Cause: A condition that MUST exist for a disorder to occur (ex. Syphilis causes brain paresis) - Sufficient cause: A condition that guarantees the occurence of a disorder (Ex. Sadness is sufficient cause of depression, but not necessary cause) - Contributory cause: A condition that increases the probability of a disorder (ex. sexual abuse can cause PTSD) |
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What is the definition of bi-directionality in terms of mental illness |
There can be two-way (bi-direction) influences. Effects can serve as feedback that can in turn influence the cause |
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A predisposition toward developing a disorder is defined as |
Diathesis |
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What is a steeling or inoculation effect of stressful experiences? |
Sometimes exposure to stressful experience that are dealt with successfully can promote a sense of self-confidence/esteem and thereby serve as a protective factor and thus, some (moderate) stressors paradoxically promote coping |
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When psychologists say that a person shows resilience, it means |
They have the ability to adapt successfully to even very difficult circumstances |
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What is a biopsychosocial viewpoint of psychopathology |
A viewpoint that acknowledges that biological, psychological, and sociological factors all interact and play a role in psychopathology and treatment |
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The site of communication between two neurons is called |
The synapse |
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Which neurotransmitters are involved in psychopathology |
1. Norepinephrine 2. Dopamine 3. Serotonin 4. Glutamate 5. Gamma Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) |
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Tracy and Jordan are both 3 months old. Tracy is highly active, easily irritated, and cries easily. Jordan is quiet, adapts easily to change, and seems fearless. These difference illustrate which psychological trait? |
Differences in temperament |
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Neural plasticity is defined as |
Flexibility of the brain in making changes in organizations (changes in neural synapses and pathways) and/or function in response to environmental and life experiences |
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Which perspective or viewpoint focuses on intrapsychic conflicts as the cause of psychopathology? |
Psychodynamics |
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Which symptoms did Freud believe played a causal role in the development of most forms of psychopathology |
Anxiety |
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What are Freud's defense mechanisms |
1. Displacement 2. Fixation 3. Projection 4. Rationalization 5. Reaction Formation 6. Regression 7. Repression 8. Sublimination |
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Alicia developed a fear of spiders after being bitten by one. However, she has no problems looking at pictures of spiders. This is an example of what behavioral principle? |
Discrimination |
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From the cognitive-behavioral perspective, what are some important limitations with the behavioral perspective |
A failure to attend to the importance of mental processess |
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Psychological assessment is defined as |
A procedure by which clinician, using psychological tests, observation and interviews, develop a summary of the client's symptoms and problems |
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What role does the social context play in psychological assessment |
An evaluation of the environment in which the client lives is necessary in order to understand the demands he faces, as well as the supports that are present |
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What is "reliability" in terms of test construction? |
Describes the degree to which an assessment measures procedures the same result each time it is used to evaluate the same thing |
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What is "validity" in terms of test construction? |
The extent to which a measuring instrument actually measures what is supposed to be measured |
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Psychological test results are often compared to each other to determine a mid-range, or normal point. In order to accomplish this, test administration must be completely consistent from one person to the next. What is the process called? |
Standardization |
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A person suffered a head injury in a car accident. He is referred to a psychologist to see what types of impairment now exist and to get some suggestions for treatment. The best assessment strategy would be? |
A neuropsychological assessment/test |
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Because diagnostic reliability is of great concern in research, which type of interview is best recommended? |
Time-limited interviews that last the same length of time for each client, although the questions may differ. |
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What are the advantages of standardized psychological tests? |
The results are far more reliable and fair (they are given in the same manner to all participants) with more validity. |
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What are some examples of projective tests? |
1. Rorschach Inkblot test 2. Thematic Apperception Test 3. Sentence Completion Test |
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Several clinicians look at the TAT results of a hospitalized patient. The patient described the characters on the card as not speaking to each other. One clinician says this means the patient has a lot of unresolved anger. Another says it means the patient has a lot of social anxiety. The third says he thinks it means the patient is uninterested in people and prefers to be alone. This demonstrates what following problems with projective tests? |
Interpretations are subjective, unreliable, and difficult to validate. |
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The MMPI-2 is designed to measure |
Personality |
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Criticisms of diagnostic labels are that they |
Can influence both other people's and the diagnosed person's perception of themselves in negative ways |
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Neurotic behavior is defined as |
Anxiety-Driven, exaggerated use of avoidance behaviors and defense mechanism |
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Fear is a basic emotion that includes |
Activation of the "fight or flight" response of the autonomic nervous system |
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What are the typical symptoms of a panic attack |
Chest pains, shortness of breath, palpitation, sweating, dizziness, nausea |
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What are the five primary types of anxiety disorders recognized in the DSM-5 |
1. Specific phobia 2. Social anxiety disorder 3. Panic disorder 4. Agoraphobia 5. Generalized anxiety disorder |
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Gradual exposure to feared cues is commonly used to treat what disorder? |
Anxiety disorder |
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Why do people with phobias continue to avoid the thing they fear? |
Avoidance is reinforced by anxiety reduction |
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Which phobias are more common in children? |
Animal, blood-injection injury, and dental |
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A young child stepped on a bee and was stung. since that time, she has been terrified of flying insects and runs away if she sees any. What form of learning is this? |
Direct traumatic conditioning |
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It is fairly easy to condition monkeys and humans to fear snakes but almost impossible to condition either to fear a flower. This supports which theory of phobias? |
Prepared lerning |
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What are the best treatments for phobias? |
1. Specific phobias: Exposure therapy 2. Social phobias: Cognitive Behavioral therapy |
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What do cognitive approaches to socail phobias focus on |
Challenging automatic thoughts |
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Panic disorders are often misdiagnosed due to what? |
The normal results are numerous costly medical tests. Also, cardiac patients are nearly twice as much at risk for developing panic disorders |
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A woman tells her psychologist, "I cannot leave a certain region around my home without having terrible fears. I am terribly worried when I am in a car or bus. I am afraid I will have another one of those terrifying experiences." What disorder does she probably have and what experience is she talking about |
Panic disorder with agoraphobia; and the terrifying experiences are panic attacks |
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Which brain structure is recognized as playing a central role in panic attacks? |
Amygdala |
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Which class of drugs is most often prescribed for panic attacks? |
Anxiolytics from the benzodiazipine category |
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A client feels anxious almost all the time. She finds herself worrying that her husband will leave her (although he has never shown any indication that he would), that she chose the wrong job, that her children might not be safe at their school, and that she might get sick and leave her family in financial ruin. She calls her husband almost every day to find out when he will be home. She complains to her physicians that she is always tired but cannot sleep or relax. Her most likely diagnosis is |
Generalized anxiety disorder |
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Persistent and recurrent thoughts are defined as |
Obsessions
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A client believes that it is extremely important to be clean. She cleans her kitchen and bathroom daily and the rest of the house at least once every few days. She uses antibacterial soap and sterile water to clean. She says she wants people to be able to eat off her floors. She is very proud of her house and the way she keeps it. What disorder, if any, might she be suffering from |
Obsessive-compulsive Disorder... Although she sounds pretty normal to me - just a "neat freak" |
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What are the most common types of obsessions seen in OCD |
Contamination, harming oneself or others, and pathological doubt |
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What do all of the compulsions seen in OCD have in common |
They are engaged as a means of alleviating tensions caused by anxiety/distress |
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What do all mood disorders have in common |
Depressed, elevated, expansive, or irritable mood. |
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What are the two key moods involved in mood disorders? |
Mania and depression |
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Postpartum blues are defined as |
Changeable mood, crying easily, sadness, irritability, often liberally intermixed with happy feeling |
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How does dysthymia compare to major depressive disorder |
Dysthymia is more chronic and generaly considered to be a mild to moderate intensity. It is also not interwoven with periods of normal mood |
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A client came to her therapist complaining that she just doesn't enjoy life lately. She says that for the past couple of months, she finds she just doesn't feel like doing the things that she used to love to do. She has also lost a lot of weight and sleeps much more than usual but still feels tired all the time. She says she just can't concentrate on anything. However, she denies feeling sad. Her most likely diagnosis is |
Major depressive disorder |
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What is meant by the phrase "double depression" |
An individual with dysthymia later develops major depressive disorder as well |
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A recurrent depressive episode is defined as |
Recurrence |
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What does research on the role of genetic influence in unipolar disorder show? |
The more severe the depressive disorder, the greater the genetic contribution |
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The fact that bright light may be an effective treatment for seasonal affective disorder might suggest that |
This form of depression is produced by a malfunctioning biological clock that needs resetting |
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Freud suggested that depression was caused by |
- Anger turned inward - loss |
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Beck's negative cognitive triad is defined as |
Negative thoughts about the self, the world, and the future |
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No matter what prisoners try to do, they cannot escape. Eventually they become passive and depressed. This illustrates the central idea in what theory of depression? |
Learned helplessness/hopelessness theory |
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John and Ira eat dinner together after work. Several hours later, each starts to feel nausea and stomach pains. John is a hypochondriac, Ira is not. How will each describe their symptoms |
John: I'm going to die, it must be stomach cancer Ira: I think we have food poisoning |
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Sara notices a lump in her breast. She goes to her physician because she is worried that it is cancer. The physician sends her for a biopsy. During the three weeks between first noticing the lump and getting her results that it is not cancer, Sara was almost unable to function. She felt constant anxiety and thought constantly about having cancer. After she found out that she did not have cancer, Sara felt much better. Does Sara have a mental disorder? Why or Why not |
No She has a legitimate reason to worry and stopped as soon as she realized that she was alright |
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According to the revisions made for the DSM-5, most people previously diagnosed with ______________ will be diagnosed with complex somatic symptom disorder. |
Hypochondriasis |
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How do somatization disorder and hypochondriasis differ |
Somatization disorder is a chronic condition in which there are numerous physical complaints which can last for years and result in substantial impairment caused by psychological problems. Hypochondria is a belief in a real medical issue caused by imagined physical symptoms despite medical reassurance and other evidence to the contrary" |
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A lack of concern about a physical disability is characteristic of individuals with which disorder? |
Conversion disorder (Functional neurological symptom disorder) |
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What is a pseudoseizure |
Often show exessive thrashing about and writhing, they rarely injure themselves in falls or lose control over their bowels or bladders - as is common in true seizures |
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A nurse in an emergency room sees many illnesses and reported illnesses. A group of psychology students are listening to her speak and one asks her what might be one way to tell the difference between a conversion disorder and a true organic disturbance. What would be a valid answer |
The patient shows no signs of atrophy in damaged areas |
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After learning of her father's death, Sophia felt dazed and confused but still retained her sense of self. When speaking of her response to the news, she said she felt like she was in a movie watching the events happening to her. Despite this strange feeling, she understood what was happening and did the things that she needed to do. What can be said of Sophia's response to her father's death? |
She experienced an instance of derealization |
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In soap operas, characters often forget their past experience following some trauma. They don't merely forget the traumatic event, they forget who they are, where they came from - they lose almost all memory of their lives. They then move to a new place and start a new identity. This would best be described as an instance of what disorder? |
Dissociative fugue |
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Why has the term "multiple personality disorder" been replaced with "dissociative identity disorder? |
Fully developed personalities are not present in DID, just varying expressions of different aspects of the patient personality |
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A recent in-depth study by Lewis and colleagues of 12 convicted murderers diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder looked into their backgrounds. The study foundstrong evidence of what |
Each was severely abused, both physically and sexually |
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The treatment goal for most therapists who treat dissociative identity disorder is to? |
Integration of the alter personalities |
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The text presented the case of Mary Kendall, who suffered from dissociative identity disorder. She is typical of individuals with this disorder in that she |
Has periods of "lost time" |
