12.1 Psychological Disorder: What Makes a Behavior “Abnormal”?

Question 1

abnormal psychology

Answer 1

• the application of psychological science to understanding and treating mental disorders

Question 2

prevalence

Answer 2

• the frequency of occurrence of a given condition in a population at a given time

Question 3

psychological disorder

Answer 3

• an ongoing dysfunctional pattern of thought, emotion, and behavior that causes significant distress, and that is considered deviant in that person’s culture or society

Question 4

bio-psycho-social model of illness

Answer 4

• a way of understanding disorder that assumes that disorder is caused by biological, psychological, and social factors

Question 5

comorbidity

Answer 5

• occurs when people who suffer from one disorder also suffer at the same time from other disorders

Question 6

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)

Answer 6

• a document that provides a common language and standard criteria for the classification of mental disorders

Question 7

attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Answer 7

• ADHD is a developmental behavior disorder characterized by problems with focus, difficulty maintaining attention, and inability to concentrate, in which symptoms start before 7 years of age

Question 8

autistic disorder (autism)

Answer 8

• a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication and by restricted and repetitive behavior, and in which symptoms begin before 7 years of age

Question 9

Asperger‘s disorder

Answer 9

• a developmental disorder that affects a child’s ability to socialize and communicate effectively with others and in which symptoms begin before 7 years of age