Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

PSY101 > Psychopathology > Flashcards

Psychopathology Flashcards

1
Q

What is the psychodynamic perspective on abnormal psychology?

A

Mental disorders originate in intrapsychic conflict produced by the id, ego and superego

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is the medical perspective of abnormal psychology?

A
  • Originated with Hippocrates who thought that an excess in the 4 humours (black bile, yellow bile, blood and phlegm) led to emotional problems
  • Now thought that mental disorders are caused by specific abnormalities in the brain
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What is the cognitive behavioural perspective of abnormal psychology?

A

Mental disorders are learned maladaptive behaviour patterns that can be best understood by focusing on environmental factors and a person’s perception of those factors

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is the humanistic and sociocultural perspective of abnormal psychology?

A

Mental disorders arise when people believe that they must earn the positive regard of others

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What is the diathesis-stress model?

A

The combination of a person’s genetics and early learning experiences yields a predisposition for a particular mental disorder, but the disorder will only develop if the person is exposed to stressors which exceed their coping ability

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Which two systems are used to classify mental disorders?

A
  • Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV (DSM-IV)

- International Classification of Diseases 10 (ICD-10)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What is Axis I?

A

Information on major clinical syndromes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is Axis II?

A

Personality disorders

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What is Axis III?

A

Physical disorders accompanying the psychological disorder (skin rashes etc.)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is Axis IV?

A

Specifies the severity of stress that the person has encountered

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is Axis V?

A

Describes the person’s overall level of psychological, social or occupational functioning

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What is the unit of Axis V?

A

Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What does GAF 100 mean?

A

No/nearly no absence of functioning

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What does GAF 50 mean?

A

Serious problems in functioning

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What does GAF 10 mean?

A

Impairments which may result in injury to oneself or others

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Problems with the DSM?

A
  • Tends to be more consistent with the medical approach; treatments emphasise biological factors
  • Cognitive and environmental determinants may be overlooked
  • Questionable reliability due to complex nature of diagnosis
  • Encourages false-positives
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Who is cited in the text as one of the first to challenge the practice of witchcraft?

A

Johann Wier

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Who believed that patients would respond to kind treatment?

A

Philippe Pinel

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What does the id represent?

A

Biological urges

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What does the superego represent?

A

Moral dictates of society

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What does the ego represent?

A

Reality

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What is a dream’s manifest content?

A

The actual images and events which occur in the dream

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What is a dream’s latent content?

A

The hidden meaning or significance of the dream

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What criteria must people meet to be considered for psychodynamic therapy?

A
  • Intelligent
  • Articulate
  • Motivated to spend 3 hours a week working hard to uncover unconscious conflicts
  • Be able to afford therapist fees
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

Evaluation of the psychodynamic approach to therapy

A
  • Many people not eligible/don’t complete course of treatment: sample is not representative so cannot conclude this therapy works
  • Therapists can blame the patient when it doesn’t work
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

What is the aim of humanistic therapy?

A

To release one’s potential for personal growth (which psychological problems are blocking)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

The discrepancy between the real and the idea perceptions of self is called ______

A

Incongruence

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

Client-centred therapy involves…

A
  • The client decides what to talk about with their therapist without direction or judgement from the therapist
  • The client is responsible for solving their own problems
  • Aim is to reduce incongruence by fostering experiences which will make the attainment of their ideal self possible
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

What is Gestalt therapy?

A

Emphasises the unity of the mind and body by teaching the client to get in touch with body sensations and emotional feelings hidden from awareness

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

Evaluation of Gestalt therapy

A
  • Not suitable for serious psychoses

- Most effective for intelligent, motivated people

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

What is systematic desensitisation?

A
  • The client is taught how to completely relax
  • The client and therapist construct a hierarchy of anxiety-related stimuli
  • The conditioned stimuli are paired with stimuli which elicit relaxation
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

What is aversion therapy?

A

A negative reaction to a neutral stimulus is caused by pairing it with an aversive stimulus e.g. painful electric shocks when seeing shoes to get rid of a fetish

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

What is behaviour modification?

A

The use of rewards/punishments to increase positive/reduce negative behaviours

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

What is a token economy?

A

A list of tasks is complied and residents gain tokens for each task performed, which they can later exchange for snacks or other desired articles

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy?

A

A focus on changing the client’s maladaptive thoughts, beliefs and perceptions in an attempt to therefore change their behavioural outcomes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

Evaluation of CBT?

A
  • Symptom focused rather than focusing on the root cause

- Removal of one symptom will simply result in another potentially more serious one - symptom substitution

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
37
Q

What are the advantages of group therapy?

A
  • Allows the therapist to observe real interactions and not rely on the patient’s description
  • A group brings social pressure, if someone receives the same comments from all members it will be more powerful
  • Seeing the causes of maladaptive behaviour in others can help with insight into one’s own problems, learning from the mistakes of others
  • Knowing that other people have similar problems can bring comfort
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
38
Q

What are the main classes of drugs used in psychopharmacological interventions?

A
  • Antipsychotic drugs
  • Anti-depressant drugs
  • Anti-manic drugs
  • Anti-anxiety drugs
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
39
Q

What is ECT?

A
  • Electroconvulsive therapy
  • Electrodes are placed on a person’s head and a brief electrical current is passed through them
  • Reduces depression symptoms immediately (compared to 10 - 14 days for anti-depressants)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
40
Q

Problems with ECT

A
  • Can cause permanent memory loss

- Administered only to the right hemisphere now to reduce verbal memory loss

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
41
Q

What is psychosurgery?

A

Brain surgery to treat psychological disorders

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
42
Q

What psychosurgery used to be performed?

A

Prefrontal lobotomy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
43
Q

What psychosurgery is performed now?

A

Cingulotomy (cutting of the cingulum bundle)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
44
Q

Evaluation of the biological approach to treatment

A
  • Drugs are only effective for the period of use
  • People forget to take their drugs
  • Psychosurgery is extreme and controversial
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
45
Q

Anxiety definition

A

The sense of apprehension or doom that is accompanied with physiological reactions such as increased heart rate, sweaty palms and tightness in the stomach

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
46
Q

What are the most important anxiety disorders?

A
  • Generalised anxiety disorder
  • Panic disorder
  • Phobic disorder
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
47
Q

What is generalised anxiety disorder?

A
  • Excessive worry about all aspects of a person’s life: health, money, work, relationships etc.
  • Must be present on most days for at least 6 months
  • Difficult to control the worry
  • At least 3 symptoms
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
48
Q

What are the symptoms of GAD?

A
  • Restlessness
  • Easily fatigued
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Irritability
  • Muscle tension
  • Sleep disturbance
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
49
Q

Borkovec’s aetiology of GAD (1994)

A
  • Arises from the individual’s drive to set and anticipate a set of goals which are desirable
  • Anxiety arises when there is a history of frustrated failure which affects the perception of cues associated with the goals
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
50
Q

Eysenck’s aetiology of GAD (1992)

A
  • Worry or anxiety serves as an alarm function which brings information concerning threat-related stimuli to awareness
  • Prompts individuals to anticipate future situations and their solutions
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
51
Q

Gray’s aetiology of GAD (1982)

A

Anxiety is evoked by signals of….

  • Punishment
  • Lack of reward
  • Novel stimuli
  • Innate fear stimuli

The individual detects threats by means of a behavioural inhibition system (BIS) which also generates anxiety

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
52
Q

What is the two-factor model?

A

Individuals exhibit a vulnerability to anxiety owing to high trait anxiety and poor coping skills

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
53
Q

Treatment for generalised anxiety disorder

A
  • Benzodiazepines
  • Barbiturates
  • Antidepressants
  • CBT
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
54
Q

What is panic disorder?

A
  • Panic = a fear of fear
  • People with panic disorder suffer from episodic acute anxiety attacks
  • Onset in young adulthood (rarely starts after age 35)
55
Q

Genetic explanation of panic disorder

A
  • Seems to be a hereditary component
  • 30% first-degree relatives of a person with panic disorder also have it
  • Pattern suggests it is caused by a single dominant gene
56
Q

Clark’s model of panic disorder

A
  • Panic attacks are caused by catastrophic misinterpretation of bodily events
  • Slight changes in bodily sensation are interpreted as a threat and so anxiety occurs
  • More anxious they become the more intense the bodily sensations
  • Hypervigilance - the individual repeatedly checks for changes in body sensation
  • Avoidance strategies - the individual avoids behaviours they feel will exacerbate the bodily sensations
57
Q

Treatment for panic disorders

A
  • CBT
  • Cognitive restructuring
  • Antidepressants
  • Anxiolytics
58
Q

What is a phobic disorder?

A

Irrational fear of specific objects or situations which make life difficult for the individual

59
Q

What is agoraphobia?

A

Fear of open spaces

60
Q

What is social phobia?

A

Exaggerated fear of one or more situations in which the person is exposed to possible scrutiny by others and fears that he or she may do something or act in a way that will be humiliating or embarrassing

61
Q

What is specific phobia?

A

All other phobias such as fear of snakes, spiders, darkness or heights

62
Q

Aetiology of phobic disorders

A
  • Preparedness hypothesis for animal phobias
  • Pairing of a phobic object with an aversive stimulus so phobic stimuli become phobic by association
  • Inherent fear of disease (animals like slugs seem disgusting)
63
Q

Treatment of phobic disorders

A
  • Systematic desensitisation

- Modelling

64
Q

What is post-traumatic stress disorder?

A

Anxiety that follows a traumatic event

65
Q

Symptoms of PTSD

A
  • Re-experiencing the feelings related to the event (memories, intrusive thoughts and images)
  • Avoidant behaviour
  • Arousal such as hypervigilance for trauma related stimuli
  • Sadness
  • Guilt
  • Anger
66
Q

Aetiology of PTSD

A
  • There is first a stunned reaction to the trauma
  • Then a feeling of information overload
  • Such information cannot be accommodated in existing schemata and so the individual puts up defence mechanisms such as denial
  • Completion tendency keeps the memory alive with flashbacks/nightmares
67
Q

Treatment of PTSD

A
  • Debriefing appears ineffective
  • Drug treatment has mixed success
  • Exposure treatment seems to be effective
68
Q

What is obsessive-compulsive disorder?

A

Individuals suffer from thoughts which will not leave them (obsessions), and behaviours that they cannot keep from performing (compulsions) which interfere with their daily life

69
Q

Aetiology of OCD

A
  • Obsessions may serve as devices to occupy the mind and displace painful thoughts
  • May engage in checking behaviour to reduce the anxiety caused by fear of being perceived as incompetent and avoid others’ criticism
  • Associated with Tourette’s syndrome
70
Q

Treatment of OCD

A
  • Behavioural exposure therapy

- SSRIs

71
Q

What is a somatoform disorder?

A

A bodily or physical problem for which there is no physiological basis. The two most important are somatisation disorder and conversion disorder

72
Q

What categories do the somatisation disorder symptoms fall into?

A
  • Gastrointestinal
  • Pain
  • Cardiopulmonary
  • Pseudoneurological
  • Sexual
  • Female reproductive
73
Q

What does the work hysteria mean in Greek?

A

Uterus

74
Q

Aetiology of somatisation disorder

A
  • Genetic link - 20% first degree female relatives also have the disorder
  • Closely associated with antisocial personality disorder
75
Q

What is conversion disorder?

A

Physical complaints which resemble neurological disorders but have no underlying organic pathological basis

76
Q

What are the symptoms of conversion disorder?

A
  • Blindness
  • Deafness
  • Loss of feeling
  • Paralysis
77
Q

Aetiology of conversion disorder

A

Psychic energy of unresolved conflicts becomes displaced into physical symptoms

78
Q

Treatment of conversion disorder

A
  • Behavioural therapy

- Rewarding ways of adapting and coping with the illness

79
Q

What are dissociative disorders?

A

Anxiety is reduced by a sudden disruption in consciousness, which in turn produces changes in one’s sense of identity

80
Q

What is dissociative identity disorder?

A

Very rare disorder which is characterised by two or more separate personalities within the same individual, either of which may be dominant at any given time

81
Q

What is psychogenic amnesia?

A

A person forgets their past life, in which the conflicts occurred, and begins a new one

82
Q

What is a psychogenic fugue?

A

A special form of amnesia in which a person chooses to leave home and start a new life elsewhere

83
Q

Aetiology of dissociative disorders

A

Usually explained as responses to severe conflicts resulting from intolerable impulses or as responses to guilt stemming from an actual misdeed

84
Q

Treatment of dissociative disorders

A
  • Patient recounting their past and present traumas
  • Acknowledging and accepting these traumas to avoid the need to dissociate
  • Anti-anxiety drugs may be prescribed
85
Q

What is antisocial personality disorder?

A

A failure to conform to standards of decency, repeated lying and stealing, failure to sustain long-term and loving relationships, low tolerance of boredom and complete lack of guilt

86
Q

Aetiology of antisocial personality disorder

A
  • Unresponsive autonomic nervous system therefore no anticipatory fear of punishment
  • Little or no emotional response to other people, less likely to from relationships
87
Q

Treatment of antisocial personality disorder

A
  • No standard, effective treatment

- Treatment usually focusses on anger management or reducing sexually deviant behaviour

88
Q

What is the name of a less severe form of depression?

A

Dysthymic disorder

89
Q

What is the name of a less severe form of bipolar disorder?

A

Cyclothymic disorder

90
Q

Dysthymic comes from the Greek words for ____ and _____

A

Bad; sprit

91
Q

What is mania?

A

Wild, exuberant, unrealistic activity unprecipitated by environmental events

92
Q

What is seasonal affective disorder?

A

Some people become depressed during the winter season when days are short and nights are long

93
Q

What are the symptoms of SAD?

A
  • Lethargy
  • Sleep disturbances
  • Low mood
  • Craving for carbs resulting in weight gain
94
Q

What may cause SAD?

A

It is thought that people with SAD have a defective light-sensitive hormone, melatonin

95
Q

How is SAD treated?

A

Exposure to bright light for several hours of the day

96
Q

What is schizophrenia?

A

A group of disorders involving distortions of thought, perception and emotion, bizarre behaviour and social withdrawal

97
Q

What are the positive symptoms of schizophrenia?

A
  • Thought disorders
  • Delusions
  • Hallucinations
98
Q

What are the negative symptoms of schizophrenia?

A
  • Flattened emotional response
  • Poverty of speech
  • Lack of initiative and persistence
  • Inability to experience pleasure
  • Social withdrawal
99
Q

What are the different types of schizophrenia?

A
  • Catatonic
  • Undifferentiated
  • Paranoid
  • Disorganised
100
Q

What is catatonic schizophrenia?

A
  • Patients have various motor disturbances

- They form bizarre, stationary poses for many hours

101
Q

What is paranoid schizophrenia?

A

Have delusions of persecution, grandeur (beliefs in one’s power/importance) and control

102
Q

What is disorganised schizophrenia?

A
  • A serious, progressive and irreversible disorder characterised by disturbances of thought
  • Often display emotions which are inappropriate to the context
103
Q

If both parents are schizophrenic, the likelihood of their child becoming schizophrenic is….

A

30% or less

104
Q

Is schizophrenia inherited?

A

There is support that schizophrenia is heritable, however it is not a simple trait that is inherited, environmental factors are likely an important trigger for the activation of the biological predisposition

105
Q

What is the dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia?

A

Positive symptoms of schizophrenia are caused by overactivity of synapses which use dopamine as a transmitter substance

106
Q

Which receptor is thought to have an influence on schizophrenia?

A
  • D2 receptors in the striatum
  • Antipsychotic medication blocks these
  • Cocaine activates these and so makes symptoms worse
107
Q

Treatment of schizophrenia

A

D2 antagonists (antipsychotics)

108
Q

What is the side effect of schizophrenia treatment?

A
  • Tardive dyskinesia

- Often irreversible and untreatable syndrome which results in involuntary lip smacking, grimacing and drooling

109
Q

What are the symptoms of depression?

A
  • A sad and apathetic mood
  • Feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness
  • A desire to withdraw from other people
  • Sleeplessness and loss of appetite and sexual desire
  • Change in activity level to lethargy or agitation
110
Q

Cognitive aetiology of depression?

A

Negative statements about themselves strain interpersonal relationships, which results in others withdrawing or failing to initiate social support, which, in turn, reinforces the depressive’s negative statements

111
Q

According to Beck, depressed people’s thinking is characterised by…

A
  • Self-blame
  • Overemphasis on the negative aspects of life
  • Failure to appreciate positive experiences
112
Q

What is the cognitive triad?

A

Negative thoughts about the self, the present and the future

113
Q

Biological aetiology of depression?

A
  • Depression results from a depletion in monoamines, dopamine, norepinephrine or serotonin
  • The serotonin hypothesis states that serotonin is the most important as SSRIs are seen to be effective treatments
114
Q

Treatments for depression

A
  • CBT
  • Tricyclic antidepressants
  • MAOIs
  • SSRIs (Prozac)
115
Q

What is lithium carbonate used to treat?

A

Bipolar disorder

116
Q

The need for a comprehensive classification system of psychological disorders was first recognised by?

A

Kraepelin

117
Q

Mental health professionals holding the psychodynamic perspective view mental disorders to be the result of…

A

Intrapsychic conflict

118
Q

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is to the __________ as International Classification of Diseases is to the __________

A

American Psychological Association; World Health Organisation

119
Q

What are the criticisms of the DSM?

A
  • It can be used to label people
  • It is biased toward the medical perspective
  • It is not perfectly reliable
120
Q

A person who has suggested that we should not make any attempts to classify and diagnose mental disorders is?

A

Thomas Szasz

121
Q

Reasons for developing a system for classifying and diagnosing mental disorders are that

A
  • Accurate classification of a disorder allows researchers to learn more about the causes of that disorder
  • Diagnosis of a disorder aids in finding successful treatments for it
  • It allows the person with the disorder as well as his or her family members to know what to expect as the disorder runs its course and as mental health professionals attempt to treat the disorder
122
Q

Mentally ill people who were confined to the earliest mental institutions were treated

A

Inhumanely

123
Q

The kind of therapy that is directed at providing people with insight into their unconscious motivations and desires is called

A

Psychoanalysis

124
Q

Last night Clare dreamed that the hot water tank located in the attic burst and flooded the house. The bursting of the hot water heater and the flooding of the house constitute the __________ content of the dream

A

Manifest

125
Q

The tendency of clients in psychoanalysis to project their attitudes and emotions onto the therapist as a result of “reliving” some of their unpleasant childhood experiences is called

A

Transference

126
Q

The tendency of the therapist in psychoanalysis to project attitudes and emotions onto the client while attempting to provide insight into the client’s unconscious is called

A

Countertransference

127
Q

The first humanistic therapy was developed by __________ in the 1940s

A

Carl Rogers

128
Q

The therapy process that involves teaching the client to relax in the face of progressively more anxiety-producing stimuli is called

A

Systematic desensitisation

129
Q

Cognitive behavioural treatment of panic disorder involves what?

A

Cognitive restructuring

130
Q

A mental disorder characterised by physical problems for which there is no physiological basis is called a __________ disorder

A

Somatoform

131
Q

The word hysteria comes from the Greek word meaning

A

Uterus

132
Q

Beck used the term “cognitive triad” to refer to negative thoughts about

A
  • The self
  • The present
  • The future
133
Q

A depressed person who makes the statement, “I am a failure at everything I do and I will never be good at anything I do,” is said to have a(n) __________ attributional style

A

Hopeless

134
Q

The kind of therapy that is directed at providing people with insight into their unconscious motivations and desires is called?

A

Psychoanalysis

PSY101 (8 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions