Abnormal Psychology Flashcards
(213 cards)
study of the nature, symptomatology, development and treatment of psychological disorders
psychopathology
challenges to the study of psychopathology
- maintaining objectivity
- avoiding preconceived notions
- reducing stigma
- breakdown in cognitive, emotional or behavioral functioning
- internal mechanism is unable to perform its usual function
psychological dysfunction
a person’s behavior may be classified as disordered if it causes him or her great distress
personal distress
impairment in some important area of life
disability
- reaction is outside cultural norms
- something is considered abnormal because it occurs infrequently
violation of social norms
is a syndrome characterized by clinically significant disturbance in an individual’s cognition, emotion regulation, or behavior that reflects a dysfunction in the psychological, biological, or developmental processes underlying mental functioning
mental disorder
they begin suddenly
acute onset
develop gradually
insidious onset
disorders follow a somewhat individual pattern
course
they tend to last a long time
chronic course
likely to recover and to suffer a recurrence
episodic course
will improve without treatment in a relatively short period
time-limited course
anticipated course of a disorder
prognosis
the doctrine that an evil being or spirit can dwell within a person and control his or her mind and body thereby can be treated by exorcism
demonology
the ritualistic casting out of evil spirits
exorcism
cutting holes to the skull in the belief that evil spirits may come out
trephination
patients were shocked back to their senses by being submerged in ice-cold water
hydrotherapy
four humors:
blood, black bile, yellow bile & phlegm
was viewed as instigated by Satan, was seen as heresy and a denial of God
witchcraft
municipal authorities assumed responsibility for care of mentally ill
lunacy trials
trials held to determine sanity
lunacy trials
attributes insanity to misalignment of moon and stars
lunacy
characterized by large-scale outbreaks of bizarre behavior
mass hysteria