Abnormal Psychology and Psychotherapy

Question 1

psychotic disorder

Answer 1

a disorder where someone’s thoughts, perceptions, and behaviors are impaired to the point that they cannot function normally in society

Question 2

schizophrenia symptoms

Answer 2

hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking, abnormal motor behavior, negative symptoms

Question 3

hallucinations

Answer 3

experience without external stimulation; auditory (hearing voices/commentary) or visual

Question 4

delusions

Answer 4

beliefs that are contrary to reality

Question 5

paranoid delusions

Answer 5

other people are trying to harm them; mother and FBI want to poison his coffee, neighbor is a spy who wants to kill him

Question 6

grandiose delusions

Answer 6

one believes they have special power, unique knowledge, or are extremely important; they have knowledge from 5,000 years ago, they will be missed if they die

Question 7

disorganized thinking

Answer 7

incoherent thought processes, like word salad; responding to something with distantly related topics (getting special training > once rode on a train)

Question 8

negative symptoms

Answer 8

• decreases/absences in behaviors, emotions, and drives
• not showing facial expressions while talking, not taking initiative with grooming/bathing, not talking much, not engaging in social behavior

Question 9

dopamine hypothesis

Answer 9

schizophrenia is caused by too much dopamine or too many dopamine receptors

Question 10

evidence of dope hypothesis

Answer 10

chlorpromazine was discovered to stop + symptoms by blocking dope receptors and stimulants that release dope cause + symptoms

Question 11

chemical imbalance in schiz

Answer 11

• increased dope in limbic system > hallucinations/delusions

- decreased dope in prefrontal cortex cause negative symptoms (repression)

Question 12

schizophrenic brain

Answer 12

enlarged ventricles → indicates that other regions are smaller → loss of brain tissue;
-reduced activity of frontal lobes → reduced cognitive functions (planning, speech, problem solving)

Question 13

panic disorder

Answer 13

recurrent panic attacks and persistent concern that they will happen/effects from them

Question 14

panic attack

Answer 14

extreme fear/discomfort in 10 min; high heart rate, sweating, trembling, choking, hot/chills, dizziness, lightheadedness; YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE DYING; overactivation of sympathetic system (fight/flight)

Question 15

biological causes of panic disorder

Answer 15

possibly caused by abnormal norepinephrine in locus coeruleus

Question 16

generalized anxiety disorder

Answer 16

continuous state of excessive and pointless worrying about everyday things (being late, health, finances) that aren’t going wrong

Question 17

obsessive-compulsive disorder

Answer 17

the experience of thoughts and urges that are intrusive and unwanted and feeling the need to engage in repetitive behaviors to ease anxiety/tension

Question 18

obsessions

Answer 18

persistent, unintentional thoughts and urges that are unpleasant; germ contamination, doubts of locking door, symmetry

Question 19

compulsions

Answer 19

repetitive and ritualistic acts carried out to minimize distress; extensive hand washing, repetitive checking (door, stove, tap), counting, saying something to oneself

Question 20

biological causes of OCD

Answer 20

damage to basal ganglia → increased activation of it (S-R learning);
-higher connectivity in prefrontal cortex

Question 21

major depressive disorder

Answer 21

overwhelmingly sad, no interest in activities

Question 22

MDD symptoms

Answer 22

weight loss, weird sleep, fidgety/moving slow, fatigue, feeling worthless, can’t concentrate, suicidal ideation

Question 23

bipolar disorder

Answer 23

mood state fluctuates between manic and depressed states

Question 24

manic episode

Answer 24

abnormally elevated or irritable mood, really active, happy, talkative, flight of ideas

Question 25

biology of mood disorders

Answer 25

not enough norepinephrine and serotonin; also very genetic; affected amygdala/left prefrontal

Question 26

free association

Answer 26

psychoanalysis, pt relaxes and says whatever comes to mind

Question 27

dream analysis

Answer 27

pt tells therapist dreams and they tell pt what it means: (includes manifest/latent content)

Question 28

manifest content

Answer 28

what actually happens in a dream, the storyline

Question 29

latent content

Answer 29

what the dream means, unconscious

Question 30

humanistic therapy

Answer 30

very client-centered to help them become more accepting of themselves, conscious