Abnormal Psychology (Test Wed. 4/9/25)

Question 1

Causes of mental dysfunction

Answer 1

1. Biological- Hormonal imbalances, brain damage, genetics, etc.
2. Cultural- Social comparison, social media, discrimination, etc.
3. Environmental- Parenting, abuse, poverty, ACE’s (Adverse Childhood Events), etc.

Question 2

The diathesis-stress model

Answer 2

-Diathesis: Predisposed vulnerability.
- Vulnerability + right stressor = disorder
- A disorder can arise given the right amount of stress on a diathesis or predisposition.

Question 3

Four factors that help define social psychology-

Answer 3

1. Behavior causes continued distress where the sufferer’s own thoughts and actions lead to their pain.
2. Behavior is maladaptive and interrupts daily life.
3. Deviates from social norms.
4. Behavior is atypical (statistically rare).

Question 4

How are psychological disorders currently trending?

Answer 4

They are increasingly more common. The most common type of disorder on the rise are mood disorders (depression, etc.).

Question 5

DSM-5

Answer 5

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, version 5-TR.
Has 500+ disorders listen, sponsored by the APA (American Psychiatric Association) used mostly in western, English, American places.
It’s incredibly rare and not readily available to the public. New volumes are made every 25 years or so.

Question 6

Why does the DMS often change?

Answer 6

1. Disorder’s names change. Ex. Manic depression became bipolar disorder.
2. Definitions change.
3. Some conditions are no longer classified as disorders.

Question 7

ICD

Answer 7

International Classification of Mental Disorders, currently on version 11.
Used in African and Asian places, sponsored by the World Health Organization of the United Nation.
It’s free to the public and includes everything from mental disorders to broken bones.

Question 8

Neurodevelopmental disorders

Answer 8

Childhood disorders that affect the way the brain grows and works, usually starting early in life and can cause behavioral and intelligence issues.

Question 9

Conduct disorders

Answer 9

Serious violations of the rules.

Question 10

Can children be diagnosed with psychological disorders?

Answer 10

No, their frontal lobes and personalities aren’t fully developed yet.

Question 11

ADD/ADHD

Answer 11

Neurodevelopmental disorder.
Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder.
ADD is inattentive and impulsive.
ADHD has hyperactivity added.
Symptoms are correlated to higher screen time.

Question 12

ASD (Autism)

Answer 12

Neurodevelopmental disorder.
Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Social and communication disability. Has nothing to do with IQ or ability.
They use either echolalia (repetition of words or phrases) or stimming (repetitive behavior) to cope with emotions.

Question 13

Convenience sampling

Answer 13

Using the easiest/most readily available group in a study. It reduces validity. Considered most dangerous but easiest.

Question 14

Anxiety

Answer 14

An exaggerated feeling of worry. Related to the Yerkes-Dodson law where stress/arousal correlates to performance.

Question 15

GAD

Answer 15

Anxiety Disorder.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
Irrational, exaggerated worry. It’s relatively lowkey but diagnoses are on the rise. You must have symptoms for at least 6 months.

Question 16

Panic Disorder

Answer 16

Anxiety Disorder.
When GAD (generalized anxiety) gets physical and acute (symptoms show up and leave quickly). Having panic attacks that can last for up to an hour.

Question 17

Eating disorders

Answer 17

Anxiety Disorder.
-Bulimia: Eating and purging/throwing up.
-Anorexia: Eating less and less, starving yourself.
-Etc.

Question 18

Phobias (+ agoraphobia, acrophobia, and arachnophobia)

Answer 18

Anxiety Disorder.
-Intense, irrational fear, maladaptive terror.
-Agoraphobia: Fear of being in a place you can’t escape.
-Acrophobia: Fear of heights
-Arachnophobia: Fear of spiders.

Question 19

OCD

Answer 19

Anxiety Disorder.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
Located in the back of the brain. An obsession (thought) leads to a compulsion (action). The obsession gives anxiety while the compulsion relieves it, creating a cycle.

Question 20

Hoarding disorder

Answer 20

Anxiety Disorder.
Unmanageable amount of clutter stored in a chaotic manner that can be dangerous/maladaptive.
Often goes with OCD and can be from a traumatic event. Ex. Someone dying and therefore not wanting to lose anything else.

Question 21

Ataque de nervios

Answer 21

Anxiety Disorder.
Mostly in Latin America. A sense of being out of control that leads to trembling, shouting, crying, etc. Similar to a panic attack.

Question 22

Taijin kyofusho (TK)

Answer 22

Anxiety Disorder.
Mostly in Japan and Asian cultures. A severe anxiety that ones body parts/functions displeases, embarrasses, or offends other.

Question 23

PTSD

Answer 23

Anxiety Disorder.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Caused by trauma, a big symptom being similar to panic attacks.
PTSD instead comes with flashbacks, whereas panic attacks are only physical. All of PSTD is mental.

Question 24

Gender Dysphoria

Answer 24

Anxiety Disorder.
Used to be called gender identity disorder.
-When someone feels uncomfortable in their own body/with their gender.
-Transvestism: Cross-dressing like opposite gender. Isn’t necessarily a disorder but becomes one when it’s maladaptive.

Question 25

Biology and anxiety

Answer 25

-If your brain doesn't produce enough serotonin (mood regulator) you're more likely to have an anxiety disorder. -If the amygdala (part of brain with base emotions like fear, anger, lust) is damaged it can lead to more fear and therefore anxiety.

Question 26

Dissociative disorders

Answer 26

-Dissociative identity -Dissociative amnesia -Dissociative fugue

Question 27

Dissociation

Answer 27

Dissociative disorder. Disconnecting from thoughts, feelings, or your sense of identity. Caused by trauma and is steady with no hallucinations or episodes. It's chronic and lasts a long time.

Question 28

Psychosis

Answer 28

Dissociative disorder. Is a biological issue that is episodic. In these episodes a person loses touch with reality and can have hallucinations. Onset is usually in adolescence, but not diagnosed in kids because they're underdeveloped.

Question 29

Dissociative/psychogenic amnesia

Answer 29

Dissociative disorder. Can be dissociative or hysterical. Amnesia of an extremely traumatic event that your brain suppresses to protect you. Not from organic/physical causes.

Question 30

Dissociative fugue

Answer 30

Dissociative disorder. Trauma makes someone change their geographic location and identity. Not psychotic. They might forget their entire "last life."

Question 31

DID

Answer 31

Dissociative disorder. Dissociative Identity Disorder. -Formerly known as MPD (multiple personality disorder). Commonly misdiagnosed because it looks like bipolar. -A fracture is when the personality splits from a traumatic event, usually in children. -The host (dominant personality) has alters (other personalities).

Question 32

Shirley Mason

Answer 32

Starred in "Sybil." Became the face of DID (dissociative Identity disorder). After 1976, the knowledge of DID made diagnoses go up. She later admitted to faking DID. She continued because she had fallen in love with her psychiatrist and needed the money/fame.

Question 33

Social contagion

Answer 33

Any condition that increases in diagnoses as people find out about it. Ex. Gender dysphoria. When media like "13 Reasons Why" come out, suicide increases (Ex. 28.9% for 10-17 year olds, as well as increase for males, following the month of release). There is a correlation, but you can't prove causation.

Question 34

Parapsychology

Answer 34

The study of strange minds.

Question 35

Mood disorders

Answer 35

Conditions where there's a disturbance in mood.

Question 36

Martin Seligman

Answer 36

Relates to mood disorders. Studied happiness and learned helplessness (a control problem where you think something negative is out of your control so you learn helplessness).

Question 37

Cognitive Triad

Answer 37

Relates to mood disorders. Like reciprocal determinism. Everything I do is bad --> no one can help me --> is will never change --> and so on.

Question 38

Lonliness

Answer 38

Relates to mood disorders. Linked to depression. said to have the same impact on life expectancy as 15 cigarettes a day. Not the same as being alone. Is on the rise.

Question 39

MDD

Answer 39

Mood disorder. Major Depressive Disorder. Is biological. Persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness. Top reason worldwide people seek psychiatric help. Symptoms must last for at least 2 weeks and are acute (severe).

Question 40

Dysthymia

Answer 40

Mood disorder. Dysthymic disorder, persistent depressive disorder. Depressive symptoms that last for at least 2 years in adults or 1 year in children. Is more minor than MDD.

Question 41

Suicide statistics

Answer 41

Geography, gender, and age affect it. Females are more likely to attempt suicide, but males are 3-4 times more likely to succeed because they choose more lethal methods right off the bat. is the highest between ages 10 and 24.

Question 42

Bipolar disorder

Answer 42

Mood disorder. Goes from mania/manic episodes of high energy and hypersexuality to depressive episodes. Doesn't go from one minute to the next (Borderline PD), takes longer. Hypersexuality- Increased interest in sex and more risky sexual behaviors. Manic speech- Word salad. Noticeable symptom of mania, going from one thought to the next with no clear through-line.

Question 43

Difference between Bipolar I and II-

Answer 43

Mood disorder. Bipolar Type I- Mood/pendulum goes all the way from mania to depression. Bipolar Type II- Mood goes from depression to hypomania instead (a lessened mania).

Question 44

Heritability of psychological disorders

Answer 44

Is rated from 0 to 1. The most heritable is bipolar, followed by schizophrenia, then anorexia, etc.

Question 45

Addiction disorders

Answer 45

Substance addiction- Covers all drugs, etc in the DSM. Behavioral addiction- Only one: gambling in the DSM. There is no such thing as a sex addict.

Question 46

Psychotic disorders

Answer 46

On the schizophrenia spectrum.

Question 47

3 symptoms of schizophrenia-

Answer 47

1. Hallucinations- Seeing/hearing/etc. things. 2. Delusions- Believing things that aren't true/illogical. 3. Disorganized thoughts and speech (word salad)

Question 48

Schizophrenia

Answer 48

Psychotic disorder. Is biological. The dopamine hypothesis says that a schizophrenic's brain feels dopamine more, not necessarily makes more of it. Their brains are literally structured differently. Prenatal viruses, specifically the flu, can trigger a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia.

Question 49

Chronic schizophrenia

Answer 49

Psychotic disorder. Develops over a long period of time and is difficult to help.

Question 50

Acute schizophrenia

Answer 50

Psychotic disorder. Happens suddenly and is easier to help early on.

Question 51

+ and - of schizophrenia and general information-

Answer 51

Psychotic disorder. Schizophrenia can add (positive) hallucinations, delisional thinking, etc, and subtract (negative) things like coherent speech. Most people with this aren't aware they have it nor of the warning signs because, to them, it's their reality. They tend to live 15 to 20 years less on average.

Question 52

Catatonic schizophrenia

Answer 52

Psychotic disorder. Rarest form of schizophrenia. The person is in a catatonic stupor with minor psychosis. They have wavey flexibility (person moves so slowly they can be posed), where they can be moved like a mannequin and remain in that position, sometimes for hours. It can be treated.

Question 53

Flat affect

Answer 53

Typically found in schizophrenia and autism. Echolalia can also appear in schizophrenics. You still feel emotions but don't show them in your face or voice, flat and monotone. Ex. Wednesday Adams.

Question 54

Paranoid schizophrenia

Answer 54

Psychotic disorder. Psychosis but without disorganization. Has delusions and hallucinations.

Question 55

Personality disorders

Answer 55

Personality patterns that are maladaptive and don't allow you to have normal relationships. Difficult to do experiments on and has limited correlation. To be diagnosed you only need the majority of symptoms (4 out of 5) according to the DSM. You can't diagnose adolescents because their frontal lobe is still developing.

Question 56

Cluster A

Answer 56

Personality disorder. Weird. Paranoid (suspicious), schizotypal (bizarre), and schizoid (alone).

Question 57

Paranoid personality disorder.

Answer 57

Personality disorder, Cluster A (weird). Suspicious, not trusting or confiding in others because you believe everyone is out to get you. May cause you to hold grudges more.

Question 58

Schizotypal personality disorder

Answer 58

Personality disorder, Cluster A (weird). STPD. Bizarre. Stereotypically weird from talking to dressing to beliefs, can need social isolation and have anxiety.

Question 59

Schizoid personality disorder

Answer 59

Personality disorder, Cluster A (weird). Alone. Someone doesn't want relationships or sex, typically with cold emotions and lacks friends.

Question 60

Cluster B

Answer 60

Personality disorder. Wild. Narcissistic (status), histrionic (attention), borderline (chaos), and antisocial (lawless).

Question 61

Narcissistic personality disorder

Answer 61

Personality disorder, Cluster B (wild). NPD. Status. More common in males. Inflated sense of self importance, entitled, and want praise. They struggle with empathy and are unable to own up to something bad, always blaming others. Use power and control, can't be anything but the best, hence "status".

Question 62

Histrionic personality disorder

Answer 62

Personality disorder, Cluster B (wild). Attention. They will do anything for attention, mostly women. More dramatic and overvalue relationships, can cause them to act more seductive. Will give you more attention because you in turn give them attention too. Don't care if it's good or bad attention.

Question 63

Borderline personality disorder

Answer 63

Personality disorder, Cluster B (wild). BPD. Chaos. 75% women. Impulsive, anxious, separation anxiety, take risks. Have very black and white thinking where they either hate or love you. Mood swings happen instantly from minute to minute, unlike bipolar disorder.

Question 64

Antisocial personality disorder

Answer 64

Personality disorder, Cluster B (wild). ASPD. Lawless. Disregard the rights of others and fail to comply with laws and social customs. Can be called oppositional-defiant disorder in children and conduct disorder in teenagers.

Question 65

MacDonald Triad of serial killers

Answer 65

Personality disorder, Cluster B (wild), and antisocial. Explains childhood antisocial behaviors and can predict the disorder for later in life. Bed wetting past age 12, cruelty to animals, and fire setting, + the newer addition of childhood abuse/bad parenting can lead to a serial killer.

Question 66

Serial killers

Answer 66

Personality disorder, Cluster B (wild), and antisocial. They commit murders that follow a pattern (Ex. All blonds) as opposed to mass murderers who kill 3 or more people at once with no apparent pattern. Are mostly white (85%) and male (90%). All have ASPD (antisocial), but not all people with ASPD become serial killers.

Question 67

Psychopath vs sociopath

Answer 67

Personality disorder, Cluster B (wild), and antisocial. -Psychopath: Are born, the part of the brain for morality doesn't work properly. 1% of population are psychopaths. Are calm, controlled, and planned. Ex. Thanos. -Sociopath: Come from trauma, 4% of population. Are chaotic, random, and Impulsive. Ex. The Joker. -Know what they're doing is bad but just don't care about others.

Question 68

High-functioning psychopaths and sociopaths-

Answer 68

They can hide/mask their disorder and live on what appears to be normal in society.

Question 69

Positives and negatives of ASPD

Answer 69

Personality disorder, Cluster B (wild), and antisocial. -Negative: Don't have high emotional intelligence, etc. -Positive: Charm, focus, lack of conscience, etc.

Question 70

Cluster C

Answer 70

Personality disorder. Worried. OCPD (perfection), avoidant personality disorder (inferior), and dependent personality disorder (needy).

Question 71

OCPD

Answer 71

Personality disorder, Cluster C (worried). Perfection. Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. These people have order and are very organized to an excessive degree. They have rules, lists, labels, etc. Can never finish projects because of their perfectionism. This is a personality disorder, while OCD is an anxiety disorder.

Question 72

Avoidant personalist disorder

Answer 72

Personality disorder, Cluster C (worried). Interior. Feeling inadequate, sky, and usually find relationships with lesser people because they fear rejection so badly. They still want relationships, just fear rejection.

Question 73

Dependent personality disorder

Answer 73

Personality disorder, Cluster C (worried). Needy. They can't make decisions, always desperately on the hunt for and need relationships. They need people to tell them what to do, everything must be given to them by someone else.