Chapter 15 Key Terms

Question 1

agoraphobia

Answer 1

anxiety disorder characterized by intense fear, anxiety, and avoidance of situations in which it might be difficult to escape if one experiences symptoms of a panic attack

Question 3

attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Answer 3

childhood disorder characterized by inattentiveness and/or hyperactive, impulsive behavior

Question 4

atypical

Answer 4

describes behaviors or feelings that deviate from the norm

Question 6

autism spectrum disorder

Answer 6

childhood disorder characterized by deficits in social interaction and communication, and repetitive patterns of behavior or interests

Question 7

bipolar and related disorders

Answer 7

group of mood disorders in which mania is the defining feature

Question 8

borderline personality disorder

Answer 8

instability in interpersonal relationships, self-image, mood, impulsivity, key features of being alone and fear of abandonment

Question 9

catatonic behavior

Answer 9

decreased reactivity to the environment; includes posturing and catatonic stupor

Question 10

comorbidity

Answer 10

co-occurrence of two disorders in the same individual

Question 11

delusion

Answer 11

belief that is contrary to reality and is firmly held, despite contradictory evidence

Question 12

depersonalization/derealization disorder

Answer 12

dissociative disorder in which people feel detached from the self

Question 13

diathesis-stress model

Answer 13

suggests that people with a predisposition for a disorder (a diathesis) are more likely to develop the disorder when faced with stress; model of psychopathology

Question 14

dissociative amnesia

Answer 14

dissociative disorder characterized by an inability to recall important personal information, usually following an extremely stressful or traumatic experience

Question 15

dissociative fugue

Answer 15

symptom of dissociative amnesia in which a person suddenly wanders away from one’s home and experiences confusion about their identity

Question 16

dopamine hypothesis

Answer 16

theory of schizophrenia that proposes that an overabundance of dopamine or dopamine receptors is responsible for the onset and maintenance of schizophrenia

Question 17

etiology

Answer 17

cause or causes of a psych disorder

Question 18

flight of ideas

Answer 18

symptom of mania that involves abruptly switching topics in a conversation

Question 19

generalized anxiety DO

Answer 19

characterized by a continuous state of excessive, uncontrollable, and pointless worry and apprehension

Question 20

harmful dysfunction

Answer 20

model of psychological disorders resulting from the inability of an internal mechanism to perform its natural function

Question 20

grandiose delusion

Answer 20

characterized by beliefs that one holds special power, unique knowledge, or is extremely important

Question 21

hopelessness theory

Answer 21

cognitive theory of depression proposing that a style of thinking that perceives negative life events as having stable and global causes leads to a sense of hopelessness and then to depression

Question 22

locus coeruleus

Answer 22

area of the brainstem that contains norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter that triggers the body’s fight-or-flight response; has been implicated in panic disorder

Question 23

mania

Answer 23

state of extreme elation and agitation

Question 24

manic episode

Answer 24

period in which an individual experiences mania, characterized by extremely cheerful and euphoric mood, excessive talkativeness, irritability, increased activity levels, and other symptoms

Question 25

mood disorder

Answer 25

one of a group of disorders characterized by severe disturbances in mood and emotions; the categories of mood disorders listed in the DSM-5 are bipolar and related disorders and depressive disorders

Question 26

neurodevelopmental disorder

Answer 26

first diagnosed in childhood and effect academic, intellectual and social functions

Question 27

obsessive compulsive DO

Answer 27

characterized by the tendency to experience intrusive and unwanted thoughts and urges (obsession) and/or the need to engage in repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions) in response to the unwanted thoughts and urges

Question 28

orbitofrontal cortex

Answer 28

area of the frontal lobe involved in decision making

Question 29

panic disorder

Answer 29

anxiety disorder characterized by unexpected panic attacks, along with at least one month of worry about panic attacks or self-defeating behavior related to the attacks

Question 30

paranoid delusion

Answer 30

characterized by beliefs that others are out to harm them

Question 31

peripartum onset

Answer 31

subtype of depression that applies to people who experience an episode of major depression either during pregnancy or in the four weeks following childbirth

Question 32

persistent depressive DO

Answer 32

depressive disorder characterized by a chronically sad and melancholy mood

Question 33

personality disorder

Answer 33

inflexible and pervasive personality style, frequently brings them into conflict with others

Question 34

prodromal symptom

Answer 34

early minor symptoms of pssychosis

Question 35

psych disorder

Answer 35

condition characterized by abnormal thoughts, feelings, behaviors

Question 36

rumination

Answer 36

in depression, tendency to repetitively and passively dwell on one’s depressed symptoms, their meanings, and their consequences

Question 37

somatic delusion

Answer 37

belief that something highly unusual is happening to one’s body or internal organs

Question 38

specific phobia

Answer 38

anxiety disorder characterized by excessive, distressing, and persistent fear or anxiety about a specific object or situation

Question 39

supernatural

Answer 39

describes a force beyond scientific understanding