Chapter 3: Models of Abnormality Flashcards

1
Q

What are models? Another name for them?

A
  • Aka paradigms

- Set of assumptions and concepts that help scientists explain and interpret observations

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2
Q

What is a neuron? How many make up the brain?

A
  • A nerve cell

- 100 billion

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3
Q

What is the cortex? What structures does it include?

A
  • Outer layer of the brain

- Frontal and temporal lobes

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4
Q

What does the amygdala do? When is it in overdrive?

A
  • Plays a key role in emotional therapy (processes emotional responses)
  • In overdrive during panic attacks, PTSD, flashbacks
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5
Q

What does the hippocampus do?

A
  • Helps regulate emotions and memory

- Translates short term memory into long term memory (declarative knowledge)

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6
Q

What does the thalamus do? What disorder is it associated with?

A
  • Relay station for incoming sensory info

- Schizophrenia = difficulty differentiating important vs. unimportant stimuli

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7
Q

What does the basal ganglia do?

A

Plays a crucial role in planning and producing movement

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8
Q

What is a synapse?

A

The tiny space between the nerve ending of one neuron and the dendrite of another

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9
Q

What is a neurotransmitter?

A

A chemical that is released by one neuron, crosses the synaptic space, and is received at receptors on the dendrites of neighboring neurons

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10
Q

What is a receptor?

A

A site on a neuron that receives a neurotransmitter

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11
Q

What are hormones? What do they do?

A
  • Chemicals released by endocrine glands into the bloodstream
  • Propel body organs into action
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12
Q

How are mental disorders related to the endocrine system?

A
  • Mental disorders sometimes related to abnormal chemical activity in the endocrine system
  • Hormones, appetite, temp control, etc. can be altered b/c of psychological disorders
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13
Q

What are genes? How are they related to abnormal behavior?

A
  • Chromosome segments that control the characteristics and traits a person inherits
  • Can make individuals more prone to certain disorders
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14
Q

What is norepinephrine? What does it depend on? Significance?

A
  • A very general NT
  • Function depends on where in the brain it occurs
  • Fight or flight response (alarm response of ANS)
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15
Q

What is serotonin? Significance of low levels?

A
  • NT associated w/ mood, sleep
  • Regulation of impulses
  • Lower levels associated w/ greater vulnerability to aggressive behaviors, self-destructive tendencies, suicidal urges, OCD
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16
Q

What is dopamine? Significance of high levels in brain?

A
  • Outgoing, exploratory behavior
  • All pleasure seeking behaviors (ex. addiction) involve the dopamine systems
  • Excess of dopamine in brain can cause hallucinations and delusions
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17
Q

What is gaba? Significant for what disorder? What facilitates it?

A
  • Inhibitory NT –> reduces overall arousal
  • Important for anxiety disorder
  • Benzodiazepines facilitate its action
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18
Q

What are psychotropic medications?

A
  • Drugs that primarily affect the brain and reduce many symptoms of mental dysfunction
  • Mainly affect emotions and thought processes
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19
Q

How do psychotropic medications work?

A
  • Increasing/decreasing the production of a NT
  • Triggering/blocking the release of a NT
  • Increase/decrease the production of a substance that deactivates the NT
  • Trigger/block the release of a substance that deactivates the NT
  • Block the reuptake of a NT
  • Mimic the action of a NT
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20
Q

What are the main classes of psychotropic medications?

A
  • Antianxiety drugs
  • Antidepressants
  • Mood stabilizers
  • Antipsychotic drugs
  • Stimulant drugs
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21
Q

What do antianxiety drugs do?

A
  • Help reduce tension and anxiety

- Minor tranquilizers

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22
Q

What do antidepressants do?

A

Help improve the mood of people who are depressed

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23
Q

What do mood stabilizers do? What disorder are they most used for?

A

Help steady the moods of those w/ a bipolar disorder (mood swings from mania to depression)

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24
Q

What do antipsychotic drugs do?

A

Help reduce the confusion, hallucinations, and delusions of psychotic disorders

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25
Q

What is the only type of psychotropic drug that is highly addictive?

A

Antianxiety drugs

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26
Q

What is electroconvulsive therapy? What patient condition is it most used on?

A
  • A form of biological treatment in which a brain seizure is triggered as an electric current passes through electrodes attached to the patient’s forehead
  • Used primarily on depressed patients
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27
Q

What is psychosurgery? Aka what?

A
  • Aka neurosurgery

- Brain surgery for mental disorders

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28
Q

What is light therapy?

A

LOOKUP

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29
Q

What is transcranial magnetic stimulation?

A

LOOKUP

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30
Q

Who founded the psychodynamic model?

A

Sigmund Freud

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31
Q

What is the id? What principles does it follow?

A
  • Psychological force that produces instinctual needs, drives, impulses
  • Pleasure principle = always seeking gratification
  • All id instincts tend to be sexual –> libido fuels the id
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32
Q

What is the ego? What principle does it follow?

A
  • Psychological force that employs reason

- Reality principle = knowledge we acquire through experience that it can be unacceptable to express our id impulses

33
Q

List the ego defense mechanisms.

A
  • Repression
  • Denial
  • Projection
  • Rationalization
  • Displacement
  • Intellectualization
  • Regression
34
Q

What is the superego?

A
  • Psychological force that represents a person’s values and ideals
  • Conscience
35
Q

What does it mean to be fixated?

A

Condition in which the id, ego, and superego don’t mature properly and are stuck at an early stage of development

36
Q

What is ego theory?

A

Psychodynamic theory that emphasizes the role of ego and considers it an independent force

37
Q

What is self theory?

A

Psychodynamic theory that emphasizes the role of the self - our unified personality

38
Q

What is object relations theory?

A

Psychodynamic theory that view the desire for relationships as the key motivating force in human behavior

39
Q

What is free association?

A

A psychodynamic technique in which the patient describes any thought, feeling, or image that comes to mind (even if it seems unimportant)

40
Q

What is resistance?

A

An unconscious refusal to fully participate in therapy

41
Q

What is transference?

A

Redirection toward the psychotherapist of feelings associated w/ important figures in a patient’s life

42
Q

What is countertransference?

A

Redirection towards the patient of feelings associated w/ important figures in the psychotherapist’s life

43
Q

What is catharsis?

A

Reliving of past repressed feelings in order to settle internal conflicts and overcome problems

44
Q

Describe the process of working through.

A

The psychoanalytic process of facing conflicts, reinterpreting feelings, and overcoming ones problems

45
Q

What is relational psychoanalytic therapy?

A
  • Considers therapists to be active participants in the formation of patients’ feelings and reactions
  • Calls for therapists to disclose their own experiences and feelings to establish more equal partnerships w/ them
46
Q

Who are the founders of classical conditioning?

A
  • Ivan Pavlov

- John B. Watson

47
Q

What is the basic principle of classical conditioning?

A

Associating events with naturally occurring reflexes

48
Q

What is classical conditioning?

A

A process of learning by temporal association in which 2 events that repeated occur close together in time become fused in a person’s mind and produce the same response

49
Q

What are the therapy applications for classical conditioning?

A
  • Phobias
  • Traumatic memories and flashbacks
  • Chemical addictions
  • Maladaptive sexual fantasies (getting turned on by red shoes)
50
Q

Who founded operant conditioning?

A

B.F. Skinner

51
Q

What is the principle of operant conditioning?

A

Associating behaviors with their consequences

  • reward/satisfaction = more likely to be repeated
  • punishment = less likely to occur
52
Q

What are the therapy applications of operant conditioning?

A
  • Behavioral problems (acting out)

- Building of new skills (autism, eating w/ utensils)

53
Q

What is the principle of modeling?

A

Learning by watching others and imitating their behaviors

54
Q

Who founded modeling?

A

Albert Bandura

55
Q

What are the therapy applications of modeling?

A
  • Animal phobias & other specific phobias

- Assertiveness training for social phobias

56
Q

What is systematic desensitization?

A

A behavioral treatment in which clients with phobias learn to react calmly instead of w/ intense fear to the objects or situations they dread

57
Q

What is self-efficacy?

A

Belief that one can master and perform needed behaviors whenever necessary

58
Q

What is the basic assumption of cognitive models?

A

It’s not what happens to us that causes us negative emotions but how we think about and interpret what happens to us

59
Q

Who are the founders of cognitive therapy?

A
  • Albert Ellis

- Aaron Beck

60
Q

What are some applications of cognitive therapy?

A
  • Depression = correct negative thinking patterns
  • Anxiety disorders
  • Eating disorders = restructure distorted self perceptions
  • Substance related disorders = restructure all or nothing thinking
  • Personality disorders = reframe irrational thinking
61
Q

Who are the founders of the humanistic model?

A
  • Abraham Maslow

- Carl Rogers

62
Q

What is the principle of the humanistic-existential model?

A

Develop one’s full potential and live an authentic self-determined life

63
Q

How do humanistic existentialists define “psychological health”?

A

More than just the mere absence of psychiatric illness

64
Q

What are some concepts that define the humanistic-existential model?

A
  • Self actualization
  • Creativity, love, authenticity
  • Focus on inner strength
  • Freedom of choice
  • Take responsibility for one’s life and choices
  • Face fears, come to terms with the inevitability of death
65
Q

What is self actualization?

A

Humanistic process by which people fulfill their potential for goodness and growth

66
Q

Describe Carl Roger’s client-centered therapy.

A
  • Non-directive approach (didn’t impose his own beliefs on client)
  • Unconditional positive regard
  • Reflection and validation of feelings
  • Active listening
  • Empathy for client
67
Q

What are some therapy applications of the humanistic-existential model?

A
  • Low self esteem individuals
  • Individuals with no actual skill deficit
  • Growth therapy to develop one’s full inner potential
68
Q

What is Gestalt therapy?

A
  • Developed by Fritz Perls
  • Guides clients toward self-recognition and self-acceptance
  • Techniques = skillful frustration, role playing, rules
69
Q

What are the advantages of group therapy?

A
  • Group reduces sense of isolation
  • Emotional support from group (group cohesiveness)
  • Interpersonal learning
  • Practice new skills
  • Education
  • Cheaper than individual therapy
70
Q

What are the applications of group therapy?

A
  • Panic disorder
  • Eating disorders
  • Substance abuse treatment
  • Anger management
71
Q

Describe the aspects of couple’s therapy.

A
  • Teach clear, direct communication
  • Teach problem identification and problem solving
  • Identify and understand mutual needs
72
Q

What is the basic idea behind the family systems theory?

A

Families are interdependent systems whose interactions exhibit consistent patterns and unstated rules

73
Q

Compare & contrast enmeshed vs. disengaged families.

A
  • Enmeshed = members are grossly over involved in each other’s activities, thoughts, feelings
  • Disengaged = rigid boundaries between members
  • both are dysfunctional
74
Q

What are some applications of family systems models?

A
  • Anxiety disorders in children (separation anxiety)
  • Eating disorders in adolescents
  • Acting out behavior in children
75
Q

What is the main idea behind sociocultural models?

A

To really understand abnormal behavior, a much larger historical, cultural, and societal context is needed

76
Q

What are the implications and interventions of sociocultural models?

A
  • Prevention
  • Early intervention
  • Community education
  • Self-help and support groups
  • Identify social/cultural obstacles to recovery (poverty, prejudice, violence, lack of access to services)
77
Q

What is the bio-psycho-social model?

A

Integration of genetic, biological, developmental, emotional, behavioral, cognitive approaches

78
Q

What is the diathesis-stress model?

A

-Psychological disorders result from a combo of predispositions (genes, traits) that meet w/ stress factors (trauma, loss)