Chapter 3: Pyschological Disorders from book

Question 1

1. How is abnormal behavior defined?

Answer 1

1. Abnormal Behavior: Behavior that is deviant, maladaptive, or personally distressful over a relatively long period of time.

Question 2

2. What are the four major approaches to psychological disorders?

Answer 2

2. The three major approaches to psychological disorders:
   • Biological Approach: Attributes psychological disorders to organic, internal causes. Focuses on the brain, genetic factors, and neurotransmitter functioning
   • Psychological Approach: Emphasizes the contributions of experiences, thoughts, emotions, and personality characteristics
   • Sociocultural Approach: Emphasizes the social contexts in which a person lives, including the individual’s culture

Question 3

3. What is the diathesis-stress model (vulnerability-stress hypothesis)of psychological disorders?

Answer 3

3. Diathesis-stress model: Theory suggesting that preexisting conditions (such as genetic characteristics, personality dispositions, or experiences) may put a person at risk of developing a psychological disorder

Question 4

4. What is DSM-5?

Answer 4

4. DSM-5: The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; the major classification of psychological disorders in the United States

Question 5

5. What is an anxiety disorder?

Answer 5

5. Anxiety Disorder: Disabling psychological disorders that feature motor tension, hyperactivity, and apprehensive expectations and thoughts

Question 6

6. For each of the four following anxiety disorders:
   a. What is the nature of the anxiety?
   b. What major factors contribute to the development of the disorder

Answer 6

6. Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Anxiety disorder marked by persistent anxiety for at least 6 months, and in which the individual is unable to specify the reasons for the anxiety.
   Factors that cause this: Deficiency in GABA, respiratory system abnormalities, having impossible self-standards, automatic negative thoughts when stressed, and a history of uncontrollable traumas or stressors

Panic Disorder: Anxiety disorder in which the individual experiences recurrent, sudden onsets of intense terror, often without warning and with no specific causes.
Factors that cause this: Genes that direct the actions of norepinephrine and serotonin, a high level of lactate, panic disorder shares the same biological characteristics with physical illness, such as asthma, generalization can lead to panic attacks, women are twice as likely as men to have panic attacks

Specific Phobia: Anxiety disorder in which the individual experiences an irrational, overwhelming, persistent fear of a particular object or situation.
Factors that lead to this: Experiences, memories, and learned associations

Social Anxiety Disorder: Anxiety disorder in which an individual has an intense fear of being humiliated or embarrassed in social situations.
Factors that lead to this: Genes, neural circuity involving the thalamus, amygdala, and cerebral cortex, overprotecting or rejecting parents, learning experiences in a social context.

Question 7

7. What is obsessive-compulsive disorder? What is an obsession? What is a compulsion? How do obsessions and compulsions interact in OCD?

Answer 7

7. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Psychological disorder in which the individual has anxiety-provoking thoughts that will not go away and/or urges to perform repetitive, ritualistic behaviors to prevent or produce some future situation.
   • Obsessions are recurrent thoughts and compulsions are recurrent behaviors

Question 8

8. What the major factors contributing to the development of OCD? What is the role of avoidance learning in OCD?

Answer 8

8. The major factors contributing to OCD:
   Genetics, low levels of serotonin and dopamine, high levels of glutamine, brain engages in hyperactive monitoring of behavior
   The role of Avoidance Learning in OCD:
   People with OCD are great at avoidance learning, but expect the outcome to be worse than it actually is

Question 9

9. What is post-traumatic stress disorder? What are the major symptoms of this disorder? What major factors contribute to the development of OCD?

Answer 9

9. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Psychological disorder that develops through exposure to a traumatic event, a severely oppressive situation, cruel abuse, or a natural or an unnatural disaster.
   Symptoms: Flashbacks, avoidance of emotions, anxiety and inability to sleep, impulsive behavior, difficulty with memory and concentration

Question 10

10. What is a depressive disorder?

Answer 10

10. Depressive Disorders: Psychological disorders in which the individual suffers from depression-an unrelenting lack of pleasure in life

Question 11

11. What are the two major symptoms of major depressive disorder? What are the secondary symptoms of depressive disorders?

Answer 11

The two major symptoms are:
1. Almost daily depressed mood for most of the day
2. Loss of interest or pleasure in most all activities (anhedonia)
Secondary Symptoms:
• Significant weight loss
• Daily insomnia
• Daily psychomotor agitation or retardation
• Daily fatigue or loss of energy
• Almost daily feelings of worthlessness or inappropriate or excess guilt
• Almost daily diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness
• Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide, with or without plan

Question 12

12. What are the important biological factors involved in major depression?

Answer 12

12. Important Biological Factors in Major Depression: Genes, lower levels of brain activity in the section of the prefrontal cortex that’s involved in generating actions and associating rewards in the environment, have too few receptors for serotonin and norepinephrine

Question 13

13. What are the important cognitive factors involved in depression? In particular, what in the influence of depression of: learned helplessness, automatic negative thoughts, rumination, pessimistic attributions?

Answer 13

13. Learned Helplessness: An individual’s feelings of powerlessness, the person feels like they have no control and will stop trying
    Automatic Negative Thoughts: Automatic self-defeating beliefs that magnify negative experiences
    Ruminate: When a person plays their negative feelings and experiences over and over in their mind
    Pessimistic Attributions: Frequently blaming oneself for negative events and expecting the negative events to recur in the future

Question 14

14. What is bipolar disorders? What is bipolar I disorder and bipolar II disorder?

Answer 14

14. Bipolar Disorder: Psychological disorder characterized by extreme mood swings that include one or more episodes of mania, an overexcited, unrealistically, optimistic state
    Bipolar 1 Disorder: Individuals who have extreme manic episodes during which they may experience hallucinations-seeing or hearing things that aren’t there
    Bipolar 2 Disorder: Milder version of bipolar disorder where the individual experiences a less extreme level of euphoria

Question 15

15. What are the major factors that contribute to the development of bipolar disorder?

Answer 15

15. Factors that lead to Bipolar Disorder: Multiple cycles of depressions interspersed with mania, genetics, high levels of norepinephrine and low levels of serotonin, high levels of glutamine

Question 16

16. What is disruptive mood dysregulation disorder? Why is it a controversial diagnosis?

Answer 16

16. Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder: A depressive disorder in kids who show persistent irritability and recurrent episodes of out-of-control behavior
    • It’s a controversial diagnosis because a lot kids are like this because they’re kids. It’s nothing new

Question 17

17. What is a dissociative disorder? How are dissociative disorders related to PTSD?

Answer 17

17. Dissociative Disorder: Psychological disorder that involves a sudden loss of memory or change in identity due to the dissociation (separation) of the individual’s conscious awareness from previous memories and thoughts
    • Dissociation occurs a lot for people who have PTSD in order to protect his/her from the traumatic event

Question 18

18. What is dissociative amnesia?

Answer 18

18. Dissociative Amnesia: Dissociative disorder characterized by extreme memory loss that is caused by extensive psychological stress

Question 19

19. What is dissociative identity disorder? Why is it a controversial diagnosis? What factors contribute to the development of this disorder?

Answer 19

19. Dissociative Identity Disorder: Dissociative disorder in which the individual has two or more distinct personalities, each with its own memories, behaviors, and relationships
    • Formerly called “multiple personality disorder”.
    • Factors that lead to this: Severe sexual or physical abuse during one’s childhood (Most people with DID are women)
    • This is a controversial diagnosis because many people feel like this only happens due to social contagion – the person sees this disorder on TV or through media, then they apply it to themselves

Question 20

20. What is a psychosis? What is schizophrenia? Why is schizophrenia considered a psychotic disorder?

Answer 20

20. Psychosis: Psychological state in which a person’s perceptions and thoughts are fundamentally removed from reality
    Schizophrenia: Severe psychological disorder characterized by highly disordered thought processes; individuals suffering from schizophrenia may be referred to as psychotic because they are so far removed from reality

Question 21

What is the difference between a positive and a negative symptom of schizophrenia?

Answer 21

21. Positive Symptoms: Involve a distortion or an excess of normal function. They reflect something added above and beyond normal behavior
    Negative Symptoms: Reflect social withdrawal, behavioral deficits, and the loss or decrease of normal functions

Question 22

22. What are some of the positive symptoms of schizophrenia?

Answer 22

22. Positive Symptoms Include:
    • Hallucinations – Seeing/hearing things that aren’t there
    • Delusions – False, unusual beliefs
    • Thought Disorders – The unusual, bizarre thought process
    • Movement Disorders – Unusual mannerisms/ body movement

Question 23

23. What are some of the negative symptoms of schizophrenia?

Answer 23

23. Negative Symptoms Include:

• Flat Affect – The display of little to no emotion

Question 24

24. What are the three major biological factors contributing to the development of schizophrenia?

Answer 24

24. 3 major biological factors contributing to the development of schizophrenia:
    • Genes/genetics
    • Enlarged ventricles in the brain as well as a smaller prefrontal cortex and lower activity in that area
    • Too much dopamine

Question 25

25. What role does stress play in schizophrenia?

Answer 25

25. A more stressful life = greater risk of developing schizophrenia

Question 26

26. What role do sociocultural factors play in schizophrenia?

Answer 26

26. Sociocultural background does not cause schizophrenia, but it has an effect on the course of the disorder. Individuals with schizophrenia in developing nations tend to have better outcomes than those in already developed nations

Question 27

27. What is a personality disorder?

Answer 27

27. Personality Disorder: Chronic, maladaptive cognitive-behavioral patterns that are thoroughly integrated into an individual’s personality

Question 28

What are the following personality disorders: antisocial, borderline, and narcissistic?

Answer 28

28. Antisocial Personality Disorder: Manipulative, deceitful, and amoral. People with this disorder lack empathy for others, are egocentric, and are willing to use others for their own personal gain.
    Borderline Personality Disorder: Emotionally volatile and unstable sense of self. These individuals are prone to mood swings, excessive self-criticism, extreme judgements of others, and are preoccupied with being abandoned
    • Related to self-harming behaviors (cutting, drinking, drugs, etc.)
    • More common in women than men
    Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Self-aggrandizing yet overly dependent on the evaluations of others. Narcissists view themselves as entitled and better than others. They show deficits in empathy and in understanding the feelings of others

Question 29

29. What factors increase the likelihood that someone will commit suicide?

Answer 29

29. Factors that Increase the Likelihood of Suicide:
    • Members of one’s family killed themselves
    • Poor physical health
    • Low levels of serotonin
    • Mental disorders such as depression and anxiety
    • Traumatic experiences
    • Social needs are not met
    • Economic hardship