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Chapter One Flashcards

Introduction and Methods of Research (82 cards)

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1
Q

abnormal psychology

A

The branch of psychology that studies abnormal behavior and ways of helping people who are affected by psychological disorders

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2
Q

psychological disorder

A

“Mental disorder” / “Mental illness”
A pattern of abnormal behavior associated with states of significant emotional distress, such as anxiety or depression, or with impaired behavior or ability to function, such as difficulty holding a job or distinguishing reality from fantasy

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3
Q

medical model

A

Perspective that views abnormal behavior as symptoms of underlying illness or brain disorder

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4
Q

Ways to understand/make judgements about whether behavior is abnormal

A
  • unusualness
  • social deviance
  • faulty perceptions of interpretation of reality
  • significant personal distress
  • maladaptive or self-defeating behavior
  • dangerousness
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5
Q

unusualness

A

behavior that is unusual (outside of the social norm)
- ex: seeing things or hearing things

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6
Q

social deviance

A
  • All societies have norms that define the kinds of behavior that are acceptable in given contexts
  • Behavior deemed normal in one culture may be viewed as abnormal in other
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7
Q

faulty perceptions or interpretation of reality

A

hallucinations and delusions

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8
Q

hallucinations

A

Sensory perception in the absence of corresponding external or somatic stimulus and described according to the sensory domain in which it occurs

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9
Q

delusions

A

A false belief based on incorrect inference about external reality that is firmly sustained despite what almost everybody else believes and despite what constitutes incontrovertible and obvious proof or evidence to the contrary

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10
Q

significant personal distress

A

Behaviors that cause people to suffer distress or that prevent them from functioning in daily life

Ex: loss of reality, loss of control over behaviors, severe interference with ability to function in daily life

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11
Q

maladaptive or self defeating behavior

A

Behavior that limits one’s ability to function in expected roles or to adapt to one’s environments may also be considered abnormal

Behaviors are those that make more likely a consequence that the person tried to avoid

Self-defeating behaviors include choosing to suffer, self-handicapping, failure to achieve potential, fear of success, learned helplessness, procrastination, and impulsivity

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12
Q

dangerousness

A

Behavior that is dangerous to oneself or other people may be considered abnormal
Ex: suicidal

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13
Q

stats/prevalence - disorders

A

*The US has the highest rates of diagnosable psychological disorders among 17 countries they surveyed
Women > men (especially mood disorders)
Young adults > other adults

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14
Q

culture and abnormal psychology

A

Who defines what is abnormal?
- Old, white men

Cultural definition of the problem

Cultural perceptions of cause, context, and support “explanatory model”

Western: anxiety is seen as worry about paying the mortgage or losing a job
African: anxiety is expressed as fears of failure in procreation, in dreams and complaints about witchcraft

These differences demonstrate how important it is that we determine whether or concepts of abnormal behavior are valid before we apply them to other cultures

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15
Q

Historical Perspectives on Abnormal Behavior

A

demonology, trephination, demons, gods, hippocrates, galen, witches, exorcism

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16
Q

demonology

A

The notion of supernatural causes of abnormal behavior

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17
Q

trephination

A

An early practice that involves drilling the skull to provide an outlet for those irascible spirits (release “demons” responsible for “abnormal behavior”)

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18
Q

demons

A

Abnormal behaviors explained by possession by evil spirits or the devil

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19
Q

Gods

A

Ancient Greek cultures believed gods played with humans; assigning them madness or clouded minds

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20
Q

hippocrates

A

First attribute to natural causes
Balance of humors

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21
Q

humors

A

vital fluids in the body
- phlegm, black bile, blood, and yellow bile

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22
Q

phlegm

A

excess of this leads to having a lethargic or sluggish person
- phlegmatic

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23
Q

black bile

A

excess of this was believed to cause depression
- melancholia

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24
Q

blood

A

excess of this was believed to create a cheerful, confident, and optimistic person
- sanguine

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25
yellow bile
excess of this was believed to cause someone to be quick tempered - bilious - choleric
26
galen
Arteries carrying blood, not air!
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witches
“Disturbed” behavior attributed to witches (mostly women) making deals with the devil and relationships with demons A sort of beginning for “diagnostic” tests
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exorcism
Those behaving abnormally were “treated” with exorcisms If that didn’t work, torture Ex: water-float test
29
historical mental hospitals in the 15th-16th centuries
Asylums or madhouses began to appear - Asylums of refuge - St Mary’s of Bethlehem Hospital - Bedlam is derived from - The public could buy tickets to observe the antics of the inmates - Horrible conditions
30
historical mental hospitals in the 18th-19th centuries
- Jean-Baptiste Pussin and Philippe Pinel - Argued that people who behave abnormally suffer from diseases and should be treated humanely - lead the shift to ventilation, sun, engaging conversation with understanding and concern - Nelly Bly - Ten Days in a Madhouse - Moral therapy
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moral therapy
Based on the belief that providing humane treatment in a relaxed and decent environment could restore functioning
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historical mental hospitals in the later half of 19th century
Step backwards Increased population in mental institutions -Provided little more than custodial care Deinstitutionalization Phenothiazines
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deinstitutionalization
A policy of shifting the burden of care from state hospitals to community-based treatment settings - Led to a wholesaler exodus from state mental hospitals
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Phenothiazines
New antipsychotic drugs that were introduced in the 1950s; used to help quell the most flagrant behavior patterns associated with schizophrenia
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mental hospitals today
institutional mental health community mental health
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institutional mental health
- Psychiatric hospitals as a ‘restorative’ temporary space; return to community level is key - Impatient; outpatient; residential - Not always great; connection with those in Wash; system failed them
37
community mental health
-Alternative to institutional care, continuing care post treatment is attuned settings -Successful but severe lack of funding or understanding -Low funding tho -Community stepping up where the institutions have failed
38
Contemporary Perspective on Abnormal Behavior
1. The Biological Perspective and Medical Model 2. The Psychological Perspective and the Psychodynamic Model 3. The Sociocultural Perspective 4. The Biopsychosocial Model
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The Biological Perspective and Medical Model
Neurobiological Genetic Internal failure – faulty chemistry or circuitry Psychopharmacological treatment
40
The Psychological Perspective and the Psychodynamic Model
The theoretical model of Freud and his followers, in which abnormal behavior is viewed as the product of clashing forces within the personality - Labels are hard to remove once given (“mentally ill”) The unconscious mental processes Emotion and behavior based Intrapsychic conflict “Talking cure” and catharsis as treatment Anna O./Sigmund Freud
41
The Sociocultural Perspective
Failure of Society vs Failure of a Person Bronfenbrenner’s approach
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The Biopsychosocial Model
Biological + psychological + sociocultural - An integrated, informed view of the individual
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Research Methods in Abnormal Psychology
naturalistic observation correlational method longitudinal study experimental method epidemiological method
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Scientific Method
1. Formulate a research question 2. Form into a hypothesis 3. Test the hypothesis 4. Draw conclusions
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theory
A formulation of the relationships underlying observed events
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hypothesis
A prediction tested in an experiment
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ethical guidelines
1. informed consent 2. confidentiality 3. do no harm
48
informed consent
Requires that people be free to choose whether they want to participate in research studies
49
confidentiality
Keeping the records of their participation secure and by not disclosing their identities to others
50
Naturalistic observation method
The investigator observes behavior in the field, where it happens Limitations include interference by the researchers as well as only explaining the how, not the why
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Correlational method
Exploring the relationship between variables Attempt to predict future occurrences and how variables relate to each other correlation coefficient longitudinal study
52
correlation coefficient
The statistical measure used to express the association or correlation between two variables Can range from -1 to 1 Positive correction: same direction Negative correction: different direction
53
longitudinal study
A type of correlational study in which individuals are periodically tested or evaluated over lengthy periods of time, perhaps for decades
54
experimental method
Allows scientists to demonstrate causal relationships by manipulating the causal factor and measuring its effects under controlled conditions that minimize the risk of other factors explaining the results independent variable dependent variable experimental group control group random assignment selection factor blind (single; double) placebo types of validity
55
independent variable
Factors or variables hypothesized to play a causal role are manipulated or controlled by the investigation
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dependent variable
Factors that are observed in order to determine the effects of manipulating the independent variable
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experimental group
Given the experimental conditions/treatment
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control group
not given treatment
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random assignment
Method of assigning research subjects at random to experimental or control groups to balance the characteristics of people who comprise them
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selection factor
Differences in the types of people who would select to be in one group or the other
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blind
Uninformed about the treatments they are receiving
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placebo
An inert drug that physically resembles the active drug
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Single blind placebo control study
Research participants are randomly assigned to treatment conditions in which they receive either an active drug or an inert placebo, but are kept blind about which drug they receive
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Double-blind placebo control
Neither the researcher nor the subject knows who is receiving thee active drug or the placebo
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types of validity
internal, external, construct
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internal validity
When the observed changes in the dependent variable(s) can be causally related to changes in the independent or treatment variable
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external validity
Refers to the generalizability of results of an experimental study to other individuals, settings, and times
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construct validity
conceptually higher level of validity
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epidemiological method
Examines rates of occurrence of abnormal behavior in various settings or population groups survey method inicidence prevalence random sample
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survey method
Relies on interviews or questionnaires
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incidence
The number of new cases occurring during a specific period of time
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prevalence
The overall number of cases of a disorder existing in the population during a given period of time
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random sample
Each member of the population of interest has an equal probability of selection
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other types of studies
family - kinship, twin, adoptee, case
75
kinship studies
attempt to disentangle the roles of heredity and environment in determining behavior - Genes are the basic building blocks of heredity - Science of heredity is genetics - Chromosomes, rod-shaped structures that house our genes, are found in the nuclei of the body’s cells - Chromosomes consist of large, complex molecules of DNA genotype, phenotype, proband
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genotype
The set of traits specified by our genetic code
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phenotype
The constellation of observable or expressed traits
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proband
The case first diagnosed with a given disorder Difficult to generalize to the public
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Twin studies and adoptee studies
Provide powerful arguments for or against a role for genetic factors in the appearance of psychological traits and disorders
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Case studies
Intensive studies of individuals Often used in psychotherapeutic trainings Single case experimental designs may help overcome issues such as memory, opinion, and rapport
81
Single-case experimental designs
Research participants serve as their own controls
82
Reversal design
Method involves repeated measurement of behavior across four successive phases

abnormal psych (5 decks)

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