Exam 1

Question 1

Name the 7 Indicators of Abnormality

Answer 1

1 - Subjective distress
2 - Dangerousness
3 - Social discomfort
4 - Irrationality & unpredictability
5 - Maladaptiveness
6 - Statistical deviancy
7 - Violation of Standards of Safety

Question 2

Pros of Classification

Answer 2

Gives a standard nomenclature to work with across professionals. Helps with Insurance

Question 3

Cons of Classification

Answer 3

Stigma, stereotyping, and/or labeling issues

Question 4

Define Internal Validity

Answer 4

Think: Validity of the study. Internal Validity is the extent to which a study is methodologically sound.

Question 5

Define External Validity

Answer 5

Think: Validity of the study. External Validity is the extent to which a study’s findings can be generalized (applied to many scenarios)

Question 6

Define Positive Correlation

Answer 6

Two variables measure together in the same direction

Question 7

Define Negative Correlation

Answer 7

Two variables measure in opposite directions

Question 8

What is a longitudinal-designed study?

Answer 8

A study that follows a set group of people over time

Question 9

What is an independents vs dependent variable? Think: sleep study to see how sleep affects test scores. Which is independent, which is dependent?

Answer 9

The independent variable is what you change or control. (Cause)

The dependent variable is what you measure to see if it changes due to your manipulation. (Effect)

Ex: Sleep study to see how sleep affects test scores. Hours of sleep = independent variable. Test scores = dependent variable.

Question 10

Describe the Id, the Ego, and the Superego

Answer 10

Id: Primal instinct, basic wants and desires
Superego: Morality police upon the Id
Ego: The balancing force between the two extremes

Question 11

What are Freud’s Psychosexual Stages of Development?

Answer 11

1 - Oral Stage (Birth - 2)
2 - Anal Stage (2 - 3)
3 - Phallic Stage (3 - 5/6)
4 - Latency Period (6 - 12)
5 - Genital Stage (12/13 - Onward)

Question 12

Middle Ages: Mental health treatment trends

Answer 12

1 - Middle Eastern countries maintained scientific aspects, established mental hospital in Baghdad
2 - Europe was devoid of scientific thinking and humane treatment. Asylums were prominent. Treated patients cruelly, like a novelty “freak” show. Often performed exorcisms.

Question 13

Who was Quaker William Tuke

Answer 13

Helped pass law that asylums had to be inspected regularly to ensure proper diet, no use of restraints (Lunacy Inquiry Act)

Question 14

Define Catharsis

Answer 14

A significant emotional release

Question 15

Define Etiology

Answer 15

The factors that are related to the causes of a disorder

Question 16

Define the diathesis-stress model

Answer 16

Diathesis = predisposition. This model explains that both the predisposition AND a stressor (external/environmental) need to be present for a disorder to manifest

Question 17

What’s Franz Anton Mesmer famous for?

Answer 17

Mesmer said that mental disorders came from planets and “animal magnetism”. But was discredited when people realized he was using hypnotism

Question 18

Factors that increase resilience to stress

Answer 18

1 - Being male, white, older, more educated, and wealthy
2 - A “good enough” parent
3 - Temperment

Question 19

Define Allostatic Load

Answer 19

Cumulative wear and tear due to chronic stress

Question 20

What makes one stressor more serious than another? (Know a few)

Answer 20

1 - severity
2 - how chronic
3 - timing
4 - impact
5 - how expected/unexpected
6 - how controllable

Question 21

What are the main interventions for stress-related disorders?

Answer 21

1 - Biological: blood pressure meds, medical procedure
2 - Psychological: yoga, mindfulness/meditation, journaling, CBT, learning to regulate emotions

Question 22

What does someone with BDD tend to focus on?

Answer 22

They obsess over various physical traits that they consider to be deeply flawed, though others will either not notice these “flaws” at all or they will only be minimally observable
- Ex: skin, stomach, breasts, hips, legs, genitals, body build, balding

Question 23

What is Somatic Symptom Disorder

Answer 23

CT is experiencing symptoms, but the worry and obsession over the symptoms becomes a disorder in and of itself. Disproportionate and consuming thoughts and behaviors associated with worry over somatic symptoms

Question 24

What is the difference between Factitious Disorder and Malingering?

Answer 24

• Factitious Disorder: Knowingly falsifying an illness or symptoms to adopt the role of the sick or caretaker (if by proxy) and receive attention or sympathy
• Malingering: Knowingly falsifying an illness or symptoms for external gain such as avoiding work or prison, or for insurance money etc

Question 25

Genotype

Answer 25

Genetic predisposition that can contribute to a vulnerability (diathesis) to develop a disorder

Question 26

Phenotype

Answer 26

Observable features or characteristics from both genotype (inherited genetic material) or environment

Question 27

Methods for studying genetic influences (3)

Answer 27

1 - Family history method: observing relatives who have or are carriers of the disorder. (Limitation: people who are closely related tend to have similar environments) 2 - Twin method: Study identical and fraternal twins, determine environmental vs genetic correlation. (Ideally study identical twins who were raised in different environments, but super rare.) 3 - Adoption method: Compare biological family and adoptive environment

Question 28

Neurotransmitters related to psychopathology (5)

Answer 28

1 - Norepinephrine 2 - Dopamine 3 - Seratonin 4 - Glutamate 5 - GABA

Question 29

Ego Defense Mechanisms (DFP4RS)

Answer 29

1 - Displacement (boss → husband) 2 - Fixation (unmarried man depending on his mom) 3 - Projection (cheater accusing spouse of cheating) 4 - Rationalization (using pseudoscience to justify racism) 5 - Reaction formation (internalized homophobia… zealous anti-LGBT campaign) 6 - Regression (acting younger than you are) 7 - Repression (unaware of murderous impulses) 8 - Sublimation (sexual frustration → erotic art)

Question 30

Who is at more risk for heart disease and heart attacks?

Answer 30

People under chronic stress and inflammation

Question 31

What does Norepinephrine manage and what disorders is it related to?

Answer 31

manages: attention, arousal, fight flight, mood, sleep related to: depression, anxiety, stress related

Question 32

What does Dopamine manage, and what disorders is it related to?

Answer 32

manages: reward, pleasure, attention, motor related to: schizophrenia, substance use dis, bipolar, parkinsons

Question 33

What does Seratonin manage and what disorders does it relate to?

Answer 33

manages: regulates mood, appetite, sleep, emo processing related to: depression, anxiety disorders, OCD, eating disorders

Question 34

What does Glutamate manage and what disorders does it relate to?

Answer 34

manages: main excitatory neurotransmitter, learning, memory, and brain related to: schizophrenia, depression, neurodegen

Question 35

What does GABA manage and what disorders does it relate to?

Answer 35

manages: inhibitory, neural activity, calming related to: anxiety, sleep, epilepsy

Question 36

Hoarding (key points)

Answer 36

1 - More neurologically different than OCD 2 - More impaired socially / psychologically than OCD

Question 37

Nature vs Nurture 5 Misconceptions (Twin Studies)

Answer 37

1 - Genetics make environment irrelevent (False: Height can be impacted by diet) 2 - Genes provide a limit to potential (False: Environment can change potential) 3 - Genetic strategies don't help with the study of environmental influences (False: Twin studies) 4 - Genetic effects diminish with age. (False: Huntington's Disease, etc, genes impact on psych increases with age) 5 - Disorders that run in families must be genetic and those that don't have family hx aren't genetic like ASD. (False: Turners / genetic vs hereditary)

Question 38

DID — What is it? Causes, traits, and comorbidity

Answer 38

Dissociative Identity Disorder is when the personality "splits" from the host identity into alternate identities. Common in cases of severe sexual or physical abuse. Comorbidity: PTSD

Question 39

PTSD — What is it?

Answer 39

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. A - Exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence in 1+ ways B - 1+ intrusive symptoms associated with the traumatic event(s), beginning after the trauma C - Persistent avoidance of associated stimuli, beginning after the trauma D - 2+ negative alterations in cognitions & mood associated w/ trauma E - 2+ examples of marked alterations in arousal & reactivity associated w/ trauma F - Longer than 1 month

Question 40

Treatment for Phobias?

Answer 40

Exposure Therapy + CBT. Using a fear hierarchy

Question 41

Dissociative Amnesia vs Dissociative Fugue

Answer 41

DA = Retroactive memory loss. Outside the normal realm of "forgetting". DF = Complete flight from the physical and psychological setting

Question 42

Phobia — What is it?

Answer 42

It's a fear about a specific object or situation

Question 43

Dx criteria for Anxiety Disorders (Separation, Specific Phobia, Social Anxiety, Panic Disorders, Agoraphobia, GAD)

Answer 43

1 - Separation Ax - Usually young, inappropriate for age 2 - Specific Phobia - Object or situation always provokes immediate fear / ax, out of proportion of event 3 - Social Ax - "They're judging me", preoccupation with judgment from others, prohibits activities to avoid judgment and embarrassment 4 - Panic Disorders - recurring unexpected panic attacks, worry about future attacks, fear of body sensations 5 - Agoraphobia - "I'm trapped", avoid people/places 6 - GAD - Worry over worrying — and everything else