Glossary 3

Question 1

Formerly called frigidity, the inability of a female to reach or maintain the lubrication-swelling stage of sexual excitement or to enjoy a subjective sense of pleasure or excitement during sexual activity

Answer 1

female sexual arousal disorder.

Question 2

A sexual dysfunction characterised by a loss of sexual interest (urges, fantasies or desires) or lack of physiological or subjective arousal to sexual cues

Answer 2

female sexual interest/arousal disorder.

Question 3

Retarded growth of the developing fetus and infant involving cranial, facial and limb anomalies as well as intellectual disabilities; caused by heavy consumption of alcohol by the mother during pregnancy

Answer 3

fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).

Question 4

A paraphilic disorder that involves reliance on an inanimate object for sexual arousal.

Answer 4

fetishistic disorder.

Question 5

A personality theory that isolates five major dimensions of personality: neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness

Answer 5

five-factor model.

Question 6

In psychoanalytic theory, the arrest of psychosexual development at a particular stage through too much or too little gratification at that stage

Answer 6

fixation.

Question 7

An unpredictable recurrence of experiences from an earlier drug high

Answer 7

flashback.

Question 8

A symptom of mania that involves a rapid shift in conversation from one subject to another with only superficial associative connections

Answer 8

flight of ideas.

Question 9

Malformation (or even breakage) of the X chromosome, associated with intellectual developmental disorder; symptoms include large, underdeveloped ears; a long, thin face; a broad nasal root; enlarged testicles in males, and, in many cases, attention deficits and hyperactivity

Answer 9

fragile x syndrome.

Question 10

A key psychoanalytic procedure in which the analysand is encouraged to give free rein to his or her thoughts and feelings, verbalizing whatever comes into the mind without monitoring its content. The assumption is that over time, repressed material will come forth for examination by both analysand and psychoanalyst

Answer 10

free association.

Question 11

The anterior portion of each cerebral hemisphere, in front of the central sulcus; active in reasoning and other higher mental processes.

Answer 11

frontal lobe.

Question 12

Dementias that involve impairment of both cognitive and motor functions; include Huntington’s chorea, Parkinson’s disease, normal-pressure hydrocephalus, and vascular dementia.

Answer 12

frontal-subcortical dementias.

Question 13

Dementia that begins typically in the mid to late 50s, characterised by deficits in executive functions such as planning, problem solving, and goal-directed behaviour as well as recognition and comprehension of emotions in others. Compare Alzheimer’s disease.

Answer 13

frontotemporal dementia (FTD).

Question 14

A disorder in which the chief concern involves the sexually oriented touching of an unsuspecting person, typically in public places that provide an easy means of escape

Answer 14

frotteuristic disorder.

Question 15

Subtype of dissociative amnesia disorder in which the person experiences total amnesia, moves and establishes a new identity.

Answer 15

fugue subtype.

Question 16

Modification of magnetic resonance imaging (MR) that allows researchers to pictures of the brain so quickly that metabolic changes can be measured, resulting in a picture of the brain at work rather than of its structure alone.

Answer 16

functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Question 17

Inhibitory neurotransmitter that may be involved in the anxiety disorders.

Answer 17

gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA).

Question 18

The ingrained sense a person has of being either a man or a woman

Answer 18

gender identity.

Question 19

The smallest portion of DNA within a chromosome that functions as a piece of functional hereditary information

Answer 19

gene.

Question 20

The switching on and off of the reading (transcription and translation) of genes into their products (usually proteins) and thus their associated phenotypes

Answer 20

gene expression.

Question 21

The influence of genetics on an individuals sensitivity or reaction to an environmental event. Compare reciprocal gene-environment interaction.

Answer 21

gene-environment interaction.

Question 22

Hans Selyes model to describe the biological reaction of an organism to sustained and unrelenting stress; the several stages culminate in death in extreme circumstances

Answer 22

general adaptation syndrome (GAS).

Question 23

Infection of the central nervous system by the spirochete Treponema pallidum, which destroys brain tissue; marked by eye disturbances, tremors, and disordered speech as well as severe intellectual deterioration and psychotic symptoms

Answer 23

general paresis.

Question 24

Disorder characterised by chronic, persistent anxiety and worry.

Answer 24

generalised anxiety disorder (GAD).

Question 25

The approach to human behavior that focuses on both heritability of traits and complex interactions between genes and environment.

Answer 25

genetic paradigm.

Question 26

In psychoanalytic theory, the final psychosexual stage, reached in adulthood, in which heterosexual interests predominate

Answer 26

genital stage.

Question 27

A disorder in which the woman persistently experiences pain or vaginal muscle spasms when intercourse is attempted

Answer 27

genito-pelvic pain/penetration disorder.

Question 28

Studies of variations in the entire human genome to identify associations between variations in genes and particular behaviours, traits, or disorders. Large sample sizes are needed for these types of studies

Answer 28

genome-wide association studies (GWAS).

Question 29

An individuals unobservable, genetic constitution, that is, the totality of genes present in the cells of an individual; often applied to the genes contributing to a single trait. Compare phenotype

Answer 29

genotype.

Question 30

Cells in the brain that are not neurons. They support and protect neurons.

Answer 30

glial cell.

Question 31

Guanine nucleotide-binding proteins that serve to modulate activity within the postsynaptic cell, are implicated in mania and depression, and are possibly the intracellular target of lithium.

Answer 31

G-proteins.

Question 32

Found in paranoid schizophrenia, delusional disorder, and mania, an exaggerated sense of ones importance, power, knowledge, or identity. See also delusions.

Answer 32

grandiose delusions.

Question 33

The neural tissue - made up largely of nerve cell bodies - that constitutes the cortex covering the cerebral hemisphere, the nuclei in lower brain areas, columns of the spinal cord, and the ganglia of the autonomic nervous system. Compare white matter

Answer 33

gray matter.

Question 34

Insanity plea in which a mentally ill person can be held morally and legally responsible for a crime but can then, in theory, be sent to a prison hospital or other suitable facility for psychiatric treatment rather than to a regular prison for punishment. In reality, however, people judged GBMI are usually put in the general prison population, where they may or may not receive treatment. Compare not guilty by reason of insanity.

Answer 34

guilty but mentally ill (GBMI).

Question 35

Perceptions in any sensory modality with out relevant and adequate external stimuli.

Answer 35

hallucinations.

Question 36

A drug or chemical, such as LSD, psilocybin, or mescaline, whose effects include hallucinations often called a psychedelic

Answer 36

hallucinogen.

Question 37

Proposed definition of mental disorder that contains both a value judgment (harmful) a putatively objective scientific component (dysfunction)

Answer 37

harmful dysfunction.

Question 38

The dried resin of the cannabis plant, stronger in its effects than the dried leaves and stems that constitute marijuana

Answer 38

hashish.

Question 39

A branch of psychology dealing with the role of psychological factors in health and illness. See also behavioral medicine.

Answer 39

health psychology.

Question 40

The extent to which variability in a particular behaviour/disorder within a population can be attributed to genetic factors

Answer 40

heritability.

Question 41

An extremely addictive narcotic drug derived from morphine

Answer 41

heroin.

Question 42

A research technique involving the intensive examination of people, such as the offspring of people with schizophrenia, who have a high probability of later developing a disorder

Answer 42

high-risk method.

Question 43

In the subcortical region of the brain, the long, tubelike structure that stretches from the septal area into the temporal lobe.

Answer 43

hippocampus.

Question 44

A personality disorder defined by overly dramatic behavior, emotional excess and sexually provocative behavior

Answer 44

histrionic personality disorder.

Question 45

A disorder in which the person has a compulsive need to acquire objects and extreme difficulty in disposing of those objects

Answer 45

hoarding disorder.

Question 46

Cognitive theory of depression that began with learned helplessness theory, was modified to incorporate attributions, and has been modified again to emphasize hopelessness - an expectation that desirable outcomes will not occur and that no available responses can change the situation.

Answer 46

hopelessness theory.

Question 47

The neuroendocrine connections among hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal cortex, central to the body's response to stress

Answer 47

HPA axis.

Question 48

An opiate combined with other drugs such as acetaminophen to produce prescription pain medications, including the commonly abused drug Vicodin. See also oxycodone

Answer 48

hydrocodone.

Question 49

A trancelike state or behavior resembling sleep induced by suggestion, characterised primarily by increased suggestibility.

Answer 49

hypnosis.

Question 50

A DSM-IV-TR disorder in which the person, misinterpreting rather ordinary physical sensations, is preoccupied with fears of having a serious disease.

Answer 50

hypochondriasis.

Question 51

An extremely happy or irritable mood accompanied by symptoms like increased energy and decreased need for sleep, but without the significant functional impairment associated with mania

Answer 51

hypomania.

Question 52

In the subcortical region of the brain, the structure that regulates many visceral processes including metabolism, temperature, perspiration, blood pressure, sleeping, and appetite.

Answer 52

hypothalamus.

Question 53

Specific expectation or prediction about what should occur or be found if a theory is true or valid.

Answer 53

hypothesis.

Question 54

In psychoanalytic theory, that part of the personality present at birth, comprising all the energy of the psyche and expressed as biological urges that strive continually for gratification.

Answer 54

id.

Question 55

Delusional thinking that reads personal significance into seemingly trivial remarks or activities of others and completely unrelated events.

Answer 55

ideas of reference.

Question 56

A disorder defined by excessive concern and help seeking about health concerns in the absence of major physical symptoms.

Answer 56

illness anxiety disorder.

Question 57

Treatment for anxiety disorders that involves visualizing feared scenes for extended periods of time. Frequently used in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder when in vivo exposure to the initial trauma cannot be conducted.

Answer 57

imaginal exposure.

Question 58

Memory that underlies behaviour but is based on experiences that cannot be consciously recalled; typically not compromised in cases of dissociative amnesia. Compare explicit memory

Answer 58

implicit memory.

Question 59

Literally, "in one's absence." Courts are concerned that a person be able to participate personally and meaningfully in his or her own trial and not be tried in absentia because of a distracting mental disorder.

Answer 59

in absentia.

Question 60

As applied in psychology, taking place in a real-life situation

Answer 60

in vivo.

Question 61

Emotional responses that are out of context, such as laughter when hearing sad news

Answer 61

inappropriate affect.

Question 62

Sexual relations between close relatives, most often between daughter and father or between brother and sister.

Answer 62

incest.

Question 63

In epidemiological studies of a particular disorder, the rate at which new cases occur in a given place at a given time. Compare prevalence.

Answer 63

Incidence.

Question 64

In a psychological experiment, the factor, experience, or treatment that is under the control of the experimenter and that is expected to have an effect on participants as assessed by changes in the dependent variable

Answer 64

independent variable.

Question 65

The person who in a genetic investigation bears the diagnosis or trait in which the investigator is interested

Answer 65

index case (proband).

Question 66

A variation of Freuds psychoanalysis introduced by Alfred Adler, focusing less on biological drives and more on such factors as people conscious beliefs and goals for self-betterment

Answer 66

individual psychology.

Question 67

The agreement of a person to serve as a research participant or to enter therapy after being told the possible outcomes, both benefits and risks

Answer 67

informed consent.

Question 68

The legal argument that a defendant should not be held responsible for an illegal act if the conduct is attributable to mental illness. See also not guilty by reason of insanity and guilty but mentally ill

Answer 68

insanity defense.

Question 69

A disorder characterised by below-average intellectual functioning associated with impairment in adaptive behavior and identified at an early age.

Answer 69

intellectual disability.

Question 70

A standardised measure indicating how far an individuals raw score on an intelligence test is from the average raw score of his or her chronological age group.

Answer 70

intelligence quotient (IQ).

Question 71

A standardised means of assessing a person's current mental ability, for example, the Stanford Binet test or the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale.

Answer 71

intelligence test.

Question 72

A proinflammatory cytokine; elevated levels can result from stress as well as infection and have been linked to numerous diseases in older adults

Answer 72

interleukin-6 (IL-6).

Question 73

Domain of childhood disorders characterised by inward-focused experiences and behaviours, such as depression, social withdrawal, and anxiety; the category includes childhood anxiety and mood disorders. Compare externalising disorders.

Answer 73

internalising disorders.

Question 74

Classical conditioning of panic attacks in response to internal bodily sensations of arousal (as opposed to the external situations that trigger anxiety).

Answer 74

interoceptive conditioning.

Question 75

A short-term, here-and-now focused psychological treatment initially developed for depression and influenced by the psychodynamic emphasis on relationships.

Answer 75

interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT).

Question 76

In psychoanalysis, a key procedure in which the psychoanalyst points out to the analysand where resistance exists and what certain dreams and verbalisations reveal about impulses repressed in the unconscious; more generally, any statement by a therapist that construes the client's problem in a new way

Answer 76

interpretation.

Question 77

The term used in an 1834 Ohio court ruling on criminal responsibility which determined that an insanity defense can be established by proving that the accused had an uncontrollable urge to perform the act.

Answer 77

irresistible impulse.

Question 78

Interactions between two people require paying attention to each other, whether speaking or communicating emotion nonverbally. This is impaired in children with autism spectrum disorder

Answer 78

joint attention.

Question 79

In psychoanalytic theory, the years between ages 6 and 12, during which id impulses play a minor role in motivation.

Answer 79

latency period.

Question 80

A principle of learning that holds that behavior is acquired by virtue of its consequences

Answer 80

law of effect.

Question 81

General term for learning disorders, communication disorders, and motor skills disorder

Answer 81

learning disabilities.

Question 82

A set of developmental disorders encompassing dyslexia and dyscalculia; characterized by failure to develop in a specific academic area to the degree expected by the child's intellectual level

Answer 82

learning disorders.

Question 83

The legal principle according to which a hospitalised patient must be treated in a setting that imposes as few restrictions as possible on his or her freedom

Answer 83

least restrictive alternative.

Question 84

Freudian term for the life-integrating instinct or force of the id; sometimes equated with sexual drive

Answer 84

libido.

Question 85

A drug useful in treating both mania and depression in bipolar disorder

Answer 85

lithium.

Question 86

The brain region in the fear circuit that is especially important in panic disorder, the major source in the brain of norepinephrine, which helps trigger sympathetic nervous system activity.

Answer 86

locus ceruleus.

Question 87

Investigation that collects information on the same individuals repeatedly over time perhaps over many years, in an effort to determine how phenomena change. Compare cross tional design

Answer 87

longitudinal design.

Question 88

In schizophrenia, an aspect of disorganised thinking wherein the patient has difficulty sticking to one topic and drifts off on a train of associations evoked by an idea from the past.

Answer 88

loose associations (derailment).

Question 89

d-lysergic acid diethylamide, a drug synthesized in 1938 and discovered by accident to be a hallucinogen in 1943.

Answer 89

LSD.

Question 90

A technique for measuring the structure (or, in the case of functional magnetic resonance imaging, the activity) of the living brain. The person is placed inside a large circular magnet that causes hydrogen atoms to move; the return of the atoms to their original positions when the current to the magnet is turned off is translated by a computer into pictures of brain tissue

Answer 90

magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Question 91

A disorder of individuals who have experienced episodes of depression but not of mania. Depression episodes are marked by sadness or loss of pleasure, accompanied by symptoms such as feelings of worthlessness and guilt; withdrawal from others; loss of sleep, appetite, or sexual desire; and either lethargy or agitation.

Answer 91

major depressive disorder (MDD).

Question 92

A sexual dysfunction disorder defined by absence of or deficiency in sexual fantasies and urges in men; for women, see sexual interest/arousal disorder.

Answer 92

male hypoactive sexual desire disorder.

Question 93

A recurrent and persistent delay or absence of ejaculation after an adequate phase of sexual excitement.

Answer 93

male orgasmic disorder.

Question 94

Faking a physical or psychological incapacity in order to avoid a responsibility or gain an end, where the goal is readily recognised from the individuals circumstances; distinct from conversion disorder, in which the incapacity is assumed to be beyond voluntary control

Answer 94

malingering.

Question 95

Intense elation or irritability, accompanied by symptoms such as excessive talkativeness rapid thoughts, distractibility, grandiose plans, heightened activity, and insensitivity to the negative consequences of actions

Answer 95

mania.

Question 96

A drug derived from the dried and ground leaves and stems of the female hemp plant Cannabis sativa.

Answer 96

marijuana.

Question 97

A mental health professional who specialises in treating couples and families and how these relationships impact mental health. Training can be at the master's or Ph.D. level, and some M.S.W programs offer training in marriage and family therapy

Answer 97

marriage and family therapist.

Question 98

Methylenedioxymethamphetamine, a chemical component of Ecstasy; initially used as an appetite suppressant for World War I soldiers and derived from precursors found in nutmeg, dill, saffron, and sassafras

Answer 98

MDMA.

Question 99

A region of the cortex in the anterior frontal lobes involved in executive function and emotion regulation that is implicated in mood an anxiety disorders

Answer 99

medial prefrontal cortex.

Question 100

Subtype of major depressive disorder in which the individual is unable to feel better even momentarily when something good happens, regularly feels worse in the morning and awakens early, and suffers a deepening of other symptoms of depression.

Answer 100

melancholic.

Question 101

The DSM defines mental disorder as a clinically significant behavioural or psychological syndrome or patterns. The definition includes a number of key features, including distress, disability or impaired functioning, violation of social norms, and dysfunction

Answer 101

mental disorder.

Question 102

DSM-IV-TR disorder characterised by below-average intellectual functioning associated with impairment in adaptive behaviour and identified at an early age.

Answer 102

mental retardation.

Question 103

A structured form of psychodynamic therapy developed for borderline personality disorder in which the person is encouraged to focus on his or her emotions and relationships.

Answer 103

mentalisation-based therapy.

Question 104

A hallucinogen and alkaloid that is the active ingredient of peyote.

Answer 104

mescaline.

Question 105

The first term for hypnotise, after Franz Anton Mesmer, an Austrian physician who in the late eighteenth century treated and cured hysterical or conversion disorders with what he considered the animal magnetism emanating from his body and permeating the universe.

Answer 105

mesmerise.

Question 106

A quantitative method of analysing the results of a set of studies on a topic, by standardising the results

Answer 106

meta-analysis.

Question 107

A chemical breakdown product of an endogenous molecule, such as a neurotransmitter, or of an exogenous drug; used to gauge current or recent level of its precursor.

Answer 107

metabolite.

Question 108

The knowledge people have about the way they know and about their world, for example, recognizing the usefulness of a map in finding their way in a new city.

Answer 108

metacognition.

Question 109

A recurrent and persistent delay or absence of orgasm in a woman during sexual activity adequate in focus, intensity, and duration; in many instances the woman may experience considerable sexual excitement.

Answer 109

female orgasmic disorder.